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Show sWXSfh J I ANNA KATHARINE GUEEN I 4JPP$ WMWmM m I 2 ILLUSTRATIONS V Hi)- JAffe SYNOPSIS. Oxmtk Aniliraon anil wlfs " narfcabl looking nmn coin out or IM :fc-n.m Ik.1.1, lM,k around furllVMly. wt SI haii.la In the anno anil n. OntaimitWin BitrB.ta litem U Ui U-riii"tt. ibm II in fmirul (hut ttiw lHullful MM K4llb i'hHllniirr haa flh n lil. on tf-nt-a lh man l aaw waah m M lu aii..w. Thi. hoiel miiaa-r Untomi him to I OHmihI'I llri.thrraon. I'bntKM flfi'l that Mlaa tiallotn'r IdMk.1 ami tir.l alu.l. wlil. li am cWr limit.. r.m of auaplrloti. CHAPTER IV.Contir.usd. -What kind of a looking person was thn man who took you outside last nlRhtr I inquired of George, with my eyes mill on this furtive ws tetter "A fiitow to malm you laugh. A perfect character, Uura; hideously homely but agreeable enough. 1 took aulu a fancy to him. Why?" "I am looking at htm now." "Very likely. Ilea deep In thla affair. af-fair. Just au everyday detective, but mMtloue, 1 suppose, and quite alive to the Importance of Mm thorough." thor-ough." "He la watching those people. No. fee Isn't How quickly be disappeared!" disap-peared!" "Yia, he'a mercurial In all hla movements. Uura. we muat get out of thla. There happens to be some-thisg some-thisg else In the world for me to do thaa to sit around and follow up murder mur-der ctus." Hut we began to doubt If others greed with him. when on passing out we were stopped lu the lobby by this same detective, who had aome- thing to ssy to George, and drew blra vlckly aside. -What does he want?" 1 asked, as boob as George had returned to my aide. . "Me wants me to stand ready to c-faey any summons tbe police may acoc ane." "Then they at 111 suspect Brother- r "They must." As we stepped out of the hotel George gave my arm a quiet pinch wfak served to direct my attention to as elderly gentleman who waa just alighting from a taxlcab at the kerb. li -noted heavily and. with some ap-yroraace ap-yroraace ef pain, but from the crowd collected on the aldowalk, many of whora Budged each other as he paas-bo paas-bo was evidently a person or bo ane Importance, and as he disappeared disap-peared within tbe hotel entrance. I asked George who thla kind faced, bright eyed old gentleman could be. lie appeared to know, for he told tao at once that he waa Detective Greo; a man who had grown old In aolrtag just such baffling problems these. That afght I bided Oeorge'a coming with aa impatience I could not con-trtiL con-trtiL lie was late, of course, but fca ho did appear, 1 almost forgot ar moal greeting in my hurry to ask bin If he bad sewn tbe evening pa-aora. pa-aora. "No," he grumbled, aa be hung up la overcoat. "Keen pushed about .all day. No time for anything." Then let roe tell you" Cut he would have dinner Brat However, a little later we bad a .ooariortable chat. Mr. Gryce had us a discovery, and the papers vere full ef K. The opinion bad become quite gen-oral gen-oral wtlh those best acquainted with tho details of thla affair, that the giyatory was one of those abnormal ooea far which no solution would ever ho found, when the aged detective shooed himself In the building and u taken to tho room, where an In vector ef police awaited him. "This la very good of you." tbe In pector began, glancing down at the geo detective's bundled up legs, and gesUy psshlng a chair towards him Tho elderly man thus addressed gUaced down at bis legs, now propped atool which so mini tie hat oeeoght him. and smiled, with thi ltBoe of the old who sees the Inter oaie of a lifetime alipplng gradual! way. -I am not what I waa. 1 can ni loager get down on my hands am keeeo to plak up threads from tbe n of a rsg. or spy out a spot of blo to tho crimson woof of a carpet." "Toa shall have Sweetwater hen to do the active work for you. Wha ere waat of you is tho directing niln the Infallible Instinct. It's a can la a thouaand. tiryce. It will mak joe young aicaln." Ta eld man'e eyes shot fire an oeenaseiously one fool slipjd to th oor. Then he bethought blmsel ad solafutly lifted It back again. "What are the points? What's th eBBesttyr he asked. "A womj ha oro hot " K. aot shot, slabbe. We thougt aao had been shot, for til at was Inu Stfale and Involved Bo Impoaiibl Itlea, Knt Its lleath and Webste WB0r tbe eye of the Ctalloners' ow hyvicUa. have made an examlaatlc of the eouad and they declare thi e heHvt Is to be fud in the bod a tt" wrund ettende ao furtbi - ' . h-urt. Uio Uee one gr IHilnt. at least. You know the victim? vic-tim? Her name. I mean, and the character she bore?" "Yes; so much was told me on my way down." "A fine girl unspoiled by riches and aeemlng Independence. Happy, too, to all appearance, or we should be more ready to consider the possibility possibil-ity of suicide." "Suicide by stsbblng