"To hell with my promise!" he said, and strode from the room.




CHAPTER ELEVEN

THE FINGER OF SUSPICION


In Chicago Conklin found an angry young man at police headquarters, and
the name of this young man was John North.

"This is a most damnable outrage!" he cried hotly the moment he espied
Mount Hope's burly sheriff.

"I am mighty sorry to have interfered with your plans, John--just mighty
sorry." The sheriff's tone was meant to soothe and conciliate. "But you
see we are counting on you to throw some light on the McBride murder."

"So that's it! I tell you, Conklin, I consider that I have been treated
with utter discourtesy; I've been a virtual prisoner here over night!"

"That's too bad, John," said the sheriff sympathetically, "but we didn't
know where a wire would reach you, so there didn't seem any other way
than this--"

"Well, what do you want with me?" demanded North, with rather less heat
than had marked his previous speech.