f 3 v A Mystery f
J &t)B Of Two
i tt tt rr f Continents -5
Mmladay ZEZ I
T STEVENSON T
"Tnat -will do," said Mr. Royce," and
the girl went back to the witness room
(without understanding In the least the
meaning of the questions. "Now. let
us have the office boy again," he said,
and that young worthy was called
out.
"You say you didn't see the face of
that woman who left your office yes
terday afternoon?"
"No, sir."
"Iiut you saw her gown?"
"Oh, yes, sir.
"And what color was it?"
"Dark green, sir."
"That will do," said our junior, and
san'; back in his chair with a sigh of
rel:.-f. 'xhe solution had been under
ou hands in the morning, and we had
ml ed it. Well, we had found it now.
"G itlemen," no added, his voice
a-evi". his face alight, as he sprang
to Iiis feet and f:iced the jury, "I'm
rea ' for your verdict. I wish only
to ,'irint out that with this one poiit
the whole case against my client falls
to the ground! It was preposterous
fro::i the very first!"
lie sat down again and glanced at
the coroner.
HJimtlenien of the jury," began
Goldberg, "I have merely to remind
you tha- your verdict, whatever it
may be, will not finally affect this
case. The police authorities will con
tinue their Investigation in order that
the guilty person may not escape. I
conceive that it is not within our prov
ince to probe this case further that
may be left to abler and more expe
rienced hands nor do I think we
should inculpate any one so long as
there Is a reasonable doubt of his guilt.
We await your verdict."
The jury filed slowly out, and I
watched them anxiously. In face of
the coroner's instructions, they could
bring in but one verdict, yet I knew
from experience that a jury Is ever an
unknown quantity, often producing the
most unexpected results.
The district attorney came down
from his seat and shook hands with
both of ue.
"That was a great stroker he said,
with frank admiration. "Whatever
made you suspect?"
Mr. Boyce handed him the note for
answer. He read It through and stared
back at us in astonishment.
"Why," he began, "who wrote this?"
"That's the note that was delivered
to us awhile ago," answered Mr, Royce.
"You know as much about it as we do.
But It seems to me a pretty important
piece of evidence. I turn it over to
you."
"Important!" cried Singleton. "I
should say so! Why, gentlemen," and
his eyes were gleaming, "this was writ
ten either by an accomplice or by tha
woman herself!"
My chief nodded.
"Precisely," he said. "I'd get on the
track of the writer without delay."
Singleton turned and whispered a
few words to a clerk, who hurried
from the room. Then he motioned to
two smooth faced, well built men who
sat near by, spoke a word to the coro
ner and retired with them Into the lat
ter's private office. The reporters
crowded about us with congratulations
and questions. They scented a mys
tery. What was the matter with Sin
gleton? What was the new piece of
evidence? Was It the note? What
was in the note?
Mr. Royce smiled.
"Gentlemen," he said, "I trust that
try. connection with this affair will end
ic a very few minutes. For any fur
ther Information I must refer you to
the district attorney. The case is in his
hands."
But those men he had summoned into
his office were Karle and Johnson, the
cleverest detectives on the f orce. What
did he want with them? Mr. Royce
merely shrugged his shoulders, where
at the reporters deserted him and
massed themselves before the door into
the coroner's room. It opened in a mo
ment, and the two detectives came hur
rying out. They looked neither to the
right nor left, but shouldered their way
cruelly through the crowd, paying not
the slightest attention to the questions
showered upon them. Then the dis
trict attorney came out and took in the
situation at a glance.
"Gentlemen," he said, raising his
voice, "I can answer no questions. I
must request you to resume your seats
or I shall ask the coroner to clear the
room."
They knew that he meant what he
said, so they went back to their chairs
chagrined, disgusted, biting their nails,
striving vainly to work out a solution
to the puzzle. It was the coroner's
clerk who created a diversion.
"The Jury is ready to report, sir." he
announced.'-
"Very well; bring them out" And
the Jurymen filed slowly back to their
seats. I gazed at each face and cursed
the inexpresslveness of the human
countenance.
"Have you arrived at a verdict, gen
tlemen?" asked the coroner.