calls for a weapon. Yet none baa been found, 1 hear." "None." "Yet she was killed that way?" "Undoubtedly, and by a long and very narrow bladu, larger than a needle but not so large aa the ordinary or-dinary stiletto." "Stabbed while by herself, or what you may call by herself? She bad no companion near her?" "None, If we can believe the four members of the I'arrlsh family who were sou ted at the other end of tbe room." "And you do believe them?" "Would a whole family lie and needleaaly?" "It wouldn't seem so." "She fell just a few feet from tbe desk where she bad been writing. No word, no cry, just a collapse and sudden fall. She never looked up or spoke again. What do you make of It. Gryce?" "It's a tough one, and I'm not ready to venture an opinion yet I should like to see the dusk you speak of, and the spot where she fell." A young fellow who had been hovering hover-ing In the background at once stepped forward. He was the plain-faced detective de-tective who had spoken to George. "Will you take my arm, sir?" Mr. Gryce's whole face brightened. This Sweetwater, aa they called him, waa, 1 have since understood, one of his proteges and more or leas of a favorite. "Have you had a chance at thla thing?" he asked. "Yes, sir; they were good enough to allow it." "Very well, then, you're In a poal-tlon poal-tlon to pioneer me. You've seen it all and won't be In a hurry." "No; I'm at the end of my ropa. I haven't an Idea, sir." "Well, well, that's honest at all events." Then, as be slowly rose with the other's careful assistance, "There's no crime without Its clue. The thing Is to recognize that clue when seen. Hut I'm In no position to make promises." The iiieiianlne waa guarded from all visitors save such as bad official sanction. Consequently, the two remained re-mained quite uninterrupted while they moved about the place In quiet consultation. The locale waa what Gryce wanted, and he got It. Whether Wheth-er he got anything else It would be Impossible to say from bis maimer as he finally sank Into a chair by one of the openings, and looked down on the lobby below. It waa full of people coming and going on all aorta of business, bus-iness, and presently he drew back, and, leaning on Sweetwater's arm, asked him a few queatlona. "Who were the first to rush In here after the Parrlshers gave the alarm?" "One or two of the musicians from the end of the hall. They had just finished their program and were pre- f ;i frll d I flt- He Was Evldtntly a Person of Som " Importance. d paring to leave tbe gallery. Natura e ly they reached her first" If "And who followed them? Wb came net on tbe scene?" ie "Some people from the lobby. The is heard the disturbance and msbed e pell mi ll Hut not one of theee touc1 it ed her. I-ater her father came." . "Who did touch her? Any bod V- before the father came In? r. "Yea; Miss Clarke, the mlddl n aged lady wltb tbe rarrUhee 81 m had run towards Miss Challoner i at sooa aa she heard her fall, and wi t. sitting there with the dead girl er head In ber Up when the musiclaj at showed 'hemeetveo."' "I suppose she baa been carefully questioned?" "Very, I should say. "And she speaks of no weapon?" "No. Neither she nor any one else at that moment suspected murder or even a violent death. All thought It a natural one sudden, but the result re-sult of some secret dlaease." "Hut the blood? Surely there must have been some show of blood?" "No one noticed any. Not till the doctor came her doctor, who was happily In his office In this very building. He saw the drops, and uttered ut-tered the first suggestion of murder." "How long after was this? la there any one who has ventured to make an estimate of the number of minutes min-utes which elapsed from tho time ehe fell, to the moment when the doctor first raised the cry of murder?" "Yes. Mr. Slater, the assistant manager, who was In the lobby at the time, says that ten minutes at leant must have elapsed." "Ten minutes and no blood 1 The weapon must still have been there. Some weapon with a abort and Inconspicuous In-conspicuous handle. I think they said there were flowers over and around the place where It atruck?" I "Yea, great big scarlet ones." "Ten minutest I must see every I one who approached aer during those I ten minutes. Every one, Sweetwater, and I must myself talk with Miss Clarke." "You will believe very word the I says." "No doubt All the more reason why I must see her. 8weetwater, someone drew that weapon out The question is who? We must leave no I atone unturned to find that out" "Where will you see Miss Clarke?" I "Wherever she pleasca only 1 I can't walk far." "I think 1 know the place. You shall I have the use of this elevator. It hae not been running since last night or It would be full of curious people all the time, hustling to get glimpse of this