head and
muttering that her mistress didn't like to have the girls talk to the
young men about the house, and finally going off with a determined toss
of her frowsy head, that struck Mr. Byrd aghast, and made him believe
more than ever that his evil star hung in the ascendant, and that the
sooner he quit the house the better.

In ten minutes he was in the street.

But one thing now remained for him to do. He must make the acquaintance
of one of the mill-owners, or possibly of an overseer or accountant, and
from him learn where Mr. Mansell had been at the time of his aunt's
murder. To this duty he devoted the day; but here also he was met by
unexpected difficulties. Though he took pains to disguise himself before
proceeding to the mill, all the endeavors which he made to obtain an
interview there with any responsible person were utterly fruitless.
Whether his ill-luck at the house had followed him to this place he
could not tell, but, for some reason or other, there was not one of the
gentlemen for whom he inquired but had some excuse for not seeing him;
and, worn out at last with repeated disappointments, if not oppressed
by the doubtful looks he received from the various subordinates who
carried his messages, he left the building, and proceeded to make use of
the only means now left him of compassing his end.

This was to visit Mr. Goodman, the one member of the firm who was not at
his post that day, and see if from him he could gather the single fact
he was in search of.

"Perhaps the atmosphere of distrust with which I am surrounded in this
quarter has not reached this gentleman's house," thought he. And having
learned from the directory where that house was, he proceeded
immediately to it.

His reception was by no means cordial. Mr. Goodman had been ill the
night before, and was in no mood to see strangers.

"Mansell?" he coolly repeated, in acknowledgment of the other's inquiry
as to whether he had a person of that name in his employ. "Yes, our
book-keeper's name is Mansell. May I ask"--and here Mr. Byrd felt
himself subjected to a thorough, if not severe, scrutiny--"why you come
to me with inquiries concerning him?"

"Because," the determined detective responded, adopting at once the bold
course, "you can put me in possession of a fact which it eminently
befits the cause of justice to know. I am an emissary, sir, from the
District Attorney at Sibley, and the point I want settled is, where Mr.
Mansell was