While his logical brain could see no possible way to look save toward one of the three Wheelers, yet his soul revolted at the thought that any one of them was the criminal.

Stone was well aware of the fact that the least seemingly guilty often proved to be a deep-dyed villain, yet he hesitated to think that Dan Wheeler had killed his old enemy, and he could not believe it was a woman’s work. He was impressed by Maida’s story, especially by the fact that a recent development had made her more strongly desirous to be rid of old Appleby. He wondered if it did not have something to do with young Appleby’s desire to marry her, and determined to persuade her to confide further in him regarding the secret she mentioned.

But first, he decided to interview Mrs. Wheeler. This could not be done offhand, so he waited a convenient season, and asked for a conference when he felt sure it would be granted.

Sara Wheeler received the detective in her sitting-room, and her manner was calm and collected as she asked him to make the interview as brief as possible.

“You are not well, Mrs. Wheeler?” Stone asked, courteously.

“I am not ill, Mr. Stone, but naturally these dreadful days have upset me, and the horror and suspense are still hanging over me. Can you not bring matters to a crisis? Anything would be better than present conditions!”

“If some member of your family would tell me the truth,” Stone said frankly, “it would help a great deal. You know, Mrs. Wheeler, when three people insist on being regarded as the criminal, it’s difficult to choose among them. Now, won’t you, at least, admit that you didn’t shoot Mr. Appleby?”

“But I did,” and the serene eyes looked at Stone calmly.

“Can you prove it – I mean, to my satisfaction? Tell me this: where did you get a pistol?”

“I used Mr. Wheeler’s revolver.”

“Where did you get it?”

“From the drawer in his desk, where he always keeps it.”

Stone sighed. Of course, both Maida and her mother knew where the revolver was kept, so this was no test of their veracity as to the crime.

“When did you take it from the drawer?”

Sara Wheeler hesitated for an instant and from that, Stone knew that she had to think before she spoke. Had she been telling the truth, he argued, she would have answered at once.

But immediately she spoke, though with a shade of hesitation.

“I took it earlier in the day – I had it up in my own room.”

“Yes; where did you conceal it there?”

“In – in a dresser drawer.”

“And, when you heard the alarm of fire, you ran downstairs in consequence – but you paused to get the revolver and take it with you!”

This sounded absurd, but Sara Wheeler could see no way out of it, so she assented.

“Feeling sure that you would find your husband and Mr. Appleby in such a desperate quarrel that you would be called upon to shoot?”

“I – I overheard the quarrel from upstairs,” she faltered, her eyes piteous now with a baffled despair.

“Then you went down because of the quarreling voices – not because of the fire-alarm?”

Unable to meet Stone’s inexorable gaze, Mrs. Wheeler’s eyes fell and she nervously responded: “Well, it was both.”

“Now, see here,” Stone said, kindly; “you want to do anything you can, don’t you, to help your husband and daughter?”

“Yes, of course!” and the wide-open eyes now looked at him hopefully.

“Then will you trust me far enough to believe that I think you will best help them by telling the truth?”

“Oh, I can’t!” and with a low moan the distracted woman hid her face in her hands.

“Please do; your attitude proves you are concealing important information. I am more than ever sure you are not the guilty one – and I am not at all sure that it was either of the other two.”

“Then who could it have been?” and Sara Wheeler looked amazed.

“That we don’t know. If I had a hint of any direction to look I’d be glad. But if you will shed what light you can, it may be of great help.”

“Even if it seems to incriminate my – ”

“What can incriminate them more than their own confessions?”

“Their confessions contradict each other. They can’t both be guilty.”

“And you don’t know which one is?”

“N – no,” came the faltering reply.

“But that admission contradicts your own confession. Come now, Mrs. Wheeler, own up to me that you didn’t do it, and I’ll not tell any one else, unless it becomes necessary.”

