ed, and at once took a chair
herself.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, with characteristic bluntness.

The detective was silent. It was but for a moment, but in that moment he
seemed to read to the bottom of this woman's mind.

"Well," said he, "I will tell you. You believe Craik Mansell to be
innocent?"

"I do," she returned.

"Very well; so do I."

"Let me shake hands with you," was her abrupt remark. And without a
smile she reached forth her hand, which he took with equal gravity.

This ceremony over, he remarked, with a cheerful mien:

"We are fortunately not in a court of law, and so can talk freely
together. Why do you think Mansell innocent? I am sure the evidence has
not been much in his favor."

"Why do _you_ think him innocent?" was the brisk retort.

"I have talked with him."

"Ah!"

"I have talked with Miss Dare."

A different "Ah!" this time.

"And I was present when Mr. Orcutt breathed his last."

The look she gave was like cold water on Mr. Gryce's secretly growing
hopes.

"What has that to do with it?" she wonderingly exclaimed.

The detective took another tone.

"You did not know Mr. Orcutt then?" he inquired.

"I had not that honor," was the formal reply.

"You have never, then, visited your cousin in Sibley?"

"Yes, I was there once; but that did not give me an acquaintance with
Mr. Orcutt."

"Yet he went almost every day to her house."

"And he came while I was there, but _that_ did not give me an
acquaintance with him."

"He was reserved, then, in his manners, uncommunicative, possibly
morose?"

"He was just what I would expect such a gentleman to be at the table
with women like my cousin and myself."

"Not morose, then; only reserved."

"Exactly," the short, quick bow of the amiable spinster seemed to
assert.

Mr. Gryce drew a deep breath. This well seemed to be destitute of even a
drop of moisture.

"Why do you ask me about Mr. Orcutt? Has his death in any way affected
young Mansell's prospects?"

"That is what I want to find out," declared Mr. Gryce. Then, without
giving her time for another question, said: "Where did Mrs. Clemmens
first make the acquaintance of Mr. Orcutt? Wasn't it in some town out
West?"

"Out West? Not to my knowledge, sir. I always supposed she saw him first
in Sibley."

This well was certainly very dry.

"Yet you are not positive that this is so, are you?" pursued the patient
detective. "She came from Nebraska, and so d