"Because I was told nothing of their trip to the, police court
until they had returned," she replied. "How horribly tragic the
whole affair is!" And a shiver she could not suppress crept down
her spine.

"It is," agreed Stone. "What possessed Jimmie Turnbull to play so
mad a trick?"

"His wager with Barbara."

Stone leaned a little nearer. "Have you learned the nature of that
wager?" he asked, lowering his voice.

"No. Babs was in so hysterical a condition when she returned from
the police court that she gave a very incoherent account of the
whole affair, and she has kept her room ever since luncheon,"
explained Mrs. Brewster.

Stone looked puzzled. "I understood that Jimmie was attentive to
Helen McIntyre and not to Barbara," he said. "But upon my word,
Barbara appeared more overcome by Jimmie's death than Helen."

Mrs. Brewster did not reply at once; instead, she glanced carefully
around. The room was generally the rallying place of the McIntyres.
It stretched across almost the entire width of the house; the
diamond-paned and recessed windows gave it a medieval air in keeping
with its antique furniture, and the seven doors opening from it
led, respectively, to the large dining room beyond, a morning room,
billiard room, the front and back halls, and the Italian loggia