Show the th desert abo ou y CHAPTER XIII continued 13 well I 1 said that means that ive got about half an hour to disguise a family weal meal as a company compa iny dinner dont bother she he interrupted they hey wont w 0 nt be here for or luncheon dinner I 1 need to see them only about ten minutes I 1 bother answering it she know ony any more about the ways of people in ID this country than that eliat I 1 see fee why I 1 should take it on myself to teach her but she die was right she bile talked to them a few minutes and though I 1 insisted that they stay for foi dinner off they went it was an insult to the desert moon ranch every one on the ill place a ce but miss macdonald Mac Donnld knew it IL two weeks before if a couple of friends hild left the ranch at eleven thirty in the morning with no reasonable excuse tor for so GO doing sam would have worm blown up and burst with rage that noon be was not even decently indignantly interested be had bad plenty of interest though concerning the finding of the attic key bey lie had had bad it all settled and was satisfied that since it bad been proven that gaby had bad been killed on the stairway it had also antso been proven that no lember bember of the household could have been implicated now tilts this second key bey coming to light the key that must have been put pat over back of the wood before the fire was lighted that night and that must have been blackened td in that one tire fire because there had been no ore fire in that fireplace since dragged to qu quote ote sam noi wishing to use such words ion on my own hook book every d n one of us back into the d U mess again 1 sam I 1 said and I 1 guess my only excuse Is that I 1 was still angry at having my honest word doubted do you know what I 1 think I 1 think that miss macdonald mac land knows she fine Is a nice alee girl and a livin living g wonder as help in the kitchen and a around r aund the house bouse Is going to be a oal fizzle from start to finish when it comes to discovering the murderer kind of the way I 1 got it sized up too sam said cut but if ashes good help to you ashes t ies worth a lot more than her expenses empens es 11 it the cost ol 01 her I 1 said im afraid site she Is going to do a lot of harm barro around here goodnight amaryll ile he bald it anyone can do any more harm around here than lhnn has been done already why leave ern cm do IV it not much with your leave em do its I 1 said my aly idea la Is that weve had about enough trouble what im getting at Is tills this sum sam I 1 think that tool foot girl at present Is suspecting you yon more than any other one of us the way I 1 had hint flint sled sized up tip too he aalf hill let her go ahead abend if she can prove im guilty im will lug ing to lanng for it tt dont be a tool fool sum sam I 1 snapped did you ever happen to hear of clr cir evidence you bet but they cant hang bung more than one innocent person on circum evidence and theres enough of that stuff around here now to hang about five or six of us ill take my chances with the rest of you mary lands sam I 1 was taken aback do you think she suspects me something pretty close to tile the old twinkle came into sams eyes well mary gaby was one extra to do for or and she cunie came late to nuala meals and pestered you quite a lot furthermore does oboes it seem to you that danny and Canne ziano are getting along alt all right though it been findt a point ol of you were all alone in tile the Kil lil tchan vilen for the hour between five and six you might anve up and have done the deel between the time you put the ment meat on and took the biscuits out I 1 knew that tie he thought tie lie was be ing funny but I 1 like it see here sam I 1 begun began danny wits go ing back and forth all the time wow now thon then sim sam interrupted mocking miss bliss macdonnald Mac hinc Donnld Donold did was nave any ant particular rev reo son bon for watching you no I 1 see then I 1 am afraid afra lil she can nut not be positive that flint you opre not out oui 0 of the kit kitchen chert twenty minutes often seems seem like ino inn hours und and sixteen minutes 1 rr if inu u griat uary mary sum sam got suddenly serious im going to wait a few more days and then if this lady indy progressing a deal taster faster than she Is at present im going to pay her off full amount of course and wire xo to frisco for or a plata plain ordinary beman be man detective to come up op here and take hold of c things by tho way be went 0 on n does it seem to you that danny and are getting gentils along all right 1 I judge it a 0 case of their getting along much I 1 sall so tar as I 1 know she hast spoken a word to him since she greeted him the evening she came home well he be hesitated welli wel well l know a mite urther further than that ill tell you yon some ome time that dinner time mo maybe abe ile he went into the dining room rind and I 1 followed him all during that dinner and the some same had been true of every meal since the first breakfast ive mentioned john hardly took his yes eyes oft off ot of miss macdonald I 1 made n way to speak to him about 14 it alone right after d din I 1 n tier ner john I 1 said for gercys sakes ga keg what do 10 you want to sit and st stare 11 re at miss macdonald Un cDonald for during meals like she bile was the place