ng she--about--"

"Out with it," I said. "What? Come down to cases."

"Money." He uttered the one word and stood silent.

I made a long shot, with,

"Mr. Gilbert found she'd been getting money from other men--"

"Borrowing, Boyne--they used the word 'borrowed,'" Edwards put in. "It
was always Tom's way to summon people as though he had a little private
judgment bar, haul them up and lecture them; I suppose he thought he had
a special license in her case."

"And she went prepared to frame him and bluff him to a standoff. Is that
the way you saw it?"

"My opinion--what I might think," said Mr. James Edwards of Sunnyvale
ranch, "wouldn't be testimony in a court of law. You don't want it,
Boyne."

"Maybe not," I grunted. "Perhaps I could make as good a guess as you
could at what young Mrs. Vandeman's capable of; a dolly face, and behind
it the courage of hell."

"Boyne," he said, as I left the door free to him, "quit making war on
women."

"Can't," I grinned and waved him on out. "The detective business would
be a total loss without 'em."

CHAPTER XXII

A DINNER INVITATION

"Look what's after you, man," Skeet warned me from her lofty perch as I
went out through the big room in quest of Ina Vandeman. "Better you stay
here. I gif you a yob. Lots safer--only run the risk of getting your
neck broken."

I grinned up into her jolly, freckled face, and waited for the woman who
came toward me with that elastic, swinging movement of hers, the
well-opened eyes studying me, keeping all their secrets behind them.

"Mr. Boyne," a hand on my arm guided me to a side door; we stepped
together out on to a small balcony that led to the lawn. "My husband
brought me your message. Nobody over by the tennis court; let's go and
walk up and down there."

Her fingers remained on my sleeve as we moved off; she emphasized her
points from time to time by a slight pressure.

"Such a relief to have a man like you in charge of this investigation."
She gave me an intimate smile; tall as she was, her face was almost on a
level with my own, yet I still found her eyes unreadable, none of those
quick tremors under the skin that register the emotions of excitable
humanity. She remained a handsome, perfectly groomed, and entirely
unruffled young woman.

"Thank you," was all I said.

"Mr. Vandeman and I understand how very, very serious this is. Of
course, now, neighbors and intimates of Mr. Gilbert are under
inspection. Everyb