place. Hut they'll put man on I for you." I "Very good; manage It aa you will. I I'll wait here till you're ready. I'll loot trouble ber much. Hut there Is one point aha must make clear to I me." Sweetwater did not presume to ask what point, but he hoped to be fully enlightened when tbe time came. And he was. Mr. Gryce had under- I taken to educate him for this work and never missed the opportunity of I giving him a lesson. Tbe three met I in a private sitting-room on an upper door, tbe detectives entering first I and the lady coming In soon after. I Miss Clarke was not a woman to I rouse an unfavorable opinion In any man's mind. Of sllsht, almost frail I build, she had that peculiar anlma- I tlon which goea with a speaking eye and a widely sympathetic nature. Without any eubstantlal claims to I beauty, her expression waa ao womanly wom-anly and so sweet that she waa In- I variably called lovely. I Mr. Gryce waa engaged at tbe moment mo-ment In shifting his cane from the right hand to the left, but hla man- I ner waa never more encouraging or I bla smile more benevolent. I "I'ardon me." he apologized, with one of bla old fashioned bows. "I'm I sorry to trouble you after all the dls- I tress you must have been under this I morning. Hut there Is something I I wish especially to ask you In regard to the dreadful occurrence In which I you played ao kind a part You were I the first to reach tbe prostrate worn-I worn-I an. 1 believe." I "Yea. Tbe boya jumped up and ran I towards ber. but they were frightened fright-ened by ber looks and left it for m I to put my hands under and try to : life her up." I "Did you manage It?" "I aucceeded In getting her head I Into my lap, nothing more." "And sat so?" "For some little time." I I "You knew she was dead, then?" "I felt her to be ao." "How feltr I I "I waa sure I never qutstloned It' I I "You have Been women In a faint? I "Yes. many tlmea." "What made the difference? Wb; I I should you believe Miss Chsllone dead simply because she lay still am I J apparently llfe'eee?" J I "I cannot tell you Possibly, deatl . I tells Its own story. I only know hoi I felt." I "Perhsps there wvd another rei I I sen? Perhaps, that, consciously o I unconsciously, you laid your pair o upon her heart?" I Miss Clarke started, and her swe 7 1 face ahowed a moment's perplexity, ipl "Did I?" she queried, musinglj h-1 Then with a sudden access of feelini I "I may have done ao. Indeed. I b y, I llevo I did. My arms were aroun I her; It would not have been an ui e-1 natural action." 11 "No: a very natural one. I shou! is I say. Cannot you tell me poslttvell is I whether you did this or not?" I s "Yea, I did. I had forgotten It bi m 1 1 remember now." And tbe glan I she cast him while not meeting h eye showed that she understood the Importance of the admission. "I know," she ssld, "what you are going go-ing to ask me now. Did 1 feel anything any-thing there but the flowers and the tulle? No, Mr. Gryce, I did not. There was no poniard In the wound." Mr. Gryce felt around, found chair and sank Into It "You are a truthful woman," aald he. "And, he added more slowly, "composed enough In character 1 should Judge not to have made any mistake on this very vital point." "I think so, Mr. Gryce. I waa In a state of excitement, of course; but the woman was a stranger to me, and my feelings were not unduly agitated." agi-tated." "Sweetwater, we can let my aug-gestlon aug-gestlon go In regard to those ti n minutes min-utes I spoke of. The time is narrowed nar-rowed down to one, and In that one, Miss Clarke was the only person to touch her." "The only one," echoed tho lady, catching perhaps the alight rising sound of query In his voice. "I will trouble you no further." So b : "You Are Truthful Woman,' He Said. aald the old detective, thoughtfully. "Sweetwater, help me out of this." "Hut one possibility remains." he confided to Sweetwater, aa they stood waiting at the elevator door. "Mlsa Challoner died from a stab. What follows? She atruck the blow herself, and the strength of purpose which led ber to do this, gave ber the additional addi-tional force to pull tbe weapon out and fling It from her. It did not fall upon the floor around her; therefore, It flew through one of those openings open-ings Into the lobby, and there It either will be, or baa been found." CHAPTER V. The Red Cloak. "What results? Speak up, Sweetwater." Sweet-water." "None. Every man, woman and boy connected with tbe hotel baa been questioned, but not one of tbem picked pick-ed up anything from the floor of the lobby, or knows of any one who did." A bulletin was put up. Some hours later, Sweetwater ro entered (he room, and, approachlni Mr. Gryce with a smile, blurted out: "The bulletin Is a great go. I'v watched every one who atopped tt read It Many showed Interest and . many emotion; she seems to have i troop of friends. Hut embarrass , ment! only one showed that" "Embarrassment? Humph! a man? , "No. a woman; a lady, air; one o , tbe transients." "A woman! Where la ahe? Stll In the lobby?" I "No, sir. She took the elevatoi while 1 waa talking with the clerk." "You mistook ber expression." "I don't thing so. I bad noticed he when she first came Into the lobby Sbe was talking to her daughter wb waa with ber. and looked natural am " happy. Hut no sooner bad ahe seei and read that bulletin, than tbe blow ahot up Into her face and her manne . became furtive and hasty. Almost be r fore 1 could point her out she ha j seised ber daughter by the arm an hurried ber towards the elevator. He t, room Is on the seventh floor, numbe r 7XJ. and her name la Watklna. Mn Horace Watklns of Nsshvllle." "Call the desk. Say that I'm to b r told If Mra. Watklna of Nahvlll ringa up during the next ten mil utee. We'll give her that long to tak t aome action." Sweetwater did aa he was bl ,. tben went back to his place in th 5. lobby. b Hut he returned almost Instantly. j -Mrs. Watklns has Just telephone . down thst she Is going to to leavi air." 4 "To leaver t. Tho old man struggled to his fee "No. 711. do you aay? Seven storlea it be sighed. Hut aa he turned with hobble, be stopped. "There are di la ficoltlea In tho way of this Interview he remarked. "A blush Is not much to go upon. I'm afraid we shall have to resort to the shadow business and that Is your work, not mine." Hut here the door opened and a boy brought In a line which had been left at the desk. It related to the very matter then engaging them, and ! ran thus: i "I see that Information la desired as to whether any person was seen to stoop to the lobby floor lust night at or shortly after the critical moment of Mlsa Challoner's fall In the half story above. I can give such information. infor-mation. I was In the lobby at the time, and In the height of the confusion following fol-lowing this alarming Incident, I remember re-member seeing a lady one of the new arrivals (there were several coming com-ing In at the tlmel stoop quickly down and pick up something from the floor. I thought nothing of it at the time, and so paid little attention to her appearance. I can only recall the auddenness with which she stooped and the color of the cloak she wore. It waa red, and the whole garment gar-ment was voluminous. If you wish fur-ther fur-ther particulars though In truth, I have no more to give, you can find me In room 3S6. "IIRNRY A. M'ELHOY." "Humph! This should simplify our task," waa Mr. Gryce'a comment, as he handed the note over to Sweetwater. Sweetwa-ter. "You can easily find out If the lady, now on the point of departure, can be Identified with the one described de-scribed by Mr. McElroy. If she can, I am ready to meet her anywhere." And so It happened that Just as Mrs. Watklns waa watching the wheeling out of her trunks, there appeared In the doorway berore her, an elderly gentleman, whose expression, always benevolent, save at moments when benevolence would be quite out of keeping with the situation, had for aome reason, so marked an effect upon up-on her, that she colored under his eye, and, Indeed, showed such embarrassment, embarrass-ment, that all doubt of the propriety of his Intrusion vanished from the old man's mind, and with the ease of one oniy too well accustomed to such scenes, he kindly remarked: "Am I speaking to Mra. Watklns of Nashville r "You are." ahe faltered, with another anoth-er rapid change of color. "I I am Just leaving. I hope you will excuse me. I ' "I wish I could," he smiled, hobbling In and confronting her quietly in her own room. "Hut circumstances make it quite Imperative that I should have a few words with you on a topic w hich need not be disagreeable to you, and probably will not be. My name Is Gryce, A beautiful and charming young woman died here last night May I ask if you knew her?" "I? I never saw the young lady. Why do you ask? I do not recognize your right 1 I " Mr. Gryce made one of his low bows and propping himself against the table be stood before, remarked civilly: "I had rather not force my rights. I i thought perhaps you could tell me something which would aid me In my i effort to elicit the real facts of the ' case. You were crossing the lobby at tbe time" "Yes." She raised her head. "So I were a dozen ethers " "Madam" the interruption was ) msde in hla kindlleat tones, but In a way which nevertheless suggested au-I au-I thorlty. "Something was picked up i from the floor at that moment Am I - not correct? Didn't you aee a certain person I will mention no names ' atoop and pick up something from f tbe lobby floor?" "No."' The word came out will I atartllng violence. Hut her lips qutv ered, and her cheeks were