The Gold of the Gods

up the materials which he had been using in his investigation of the arrow poison.

hours had elapsed since we had first been introduced to this strange affair. In the hall, howeve

newspaper men are the best detectives I know. If it wasn't for them, half our murder cases wouldn't ever

to-day who realized the very important part these young men played in modern life. They crowded about, eager t

the men. "He seems to have constituted himself the guardi

for that," smiled Craig. "Jeal

quarter of an hour if he were here now. That oth

now?" queried Kenned

s his way of making love. He's daffy over her, all right. I stopped to watch him. Of course, he didn't know me. Just then Lockwood left. The Spaniard dived into the drug store on the corner as though the devil wa

pant manner in view of the i

hink of Lockwo

another of the men. "He'

s he done?" a

he almost begged us to be careful of how we asked questions of the girl. Of course, all of us could see how completely broken up she is. We haven't bothere

ng, has he done anythi

the reporter. "I

he remarked. "These people aren't givi

se breaks, it will break all of a sudden. I shouldn't wonder if

im inquiringly. "Wh

detectives act so chesty. They haven't got a thing, and the

did he

-talked a lot-and after it was all over he might have been sure no one would pub

rely before we get through. After all, nothing can take the place of the

et a word out of him. I've been thinking what would

ll a gun," cautioned

ly content to let the newspap

nd pressed the buzze

he said to Juanita, who opened the door, keeping it

us, for a second later we found oursel

. I listened intently, too. On the other side of the heavy portieres that cut us

ld not help listening. Besides th

urging her to do something

finally, in a quiet ton

Mr. Lockwood's associa

of him. Why shou

out anything except a few scattered phrases which told us nothing. Once I fanc

ice a little higher and excited. "I

that the folding doors behind the portieres were open. "Professor Kenn

t as he passed the reception r

l his expression. He seemed to be concealing a bitter disappointment. Seeing u

. She was pale and nervous. Evidently something that he had said to her had greatly agitated her. Yet with all her

to report?" she aske

great importance

ot seem to be offering us the natural assistance that was to be expected. Could it be that she suspected some one perhaps near and dear to her of having some knowledge, which, now that the

ntured. "Just what are Mr. Lockwo

stily. "They had decided that their interests would be more valuable by

ence on Mr. Whitney?" asked Craig, purposely introducing the na

a little exclamation o

vident that

insisted Kennedy. "What has

old on a man, one cannot say-" She paused, then went on in a different tone. "But I would rather not talk about the woman. I am a

could understand it. Those often baleful eyes had a pe

he returned. "Surely he is proof

y, Lockwood was first in her mind. Yet when Kennedy put the question thus she hesitated.

e was some kind of struggle going on in her mind

o the conclusion that if she would not let us help he

ampus. He listened intently as Kennedy told such parts of what we had done as h

of it?" he a

ow," reitera

e one has the secret," he cried hastily, "who

idea had been hinted at by the corone

, I think the criminal will be unlikely to try it again. If you had had as much experience in crime as I have had, you would see that it is not necessarily the unusual

be right," he said doubtfully. "Only I had rather th

dy, "you have had no further idea of

that I am almost afraid to have an opinion. I knew that its three-sided sheath

tched yourself with it by accid

had it in my possession longer. It was on

treasure of Truxillo?" suggested Kennedy. "Have you

e of Captain Kidd. I must confess that only when the thing was stolen did I begin to wonder whether, after all, there might not be something in it. Now it is too late to find out. From the moment when I found that it was missing from my collection

even more remarkable than that. It has disappeared w

or to-day thieves have a keen appreciation of the value of such objects. But, now that you have unearthed its use against

y, rising to go. "Perhaps after you have consi

brilliant faculty of scientific analysis, Kennedy. No

o him, while I dashed off, under his supervision, an account of the discovery of curare, and telephoned it down to the Star in time to catch the first

t others who were working on the case might have gathered. But there was nothing, and, after a hasty b

ched, we saw Inez Mendoza already waiting for us in a high state of a

me," she cried, even before Kennedy

out a crumpled, dirty piec

ed. "I could not wait to send it to you.

rs, in every way similar to the four warnings that ha

professes to be a fr

hen to Inez. One name was in my mind,

I queried in

" she exclaimed. "It is some one trying to injure

nt. It was he, most of all, who might be called a friend of her

nst Lockwood and her love and confidence in him. It did not need words to tell me that ev