"We have, sir," answered one of them
and banded a paper to the clerk.
"Is this your verdict, gentlemen?"
asked the coroner. "Do you all concur
initr
Thev asatranvUn tha aiSrmatlxa -
EA5H.es were called.
"The clerk will read the verdict,"
; said Goldberg.
j Julius stood up and cleared his throat
"We, the jury," he read, "impaneled
in the case of Hiram W. Holladay, de
ceased, do find that he came to his
death from a stab wound in the neck,
Inflicted by a penknife in the bands of
j a person or persons unknown."
CHAPTER V.
THE coroner dismissed the jury
and came down and shook
hands with us. , -
"I'm going to reward you for
your clever work, Mr. Soyce," he said.
"Will you take the good news to Miss
Holladay?" '
My chief could not repress the swift
flush of pleasure which reddened bis
cheeks, but he managed to speak un
concernedly. "Why, yes; certainly. Ill be glad to,
if you wish it," he said.
"I do wish it," Goldberg assured him,
with a tact and penetration I thought
admirable. "You may dismiss the po
liceman who Is with her."
Our junior looked inquiringly at the
district attorney.
"Before I go," he said, "may I ask
what you intend doing, sir?"
"I intend finding the writer of that
note," answered Singleton, smiling.
"But, about Miss Holladay?"
Singleton tapped his lips thought
fully with his pencil.
"Before I answer," he said at last, "I
should like to go with you and ask her
one question." .
"Very well," assented Mr. Royce in
stantly and led the way to the room
where Miss Holladay awaited us.
She rose with flushing face as we en
tered and stood looking at ua without
speaking; but, despite her admirable
composure, I could guess how che was
racked with anxiety.
"Miss Holladay," began my chief,
"this is Mr. Singleton, the district at
torney, who wishes to ask you a few
questions."
"One question only," corrected Sin
gleton, bowing. "Were you at your fa
ther's office yesterday afternoon. Miss
Holladay?"
"No, sir," she answered instantly and
emphatically. "I have not been near
my father's office for more than a
week."
I saw him study her for a moment,
then he bowed again.
"That is all," he said. "I don't think
the evidence Justifies me in holding
her, Mr. Royce," and he left the room.
I followed him, for I knew that I had
no further part in our Junior's errand.
I went back to our table ii busied
myself gathering together our belong
ings. The room had gradually cleared
and at the end of ten minut?s only
the coroner and his clerk remained.
They had another case, it seemed, to
open in the morning another case
which perhaps Involved just as great
heartache and anguish as ours had.
Five minutes later my chief came hur
rying back to me and a glance at his
beaming eyes told me how he had been
welcomed.
"Miss Holladay has started home
with her maid," he said. "She asked
me to thank you for her for the great
work you did this afternoon, Lester. I
told her it was really you who had
done everything. Yes, it was!" he add
ed, answering my gesture of denial.
"While I was groping helplessly
around in the dark you found the way
to the light. But come; we must get
back to the office."
We found a cab at the curb and in
a moment were rolling back over the
route we had traversed that morning
ages ago, as it seemed to me! It was
only a few . minutes after 3 o'clock,
and I reflected that I should yet hare
time to complete the papers In the
Hurd case before leaving for the night.
! Mr. Graham was still at his desk,
' and he at once demanded, an account
f the hearing. I went back to my
work, and so caught only a word here
and there enough, however, to show
me that our senior was deeply inter
ested in this extraordinary affair. As
for me, I put all thought of It resolute
ly from me and devoted myself to the
work in hand. It was done at last,
and I locked my desk with a sigh of
relief. Mr. Graham nodded to me
kindly as I passed out, and I left the
office with the comfortable feeling
that I had done a good day's work for
myself as well as for my employers.
A man who had apparently - been
loitering In the hall followed me into
the elevator.
"This is Mr. Lester, Isn't it?" he
asked as the car started to descend.
"Yes," I said, looking at him in sur
prise. He was well dressed, with
alert eyes and strong, pleasing face. I
had never seen him before.
"And you're going to dinner aren't
you, Mr. Lester?" he continued.
