ce cleared like a lake from a storm. He beamed upon
Drew. He smiled for a second time. He pointed toward the chair which
the detective had quitted. "Sit down," he said, "and make yourself at
home. This is a temperance dugout, but I've got some real good soft
stuff--grape juice or club soda. Which will you have?"

"I'll take a cigar," said Delaney.

Drew allowed a smile to creep over his lips. He waited as Harry Nichols
dipped into a kitchenette, then came back with three glasses of soda
and a huge black Havana.

"Smoke up," he said good-naturedly to Delaney. "Light up and take a
chair. It's daybreak, isn't it?"

"Yes, time we're going," said Drew, setting his empty glass upon the
offered tray. "We'll go in a minute. Now, as I told you and as you can
see, this revolver is fully loaded. It looks clean. I suppose you lent
it to Miss Stockbridge without any empty cartridges. These are the
ordinary lead kind which can be secured at any hardware store. You've
got some here, perhaps."

"None here. They're all up at Plattsburg. We do some target shooting at
times. These little revolvers don't make much noise. You can use them
most anywhere."

"That's satisfactory," said Drew, watching the glow of Delaney's cigar.
"That's all right. Now, when she 'phoned for the gun or you suggested
that she better have one with her, what did she say about the cemetery
letter or the threat over the wire? Did she fear anything else? Was
that her sole reason for having a revolver with her?"

"You cannot expect me to answer for Miss Stockbridge, Mr. Drew. She is
available. You can talk to her. You represent her. I shall not say
anything concerning her. She is sacred. The revolver was not
discharged. It is the same as when I gave it to her in the drug-store.
Therefore, I'll trouble you for it. It's mine. I admit that."

Drew rose from the chair. His left hand went out. His fingers clasped
Harry Nichols' shoulder with a fatherly pressure.

"I'm going now," he said. "I'll leave the gun with you. If the police
want it, give it to them. Perhaps they will never hear of it. I doubt
if more than one or two servants saw it in Miss Loris' hand when she
came into the library. They may not tell Fosdick. He'll try to
rough-shod over them. He may arrest the entire household--including
Loris. That's his way. It's effective, but it's not my way. Now is
there anything that you want to say to me which will clear your mind of
this affair?"

Nichols glanc