one thing more on this point. Why did he choose that particular time to
make his request? You say he has had practical charge of affairs for the
past three years. Why did he not wish to be independent last year? Or
why did he not postpone the desire until next year?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"You'll have to ask Radnor that." I had my own suspicions, but I did
not wish to drag Polly Mathers's name into the discussion.

Terry watched me a moment without saying anything, and then he too
shrugged his shoulders as he turned back to the newspaper clippings.

"I won't go into the matter of Radnor's connection with the ha'nt just
now; I should like to consider first his actions on the day of the
murder. I have here a report of the testimony taken at the inquest, but
it is not so full as I could wish in some particulars. I should like to
have you give me the details. First, you say that Radnor and his father
did not speak at the breakfast table? How was it when you started?"

"They both appeared to be in pretty good spirits, but I noticed that
they avoided each other."

"Very well, tell me exactly what you did after you arrived at Luray."

"We left our horses at the hotel and walked about a mile across the
fields to the mouth of the cave. We had lunch in the woods and at about
one o'clock we started through the cave. We came out at a little after
three, and, I should say, started to drive back about half past four."

"Did you notice Radnor through the day?"

"Not particularly."

"Did you see either him or the Colonel in the cave?"

"Yes, I was with the Colonel most of the time."

"And how about Radnor? Didn't you see him at all?"

"Oh, yes. I remember talking to him once about some queerly shaped
stalagmites. He didn't hang around me, naturally, while I was with his
father."

"And when you talked to him about the stalagmites--was there anyone else
with him at the time?"

"I believe Miss Mathers was there."

"And he was carrying her coat?"

"I didn't notice."

"At least he left it later in what you call the gallery of the broken
column?"

"Yes."

"I see," said Terry glancing over the printed report of the inquest,
"that the coroner asked at this point if Radnor were in the habit of
forgetting young ladies' coats. That's more pertinent than many of the
questions he asked. How about it? Was he in the habit of forgetting
young ladies' coats?"

"I really don't know, Terry," I said somewhat testily.

"I