lf. As the
swift conversation flashed back and forth between them--past the
apparently unconscious person of young Mr. Merrill--he gradually
recovered his own equanimity and was quite himself again by the time he
and Miss Ocky settled to coffee and cigarettes in the cozy corner of
the veranda.

"Almost time for Mr. Krech to make his evening call," she suggested.
"They dine earlier at the Bolts' than we do here."

"Queer thing about Krech," mused Creighton. "I've never seen him take
so little interest in a case as he does in this. Usually he is at my
heels from morning until night, spraying questions the way a
machine-gun sprays bullets. Now he just blows in--and presently blows
out."

"Oh!" said Miss Ocky. She sat up straight, scratched her chin
meditatively with one slim forefinger, and darted him a look that he
missed. "Mmph. Y-yes, that is queer."

"Of course he's devoted to his wife," continued the detective, "and I
suppose that distracts a man from the pursuit of a mere hobby."

"Briefly," said Miss Ocky. "Briefly!"

"A charming woman ought not to be cynical--" Creighton broke off and
raised his hand. "He's coming now; you can hear that car of Bolt's six
miles on a quiet night! Shall we tell him about Leslie Sherwood?--the
poor chap hasn't had anything so nourishing for a week."

"Swear him to secrecy," stipulated Miss Ocky.

Thus, when the big man appeared and dropped into a chair, he was duly
pledged to discretion and informed of the fact that an eyewitness of
the murder had turned up.

"My gosh!" he exclaimed when the details had been told. "Why, that
just naturally blows Norvallis clean out of water! What'll he do if he
loses Mr. Vote-getter Maxon?"

"Pinch Sherwood," chuckled Creighton. "That ought to net him even
handsomer returns."

"Oh--_no_!" cried Miss Ocky, and turned white. "Oh, I think it is
simply disgraceful that such things can happen in a civilized country!
Bad enough to be the subject of gossip and suspected of a crime, but to
be actually imprisoned on mere suspicion--"

"I was only joking," cut in the detective hastily. "Norvallis will
make no such stupid blunder. I'm sorry to say there is a wide
difference between what can be done to a mere workingman and what may
be done to a country gentleman of position."

"So much the worse!" snapped Miss Ocky unappeased.

"This lets out Charlie Maxon," muttered Krech, and regarded his friend
morosely. "Seems to me, Creig