“The part Miss Doane is playing in the game would appear to indicate that somebody who is familiar with Mr. Field’s family history was seeking to play upon it to gain possession of his property. Knowing that he could not be deceived into accepting this girl as his daughter, it was decided that he should die, leaving behind him the apparently good evidence of this letter, which, under ordinary circumstances, would have accomplished the result aimed at. In carrying out this scheme Mr. Field would, however, have been killed, and his body left behind to establish the fact of his death, for they must know that as long as there is any uncertainty about the matter they would be kept out of possession of the property. This feature of the case puzzles me sadly, and the fact of the disappearance of the body almost upsets the theory, since I cannot but know that villains never take any steps to interfere with their plans.
“Yet no other reasonable conclusion is left me in face of the letter, and the girl’s turning up so promptly the morning after he is no longer able to deny her claim to kinship.
“Another puzzling thing is why they should seek to give the impression that Mr. Field’s body was taken away by water, sufficient blood being dropped on the way with the evident purpose of creating the belief that he was dead or bleeding to death rapidly. If it were not so wild I should be inclined to believe that there are two schemes on foot in relation to Mr. Field, the crossing and conflicting of which has caused this mixed-up condition of affairs.
“Yet this may prove to be the true solution of the matter. One thing is certain—I shall not be in as deep ignorance in regard to the case in a week from now as I am to-day. And here is the house. Now to see if there have been any new developments since I left.”
CHAPTER XXI.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS.
Entering the house Nick Carter found Barnes still there.
The latter greeted him with:
“Well, did you learn anything in your trip downtown?”
“Something that may ultimately prove to have bearing on the matter. How has it been here?”