d at their promises, and merely tried to impress them with
the fact that their brother's safety depended upon their discretion. At
which they looked very determined for poppets, and squeezed my hands so
tightly that I wished I had left off some of my rings before engaging in
this interview.

When they were quiet again and ready to listen I told them my plans.
They were surprised, of course, and wondered how I could do anything
towards finding out the real murderer of their sister-in-law; but seeing
how resolved I looked, changed their tone and avowed with much feeling
their perfect confidence in me and in the success of anything I might
undertake.

This was encouraging, and ignoring their momentary distrust, I proceeded
to say:

"But for me to be successful in this matter, no one must know my
interest in it. You must pay me no visits, give me no confidences, nor,
if you can help it, mention my name before _any one_, not even before
your father and brother. So much for precautionary measures, my dears;
and now for the active ones. I have no curiosity, as I think you must
see, but I shall have to ask you a few questions which under other
circumstances would savor more or less of impertinence. Had your
sister-in-law any special admirers among the other sex?"

"Oh," protested Caroline, shrinking back, while Isabella's eyes grew
round as a frightened child's. "None that we ever heard of. She wasn't
that kind of a woman, was she, Belle? It wasn't for any such reason
papa didn't like her."

"No, no, _that_ would have been too dreadful. It was her family we
objected to, that's all."

"Well, well," I apologized, tapping their hands reassuringly, "I only
asked--let me now say--from curiosity, though I have not a particle of
that quality, I assure you."

"Did you think--did you have any idea--" faltered Caroline, "that----"

"Never mind," I interrupted. "You must let my words go in one ear and
out of the other after you have answered them. I wish"--here I assumed a
brisk air--"that I could go through your parlors again before every
trace of the crime perpetrated there has been removed."

"Why, you can," replied Isabella.

"There is no one in them now," added Caroline, "Franklin went out just
before we left."

At which I blandly rose, and following their leadership, soon found
myself once again in the Van Burnam mansion.

My first glance upon re-entering the parlors was naturally directed
towards the spot where the