“I will tell you, for I can’t bear this burden alone any longer! I did go downstairs because of the alarm of fire, Mr. Stone. Just before I came to the open door of the den, I heard a shot, and as I passed the door of the den, I saw Mr. Appleby, fallen slightly forward in his chair, my husband standing at a little distance looking at him, and Maida in the bay window, also staring at them both.”

“What did you do? Go in?”

“No; I was so bewildered, I scarcely knew which way to turn, and in my fear and horror I ran into my own sitting-room and fell on the couch there in sheer collapse.”

“You stayed there?”

“Until I heard voices in the den – the men came back from the fire and discovered the – the tragedy. At least, I think that’s the way it was. It’s all mixed up in my mind. Usually I’m very clear-headed and strong nerved, but that scene seemed to take away all my will-power – all my vitality.”

“I don’t wonder. What did you do or say?”

“I had a vague fear that my husband or daughter would be accused of the crime, and so, at once, I declared it was the work of the phantom bugler. You’ve heard about him?”

“Yes. You didn’t think it was he, though, did you?”

“I wanted to – yes, I think I did. You see, I don’t think the bugler was a phantom, but I do think he was a criminal. I mean, I think it was somebody who meant harm to my husband. I – well – I think maybe the shot was meant for Mr. Wheeler.”

Stone looked at her sharply, and said: “Please, Mrs. Wheeler, be honest with me, whatever you may pretend to others. Are you not springing that theory in a further attempt to direct suspicion away from Mr. Wheeler?”

She gave a gesture of helplessness. “I see I can hide nothing from you, Mr. Stone! You are right – but may there not be a chance that it is a true theory after all?”

“Possibly; if we can find any hint of the bugler’s identity. Mr. Keefe says, find the bugler and you’ve found the murderer.”

“I know he does, but Keefe is – as I am – very anxious to direct suspicion away from the Wheeler family. You see, Mr. Keefe is in love with my daughter – ”

“As who isn’t? All the young men fall down before her charms!”

“It is so. Although she is engaged to Mr. Allen, both Mr. Keefe and Mr. Sam Appleby are hopeful of yet winning her regard. To me it is not surprising, for I think Maida the very flower of lovely girlhood, but I also think those men should recognize Jeffrey Allen’s rights and cease paying Maida such definite attentions.”

“It is hard to repress an ardent admirer,” Stone admitted, “and as you say, that is probably Keefe’s intent in insisting on the finding of the bugler. You do not, then, believe in your old legend?”

“I do and I don’t. My mind has a tendency to revere and love the old traditions of my family, but when it comes to real belief I can’t say I am willing to stand by them. Yet where else can we look for a criminal – other than my own people?”

“Please tell me just what you saw when you looked into the den immediately after you heard the shot. You must realize how important this testimony is.”

“I do,” was the solemn reply. “I saw, as I told you, both my husband and my daughter looking at Mr. Appleby as he sat in his chair. I did not know then that he was dead, but he must have been dead or dying. The doctors said the death was practically instantaneous.”

“And from their attitude or their facial expression could you assume either your husband or daughter to have been the guilty one?”

“I can only say they both looked stunned and horrified. Just as one would expect them to look on the occasion of witnessing a horrible tragedy.”

“Whether they were responsible for it or not?”

“Yes. But I’m not sure the attitude would have been different in the case of a criminal or a witness. I mean the fright and horror I saw on their faces would be the same if they had committed a crime or had seen it done.”

Stone considered this. “You may be right,” he said; “I daresay absolute horror would fill the soul in either case, and would produce much the same effect in appearance. Now, let us suppose for a moment, that one or other of the two did do the shooting – wait a moment!” as Mrs. Wheeler swayed uncertainly in her chair. “Don’t faint. I’m supposing this only in the interests of you and yours. Suppose, I say, that either Mr. Wheeler or Miss Wheeler had fired the weapon – as they have both confessed to doing – which would you assume, from their appearance, had done it?”

Controlling herself by a strong effort, Sara Wheeler answered steadily, “I could not say. Honestly, to my startled eyes they seemed equally horrified and stunned.”

