The Mystery Girl

ive Morton, and the Secretary of the late John

might indicate a lack of harmony, there ye

s sure the case

nd the weapon is not my business-but when a man is dead in a locked room, and dead f

he waste-basket been searched

uggestion, Gordon Lockwood

ective was not sure, he thought he saw the secretary g

" Morton exclaimed, and almost snatched

ds in his pockets and stood looking o

ly a few torn envelopes and memoranda, which were soo

declared, getting a newspaper and wrap

asket and put it in your pocket?"

re that was more negative than any words could b

er, come out and say so. I know, in story-books, the first one to be susp

eemed to put him far beyond and above sus

eem real frank, now, and you must know how important i

dy to tell all I know.

five hundred dollars and that ruby stickpin? Doesn

Not necessarily. If t

een stolen, since they aren'

been little or no robbery in Corinth, and

d dollars is

and he kept it in that drawer until it was used up. He always gave Mrs. Peyton cash to pay the se

money i

minations. Two hundred in five dollar bills, two

aper

but he always did. Though, to be sure, he often paid out a great deal of it

never

d a key. He was not so suspicious of me as you a

ood?" Morton went on. "Are you wil

for a moment he almos

stant's pause, "but if you say it is nec

e of a criminal, he looked too proud and haughty t

d his attention to the table in the window i

table was furnished almost like a des

hout chasing or marking of any

asked, and Lockwo

miner, "whether that wound which is in Doctor Warin

al length, it was tapering and ended in a point. The circumference at t

ed, his eyes alternately on the penholder and

on. I'm no novice, and I know there's a possibility that this might have been the weapon used, and yet it might not h

asserted, "but," he went on, "would you mind telling me, if I kill

s founded on that plot. Invariably the locked room proves to be vulnerable at

d Lockwood; "if you can find a secret or co

erhaps, but not necessari

ll faith in Orientals, and if there is a way to get in and out s

forget, Morton, after the Private Secretary, the next person to be suspected is th

rton frantic, but he was to

possible suspect," h

said they were photographers and desired to

e living-room where the household

easy chair. "It's bad enough to have the man dead, without seeing and hear

sked Mrs. Bates, who was present. "I can b

h a faraway look, as if trying to reconstruct the scene. "He must have been readi

cry, and shuddered, but L

closed, but Martial was nearest his hand-quit

Mrs. Bates breathed softly

hat Morton detective is trying to trump up a way the assassin could have entered that locked room-but he can't find a

rs. Peyton put in. "The ruby pin is

were taken by a robber who did not

ould abide Nogi, with his stealthy ways. He stole the things,

robbery!" exclai

d perhaps imagine a motive for murder-whether it was robbery, or some brute of 'the other faction' or some old e

inty, that he was a happy man. That he looked forward eagerly to his marriage with me, that

ction," began

principles and tradition of his College, and the other faction did not worry

" Lockwood agreed; "but granting it was

t couldn't have been. He was too happy, too good, too fine, to do such

Lockwood. "If there is one, the robber could have com

urd! If it had been suicide-which it wasn't-why under hea

d, shortly. "So he wouldn't be

s, and had the room redecorated and refloored, and-Oh, I know every inch of it! There's no possible chance of a secret entrance. Who built it and when and why? Not Doctor Waring. His life's always been an open book. Never has he ha

, as if to imply a complete knowledge of the courtship

crets. He was always willing I should open his mail, a

pled paper he had taken from the waste basket, an

e, is my a

who, all excitemen

, and I want to

, my boy," and she drew him

ky? What's the talk in

st reports. Some say it's a-a-that he killed himsel

d as he looked about

Bates, and Lockwood told the p

was never that! No, Aunt Emily, it was murder. Oh, how terrible," and the boy almost lost control of himself. "You we

dreadful of you! Don

skell and Philip Leonard talk-I felt

I forb

's true, you want them shown up,

Pinky

st is highly improbable, but even if there's suspicion of suc

s-a-bat Morton, I'll bet, who can't see a

hush," said his Aunt,

ry. I didn't mean to worry yo

f you try to stick your inexperienced finger in this pie, you'll make trouble for u

to lie down on the job, either. I tell you

n effect on the irrepressible youth. "To read detective storie

"Many a person thinks he has a bit of detective ins

eciation went on to lay dow

e of Morton who wanted to learn mo

ts are there?" he

cooking and serving at table; all the cleaning of the

is a ch

few blocks away, and the

ogi but a

a few

well reco

but from people I did not know, and too f

honest an

ilent and moody-a man one

illing his master-gran

to say I would suspect him of it. He was soft-footed, and went about with a

Ito, the

was not unlike that of Gordon Lockwood. Waring had som

his Nogi?"

re," answered the butl

liked

ut he was willing to learn. He was respectful to me,

em to get anywhe

acter?" he said. "Would you say he w

ow, even voice, "but he could not kill Doctor Waring

he go awa

. It may be he tire

was money

kes it hard t

he Japanese was scornful of him, and, wors

Lockwood, he said, a little belligerently, "Who

nt, until Mrs. Bates said, "I suppose I am what

Morton was, cle

m in authority. And also, I wish all reports made to me, as I am the

ered," suppleme

on, that there's such a thing as a secret entrance or

w, that Nogi had robbed and murdered his master, when he carried in the water tray. Just suppose that, and suppose that, with his Japan

kney, his eyes wi

nes. Say, he reached through, locked the door inside-the French wind

the boy. "T

een accomplished. Now, we don't say that did happen, but what

ttle sullenly. "She was not married yet, and therefore, a

he heir, Mrs. Bates?"

octor Waring's lawyer will tell you, it is true I am the principal heir. It is

where this

d

If you are the heir, there is no fur

ve Morton l