white, toe r white now for simple Indignation. "Then I have made a big mistake.' apologized the ever-courteous detect r Ive. "Will you pardon me? It would '. have settled a very serious question 1: 9 It could be found that tbe object tbui & picked up was the weapon whlct ii killed Miss Challoner. That la my ex 1 cuse for the trouble I have given you.' r The door burst open, and a youni t- girl bounded Into the room, with thi d merry cry: d "All ready, mother. I'm glad w r are going to the Clarendon. I bate ha r tels where people die almost brfon i. your eyes." The cloak which enveloped the glr e waa red. and full enough to be calli-i e voluminous. i- "Who Is this?" demanded the girl e her Indlcnant glancea flashing fron one to thn other. 1. "I don't know," faltered the mot he e in very evider.t distress. "He say he has a right to ak ns quetion and he has been ssklng question d about about " b, "Not about me," laughed the glr with a toas of her head. "He ran hav nothing to say about me." nd sh t. began to move about the ro-m In a ." aimless, half Insolent way. a Mr. Gryce Blared hard at the few n f- malning belongings of the two womei lying la heap oa the tsble. and bal musingly, half deprecatlngiy, remarked: re-marked: "The person who stooped wore long red cloak. Probably you preceded pre-ceded your daughter, Mrs. Watklns." The lady thus brought to the point " made a quick gesture towards the girl who suddenly stood still, und, with rising color In her cheeks, answered, with some show of resolution on her own part: "You say your name Is Gryce and that you have a right to address me thus pointedly on a subject which you evidently regard as eerlous. That Is not exact enough for me. Who are you, sir? What Is your buHlnens?" "I think you have guessed It I am a detective from headquarters. Perhaps Per-haps this young lady cun tell me what you cannot." "Caroline" Then the mother broke down. "Show the getitlemun what you picked up from the lobby floor last night." The girl laughed again, loudly and with evident bravado, before she threw the cloak bnck and showed what she had evidently been holding In her hand from the first, a sharp-pointed, sharp-pointed, gold handled paper-cutter. "It was lying there and I picked It up. I don't see any harm In that" "You probably meant none. Yon couldn't have known the part It had Just played In this tragic drama," aald the old detective, looking carefully careful-ly at the cutter which be had taken In his hand. "You have washed this?" he asked. "No. Why should I wash It? It was clean enough. I waa Just going down to give It In at the desk." And she turned aside to the window and began to hum, as though done with the whole matter. - The old detective rubbed his chin, glanced again at the paper-cutter, then at the girl In the window, and lastly at the mother, who had lifted her head again and -waa facing him bravely. "It ia very Important," he observed to the latter, "that your daughter should be correct In her statement as to the condition of thla article when she picked It up. Are you sure aho did not wash It?" "I don't think she did. Dut I'm euro she will tell you the truth about that Caroline, this Is a police matter. Any mistake about It may Involve us In world of trouble and keep you from getting back home In time for your coming-out party. Did you did you wash thla cutter when you got up-atairo, up-atairo, or or " she added, with propitiatory glance at Mr. Gryce "wipe It off at any time between then and now? He sure." "Mother, how can I tell what I did?" flashed out the girl, wheeling round oa her heel till she faced them booth. "Such a lot of talk about a paltry thing which couldn't have cost tea dollars." And she wheeled back. "It Isn't the value." Mr. Gryc . could be very patient "It's tbe fact that we believe It to have been answerable an-swerable for Miss Challoner's death that Is, If there was any blood on it when you picked It up." "Blood!" The girl waa facing them again, astonishment struggling with disgust on her plain but mobile features. fea-tures. "Hlood! Ie that what you mean? Take It away," ahe cried- "Hlood!" f : Jr; , "Blood!" She Reiterated With Horror, Flinging Herself Into Her Mothcr'a I Arms. she repeated In horror, flinging her-self her-self Into h-r mother's arms. Mr. Gryce thought he understood the situation. Here was a little kleptomaniac klep-tomaniac whoae weakneaa the mother r was struggling to hide. S (TO UK CUXTINt'KO.) t s Just Married, Too. "Young man." said the magistrate. I. severely, "the asaault you have com-e com-e milted on your poor wife Is a most e brutal one. Do you know of any rea-n rea-n -son why 1 should not send you to prison? "If you do, your honor," re-- plied the piiaoner at the bar. hope-i. hope-i. fully. "It will break up our honey-If honey-If roooa " |