ons,--why shouldn't they
suspect him? In fact, there was quite a group of young fellows closely
associated with Dean Allison in speculation. Irving Evans was one. But,"
she added, with a glance at Kennedy as if she realized that it was like
catching at a straw, "with Fraser, of course,--there is that blow. We
can't deny that."

"What does Miss Allison think?" queried Craig.

"Oh, I believe Anita is all broken up by the tragedy to her fiance. She
was at the Club at the time--in the tea room. No one dared to tell her
until Irving had been taken home. Then her brother, who was in the
gymnasium when the thing happened and had been one of those to carry
Irving into the locker-room, was naturally chosen by the rest, after
they had done all they could to revive Irving, to break the news as
gently as he could to his sister. She took it calmly. But I think it
would have been better if she had given way to her real feelings. They
say she has secluded herself in the Allison house and won't see a soul."

Kennedy's brow puckered in thought.

"You can't imagine what a terrible shock this thing has been to me,"
pleaded Mrs. Ferris. "Oh, the horror of it all! You _must_ come out to
Briar Lake with me!"

There was, naturally, no doubt of the poignancy of her feelings as she
looked from Kennedy to myself, imploringly. As for Craig, he did not
need to betray the sympathy he felt not only for the young man who had
been arrested and his mother, but for the poor girl whose life might be
blasted by the tragedy and the unhappy victim who had been snatched away
so suddenly almost on the very eve of happiness.

It was not half an hour later, that, with a very grateful mother, we
were on our way out to Briar Lake in Mrs. Ferris's touring car.

As we whirled along past the city limits, Kennedy leaned back on the
cushions and for some minutes seemed absorbed in thought.

"Of course it is possible," he remarked at length, noticing that both
Mrs. Ferris and I were watching him nervously, "that Miss Allison may
know something that will throw some light on the affair. But it may be
of an entirely private nature. I don't know how we'll get her to talk,
but we must--if she knows anything. I'd like to stop at the Allison
house, first."

"Very well," agreed Mrs. Ferris, leaning forward and directing the
chauffeur to turn off before we reached Briar Lake on the main road.

We sped along and I could not help feeling that the young man who was
dri