innocent. If you wish to find out
all, find out more about the past history of Mr. Templeton before he
became engaged to Laura. She would never in the world have committed
suicide. She was too bright and cheerful for that, even if Mr. Templeton
had been about to break off the engagement. My daughters Laura and
Marian were always treated by Mr. Wainwright and myself exactly alike.
Of course they had their quarrels, just as all sisters do, but there was
never, to my certain knowledge, a serious disagreement, and I was always
close enough to my girls to know. No, Laura was murdered by someone
outside."

Kennedy did not seem to attach much importance to this statement. "Let
us see," he began reflectively. "First, we have a young woman especially
attractive and charming in both person and temperament. She is just
about to be married and, if the reports are to be believed, there was
no cloud on her happiness. Secondly, we have a young man whom everyone
agrees to have been of an ardent, energetic, optimistic temperament. He
had everything to live for, presumably. So far, so good. Everyone who
has investigated this case, I understand, has tried to eliminate the
double-suicide and the suicide-and-murder theories. That is all
right, providing the facts are as stated. We shall see, later, when we
interview the coroner. Now, Mr. Whitney, suppose you tell us briefly
what you have learned about the past history of the two unfortunate
lovers."

"Well, the Wainwrights are an old Westchester family, not very wealthy,
but of the real aristocracy of the county. There were only two children,
Laura and Marian. The Templetons were much the same sort of family. The
children all attended a private school at White Plains, and there also
they met Schuyler Vanderdyke. These four constituted a sort of little
aristocracy in the school. I mention this, because Vanderdyke later
became Laura's first husband. This marriage with Templeton was a second
venture."

"How long ago was she divorced?" asked Craig attentively.

"About three years ago. I'm coming to that in a moment. The sisters went
to college together, Templeton to law school, and Vanderdyke studied
civil engineering. Their intimacy was pretty well broken up, all except
Laura's and Vanderdyke's. Soon after he graduated he was taken into the
construction department of the Central Railroad by his uncle, who was a
vice-president, and Laura and he were married. As far as I can learn he
had be