with surprising
suddenness: "Do you believe, Mr. Morgan, that I had any part in this
terrible affair? The questions the detective asked me indicated that he
had."

"Certainly not," I said. "And, if you will permit me to say so, Miss
Temple, I think you would have been wiser had you been entirely frank
with him."

"What do you mean?" she asked, indignantly.

I felt disappointed, somehow, at her manner.

"Miss Temple," I said, gently, "you at first refused to admit that you
had sought an interview with Mr. Ashton at midnight. I fully understood
your reasons for your refusal. It was an unconventional thing to do, and
you feared the misjudgment of persons at large, although to me it
appeared, in the light of my knowledge of the case, a most natural
action. Mr. Ashton still retained the jewel, and, if he gave it up after
your warning, he could not have complained of the consequences. But I
am sorry, Miss Temple, that you were not as frank about your leaving
the house, as he believes you did, early this morning."

"Why does he believe that?" she asked, spiritedly.

"Because, in the first place, he found footprints--the footprints of a
woman's shoe, in the gravel walk, from the west corner of the porch to
the main entrance. They lead only one way. After questioning you, he
searched your room, and found the skirt and shoes which you wore, both
wet and covered with mud. The rain did not stop until three or four this
morning. The footprints were made after the rain, or they would have
been washed away and obliterated by it. For these reasons, he fully
believes you were out of the house close to daybreak, which was the time
of the murder."

"The brute," said Miss Temple, indignantly, "to enter my rooms!"

"It is after all only his duty, Miss Temple," I replied.

"Well, perhaps you are right. But suppose I did go outside at that
time--suppose I had decided to run away from Mr. Ashton, and my father,
and their wretched conspiracy against my happiness, what guilt is there
in that? I came back, did I not?"

"Why," I inquired, "did you come back?"

She glanced quickly at me, with a look of fear.

"I--I--that I refuse to explain to anyone. After all, Mr. Morgan, I
certainly am not obliged to tell the police my very thoughts."

Her persistency in evading any explanation of her actions of the morning
surprised and annoyed me. "You will remember, Miss Temple, that I said
the footprints lead in one direction only, and that w