ave
you looked into that laundry-bill question you were dickering about a
while ago?"

Cleek threw back his head and laughed.

"I have. But there's nothing doing there, as yet. The particular maid I
questioned has got a bilious attack this afternoon and can't go over the
lists for me. But I'm to hear to-morrow morning for certain.... It _is_
rather a teaser for you, isn't it, old chap? But you must bear with me
until I've unravelled the ends myself, and when that's done, I'll put
'em into your hands, and you can wind 'em up for me into a tidy little
ball. Let's get a move on now, there's a good fellow. By the way, who's
the guilty party _now_, eh?"

Mr. Narkom scratched his head perplexedly and let a full minute elapse
before replying.

"It's a dickens of a tangle, looking at it any way," he returned
dejectedly. "I could have sworn that chap Ross Duggan had murdered his
father for the simple motive of keeping his name in the will and of
course the name _wasn't_ erased, after all, was it? That's a black point
against him. But this flustery-blustery-Captain-chap with his
lord-high-almighty ways rather took the wind out of my sails. And when
you said you had encountered him last night, Cleek, you could have
knocked me down with a feather. How did it happen?"

"Oh--caught him running as hard as he could from the direction of the
lawns beyond this window, and fell plump into him as the best way to
attract his attention," returned Cleek serenely. "I thought it strange
that he should be there at such a time. And he looked half-scared out of
his wits, too. Expected me to tell the household, I suppose. Rather
officious young chap, I must say--but I've a sneaking liking for him,
all the same. D'you think he did the shooting, then?"

"Not a doubt of it!" Mr. Narkom was emphatic.

"Oh! And why, do you suppose?"

"Um--ah! Well, that's got to be discovered yet. Never know, Cleek; there
might be some hidden business in this affair in which this Captain is
involved. Anyhow, I doubt him--tremendously. Didn't ring true, I
thought. Rather too noisy and all that."

"And you believe in the adage that 'empty vessels make the most sound,'
I take it?" rejoined Cleek with a smile. "Well, perhaps you're right.
Only I wouldn't call that young gentleman an empty vessel.... Anyhow,
this evening will elucidate matters a little. For I'm going to remove
that muffling for the nonce, and substitute another one. And it ought to
prove quite an