where you had bad lost something lie ile blushed gosh maryl I 1 been doing that flint have UI I 1 you certainly have it look nice john why do you do it 1 know that I 1 did but on the square did you ever eer see anything as pretty I 1 menn mean ns as clean and w ell kind of comforting looking she c hanges changes so too like a diamond or a desert or a sunrise or some something thing did yon ever see anyone as interest ing to look at mary never mind asking me I 1 said bald just you yon go and ask danny some of those questions danny he be answered Is well danny Is 19 danny of course ashes different better take to watching how dlf dif ferent site she Is I 1 advised and left him to think it over and went into the liv ing room Canne zinno was loafing around in there mary 11 he said ill make a dicker with wit you not kot with me I 1 said and started a op P the stairs curiosity like mine Is a curse rd fd gone about tour four steps up op when I 1 it 1 caught me your four old dicker dacle r 7 I 1 said it if per perau sundo ado sum sam to give elve roe me the ten thousand for producing the he murderer murd eier ill split it with you I 1 am tired of at for myself I 1 will state slate merely flint I 1 I 1 managed n to say tie lie one thing thin under those fir cir cum stances that I 1 should riot not have said do you know who the mur derer la thereby proving flint I 1 was possessed of about ila as dl plou lacy as an A clock certainly riot he a answered A lie ile had find not hesitated he had looked straight into my eyes aut I 1 knew that be believed that I 1 thought he had bad lied see here I 1 said 1 I 1 take it that one ire five thousand dollars Is ns as good to you as another if you know who committed the murder and will pro duce him ill give ghe you the five thou than sand dollars myself dont say that alary danny at eppel step out from behind the long curtains at the end of the south win dows jumped like a spurred bronio bronco spying ell eh my lady site she spoke directly to me listen mary dont ever tor for any reason en ter into any sort of an agreement with tills this man it if he be knows ur thinks that he knows who the murderer Is he can he forced to tell without a bribe if lie bad known for one day one on e hour und and had bad withheld the in formation he Is s in effect an accod there Is a legal term tor for it but bul I 1 have bine forgotten it I 1 am volna going out now to lud find uncle sum film ani ana to tiring hint him here ann ana tell film flint this mill ann says that tant he tit knows aws who committed tile lie murder manry you telephone to hie file sheriff in telko just a moment please CA annne inezi ano spoke smoot lily and smilingly 11 1 he have said definitely hill I 1 do not know who killed gaby and I 1 do out jot know I 1 am bored ably boreo I 1 should llla to try my hand tit at deletic B this er cr villian but lit tie he shrugged nip his narrow ders with impetus 11 the fact act that she aus 8 you own on daughter I 1 began otly hotly dont mary danny interrupted with a sigh there hs no use you and he do not speak the some same ion an guage bow how Is tills this Canne ziano sold rind and went on speaking very deiy rapidly in some language an danny stood and stared nt at him with out a mite ot of expression un her face lie he paused for breath she so said I 1 d 1 I 1 hava forgotten n my italian 1 ido do not understand you rind and I 1 am glad I 1 do not come mary shall we go upstairs in the upper hall site she anid that hint she wanted me to go with tier ber to was miss macdonald bemuse because she wanted to tell miss maedonald Mar Donald went had bad lost just happened we k milked knocked on her door site she greeted us pleasantly enough but there was a pucker between her eye ee brows you have asked us w dann began at once to tell you yon nothing omit tie the anse does docs that mean that yon do not no wish io nave us u tell you of by kay cleaver strahan Q by doubleday doran co red int service day by day develop developments menus which see seem ra to have a direct bearing on the easel As for instance bliss Muc macdonald Donal d questioned danny told tier her about what had bad happened from the time elbe had stepped behind the curtains until she and I 1 bad come upstairs together miss first question was way were you watching him because danny answered straight 1 I think he came here with some evil purpose I 1 should like to ond find out what that purpose Is why were you so enger to prevent urs mrs Aln gins ranking making a pact with him 1 I have dealt with this man I 1 know that he Is bad and crafty for ave 0 v e thousand dollars je ae would perjure himself over and over oter again ue he would produce witnesses who would perjure themselves uis this man approached you with offers similar to thir one bliss can nez lanol nol lie he has had no opportunity you too are sure of that dannys chin went up a trifle 1 I dont understand 1 I 1 think flint you do danny turned turnell to roe me enry nry 11 she said yesterday afternoon that man come came to MY room when I 1 was waa alone he slipped in closed my door and locked it I 1 ran into gillys room but I 1 could not get out of it because tile the doors were all locked I 1 went into gabys bathroom rind locked myself in I 1 stayed there for halt half nn an hour or longer until he be