The Four Pools Mystery

most anxious hospitality. A horse was given him to ride, guns and fishing tackle were placed at his disposal, a box of the Colonel's best cigars stood on the table of his room, and Solomon at his elbo

to work with a

at hand rather than the scarcity. He examined the safe and the library window with a microscope, crawled about the laurel walk on his hands and knees, sent off telegrams and gossiped wi

his arrival-he joined me as I was strolling

word with you, Mr

service, Mr. C

ntous and prepared me for th

e information will not be welcome. Under the circumstances it seemed wisest to make my repo

In spite of my effort at composu

is Radnor

aug

such an act in the first place, and in the second,

ow that? And whe

if he did not tell you, it is becaus

and his opening the safe the night before for the hundred dollars was merely a ruse to allow him to forget and leave it open, so that the bonds could appear to be stolen by someone else. Just what led him to commit the act I won't say; he has been in a tight place for several months back in regard to money. Last January he turned a two-thousand dollar mortgage, that his father had given him on his twenty-fir

lf crazy fellow who from the first has been young Gaylord's tool; I don't think he knew what he was doing sufficiently to be blamed. As for Gaylord himself, I fancy there was a third person somewhere in the background who was pr

ults, is an honorable man in regard to money matters. I have his wo

ective

much in my profession, and that is a man's word. We look fo

letter, and handed it to me. It was a typewritten

F. Gaylo

antation, Lamb

Mr. Ga

w at present and we shall have to sell at 98?. If you care to hold on to them a few months longer, there is

r orders and thanking

e

truly

, Haigh

that?" I asked. "It strikes

ld of it; I had to do some fishing with a hook and pole over the transom

re to open the family's pri

nd out who stole Colonel Gayl

enty-ninth was the date of the robbery, and I could think of no explanation. C

e fooled you. The obvious suspicion was that the ghost had stolen the bonds and you set out to find him-a somewhat difficult task as

ing that frightened him half out of his senses. And that something was not Radnor m

evening before all this rumpus occurred. Even if Mose

o proof of that; it is

ith an air of p

?" he inquired. "How

I dare say Radnor will do so readily enough-there he

inder not to let him know? He's had trouble enough with his elder son; Radnor is all he has left. The young man seems to me like a really decent fellow-I dare say he'll straighten up and amount to something yet. Probably he considered the money as practically his already; anyway he's bee

suspicions, but I thought the wisest thing to do was to tell Rad just how the matter stood and let him explain in regard to the letter. I left Clancy waiting

utting my hand on his shoulder, m

ions as to how the bonds left the safe, and I

s hear his

u took them when y

that I s

what he

s he? Well he

The detective received his onslaught placidly; his manner su

this matter quietly. If you listen to re

ou accuse me of stealing t

d up a war

he other side of the little rustic table. "I will explain the matter as I see it, a

detective outlined his theory in a perfectly non

u get that?"

ansom of the door." He made the statement imperturb

r guest and spend your time sneaking abo

ed in Clancy's eye an

on business for Colonel Gaylord. Now that my busines

r ros

ou haven't a word

tapped the pocket t

nds because they are more readily negotiable. I left them at my broker's as collateral for another investment I was making. Last week I needed some ready money and wrote t

clients. I did not press the point as I did not want to stir up comment. However," he smiled, "I must confess, Mr. Gaylord, that I think your explanation a

as merely a coincidence and has

you drove to Kennisburg in the night a

t is a matter which

lf have encouraged the belief in the ghost among the negroes? That on more than one occasion, you, or your accomplice, Cat-Eye Mose, have masqueraded as the

ily at me and hesita

eny that, but I do affirm that it h

ective

rd, if I stick to the opinion

toward the house, and Ra

when I say I know no

. Gaylor

was going to strike him, but I pu

he would not believe his son guilty of theft, still it would worry him. There is something else that happened that night-entirely uncriminal-

t the bull's-eye. Radnor stared but said n

ay you what you would have received had you discovere

rwise I get it from Colonel Gaylord. I received a retaining fee and was to have two hundred dollars more when I located the

kmail!" sa

It's very accommodating of M

ck and tossed it

onds will almost certainly be marketed in the city, and that your only hope of tracing them is to work from th

im as he turned away. He drew a note book from his p

, Haigh

ny questions which the bearer of this note ma

r F. G

hat when you get to Washington, and in the future I should advise

temptuous, but Clancy swallowe

g the investigation," he observed a