swer for a moment. He seemed very much occupied in
buttering a piece of roll--trying to get the little dab of yellow in
the exact center of the white portion. Then, when it was arranged to his
satisfaction, he said:

"I am making progress, that is all I can say now."

"And does that progress carry with it any hope that Harry Bartlett will
be proved innocent?" asked Viola eagerly.

"That I can not say--now. I hope it will, though."

"Thank you for that!" exclaimed Viola earnestly.

Miss Carwell said nothing. She had her own opinion, and was going to
hold to it, detectives or no detectives.

"Will you send Shag to me?" the colonel requested a maid, as he arose
from the table. "Tell him we are going fishing."

"Isn't there anything you can do--I mean toward--toward the--case?"
faltered Viola. "Not that I mean--of course I don't want to seem--"

"I understand, my dear," said the colonel gently. "And I am not going
fishing merely to shirk a responsibility. But I have to think some of
these puzzles out quietly, and fishing is the quietest pastime I know."

"Oh, yes, I know," Viola hastened to add. "I shouldn't have said
anything. I wish I could get quiet myself. I'm almost tempted to take
your recipe."

"Why don't you?" urged the colonel. "Come along with me. I can soon
teach you the rudiments, though to become a finished angler, so that
you would be not ashamed to meet Mr. Walton, takes years. But I think it
would rest you to come. Shall I tell Shag to fit you out with one of my
rods?"

Viola hesitated a moment. This might give her an opportunity for talking
with the colonel in secret and confidence. But she put it aside.

"No, thank you," she answered. "I'll go another time. I must stop at
the office and leave some bills that have come here to the house. Mr.
Blossom attends to the payment."

"Let me leave them for you," offered the colonel. "I have to go into
town for some bait, and I can easily stop at the office for you."

"If you will be so good," returned Viola, and she got the bundle of
bills--some relating to Mr. Carwell's funeral and others that had been
mailed to the house instead of to the office.

The colonel might have sent Shag to purchase the shedder crabs he was
going to use for bait that day in fishing in the inlet, and the colored
servant might have left the bills. But the colonel was particular about
his bait, and would let none select it but himself. Consequently he had
Jean Forette drive