“Of course they would. You see, Mrs. Wheeler, the fact that they both confess it, makes it look as if one of them did do it, and the other having witnessed the deed, takes over the blame to save the guilty one. This sounds harsh, but we have to face the facts. Then, if we can get more or different facts, so much the better.”

“You’re suggesting, then, that one of my people did do it, and the other saw it done?”

“I’m suggesting that that might be the truth, and so far as we can see now, is the most apparent solution. But I’m not saying it is the truth, nor shall I relax my efforts to find another answer to our problem. And I want to tell you that you have helped materially by withdrawing your own confession. Every step I can take toward the truth is helpful. You have lessened the suspects from three to two; now if I can eliminate another we will have but one; and if I can clear that one, we shall have to look elsewhere.”

“That is specious argument, Mr. Stone,” and Sara Wheeler fixed her large, sad eyes upon his face. “For, if you succeeded in elimination of one of the two, it may be you cannot eliminate the third – and then – ”

“And then your loving perjuries will be useless. True, but I must do my duty – and that means my duty to you all. I may tell you that Mr. Appleby, who employed me, asked me to find a criminal outside of your family, whether the real one or not.”

“He put it that way!”

“He did; and while I do want to find the outside criminal, I can’t find him if he doesn’t exist.”

“Of course not. I daresay I shall regret what I’ve told you, but – ”

“But you couldn’t help it, I know. Don’t worry, Mrs. Wheeler. If you’ve no great faith in me, try to have a hopeful trust, and I assure you I will not betray it.”

“Well, Mr. McGuire,” Stone said to his adoring satellite, a little later, “there’s one out.”

“Mother Wheeler?”

“Yes, you young scamp; how did you know?”

“Saw you hobnobbing with her – she being took with a sudden attack of the confidentials – and, anyhow, two of ’em – at least – has got to cave in. You can ferret out which of ’em is George Washingtons and which isn’t.”

“Well, here’s the way it seems to stand now. Mind, I only say seems to stand.”

“Yessir.”

“The father and daughter – both of whom confess to the shooting, were seen in the room immediately after the event. Now, they were on opposite sides of the room, the victim being about midway between them. Consequently, if one shot, the other was witness thereto. And, owing to the deep devotion obtaining between them, either father or daughter would confess to the crime to save the other.”

“Then,” Fibsy summed up, “Mr. Wheeler and Maida don’t suspect each other; one did it, and both know which one.”

“Well put. Now, which is which?”

“More likely the girl did the shooting. She’s awful impulsive, awful high strung and awful fond of her father. Say the old Appleby gentleman was beratin’ and oratin’ and iratin,’ against Friend Wheeler, and say he went a leetle too far for Miss Maida to stand, and say she had that new secret, or whatever it is that’s eatin’ her – well, it wouldn’t surprise me overly, if she up and shot the varmint.”

“Having held the pistol in readiness?”

“Not nec’ess’rily. She coulda sprung across the room, lifted the weapon from its customed place in the drawer, and fired, all in a fleetin’ instant o’ time. And she’s the girl to do it! That Maida, now, she could do anything! And she loves the old man enough to do anything. Touch and go – that’s what she is! Especially go!”

“Well, all right. Yet, maybe it was the other way. Maybe, Wheeler, at the end of his patience, and knowing the ‘secret,’ whatever it may be, flung away discretion and grabbed up his own pistol and fired.”

“Coulda been, F. Stone. Coulda been – easily. But – I lean to the Maida theory. Maida for mine, first, last, and all the time.”

“For an admirer of hers, and you’re not by yourself in that, you seem cheerfully willing to subscribe to her guilt.”

“Well, I ain’t! But I do want to get the truth as to the three Wheelers. And once I get it fastened on the lovely Maida, I’ll set to work to get it off again. But, I’ll know where I’m at.”

“And suppose we fasten it on the lovely Daniel?”

“That’s a serious proposition, F. Stone. For, if he did it, he did it. And if Maida did it – she didn’t do it. See?”

