after his return to the
village hotel. She was such a mystery, this woman, it might easily be
that she had never intended to go to Buffalo; that she had only spoken
of that place as the point of her destination under the stress of her
companion's importunities, and that the real place for which she was
bound had been some spot very much nearer home. The fact, that her
baggage had consisted only of a small bag that she carried on her arm,
would lend probability to this idea, yet, such was the generous
character of the young detective, he hesitated to give credit to this
suspicion, and indeed took every pains to disabuse himself of it by
inquiring of the ticket-agent, whether it was true, as he had heard,
that Miss Dare had left town on that day for a visit to her friends in
Buffalo.

He received for his reply that she had bought a ticket for that place,
though she evidently had not used it, a fact which seemed at least to
prove she was honest in the expression of her intentions that morning,
whatever alteration may have taken place in her plans during the course
of her journey.

Mr. Byrd did not enjoy his supper that night, and was heartily glad
when, in a few moments after its completion, Mr. Ferris came in for a
chat and a cigar.

They had many things to discuss. First, their own case now drawing to a
successful close; next, the murder of the day before; and lastly, the
few facts which had been elicited in regard to that murder, in the
inquiry which had that day been begun before the coroner.

Of the latter Mr. Ferris spoke with much interest. He had attended the
inquest himself, and, though he had not much to communicate--the time
having been mainly taken up in selecting and swearing in a jury--a few
witnesses had been examined and certain conclusions reached, which
certainly added greatly to the impression already made upon the public
mind, that an affair of great importance had arisen; an affair, too,
promising more in the way of mystery than the simple nature of its
earlier manifestations gave them reason to suppose.

In the first place, the widow had evidently been assaulted with a
deliberate purpose and a serious intent to slay.

Secondly, no immediate testimony was forthcoming calculated to point
with unerring certainty to the guilty party.

To be sure, the tramp and the hunchback still offered possibilities of
suspicion; but even they were slight, the former having been seen to
leave the widow's house