ize
poignantly how much I had lost. Woods didn't join us. He knew if he
tried to sympathize with me, after the affair the other day, that I
would throttle him for his hypocrisy.

"Was Jim killed outright?" Brown asked.

"Yes! And there's one chance in a thousand for Helen."

Both men started. "Was Mrs. Felderson there? They telephoned us at
the club that Jim had been killed, but we didn't know she was with him."

They glanced at each other and then at Woods, who was standing by the
side of the overturned car.

"You'd better tell him, Larry," Paisley muttered.

"Doesn't he know?" I asked.

"Of course not," replied Brown. "He was out there at the club with us.
I'm afraid it will hit him awfully hard."

He stepped over to Woods and, taking him by the arm, they disappeared
into the darkness. We heard a choking cry, and the next moment Woods
came running toward us. His face was distorted with horror and his
eyes were almost starting from his head.

"Thompson, for God's sake, tell me he lies! Tell me he lies!" he
shrieked. "Helen wasn't in that car?"

The old suspicions came tumbling back an hundredfold and I turned cold
all over.

"It is true," I said, "Mrs. Felderson is in the hospital at the point
of death."

With a stifled groan, Woods sank to the ground and buried his face in
his shaking hands.

CHAPTER SIX

A CLUE AND A VERDICT

I drove home with my thoughts in a tumult. The look on Woods' face and
the vehemence of his words made me sure he was in some way responsible
for Jim's death. I walked the floor for hours trying to build up my
case against him. He had sworn to kill Jim, unless he let Helen go,
and he must have known that afternoon that not only was Jim going to
keep Helen from him, but that he had the proof with which to ruin him
forever. He had planned to have it out with Jim at the country-club,
knowing it would be a cold damp night and that few people would be out
there. He had emphatically stated that Jim should come alone and
should be there promptly at half-past eight. All those facts pointed
to the man's guilt and I felt sure that in some way I should be able to
unearth the proof.

I knew I ought to sleep, but sleep was the last thing I could do.
Twice I called up the hospital to inquire after Helen, but they could
tell me nothing. Had the operation been successful? Yes, she had come
through it. Would she get well? Ah, that they could not say. They
would l