“Not very clearly; but never mind, you needn’t expound. It doesn’t interest me.”

Fibsy looked comically chagrined, as he often did when Stone scorned his ideas, but he said nothing except:

“Orders, sir?”

“Yes, Terence. Hunt up Rachel, the maid, and find out all she knows. Use your phenomenal powers of enchantment and make her come across.”

“’Tis the same as done, sir!” declared the boy, and he departed at once in search of Rachel.

He sauntered out of the north door and took a roundabout way to the kitchen quarters.

Finally he found the cook, and putting on his best and most endearing little boy effects, he appealed for something to eat.

“Not but what I’m well treated at the table,” he said, “but, you know what boys are.”

“I do that,” and the good-natured woman furnished him with liberal pieces of pie and cake.

“Great,” said Fibsy, eating the last crumb as he guilefully complimented her culinary skill, “and now I’ve got to find a person name o’ Rachel. Where might she be?”

“She might be ’most anywhere, but she isn’t anywhere,” was the cryptic reply.

“Why for?”

“Well, she’s plain disappeared, if you know what that means.”

“Vamoosed? Skipped? Faded? Slid? Oozed out?”

“Yes; all those. Anyway, she isn’t on the place.”

“Since when?”

“Why, I saw her last about two hours ago. Then when Mrs. Wheeler wanted her she wasn’t to be found.”

“And hasn’t sence ben sane?”

“Just so. And as you are part and parcel of that detective layout that’s infestin’ the house an’ grounds, I wish you’d find the hussy.”

“Why, why, what langwitch! Why call her names?”

“She’s a caution! Get along now, and if you can’t find her, at least you can quit botherin’ me.”

“All right. But tell me this, before we part. Did she confide to your willin’ ears anything about the murder?”

“Uncanny you are, lad! How’d you guess it?”

“I’m a limb of Satan. What did she tell you? and when?”

“Only this morning; early, before she flew off.”

“Couldn’t very well have told you after she started.”

“No impidence now. Well, she told me that the night of the murder, as she ran from here to the garage, she saw on the south veranda a man with a bugle pipe!”

“A pipe dream!”

“I dunno. But she told it like gospel truth.”

“Just what did she say?”

“Said she saw a man – a live man, no phantom foolishness, on the south veranda, and he carried a bugle.”

“Did he play on it?”

“No; just carried it like. But she says he musta been the murderer, and by the same token it’s the man I saw!”

“Oho, you saw him, too?”

“As I told your master, I saw him, but not plain, as I ran along to the fire. Rachel, now, she saw him plain, so he musta been there. Well, belike, he was the murderer and that sets my people free.”

“Important if true, but are you both sure? And why, oh, why does the valuable Rachel choose this time to vanish? Won’t she come back?”

“Who knows? She didn’t take any luggage – ”

“How did she go?”

“Nobody knows. She walked, of course – ”

“Then she couldn’t have gone far.”

“Oh, well, she could walk to the railway station. It’s only a fairish tramp. But why did she go?”

“I ask you why.”

“And I don’t know. But I suppose it was because she didn’t want to be questioned about the man who shot.”

“What! You didn’t say she saw him shoot!”

“Yes, I did. Or I meant to. Anyway that’s what Rachel said. The man with the bugle shot through the window and that’s what killed Mr. Appleby.”

“Oh, come now, this is too big a yarn to be true, especially when the yarner lights out at once after telling it!”

“Well, Rachel has her faults, but I never knew her to lie. And if it was the man I saw – why, that proves, at least, there was a man there.”

“But you didn’t see him clearly.”

“But I saw him.”

“Then he must be reckoned with. Now, Cookie, dear, we must find Rachel. We must! Do you hear? You help me and I bet we’ll get her.”

“But I’ve no idea where she went – ”

“Of course you haven’t. But think; has she any friends or relatives nearby?”

“Not one.”

“Are there any trains about the time she left?”

“I don’t know what time she left, but there’s been no train since nine-thirty, and I doubt she was in time for that.”

