"What is the matter, dear?" she asked, pausing in her work, as she
noted the troubled expression upon Lois' face.

"Look," and Lois pointed toward the river, "there he is near the shore."

"Well, what of it?" Margaret enquired with a smile. "One would think
that you had never seen a man before."

"But not such a man as that, Margaret," and Lois sat down by the girl's
side. "Something tells me that he had much to do with the murder of
poor old David."

"Whatever put such a foolish notion as that into your head?" and
Margaret looked keenly into Lois' face.

"Sydney Bramshaw is merely a harmless artist, and wouldn't hurt a fly."

"So you have always said. You may be right, but my heart tells a
different story, and it is hard for me not to believe it. I am going
to find out, anyway, if there is any justification for my suspicion of
that man."

"You!" and Margaret looked her astonishment. "Why, what can you do?"

"Perhaps nothing. Anyway, I am going to try. Something must be done
at once if Mr. Randall is to be saved." Lois then told Margaret all
about the finding of David, of the envelope lying near the body, and
how the people were accusing Jasper of the murder.

When Mr. Sinclair and Dick came home they brought with them a copy of
_The Evening News_, which contained a long account of the murder.
Lois' hand trembled as she took the paper and saw the big startling
headlines. She feared lest Jasper's name should be mentioned in
connection with the affair, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she
saw that it did not appear. The article merely said that a certain
person was suspected and that the detectives were working on the case.

"I'm afraid Spuds is in hot water," Dick remarked, as they all sat down
to dinner.

"What makes you think that?" Lois asked in a voice as calm as possible.

"Oh, from what people are saying. It's known all over the country that
he was with Crazy David that night, and that they left the Haven and
walked along the road together. That in itself looks suspicious, for
Spuds was the last person seen with old David."

"Who saw them together?" Lois enquired, "and how did that information
get abroad?"

"The Petersons, I suppose, or that girl Betty told it."

"But do you suppose some one else saw them together? Have you thought
of that?"

"I don't catch the drift of your meaning," and Dick looked enquiringly
at his sister.

"Suppose there was some one else near the road t