The Mystery Girl

lt to his wife, "that's a mighty

ious part of it! As for me, I don't care who killed him. He's dead, isn't he? It can't bring him back to life to hang his murder

o sense of justice, no righteous indignation. Don't you know the

killed himself! And he about to marry Em

y the Jap, who vamoosed from the Waring house, made a line of foot tracks in the snow. The snow

! Corinth is ful

lead straight from the Waring house

looked mystified. "That Jap

And, look here, Esther, where's

n't been quite up to the mark for a day

he matter

can't make her out, Salt. Wh

nd Bascom do love to pick at that gir

hough. And I h

e you told her about Doctor Waring? Tho

of the paper, and she did have one stuck up on her dresser,

ting, if she wants it! You're a tyrant, Esth

nlikelihood of this, and Old Salt went on. "I wish you'd tell

er, as a matter of course, but I don't

" the good lady said, soon

My cold is almo

panese dressing gown of quilted silk, embroidered with chrysanthemums

of the little town, and separated b

g?" Mrs. Adams said, in a casual t

what

but Miss Austin's hands clutched the arms of

ou? You don't kno

e, you know. Tell me-

way, that this strange person, this Miss Mystery, had more interest in Doc

She didn't quite lose consciousness, indeed it was not so much a fain

o you take it so hard? He was

of cours

ou so dist

e man-" the girl's stifle

mebody ki

ned to stone. "Killed him!" she

ked on the narrative, told all she knew of the circumstances, and in the exc

n door, Old Salt Adams, stood, eavesdropping, but with a ki

ully white, her face drawn and scared, and soon she exclaimed, with a

fairly jumped, and alarmed as well as offended, she rose a

said, gravely, "I want to

nd utterly routed by this unbelieva

oom door, and turned

must ask you to explain yourself a little. The people in my house cal

tayed her, and she let her lovely face harden to a stony blankness, as she replied, "It is a bit intrusive,

ou done

-and I've been picking out available

s kind but it had a definite note, a

ery looke

to smile; "perhaps sitting in a draught-perh

ng one's feet wet," Mr. Adams suggested, a

on't!" Her voice was piteous her eye

t on, inexorably. "You wouldn't go anywhere that

ing way, and the great dark eyes face

effort the girl recovered

. Adams. Is there a speci

you why-but I do ask you if you went over to Doctor W

ight, do

her hands were clenched and her foot ta

Sunday

re at night. I was there in the afte

then met Doctor Wari

me," she spoke wi

time in y

. The long dark lashes fell on the white cheeks. The pale lips quivered, and if Anita Austin h

olently. She was so young, so sm

ething definite against you. I feel I ought to tell you, that you've enemies-yes," as the girl looked up surprised, "

ociable? W

here's young Lockwood now

ll try to be more sociable. Now-as to-to

owly. "We don't know t

nd if that room he was in was so securely locked that they

t ear, a wound that produced instant unconsciousness and almost instant death, and a

nk it?" the strange girl as

uicide always suggests cowardice, and Do

he wa

o you

tarted at the

d; "and, too, I saw him in his home-Sunday a

to me. I consider myself a fair judge of men-yes, and of women, but when a slip

stricken look on her fa

ind-I wo

yptic remark

anded his aggrieved spouse, as the Adams

is troubled eyes looked at her pleading

Saltonstall, Miss Bascom says she saw Miss Aust

word of it! She's a meddling

ecause you're afraid we will discover

. Now, you know what a bobbery a few words can kick up. And we don't want that poor child's name touched by a breath of idl

ve it. Liza Ba

ates little Austin, and she'd say anyt

all in her fur coat and cap going cross lo

he pro

about that. Bu

s Austin? It might have been

those fo

Jap

Jap's. Miss Bascom says t

the Waring matter at all. Even if she did go out Sunday night, if Miss Bascom did see her, you keep still about it. If

-be implicated-c

me. That Bascom woman has turned your b

nd getting into his great coa

ch to the annoyance of Callie, the impatient

use, for he had much to do with the mass of incoming mail a

t Mrs. Adams', his door securely locked,

paper that he had taken from the study waste-b

orthy of his profession he never wou

had it he scarce kne

was an astoni

t rea

rling

afternoon, love was born in my heart. Life i

tin received it-and was that why she kept to her room for two days? Was she a-he hated the word! a vamp? Had she secretly become acquainted with

e knew his own. And on top of all the other scraps in the waste-basket it must

utine, if he had written another, which he completed and addressed, it would, in natural course,

ever to have asked I

e all letters laid on a certain small table, and

his? It must b

could it be possible that John Waring, the dignified scholar,

that from his own point of view it would not be impossible or even difficult for a

rom the moment he first saw her. Certainly from the time he sat behind her at the

gave a groan as a sudd

et about burning the inexplicable letter t

hioned room, Lockwood touched a match

over to the

later that Callie rep

her eager listener, "Mr. Lockwood, now, he burnt som

ped Miss Bascom, who had hoped

ck at the fireplace as he went outa the door, and Miss Austin, she jumped like she was shot, when I come in suddenly an' found h

have his

r, after Nora carried off the

that girl want of Doc

like I've got some several pictures of Harold Massinger, tha

n burned a photogr

burn. Anyways, she was a kneelin' by the firepla

tcha think, she snatched back, and says, 'You lemme lone. Get

igh temper,

again, she's sweet as pie, and nice an' g

iss Bascom, sure she had learned all the maid had

ndful of her husband's admonitions. But Miss Bascom's story o

that girl," Mrs. Adams opined,

s Bascom suggested, and after a mo

ghtly at the door, but

other whispered,

he did not move, and after a moment's glance to assure herself the girl was sound

, but swiftly fingering among the veils and handkerchiefs, Miss

glance at the intrusive woman, she jumped from the co

he money from Miss Bascom's hand, even

, down on the painted fl