“She took no luggage?”

“No, I’ll vouch for that.”

“Then she’s likely in the neighborhood. Is there any inn or place she could get a room and board?”

“Oh, land, she hasn’t gone away to stay. She’s scart at something most likely, and she’ll be back by nightfall.”

“She may and she may not. She must be found. Wait, has she a lover?”

“Well, they do say Fulton, the chauffeur, is sweet on her, but I never noticed it much.”

“Who said he was?”

“Mostly she said it herself.”

“She ought to know! Me for Fulton. Good-bye, Cookie, for the nonce,” and waving a smiling farewell, Fibsy went off toward the garage.

CHAPTER XIV
RACHEL’S STORY

“Hello, Fult,” Fibsy sang out gaily to the chauffeur, and received a pleasant response, for few could resist the contagious smile of the round, freckled face of the boy.

“Hello, Mr. Fibsy,” the other returned, “how you getting on with your detective work?”

“Fine; but I want a little help from you.”

“Me? I don’t know anything about anything.”

“Well, then tell me what you don’t know. That fire now, here in the garage, the night of the murder, did you ever find out how it started?”

Fulton’s face took on a perplexed look and he said: “No, we didn’t – and it’s a queer thing. It must have been started by some one purposely, for there’s no way it could have come about by accident.”

“Spontaneous combustion?”

“Whatever made you think of that? And it couldn’t have been from old paint rags, or such, for there’s nothing like that about. But – well, here’s what I found.”

Fulton produced a small bottle. It was empty and had no label or stopper, and Fibsy looked at it blankly.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Never see one like it?”

“No; have you?”

“Yes, I have. I was in the war, and bottles like that contained acid which, when combined with another acid, caused spontaneous combustion.”

“Combined – how?”

“Well, they used to saturate some cloth or old clothes with the other acid, and throw them about. Then, when the time came they threw a little bottle like that, filled with acid, and with only a paper stopper, in among the clothes. The acid slowly ate out the paper stopper, and then the two acids caused combustion. So, by the time the fire started, the man who was responsible for it was far away from the scene.”

“Whew! And you think that happened here?”

“There’s the bottle. The fire began in Mr. Appleby’s car. Two coats and a rug were burned – now, mightn’t they have been sprinkled with the other acid – ”

“Of course that’s what happened! Why haven’t you told this before?”

“I only found the bottle this morning. It had been kicked under a bench, and the sweeper found it. Then I fell a-thinking, for it’s the very same sort of bottle I saw used over there. Somebody who knew that trick did it.”

“And whoever did it is either Mr. Appleby’s murderer, or an accomplice.”

“You think the two crimes are connected, then?”

“Haven’t a doubt of it. You’re a clever chap, Fulton, to dope this out – ”

“Well, there was no other explanation. Anything else hinted at carelessness of my management of this place, and that hurt my pride, for I like to think this garage the pink of perfection as to cleanliness and order.”

“Mr. Wheeler is fortunate in having such a man as you. Now, one more thing, Fulton; where is Rachel?”

“Rachel!”

“Yes, your blush gives you away. If you know where she is, tell me. If she’s done nothing wrong it can do no harm to find her. If she has done anything wrong, she must be found.”

“I don’t know where she is, Mr. Fibsy – ”

“Call me McGuire. And if you don’t know where she is, you know something about her disappearance. When did she go away?”

“I saw her last night. She said nothing about going away, but she seemed nervous and worried, and I couldn’t say anything to please her.”

“Can’t you form any idea of where she might have gone? Be frank, Fulton, for much depends on getting hold of that girl.”

“I can only say I’ve no idea where she is, but she may communicate with me. In that case – ”

“In that case, let me know at once,” Fibsy commanded, and having learned all he could there, he went off to think up some other means of finding the lost Rachel.

Meantime Sam Appleby was taking his departure.

“I have to go,” he said, in response to the Wheelers’ invitation to tarry longer; “because Keefe is coming down to-morrow. One of us ought to be in father’s office all the time now, there’s so much to attend to.”

