A ROVANCE FROI | DETECTITE'S CASE-BOOA 73

“Then I must ask VOu o O1ve me cugle blanche in this matter.” ' Oh, certainly.”

“And in order to facilitate my plans it

would be as well to make o conhdante of

Mrs. Odell.

)9 Ime.

The rest you must leave to

“What do vou think the chances are of

dizcovering the thiel 7" he asked, with o dublous expression,

“ 1 shall discover him," 1 answered en. phaticallv. Whercupon the Colonel lookd more than surprised, and proceeded (o) rattle ofl a string of questions with the

object of lcarning why 1 spoke so decisively,

But I was compelled to tell him that 1 could give him no reason, for though [ had worked out a theory which mtuitively | believed to be right, I had not at hat moment a shred of acceptable proof in support ol my theory, and that thercfore | could not commit myself to ralsing suspi- Clons against anvone until 1 was preparcd to do something more than Justify them.

He scemed rather disappointed, although he admitted the soundness of my argument,

" By the way, Colonel," T said, as [ was about to take my departure, after having had a talk with his wife, * does it so happen that there is anything the matter with the root of your house ?

“ Not that T am aware of,” he answered, opening his eves wide with amazement a what no doubt scemed to him an absurd question. * Why do yvou ask # "

" Because T want to oo on the roof with. out attracting the attention of anvone.”

• et us go at once, then,” he said cager]y,

“ Noynot now. But I'seethat the areater part of the roof is flat, and leaded. Now, mn the course of two or three davs T shall present myself here in the guise of g plumber, and [ shall he obliced by vour giving orders that . [ am (o he allowed to ascend to the root without let or hindrance, as the lawyers say.”

YOI, certainly T will ; but it seems to me an extraordinary proceeding,” he exclaimed.

[ told him that many things necessarily scemed extraordinary when the reasons for them were not understood, and with that remark I took my departure, having pPro- misced the Colonel to do evervthing mortal man could do to recover the lost skull.

Three days later 1 went down to the Manor disguised as a working plumber, and was admitted without any difficulty, as the Colonel had left word that a man WS (:(:)111i11g down trom London to cxamine the

reol. S\sa servant was showing me up- stairs to the top Tanding, where a trap-door - the ceiling gave aceess to the lcads, 1 passed Ronald Odell on the stairs. He was attired inalong dressing-gown, had Turkish slippers on his feet, a fez on his head, and a cigar in his mouth, from which he Was puthng grcat volumes of smoke, i face was almost ghastly in s pallor, and his cyes had the same dreamy look which 1 had noticed on my frst visit. s hands were thrust deep in his pockets, and his mwovements and manner were suggestive of @ person walking in his sleep, rather than 4 waking conscious man. This sugoestion was heightened by the fact that before 1 could avoid him he ran full butt againsg me. That, however, scemed to partially arouse him from his lethargic condition, and turning round, with a fierceness of ex. pression that I scarcely deemed him capablc ol, he exclaimed- -

" You stupid fool, why don't you look wherce vou are going o 3"

I muttered out an apology, and he strode down the stairs growling to himsclf,

“Whois that " T asked of the servant.

“That's the master's eldest son. "

“ e s a queer-looking fellow., "

“ I should think he was, ' answered the airl with a snigecring laugh. “T :hould sav e has a slate off”

AWl upon my word T should be . clined to agree with you," T remarked, “What does he do sz

“ Nothing but smoke the the day.”

“ Doces he follow no business or ston 7

“Not that T know of though he gene- rally goes out between six and seven m the cvening, and does not come back (i]] late,”

“Where does he go to? "

" Oh, T don't know. e doesn' tell uy servants his allairs. But there's something veryt queer about him. I don't like his looks at all”

" Doesn't his father exercise any control over him -

" Not a bit of it Why his father dotes on him, and would try and get the moon for hime il he wanted 1"

• And what about his mother 2

"Wl her favourite s young Master Tom. He's o nice ad, now, as different again to his brother., In tuct, T think the missus is afraid of Mr. Ronald. e doesn't treat s mother at all well, And now that the Colonel has cone away we shall all

greater part of

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