"The fact is," I said confidentially, "you must omit me from the witnesses at the inquest." "Why?" asked the detective suspiciously.

He turned upon the detective: "Won't it?"

"He ought to employ the great American detective Will here, who discovers things by the print of a foot.

"If you had told those detectives," he said at length, without looking up, "you must have known very soon.

"None; not a scrap!" replied the detective.

He had been playing detective; apparently he was now the suspected!

"I haven't had time to find him," muttered the detective, sullenly.

At my own hotel I enquired of the manager where I could find a good private detective, got an address, and motored to it, the speed bracing my nerves.

Nothing would induce us to think even of sending a detective out to spy upon him.

"There's one thing that doesn't seem very clever, though," reflected the detective.

" "Who killed Warren?" questioned the detective.

"I hope to prove it so, Your Highness!" cried the detective, flushing with pleasure at the compliment.

There was Arthur Weldon and Uncle John, Patricia and Beth; and all, as they saw the detective, cried with one voice: "Where's Louise?" Fogerty had just managed to close the door against the wintry blast when the answer came from the stairway just above: "She is gone!"

I have fanciedthat he hired detectives to spy upon me; and my instinct as well as common sense told me that he would let no chance slip to separate me from the man I love.

"But you say that he did commit the murder," retorted the detective.

I must watch that detective and learn what he has up his sleeve.

And, notwithstanding Patsy's loyal defense of Old Hucks, he was evidently tangled up in the affair to a large extent, and could explain if he chose much that was now puzzling the girl detectives.

To be sure, thought Anna, those professional masters of delay, the photographers, might be more jewel-wise than trustworthy, but what photographer could ever be so insane as to rob a detective?

Dr. Perry nodded, excused himself to the lawyer and followed the detective into the small writing-room which he had occupied during the funeral.

Hang it all, it was too humiliating for an accredited officer of Scotland Yard to consult a private detective!

"You must come," insisted the detective.

The Clarks were quite as depressed by this outcome of the search as was Mrs. Smith, but they had instructed the detective to continue his investigation.

Smith, feeling himself under observation, glanced up again in an unconcerned way, and as he faced the detective Fogerty gave a cleverly assumed start and exclaimed: "Good God!" Instantly Thursday Smith straightened up and looked at the man questioningly.

It's no crime to dodge a detective.

It was a good offer, the man knew her appearance, he was in possession of all the facts, he could be trusted "Ah, but can he, though?" queried the detective.