“Why is Mr. Keefe coming here?” asked Maida.

“Mr. Stone wants to see him,” Appleby informed her. “You know, Keefe is more or less of a detective himself, and Mr. Stone thinks he may be helpful in finding the criminal. Miss Lane is coming also, she begged to, mostly, I think, because she took such a liking to you.”

“I liked her, too,” returned Maida; “she’s a funny girl but a sincere, thorough nature.”

“Yes, she is. Well, they’ll only stay over a day or two, I can’t spare them longer. Of course, they may be of help to Mr. Stone, and they may not. But I don’t want to miss a trick in this investigation. What a queer little chap that boy of Stone’s is!”

“Fibsy?” and Maida smiled. “Yes, he’s a case! And he’s my devoted slave.”

“As who isn’t?” exclaimed Appleby. “Oh, Maida, do give me a little encouragement. After this awful business is all over, mayn’t I come back with a hope that you’ll smile on me?”

“Don’t talk that way, Sam. You know I’m engaged to Jeffrey.”

“Oh, no, you’re not. I mean, it can be possible for you to change your mind. Girls are often engaged to several men before they marry.”

“I’m not that sort,” and Maida smiled a little sadly.

“Be that sort, then.”

“You seem to forget that I may be openly accused of crime at any moment. And a crime that hits you pretty closely.”

“Don’t say such things, dear. Neither you nor any of your people are responsible for the dreadful thing that happened to father – or, if you are, I never want to know it. And I do want you, Maida dear – so much – ”

“Hush, Sam; I won’t listen to anything like that from you.”

“Not now, but later on,” he urged. “Tell me that I may come back, Maida dear.”

“Of course you may come here, whenever you like, but I hold out no hope of the sort you ask for.”

“I shall hope all the same. I’d die if I didn’t! Good-bye, Maida, for this time.”

He went away to the train, and later, came Keefe and Genevieve Lane.

“Oh,” the girl cried, “I’m so glad to be back here again, Maida. My, but you’re prettier than ever! If you’d only touch up those pale cheeks – just a little bit – here, let me – ”

She opened her ever-ready vanity box, and was about to apply a touch of rouge, but Maida sprang away from her.

“No, no, Genevieve, I never use it.”

“Silly girl! You don’t deserve the beauty nature gave you, if you’re not willing to help it along a little yourself! How do you do, Mrs. Wheeler and Mr. Wheeler?”

She greeted them prettily, and Keefe, too, exchanged greetings with the family.

“Anything being done?” he asked, finally. “Has Mr. Stone discovered anything of importance?”

“Nothing very definite, I fear,” returned Daniel Wheeler. He spoke wearily, and almost despairingly. Anxiety and worry had aged him, even in the last few days. “I do hope, Keefe, that you can be of assistance. You have a keen eye for details, and may know or remember some points that escaped our notice.”

“I’m hoping I can help,” Keefe returned with a serious face. “Can I see Stone shortly?”

“Yes, now. Come along into the den, he’s in here.”

The two men went to the den, where Stone and Fibsy were in deep consultation.

“Very glad to see you, Mr. Keefe,” Fleming Stone acknowledged the introduction. “This is McGuire, my young assistant. You may speak frankly before him.”

“If I have anything to speak,” said Keefe. “I don’t really know anything I haven’t told, but I may remind Mr. Wheeler of some points he has forgotten.”

“Well, let’s talk it all over,” Stone suggested, and they did.

Keefe was greatly surprised and impressed by the story of the cook’s having seen a man on the south veranda at the time of the shooting.

“But she didn’t see him clearly,” Fibsy added.

“Couldn’t she describe him?”

“No; she didn’t see him plain enough. But the maid, Rachel, told cook that she saw the man, too, and that he carried a bugle. Cook didn’t see the bugle.”

“Naturally not, if she only saw the man vaguely,” said Wheeler. “But, it begins to look as if there must have been a man there and if so, he may have been the criminal.”

