Lola. I told him you were engaged, but he is most persistent."

"Tell him I'll see him in the morning," Lola instructed her.

"Lemholtz seems to be the only one who would have been likely to shoot Norton," Mr. Stewart resumed as the maid retired.

"Yes," the lawyer admitted; "I've gone into that. He had threatened Norton . . ."

"Didn't Mrs. Stewart make herself clear?" Mr. Stewart said sternly to the maid, who reappeared at the door.

"Yes, sir; I'm sorry, but Barry says he must see Miss Lola at once. It's about Mr. Richard

99

"Perhaps he has discovered something," Lola exclaimed. "Please let him come in . . . He's my relic of the war," she explained to the lawyer.

Barry was abashed to find a stranger present. He had not hesitated to force himself upon the Stewarts, for he knew that they would understand; but with a stranger present he was much confused.

"It's all right, Barry," Lola checked his broken apologies. "This is the lawyer who is going to help Mr. Richard, so if you have anything to tell us about him, now is just the time."

"It's about the Capt'n's gun," he said abruptly.

Barry instantly found himself surrounded by intensely interested listeners.

"What about the gun?" the lawyer demanded, as Barry hesitated.

"It was lyin' on the mantel-piece in the Norton house

for two or three weeks after the Capt'n left home.” "How do you know that?" was the lawyer's crisp inquiry.

"Hannah, the woman over at Norton's, just told me." "Who took it away? . I must see this woman at

once."

"She don't know, sir, but she saw Mr. Treadway handlin' it. She thinks he might have sent it to Mr. Richard, but..."

"Treadway?" the lawyer repeated slowly, turning to the Stewarts. "He is the chief witness against the prisoner, and the man who urges us to put in a plea of insanity... And, by George! he is the beneficiary in Norton's will, isn't he? Curious we hadn't thought of him. Why couldn't we have used the gun? This woman at Norton's has given us the clew."

"Billy Treadway is hateful and impertinent," Lola exclaimed, still nursing her resentment, "but one could never think of him as the murderer."

She spoke with such feeling that the lawyer looked at her surprised. The flush in her cheeks told his trained eyes something he did not know before.

perhaps more than "and the opportunity." Stewart added. "I've I've seen him every day

"There's a motive, any way,... one," the lawyer insisted, . . "I agree with Lola," Mr. known Treadway a long time. since this happened. Why, the codicil is dated only a fortnight before Norton's death. Treadway would never have taken a chance like that when the property was sure to come to him anyway."

"He might not have known of the existence of the

codicil," the lawyer contended, still thinking aloud "At all events this evidence confirms young Norton's claim that the revolver was not in his possession, which is a big point."

"Is what I told you any good?" Barry asked anxiously, uncomfortable in the presence of the great lawyer, and eager to get away.

"Yes, Barry "Lola assured him; "it may prove most important."

"Don't talk about this outside," the lawyer cautioned as Barry departed. Then he resumed his conversation with Mr. Stewart.

"We can't afford to overlook any one in a case like this," he said, referring to Treadway. "You think it absurd to consider young Norton as the slayer of his father, yet he is held by the Grand Jury as the probable murderer, and we don't feel any too sure that we can prove his innocence at the trial. Lemholtz was vindictive, but he had no special motive; this man Treadway had a motive, a powerful one, and apparently an opportunity to get hold of young Norton's gun. Why is he so concerned to have the insanity plea put in? One of these three men obviously shot Norton. It may be ridiculous, but what this man has just told us is the first tangible thing I've found to work on . . I suggest that we go over to the Norton place. now."

"Have you talked with Henry Cross?" Stewart inquired.

"Cross? No; where does he come in?"

"He asked me at the bank yesterday who Richard's

lawyer was, and I gave him your name. I don't know what he had in mind."

"Suppose we find out," the lawyer suggested, looking at his watch. "If it has any bearing on this case, perhaps he would come over."

IV

A telephone call discovered Henry Cross at home, and eager to see the lawyer. Within fifteen minutes he had joined the group in the Stewart library. The old man's face was ashen, his cheeks so drawn that the lines age had written there were accentuated. As Stewart introduced Cross to the lawyer he was struck by his physical condition, and commented on it sympathetically.

"I'll be all right when I get this off my mind," Cross replied gravely. "This is James Norton's persecution of me in death for the trouble I gave him during his lifetime. That man may be dead . . ." he shook his finger impressively "he may be dead, but I tell you he has more power over me today than any living man I know."

The lawyer glanced at Stewart inquiringly, but before he could speak Cross continued.

"I have always hated him," he declared; "and for twenty years I laid traps to catch him, but every time he was smarter than I was and he licked me. Then I bought commercial paper of his Company, with the idea of making trouble for him when the inflation bubble burst. I thought I had him at last, but I was swindled by that slick secretary of his into renewing

some notes. Norton told me they were forged. He got all excited, as he used to, and left me at the bank with a promise that he would turn Treadway over to the law. Then he was shot. Treadway came right down to see me, and for a time he made me believe that Norton was the crook. But he wasn't, and that is where Norton scored on me again. I wanted to think so, but I suspicioned that smart Aleck, and my conscience troubled me until I showed these notes to an expert. He says every one of them is forged just as Norton

told me."

"By Treadway?"

Stewart and the lawyer asked the question simultaneously.

"By Treadway," Cross declared solemnly. "Now James Norton is grinning in his grave at my losing all that money trying to spite him, and coming here with the evidence that will save his son.

"Have you such evidence?" the lawyer demanded sternly. "The fact that the notes were forged does not prove that Treadway was the forger."

Again the old man shook his finger impressively.

"James Norton was shot by William Treadway to prevent the knowledge of these forgeries from becoming known. How he got hold of Richard's gun I don't know, but the strikers' raid on the office gave him his chance to kill his man and throw the blame on some one else. Norton left me an hour before the murder with a promise to turn Treadway over to the authorities. Treadway admitted to me that they had discussed the matter. Since then he has offered to buy