e girl Amalie Speir?
Every move of this Richards family means something. Why should they
become so deeply interested in this penniless girl? It is not within the
bounds of possibility that they could have in any way discovered that
she is an--" Here the detective stopped short and gave utterance to an
expletive more expressive than elegant, and after a little he resumed
his musings, saying:

"Let me see; yes, yes, it is possible. I see I have a little exploring
to do in another direction, and in the meantime I must have an eye on
this dignified young baron and these Richards people. Yes, yes, there is
an underlying possibility that may explain the whole matter if I can
ever strike to its bottom fact, and by ginger! I will."

Jack had arrived at a conclusion that necessitated the very finest sort
of detective work--indeed, his task was one of the hardest because it
consisted in discovering a motive.

On the morning following the incidents related, the detective sat down
to his rolls and coffee and had his paper, when a paragraph met his eyes
which caused his blood to run cold. The paragraph was a brief statement
under showy headlines that the body of a young woman had been found in
the bushes near the Orange Mountains. There was nothing in the paragraph
really to arouse so great interest on his part were it not that he was
thrilled by one of those wonderful premonitions which ofttimes came to
him.

Jack believed that later in the day there would come further details,
and in the meantime he visited Mrs. Speir and showed her the paragraph.
Mrs. Speir became greatly agitated at first, but after a moment said:

"You observe that it is a woman; my daughter is less than twenty."

"Yes, I observe that; but do you notice that the face is mutilated so
the body will only be identified by the clothing? And now, Mrs. Speir, I
have a few words to say. I fear you are going to be called upon to
undergo a very trying ordeal, but mark my words: no matter what the
later evidences may be, it is not the body of your daughter."

The woman glared but remained silent, and the detective continued:

"I believe I can discern the whole business, and more than that, I
believe there is a most thrilling, startling and wonderful revelation
under all this business. But again I say, mark well my words: it is not
the body of your daughter, and I tell you now I believe all the evidence
will go to prove that is your daughter's body."

"You talk i