oints of
light, lips drawn to a line almost invisible.

Her evident prudence fired his eagerness.

"If I'd do what?" he asked. "If you thought I'd--what?"

"Let me think," she requested.

He changed his posture, with a great show of watching the sunset sky,
and stole little glances at her smooth, untroubled face. He believed now
that she could put him on the trail of the murderer. He confessed to
himself, unreservedly, that Hastings had tricked him, held him up to
ridicule--to the ridicule of a nation, for this crime held the interest
of the entire country. But here was his chance for revenge! With this
"smart" woman's help, he would outwit Hastings!

"If you'd use my ideas confidentially," she said at last, eying him as
if she speculated on his honesty; "if I were sure that----"

"Why can't you be sure of it?" he broke in. "My job is to catch the man
who killed your daughter. I've got two jobs. The other is to show up
old Hastings! Why wouldn't I do as you ask--exactly as you ask?"

She tantalized him.

"And remember that what I say is ideas only, not knowledge?"

"Sure! Certainly, Mrs. Brace."

"And, even when you arrest the right man, say nothing of what you owe me
for my suggestions? You're the kind of man to want to do that sort of
thing--give me credit for helping you."

Even that pleased him.

"If you specify silence, I give you my word on it," he said, with a
fragment of the pompous manner he had brought into the apartment more
than an hour ago.

"You'll take my ideas, my theory, work on it and never bring me into
it--in any way? If you make that promise, I'll tell you what I think,
what I'm certain is the answer to this puzzle."

"Win or lose, right or wrong idea, you have my oath on it."

"Very well!" She said that with the air of one embarking on a tremendous
venture and scorning all its possibilities of harm. "I shall trust you
fully.--First, let me sketch all the known facts, everything connected
with the tragedy, and everything I know concerning the conduct of the
affected individuals since."

He was leaning far toward her once more, a child-like impatience stamped
on his face. As she proceeded, his admiration grew.

For this, there was ample ground. The newspaper paragraph Hastings had
read that morning commenting on her mastery of all the details of the
crime had scarcely done her justice. Before she concluded, Crown had
heard from her lips little incidents that had gone over his hea