d have all the money I
wanted, and I have some of my own if his isn't enough."

"It isn't always a question of money," began the colonel, gently.

"I know!" broke in Amy. "But if I add the inducement of all the trout
fishing--"

"You are strongly tempting me, my dear young lady. But finish your
story."

"Well, there isn't much more to tell. Tom suggested that I come to see
you and ask you to take Mr. Darcy's case--to prove that he had no hand
in the murder--for I'm sure he did not.

"Tom stayed at our house at Pompey all night. I wanted to come to your
hotel at once, but the storm got too bad, so I waited until this
morning, and then we motored in. We found you had gone fishing, and we
followed you here. It was, perhaps, not just the thing to do. But I
was so anxious! I want to tell Jimmie that something is being done for
him. You will help us, won't you?" and again she held out her hands
appealingly.

"I don't know anything about police or detectives," she went on, "but
I'm sure there must be some way of proving that my--that Jimmie had no
hand in this. Some terrible thief--a burglar--must have killed Mrs.
Darcy. Oh, Colonel Brentnall, you will help us--won't you?"

She stood there, a beautiful and pathetic picture. The wind sighed
through the trees and the murmur of the rippling water filled the air.

"Please!" she whispered. Her hands seemed to waver. Her body swayed.

"Shag, you black rascal!" cried the colonel. "The lady's going to
faint! Catch her!"

"Yes, sah, Colonel!"

"No! Stand back! I'll attend to her myself! I've given up detective
work, but--"

And a moment later Amy Mason sank limply into the colonel's arms.

CHAPTER VI

GRAFTON'S SEARCH

The funeral of Mrs. Darcy had been held, attended, as might be
supposed, by a large throng of the merely curious, as well as by some
of her distant kinsfolk, for she had few near ones. One of the
relatives was summoned to take charge of the store and her other
business affairs, for, a formal charge of murder having been made
against him, James Darcy was not permitted to attend the final
services, nor have anything more to do with the jewelry establishment.
Harry King, now painfully sober, was likewise held in jail, bail being
fixed, because of his uncertain character, at such a high figure that
he could not secure it.

The police had been busy, the prosecutor's detectives also, but, so
far, the arrest of Darcy and King had