A Chance Acquaintance

, and now it had come. Not only Janet Pembroke's beauty and the pathetic appeal o

ed her to show her emotion in desperate hysterics. But instead, it seemed to rouse in her a spirit of courage and self-relianc

truth of the fearful tragedy penetrated her dazed brain, and she seemed so sadly in nee

rise, Janet did not faint, nor did she seem in any danger of physical collapse. On the contrary, Doctor Post's remark seemed to arou

in a strained, unnatural

ummoned," said Doctor Masterson, "since

l he do?" per

anything about the matter, and try to d

ce, "we must call the coroner. It is alway

adful-I can't realize it. Who killed Uncle Rob

dom. George answered her kindly, and

" he said. "That is what th

emand my presence at my office that day, and I concluded t

a witness, and, too, I truste

She seemed so helpless and alone, and yet

ained, and I imagined they both inherited someth

or the coroner, who said he would

partment, and rest there for a time. This plan commended itself to Do

his office, but would come up to t

e a short talk with

mparting information of value. "This is a most cold-blooded murder, carefully plan

is the coroner's place to discover and pun

st; "we ought to examine the w

ike yours, are toward going to work at once. But we are not in authority, and Doctor Mast

ay, and I observed that Doctor Maste

the doctor to young Lawren

ace with his hands. "Why, I was here yesterday afternoon,

octor Masterson completed the sent

and all about nothing. He stormed at Janet until the poor girl cried, and then he scol

now, George?" inqui

here, but good enough on the whole. I must make a home for Janet somewhere now. It's all

ause of Lawrence's confidential manner, my

I don't care about that part of it, but I'm glad Janet is to have some money of her own. Uncle Robert was mighty close with her. I made money enough for my own needs, but Janet

" I said, "except that the manner of his taking off is so

d around at all-I hate all that sort of thing-but

or detective work, and, if there is any occasion f

nce seemed n

hat I know of," he said musingly; "so it must

of the hat-pin. "Would you mind if I looked about a li

?" asked

The doctors say it was a hat-pi

pin? Ho

hudder, as if sensitiv

find the head end that broke off, i

e. But excuse me from that sort of thing. I'll get the best detec

permission I determined to search the whole apartment thoroughly. We had been alone during this conversation

om, but when there, I hesitated for a m

a natural death, but my old eyes failed to detect that tiny speck that gave us the solution. However, that does not give Doctor Post th

o is, of course, in authority, has given me permission to search this room, and i

glasses; "if George says so, of course you may do what yo

suspicions?" I

suspicions? You must be crazy!" And without an

of service to Miss Pembroke. Perhaps there were clues or evidences better left undiscovered. But, pshaw! such ideas were absurd. Rober

e to make a thorough search of the room

might show must be determined by the coroner's physicians. I was only seeking str

, I noted the carefully filed and labele

had given me unlimited permission, I felt that this personal so

d dollars brought to Robert Pembroke in payment for some stock sold by his brokers. This might all be an unimportant business detail, but in view of the otherwise tidy

arm in preserving this possible evidence, and I put th

waste basket. On top of a few other torn papers lay the two stubs of theater ticket

rther the torn papers in the basket. They seemed to me to have no bearing whatever up

torn telegram, which pieced together r

Robert Pembroke, and

gs, for though it might be of no importance wh

on the Lackawanna Railroad. It was not probable that the burglar had left this as a clue to his travels,-it was more likely that

an ordinary hair-pin. With two women in the household, this was n

d its large size proved it to belong to a man. Though slightly crumpled, it was quite fresh, and in the corner three small letters, W. S. G. were embroidered in fine white stitches. These initials were not Robert Pembroke's, and there we

lled detective would have discovered many things that I had overlooked, and probabl

Robert Pembroke, it was difficult indeed to judge in