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Show j AMATEUR SLEUTH j By MARGUERITE I. BLUE. ? , 1919, by McCiure Newspaper Syndicate.) Alice Cain stood on the front steps and waved a laughing farewell to her father and mother and little brother, Bobby. They were going on an all-day trip to the harvest fair in the next county. When they had turned the last corner winch hid them from sight, she turned back into the house with a sigh. She stood for a moment with arms I akimbo. "Now, what shall I have for dinner?" I have just had breakfast,' but I might just as well get dinner ready now and then I will not have to bother about it later, and I can read or do something interesting," she said to herself. Alice went into the winter cellar, where the potatoes, preserves and dry vegetables were kpt. She had been bending over the potato barrel for moments mo-ments before she straightened up to rest her back. She was half-way up when she caught her breath. "What was that?" From behind her; no, it was over her head, came a distinct sound as of a sigh. She waited. Perhaps Per-haps it would come again. There could not possibly be anyone in the cellar. And if there was, what would she do? She did not move for several moments. Then just as distinctly, as if someone was beside her, the noise came again. It was a sigh. Someone was in that cellar. She picked up the dish of potatoes,, and after waiting again for several more moments, she stepped out into the main cellar. Nothing was here, surely. She went on her heart stood still. What was that under the stairs? She peered into the darkness. Something Some-thing was lying prone upon the floor. Something long and black. Fear seemed seem-ed to have fled, but courage had not come.. Site went nearer. In the dusk nothing was distinct. Site knelt and put her hand out. Wty, it was Jerry. "Jerry! Jerry!" she called; but be did not move. She touched his nose. It was icy. Surely he wasn't dead I She called again, but he did not answer. an-swer. "Who had done vhis?" It was all that she asked. There should be some signs, no criminal can completely cover cov-er his tracks. She went slowly back, looking on the floor quite closely so that nothing could escape her. In front of the furnace lay a white square of cloth. It was a handkerchief. She picked it up and, looking carefully, saw that in one corner were two hand-embroidered hand-embroidered initials, a double "R." How did Ralph Rider's handkerchief come to be in the cellar? Surely he could not have done the deed, but here was proof that he had been in the cellar. cel-lar. Ralph Rider lived next door to the Cains. His family had moved there about a year before America had entered en-tered the war. He had served his time in the army and had returned a few months previous. Alice went on further. On a shelf at one side was a stack of old newspapers news-papers which dated back three or four years. She bent over and felt around. Suddenly her hand struck something. She picked it up and looked at it. It was a gold cuff link and looked as if it might have been there for some time. Her eyes were on a level with a nail upon which hung a long metal chain. Her vexation was forgotten in the surprise sur-prise of finding the chain. She took it down to examine it, but only too well she knew that it was Ralph's leash for his dog. She waited no longer but ran swiftly swift-ly across the lawn through the hedge and to the back door of Ralph's house. Ralph answered the door himself to her imperative rap. His bright sunny smile changed to good natured perplexity perplex-ity and then slowly, very slowly to wrath. Finally he lifted his hand for her to stop and then very quietly said : "I know nothing about what you are talking about." Finally, after ages and ages, when the shadows had commenced to flicker across the parlor carpet, the automobile automo-bile drove into the yard. Alice placed the supper on the table for now that her family was here, she could wait a little longer before telling them. They had been seated about the table for a short time when her father looked up and saw a heart-breaking look on Alice's face. "Why, what's up?" he inquired. And then she told them the whole story sparing nothing, even to what she had said to Ralph. They listened quietly and then Robby snickered: "Well," said his father, "out with it." "Well," said Hobby, "I was out walking walk-ing with Ralph the other day and I had left my. handkerchief at home and Ralph let mo take his. I must have lost it v hen I was in the cellar this morning. morn-ing. And don't you remember, pa, when you were looking for those old clippings last month and imildi'uly Ralph missed bis cuff link, well, he must have lost it down there. As for the bash, Alice bung it there herself the last time the kitten ran away." "Rut." exclaimed his mother, "what about Jerry?" "Why, you see," continued IJobby, "we've been playing war lately and Jerry has to he the dead soldiers so I taught him" "The poor dog," exclaimed his mother, moth-er, "locked in the cellar nil day for just playing." She turned to look at Alice reproachfully reproach-fully but just the last flash of her skirt I was seen disappearing through the I ede. |