of one
allied to him by the most endearing ties. "Would I wish to be informed
of it?" he queried. "I most certainly should," was his inward reply.

And so it was that, after the adjournment of court, he approached Mr.
Orcutt, and leading him respectfully aside, said, with visible
reluctance:

"I beg your pardon, sir, but a fact has come to my knowledge to-day with
which I think you ought to be made acquainted. It is in reference to the
young lady who was with us at Mrs. Clemmens' house this morning. Did you
know, sir, that she had an enemy in this town?"

Mr. Orcutt, whose thoughts had been very much with that young lady since
she left him so unceremoniously a few hours before, started and looked
at Mr. Byrd with surprise which was not without its element of distrust.

"An enemy?" he repeated. "An enemy? What do you mean?"

"What I say, Mr. Orcutt. As I came out of Mrs. Clemmens' house this
afternoon, an old hag whose name I do not know, but whom you will
probably have no difficulty in recognizing, seized me by the arm and
made me the recipient of insinuations and threats against Miss Dare,
which, however foolish and unfounded, betrayed an animosity and a desire
to injure her that is worthy your attention."

"You are very kind," returned Mr. Orcutt, with increased astonishment
and a visible constraint, "but I do not understand you. What
insinuations or threats could this woman have to make against a young
lady of Miss Dare's position and character?"

"It is difficult for me to tell you," acknowledged Mr. Byrd; "but the
vicious old creature presumed to say that Miss Dare must have had a
special and secret interest in this murder, or she would not have gone
as she did to that house. Of course," pursued the detective, discreetly
dropping his eyes from the lawyer's face, "I did what I could to show
her the folly of her suspicions, and tried to make her see the trouble
she would bring upon herself if she persisted in expressing them; but I
fear I only succeeded in quieting her for the moment, and that she will
soon be attacking others with this foolish story."

Mr. Orcutt who, whatever his own doubts or apprehensions, could not fail
to be totally unprepared for a communication of this kind, gave
utterance to a fierce and bitter exclamation, and fixed upon the
detective his keen and piercing eye.

"Tell me just what she said," he demanded.

"I will try to do so," returned Mr. Byrd. And calling to his aid a very
e