“Let us hope,” said Keefe, earnestly. “Now, can you find this man, Mr. Stone?”

“We’ve got to find him,” Stone returned, “whether we can or not. It’s really a baffling case. I think we’ve discovered the origin of the fire in the garage.”

He told the story that Fibsy had learned from the chauffeur, and Keefe was greatly interested.

“What are the acids?” he asked.

“I don’t know the exact names,” Stone admitted, “but they are of just such powers as Fulton described, and the thing is plausible. Here’s the bottle.” He offered the little vial for inspection and Keefe looked at it with some curiosity.

“The theory being,” he said, “that the murderer first arranged for a fire in our car – in Mr. Appleby’s car – and then waited for the fire to come off as planned. Then, at the moment of greatest excitement, he, being probably the man the servants saw – shot through the bay window and killed Mr. Appleby. You were fortunate, Miss Maida, that you weren’t hit first!”

“Oh, I was in no danger. I sat well back in the window-seat, and over to one side, out of range of a shot from outside. And, too, Mr. Keefe, I can scarcely discuss this matter of the shot from outside, as I am, myself, the confessed criminal.”

“Confessing only to save me from suspicion,” said her father, with an affectionate glance. “But it won’t do any good, dear. I take the burden of the crime and I own up that I did it. This man on the veranda – if, indeed, there was such a one, may have been any of the men servants about the place, startled by the cry of fire, and running to assure himself of the safety of the house and family. He, doubtless, hesitates to divulge his identity lest he be suspected of shooting.”

“That’s all right,” declared Fibsy, “but if it was one of your men, he’d own up by this time. He’d know he wouldn’t be suspected of shooting Mr. Appleby. Why should he do it?”

“Why should anybody do it, except myself?” asked Dan Wheeler. “Not all the detectives in the world can find any one else with a motive and opportunity. The fact that both my wife and daughter tried to take the crime off my shoulders only makes me more determined to tell the truth.”

“But you’re not telling the truth, dad,” and Maida looked at him. “You know I did it – you know I had threatened to do it – you know I felt I just could not stand Mr. Appleby’s oppression of you another day! And so – and so, I – ”

“Go on, Miss Wheeler,” urged Stone, “and so you – what did you do?”

“I ran across the den to the drawer where father keeps his pistol; I took it and shot – then I ran back to the window-seat – ”

“What did you do with the pistol?”

“Threw it out of the window.”

“Toward the right or left?”

“Why, I don’t know.”

“Try to think. Stand up there now, and remember which way you flung it.”

Reluctantly, Maida went to the bay window, and stood there thinking.

“I don’t know,” she said, at last. “I can’t remember.”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Keefe. “I think we can prove that it was none of the Wheelers, but there was a man, an intruder, on the veranda who shot. Even if we never find out his identity, we may prove that he was really there. Where is this maid who saw him clearly? Rachel – is that her name?”

“That’s a pretty thing, too!” Fibsy spoke up. “She has flew the coop.”

“Gone! Where?” Keefe showed his disappointment.

“Nobody knows where. She just simply lit out. Even her lover doesn’t know where she is.”

“Who is her lover?”

“Fulton, the chauffeur. He’s just about crazy over her disappearance.”

“Oh, she’ll return,” surmised Stone. “She became frightened at something and ran off. I think she’ll come back. If not, we’ll have to give chase. We must find her, as she’s the principal witness of the man on the veranda. Cook is not so sure about him.”

“Who could he have been?” Keefe said. “Doubtless some enemy of Mr. Appleby, in no way connected with the Wheelers.”

“Probably,” agreed Stone.

“We found the pistol, you know, Mr. Keefe,” remarked Fibsy.

“You did! Well, you have made progress. Where was it?”

“In the fern bed, not far from the veranda railing.”

“Just where the man would have thrown it!” exclaimed Keefe.

“Or where I threw it,” put in Daniel Wheeler.

“I’d like to see the exact place it was found,” Keefe said.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” offered Fibsy and the two started away together.