TIMKEN AND HIS INQUIRIES
"You must be out of your mind, Mr. Hughes," said Bannard; but, as a matter of fact, he looked more as if he himself were demented. His face wore a wild, frightened expression, and his fingers twitched nervously, as he picked at the edge of his coat. "Of course, I haven't been up here to-day, before I came this evening. That New York Herald was never in my possession. Because I live in New York City, I'm not the only one who reads the 'Herald.'"
"But your aunt subscribed only to The Times. Where did that 'Herald' come from?"
"I'm sure I don't know. It must have been left here by somebody—I suppose——"
"And this half-burnt cigarette, of the same brand as those you have in your pocket case?"
"Other men smoke those, too, I assume."
"Well, then, the check, which this stub shows to have been drawn to-day to you. Where is that?"
"Not in my possession. If my aunt made that out to me it was doubtless for a present and she may have sent it to me in a letter; in which case it will reach my city address to-morrow morning, or she may have put it somewhere up here for safe keeping.
"All most unlikely," said Mr. Chapin, shaking his head. "Did Mrs. Pell send any letters to the post-office to-day, does any one know?"
Campbell was called, and he said that his mistress had given him a number of letters to mail when he took Miss Clyde to church that morning.