there."

Her brother threw a keen glance at her. "I don't see that!"
he exclaimed. "He gave his reason for being in the
neighborhood. He came up with me, and is coming on here in a
few moments. This is why he did not turn up this afternoon."

Juliet nodded and appeared satisfied with this explanation.
But she kept her eyes on her brother when he entered into
details about the crime. Her emotions during the recital
betrayed themselves markedly.

"I saw the detective," said Basil, with quicker speech than
usual. "He is a first-rate chap called Jennings, and when he
heard I was Miss Loach's nephew he didn't mind speaking
freely."

"What did you learn?" asked Mr. Octagon.

"Enough to make the mystery surrounding the death deeper than
ever."

"What do you mean?" asked his sister, restlessly. "Can't the
murderer be found?"

"Not a trace of him can be discovered."

"Why do you say 'him.' It might have been a woman."

"No," rejoined Basil positively, "no woman could have struck