The Hunt Ball Mystery

l gossip of the country-side, had heard nothing fresh concerning the tragedy. Gervase Henshaw had gone up to town for his brother's funeral, and Host Dippe

out much personal feeling in the matter. "I fancy Mr. Gervase Henshaw means to work the police up to getting to the bottom of it. For I don't fancy that he is by any means satisfied that his unfortunate brother took his own lif

conclusion can be fairly arrived at the poli

ry explanation of that puzzle; he could only wag his head and respond gen

s cheerful as, with the gloom of a tra

te scrutiny of the room in the tower they had every one of the servants in one by one and put them through a most searching examination. But, I imagin

rived at any theory

door-that thieves might have got into the house with the object of making a haul in the bedrooms while every one's attention was engaged down below, have

on the inside did they make thei

course they might have provided themselves with some sort of ladder, but there are no si

Kelson remarked, "th

urning to-morro

sing about here," he said, with a touch of protest. "Making every allowance for the sudden shock

ainly," Gifford

ck me as deplorab

hy was due also to us. But he seemed rather to suggest that the tragedy was our fault. In or

e same, you need not allow a c

me ferreting in the place; that may well be left to the police; but if he does I can't

grievance against you, and accuse

d. "We passed one another in the hall as he left the hou

which takes no account of tact or politeness, he questions you as though you were in the witness-box and he a criminal barrister trying to trap

his siste

f persons-or anything else,"

his head to worry us," Miss Morri

en the ladies had left them, "that the papers are b

"we noticed that. It wi

sorts of absurd questions. It is, of course, all to be accounted for by the medical evidence. That has put them on the scent of what they will no do

ce-" Giff

onplussed. It seems the farther they get the less obvio

orriston are in for a heap of undeserved a

ry for Edith; she is plucky, and feels it,

Kelson; he joined her and, sitting down some distance apart from the res

d been rather preoccupied during dinner, an unusual mood for so lively a girl, and now he could not help watching the pair in the distance, she talking with an earnest, trouble

avoid it as they set themselves to do, the brooding subject could not be ignored, gen

t his companion was unusually silent, and he tactfully forbo

g which happened to her this evening. A discovery of a rather alarming c

ern the affai

ell see how it can. Anyhow it is uncommonly mysterious. We won't

ord remarked, falling in with his friend's

he takes this ghastly business qu

he cares for Painswick. He is manifestly quite smi

rig, and Edith Morriston is not exactly the sort of girl to suffer that type of man gladly. But her brother is all for the match; from Painswic

not enga

roposes regularly once a we

room, where with more curiosity than he quite cared to show,

began. "I thought that what had happened in the house had got on her nerv

Gifford s

to-morrow. Well, it appears that when her maid was overhauling her ball-dr

ly, "may satisfactorily accou

surprise at the

I had hardly connected the two. But what do you think of this? H

worth had anything to do with the

e not," Kelson cried vehemently.

iss Tredwo

tely mystified. And inclined

ord commented in

sh, my dear Hugh, I could take it half as c

ford expostulated. "The whole affair is so utterly myste

osition. Why, man, she may at any moment be arrested on s

a fatal mistake," Gifford said thoughtfull

talk till it gets all over the place and into the papers. No, what I have determined to do, unless you see any good reason for the

nything in a hurry

the sooner we take the line of putti

d paused bef

anation, has she no idea as to h

r," was the e

solutely su

s eyes full of vague suspicion. "I-I don't understand the cool way you are tak

omprehend. Gifford rose and laid a hand sympathetically on his shoulder. "I am sorry

his friend with a horror-struck face. "Why,

introduced me to Miss Tredworth at the dance I n

stupidly at Gifford. "And yo

s the answer. "But now it i

hen with an effort Kelson seemed to n

s pitiful with fear, "yo

thing to do with

ay, and leaned on

hat to think,"