"Yes to dinner," I assented, more
and more surprised.
"Now, don't think me impertinent,"
he said, smiling at my look of amaze
ment, "but I want you to dine with
me this evening. I can promise you
as good a meal aa you will get at most
places In New York."
"But rm not dressed," I protested.
"That doesn't matter in the least
neither am L yon see. We will dine
wlfliant-aHwi'
"WE ere r I questioned.
"Well, how would the Studio suit?
The car had reached the ground floor,
and we left it together. I was com
pletely in the dark as to my compan
ion's purpose, and yet it could have but
one explanation it must be connected
in some way with the Holladay case.
Unless and I glanced at him again.
No, certainly, be was not a confidence
man even if he was, I would rather
welcome the adventure. My curiosity
won the battle.
"Very well," I said. "Ill be glad to
accept your invitation, Mr."
He nodded approvingly.
"There spoke the man of sense.
Well, you shall not go unrewarded.
Godfrey is my name no, you don't
know me, but I'll soon explain myself.
Here's my cab." -
I mounted Into it, he after me. It
seemed to me that there was an un
usual number of loiterers about the
door of the building, but we were off
In a moment, and I did not give them
a second thought. We rattled out into
Broadway and turned northward for
the three mile straightaway run to
Union sqcare. I noticed in a moment
that we were going at a rate of speed
rather exceptional for a cab, and It
steadily Increased as the driver found
a clear road before him. My compan
ion threw up the trap in the roof of
the cab as we swung around into Thir
teenth street
"All right Sam?" he called. .
The driver grinned down at us
through the hole.
"All right sir," he answered. "They
couldn't stand the pace a little bit
They're distanced." -
The trap snapped down again. We
turped into Sixth avenue and stopped
in a moment before the Studio, gray
and forbidding without but a dream
within. My companion led the way up
stairs to a private room, where a table
stood, ready set for us. The oysters
appeared before we were fairly seated.
"You see," he smiled, "I made bold
to believe that you'd come with me,
and so had the dinner already ordered."
I looked at him without replying. I
was completely In the dark. Could
this be the writer of the mysterious
"Of counts you're puzzled," h said.
note? But what could his object be?
Above all, why should he so expose
himself? He smiled again as he caught
my glance.
"Of course you're puzzled," ho said.
"Wel I'll make a clean breast of the
matter at once. I wanted to talk
with you about this Holladay case,
and I decided that a dinner, at thft
Studio would be Just tne ticket" o
; I nodded. The soup was a thing to
marvel at
"You were right," I assented. . "The
idea was a stroke of genius."
"I knew you'd think so. You see,
since this morning I've been making
rather a study of you. That coup of
yours at the coroner's court this after
noon was admirable, one of the best
tilings I ever saw."
I bowed my acknowledgment!.
"You were there, then?" I asked. .
"Oh, yes. I couldn't afford to mlsa
It"
"The color blind theory was a simple
one."
"So simple that it nover occurred to
any one else. I think .we're too apt
to overlook the simple explanations,
which are, after all, nearly always
the true ones. Ifs only in books that
we meet the -reverse. You remember
ifs Gaboriau who advises one always
to distrust the probable?"
"Yes. I don't agree with him.
"Nor L Now take this case, for In
stance. I think ifs safe to state that
murder, where it's not the result of
sudden passion, Is always committed
for one of two objects revenge or
gain. But Mr. Holladay's past life has
been pretty thoroughly probed by the
reporters, and nothing has been found
to indicate that he had ever made a
deadly enemy, at least among the class
of people who resort to murder, so that
does away with revenge. On the other
hand, no one will gain by his death
many will lose by It In fact the whole
circle of his associates will lose by It
It might seem, at first glance, that his
daughter would gain, but I think she
loses most of alL She already had all
the money she could possibly need, and
she's lost her father, whom,'- it's quite
certain, she loved dearly. So what re
mains?" "Only one thing," I said, deeply Inter
ested in this exposition. "Sudden pas-
(To be Continued.)
You Doubtless want to know
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about
MiADAY
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BURTON E. STEVENSON
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