e to him--but to accuse him of the murder
of his father"--here a shudder ran through her--"it's horrible!"

"He'll have to carefully explain a number of things, though, before the
authorities change their minds," said Scanlon. "Not only have they
certain definite facts on him; but they have the notion that he's not
told them everything."

"He is innocent," protested Nora.

"Maybe so!" Bat shrugged his shoulders. "But I had a chance to look him
over to-day, and while I liked his appearance, I agree with the cops
that he was holding back on them."

The girl rose and stood facing them.

"It may be that he is," she said, and there was a break in the rare
voice. "But why fix upon this so readily as a sign of guilt? Consider
the circumstances. He is the son of a man whose life was a continuous
shame; there very likely was not a day that did not bring some fresh
knowledge of wrong-doing to the boy--some mean thing beneath contempt,
which made him shrink and quiver. And now there comes another thing--a
last and horrible one! It may be," and the beautiful arms lifted in a
gesture of despair, "that in this there was additional shame. Can you
wonder, then, that he hesitated?"

Bat Scanlon did not reply, contenting himself with merely nodding his
head. This side of the thing had not occurred to him; but now that she
had pointed it out, it seemed quite reasonable. Ashton-Kirk fixed his
singular dark eyes upon the beautiful woman who stood so appealingly
before them.

"Scanlon mentioned to me a while ago," spoke the investigator, "that you
were interested in doing what you could to help this young man. I make
it a point never to judge the merits of a case until I have examined it
at close range. However, I will say this: From a distance, this matter
begins to show promise; so much, indeed, that I feel I must know more
about it."

She looked at him, her hands twining together, nervously; but she did
not speak, and he went on:

"What you say about the police is largely true. They _are_ superficial,
and the arrest of young Burton may not be at all warranted by the facts.
As it happens, Miss Cavanaugh," easily, "there are no very pressing
matters to engage me just now; and since you are so interested, suppose
I look into it, and see if I can gather up any stray threads missed by
the police."

Bat Scanlon brought his palms together in great satisfaction; but, to
his astonishment, when he looked at Nora he saw hesitancy plainl