ints particularly at a person in whom you may
and may not be interested--your younger brother, Foster Durgin."

A curious white appearance crept all about the smooth-shaven mouth of
the duck man. He was not in the least an emotionless clod; he was not
even cold or indifferent, but silent, slow at giving expression to
anything but excellent business capabilities.

He looked at Garrison steadily, but with dumb appeal in his eyes. The
blow had gone home with a force that made Garrison sorry.

"How could that be?" the man inquired, "even with Foster wild?"

"He may not be guilty--it's my business to discover who is," said
Garrison, with ready sympathy. "It looks as if he had a motive. With
his knowledge of photography and his dabbling in the art, he has almost
certainly handled poison--the particular poison used to destroy John
Hardy's life. He was there in Hickwood at the time of the crime. He
has gambled in Wall Street, and lost, and now has disappeared. You can
see I need your help to clear the case."

CHAPTER XXVI

STARTLING DISCLOSURES

Durgin sat down on a box, picked up a sliver of wood and began to chew
it slowly. He was not a man of rapid thoughts; and he was stunned.

"How did you find out all these things?" he said.

"From Dorothy, partially, and in part from my own investigations."

"Dorothy didn't go back on the boy like that?" The man was hurt by the
thought.

"Not at all. She tried to shield him. I came to Rockdale on her
account, to try to discover if there is anyone else who might have had
a motive for the crime."

Durgin pulled the sliver of wood to shreds with his teeth.

"I don't think Foster would have done it," he said, concealing the pain
in his breast. "He's been wild. I've lost all patience with his ways
of livin', but Uncle John was never afraid of Foster, though he was of
Hiram Cleave."

"What's that?" said Garrison, instantly, alive to a possible factor in
the case. "Do you mean there was a man Mr. Hardy was afraid of--Hiram
what?"

"He never wanted me to tell of that," said Durgin in his heavy manner.
"He wasn't a coward; he said so, and I know it's true, but he had a
fear of Cleave."

"Now that's just exactly what I've got to know!" said Garrison. "Man
alive, if you wish to help me clear your brother, you've got to give me
all the facts you can think of concerning Mr. Hardy, his enemies, and
everything else in the case! What sort of a man is this Cleave