lett leri bliss mae mac donald donad evidently thinks that he and I 1 were in conversation during that time I 1 have no proof that we do you believe bete me mary I 1 do with all my heart I 1 said miss bliss persisted you told no one about tills this 1 I did not dare to tell tf it john thought that that man she stopped short ft yes questioned miss aliss 1 11 I mean that john would light fight will him would whip him within an inch of 11 his a life why should you care danny look at me i shed enre care 11 I 1 answering the appeal in her big hurt eyes be enuse she Is s a 0 was miss it amny ran y he be hard for you to understand hut but woman who arent prime erime analysts dont want their men nian infighting 11 thank you mary alm danny said sald and walked hurriedly out of the room mrs bingin mlis ma macdonnald Mac donald Donnld he gan can right off the rill minute nute the door had closed behind danny 1 I 1 want to ask you to help me mill this case 1 I he any help to you I 1 sald I 1 guess I 1 was rather tart about it why not one reason Is I 1 said that tiny any body who know any better than to suspicion danny in this of at fair would need it a lot loi more help hell to get an anywhere iny where than I 1 could give them my aly only suspicion concerning miss aliss Canne zinno site she answered dri Is flint she knows more than slip she I 1 IF willing to tell I 1 t may he wrong algul that have you ony any other reason for refusing to help me only that flint you dont believe a word I 1 say any if you would ons liler hint flint I 1 R am il anyway trying to be honest and if y d do the same with the others until you are 4 arr that yol have ren rca son to lo do otherwise id consider it nn an honor to help you and id thank you id he ni n use to tc you as lony long as you doubted every word I 1 got said it if I 1 know that you are believing vint 11 help and tell loll the truth ill try to if I 1 think I 1 am to be doubled anyway ny Y maybe ill say any what id like to say she ant and looked straight at me for at least half a minute 1 I do believe you she sold said and trust you I 1 nave since I 1 first met you at the station I 1 cant help myself youre all right mrs hire and I 1 know it ill agree to your terms erms t now then As my assistant Is there anyone on tile the place who would benefit in any way nay by mr air stanleys Stan leys conviction in a way I 1 said though it all but elicited me john would lie Is to inherit everything sam has but john loves loes sum sam and john do it miss Connez lano would also ben befit then she since site she to Is to marry young mr air stanley it make sense I 1 said aid john hns has plenty oi at his bis own tight now lind sam would give them anything tind and everything they wanted anted besides as long ns as he lived Is there she asked next nest any person at al present on the ranch whom whoa you would concede might possibly commit a murder Vanne ziano yes I 1 know and leaving him out of it welt well I 1 had to hesitate 1 I am not sure every instinct I 1 have tells tella me that hat neither hubert hand nor mrs hirs li ticket leker no it Is an awful thing to day any but do you know knob gabryelle Gabr lelle Canne zinno bedsol war the only other person who hns has been on tills his ranch whom I 1 could even imagine doing such a terrible thing filing she have any of tile lie decent ordinary virtues she 1 I know anything about them not charily c nor gratitude nor kindness nor honesty nor modesty nor bornor nor anything hing 11 it strange that twit twin sisters ra a bm ov ito looked as much alike as these girls did should be so entirely differ ent eat as to character strange or bot it it Is true in character those two girs were as different its as night and day I 1 never never even thought that they looked alike who told you that they did 1 I 1 have seen their photographs she reminded me their photographs may look alike they but they did she insisted 1 I tell you I 1 said that they acted so differently and dressed so differ entis that there was wa not one bit ol of likeness A most unusual state of affairs tor for duplicate twins bliss danielle Dan lelle can 00 tio cattle came here on a most doubtful errand tin an errand hint amounted to robbery robbery nothing noth ln else if you are accusing danny I 1 interrupted uli 1 an ani not hotl I 1 there wits will a flush final of of temper in that Muk Al liking lii ull all allow all 0 w konves for mistakes in ahne miss cun n atio could not have hae committed the murder mur fer herself hc iselt hut but suppose that her past was not as inne tent find bline blame I 1 less us as she would like ilke to have hae you all think suppose that a revelation of 0 all she knows or concerning tier her sisters benth would also bring to light things thing that she cannot afford to hare brought to light concerning hers herself cir it Is at lens least reasonable to think that site she knows more than she Is willing to tell 1 I whether you noticed she went on it tat at coming up from arora tile the station I 1 set u trap for miss canne just for in I 1 fancied that there wits more tear fear than grief in her bet attitude toward meeting tier her father I 1 sug gestel you remember that she see him film I 1 wanted to see whether she desired a private in with him tier her prompt re fasal made it evident |