ing him off legally if we go at it from a
negative standpoint?" asked the colonel. "I mean, Mr. Kenneth, if we
call upon the prosecution to make out their best case, which they can
do only by circumstantial evidence, and then put our man on the stand,
to deny everything, to have him tell about the noise in the night,
about the curious sensation he experienced, about the possibility of
chloroform, call witnesses as to his good character--and so on--what
are the chances?"

"Rather a hypothetical question, Colonel, but I should say it might be
a fifty-fifty proposition. At best he would get off with a Scotch
verdict of 'not proven,' but he doesn't want that, nor do I. And
you--"

"I don't want it, either. But I want to know just where we stand. Now
I know. We've got to prove James Darcy innocent by establishing the
fact that some one else killed his cousin."

"Exactly. And can it be done?"

"It can, and I'm going to do it. But I need to do a little more
smoking-out first. Now I want to think. If you'll excuse me I'll
pretend I'm fishing, and I may catch something. In fact, I have a
feeling that I'll land my fish. And perhaps you have some other
problems that may be clarified by a dallying along this stream. Ah,
there's nothing like the philosophy of my friend Izaak Walton. I'd
recommend him to you instead of Blackstone."

"Thanks!" laughed Kenneth. "I am not altogether unfamiliar with the
Complete Angler. And you are right. I have a little problem on my
hands."

"What is it? Perhaps I can help you. The old adage of two heads, you
know--"

"Yes. It still holds good. Well, the question I am trying to solve is
why did she say: 'No alimony!'"

"'No alimony'?" repeated the colonel, puzzled.

"Yes. Just that. As you may have guessed, it's a divorce case I have
just finished, and so quietly that it hasn't become public property
yet. When it does it will create a sensation."

"No alimony, eh? I suppose the lady--there is a lady in it, of
course?" questioned the colonel.

"Of course--as is usual in a divorce case. And there's no reason you
shouldn't know. It's Mrs. Larch, wife of Langford Larch, the wealthy
hotel owner. She has just been granted, on my application before the
vice chancellor, a separation from her husband, but she refused to
accept alimony, and for the life of me, with all Larch's wealth, I
can't see why. That's my problem, Colonel!"

CHAPTER XII

THE ODD COIN