The Curved Blades
with her love of elaborate display in life. The casket was of the richest, the flowers piled mountain high, the music, the most expen
nd horror of her death, they were not deeply bowed with sorrow. Pauline, as nearest relative, would naturally g
pieces." She was nervous, and jumped
for him, and devoted most of his time to ma
-down, and had been taken to a nearby sanatorium, w
s and detectives were coming and going, neighbors w
rdly polite, were not on good t
and Haviland were called to a
t," Hardy began, and Anita
t Charlier! Pu
er one of that pair of gloves, the mate to the
he
nier drawer; of course, to hide it, as it is not at a
en noticed that, when I've wanted to burn a letter or anyth
it there to incriminate an innocent man. It's too absurd to fasten the thing on Count Charlier! Do you suppose he went to the boudoir and gave Miss Carrington poison, and then shook hands good-evening, a
!" cried Hardy. "Somehow I can't see th
in Haviland. "Have they re
; "Did he-did he-c-confess?" The girl's voice tre
was not convincing. He takes it very hard and talks wildly and at random.
hy would the Count kill Miss Carring
f ten thousand dollars already marked for him in her will. Moreover, he couldn't realize that tidy little sum, which he very much wants, so long as she lived. To be sure, he would have had far more, had he married her, but
, "do you know these things to be true of
s chap, I'll be surprised. But also, I've set afoot an investigation, and we'll soon learn his record, antece
t Lucy to give him that mone
to devise them in her will, not to give them now. Well, four were Miss Stuart and Carr Loria, Miss Frayne and myself. And then, she hesitated for some time, but finally announced that the fifth portion should be named for the Count. I was there when the lawyer fixe
r such a time?
d with me, and crossed me off without a shilling. T
uests than those particular bonds y
beside, which was all right
ve stood from her capricious temper a
Pauline, quietly; "I'd rather you would
arms was averted by the appearan
aimed Pauline, as she
home or will you come here? Let Havilan
ngton
ile on one of his excavating tours, we mightn't have had communication for weeks. Well, he practicall
rity than I am," said Pauline, almost petulantly; "I am an equal h
w why, myself. I suppose becau
der me the head of the house as far as business matters are concerned. You can pay Carr his half
come back to Amer
g so, unless he chooses. And I'm pretty sure he won't choose, as he's so w
ssity to help investigate
he learns all the details, he will be as anxious as we that the murderer should be found. But if I know Carr, he will far rather pay for the most expensive detective service than come over himself. And,
when he puts me in charge of it all. But after a week or so we'l
as he likes. But he needn't come for my benefit. The property must be divided and all that, but we can
ray, in amazemen
these horrors. Our passage is booked for a February sailing. If necessary I
d Havilan
ak and then thought bette
o," began Anita, and Pau
uld say not! W
her pink cheeks burned rosy. "I am my own mistress,
, coldly. "Only please advise me
ly. "But I may prefer to go on the one you do. Aren'
spect me of crime, I would rather you said so definitel
re some things to be explained regarding your interview with y
ence. As you well know, I saw you come from her
iland; "you only make tro
is arrested, Pauline oug
nd it seems to
Haviland, who insisted on knowing
long enough to get word back and forth to h
ent if he does not care to come; and that I shall go to Egypt as soon as I can ar
to the library, a
ese ladies mean by accusing each other of all sorts of
never loved each other, but lately, even before the death of Miss
ry of Miss Frayne's about hearing
tuart; what she heard was Miss Carrington talking t
the old lady? She
so hard to appear young, t
ve with the Co
not quite true. Miss Lucy cared only for interesting men, but if
trious Count
rtained us. She made that bequest to attrac
, and
e temptation and he shuffled her o
he killed
girls never use
the p
blow has to be remembered. And neither Miss Stuart nor Miss Frayne can
ake? The qu
able,-unless the man has a disordered mind, and used insane methods to
have been put in h
essional burglar, say
when he has uninterrupted time enough to kill a person twice, with poison and then, to hide t
I don't see how any of the things could happen, but they did happen! Y
r the deduction therefrom. But I don't believe that. This case is bizarre enough, in all conscience, yet what can one deduce from that paper snake and t
The features were compos
ree. I wish you felt inclined to call in Fleming Stone. He'
t won't hear of it. I'd have to ha
ve you full swing
ent. I'd have to have assurance that he'd pay the bills
d like to work with him! Or under him.
and not mention it to Miss Stu
olved, and I, for one, don't believe that nincompoop Count
the widow he
hose two are in it, but t
d if he wants me to get Stone, I'll be glad to do so. As you say, it can't affect the girls,-that stuff Anita made up was only to bother Pauli
e's that F
s hysterical from sheer nervousness, and she li
ighty glad. If the Frenchman is the guilty party, Stone will nail him and prove
n't," agree