THE COLONEL IS SURPRISED

"This," said Colonel Ashley to himself, as he glided rapidly along the street, "is very much like old times--very much! I never expected to do any shadowing again. What's that Walton says about man proposing and Providence disposing? Or was it Walton? I must look it up.

Meanwhile--"

Continuing his musing, and with a satisfied smile on his face, a smile that might indicate that the colonel was not so very much averse to giving over his fishing for the time being to take up his profession once more, he followed Aaron Grafton as the merchant left the jewelry store.

"I wonder," mused the colonel, "what his object was in coming to the Darcy place, and nosing around as he did? There must have been some object. A man such as he is doesn't do things like that for fun. And it wasn't mere curiosity, either. If it was, he'd have been at the place before, when the evidences of the crime were there to be stared at by those who care for such things.

"And that Aaron Grafton hasn't been there since I was forced into this thing, I'm positive. For I _was_ forced into it," grumbled the old detective. "I just couldn't resist the pleading of her eyes. It isn't the first time a man has made a fool of himself over a woman, and it won't be the last. But maybe I'll make fools of some of these folks, instead of being made a fool of myself. Fooled out of my fishing though. By gad! that's what I have been!

"But no matter. I must see what friend Aaron is up to and what his little game is. Of course, he may have been at the store the day of the murder--before I arrived. I must ask Darcy about that. Poor lad, he's in tough luck--just when he ought to be thinking of getting married. Well, I'll do what I can."

There were few tricks known to modern detectives of which Colonel Ashley was not master, among them being the ability to disguise himself--not by clumsy beards and false moustaches, though he used them at times--but by a few simple alterations to his face and carriage.

Of course costume played its part when needed, but the time had not yet come for that. He was now following Grafton without the latter being aware of it--no very difficult matter in a city the size of Colchester, and on one of its main streets.

"I think I want to know a little more about him," mused the colonel.

"I'd like to have a talk with him, and see how he acts. But I won't chance that yet. I'll play 'possum for a while."

Having followed his man to the latter's store, and even inside it, where he made a trifling purchase, and having seen Mr. Grafton enter his private office, the detective paid a visit to Darcy in the jail.

"How is she, Colonel?" were the first words of the prisoner, when they were in the warden's office with a detective from the prosecutor's office seated a few chairs away. It was only under such arrangements that visitors were allowed to see the jewelry worker. "How is Amy?"

"Why, she's very well, the last I saw of her. But I came to talk about something else."

"I suppose so. This horrible affair. But she still believes in me, doesn't she?" he asked eagerly.

"As much so as I do, my boy!"

"Thank G.o.d for that! I don't know what I'd do if she went back on me!

I wouldn't want to live!"

"Tush! Nonsense! Don't get sentimental!"

"I can't help it, Colonel. But as long as Amy thinks I didn't do this horrible thing--and G.o.d knows I didn't--and as long as you believe in me--why I can stand it. Maybe it won't be for long."

"Well, there's no use buoying you up with false hopes, Darcy. You'll probably be here all summer."

"I shan't mind if I'm proved innocent at last."

"I hope we can manage that all right."

"Then you do believe in me, Colonel?"

"Of course I do! Otherwise, I wouldn't take up your case. Now don't talk too much. I want to ask you a few questions. Answer them, and as briefly as possible. I'll get you out of here as soon as I can. If I hadn't been as slow as a carp I might have the right man here now in your place."

"What do you mean, Colonel?"

"Eh? What's that? Did I say anything?" and the detective seemed roused from a reverie, for he had spoken his last remarks in a low voice.

"You spoke about a carp--the right man--"

"Oh, I--I was just thinking of something in Walton. Never mind me.

It's a bad habit I've been acquiring lately of thinking aloud. Now to business!" and the colonel drew some papers from his pocket.

Darcy looked at his new friend in some surprise. Certainly the colonel had spoken as though he might, at one time, have had a chance to get the "right man." Did that mean the real murderer?

Darcy shook his head. His nerves were beginning to go back on him he feared.

"Do you know Aaron Grafton?" asked the colonel.

"Oh, yes," replied Darcy. "Every one in town knows him as one of the prominent merchants."

"Was he at the store the day of the--the day Mrs. Darcy was killed?"

"I don't remember. So many things happened--there were so many in the place. As I think back, though, I don't remember seeing him."

"Very good. Did he ever do any business with you--I mean buy anything in the store?"

"Why yes, I think very possibly he might. Most every one of prominence in Colchester, at one time or another, has made purchases in our store--some more, some less. No particular purchase made by Grafton stands out in my mind, however."

"How about having his watch repaired?"

"I'd remember, I think, if I had fixed his watch. I'm sure I didn't.

He has a fine one, for I've seen him stop in front of our window and compare his time with our chronometer."

"I see. Now another matter. Can you, in any way, account for the fact that so many of the clocks in the store--clocks that, as I understand it, ordinarily go for many days--stopped at different hours the night of the killing? Can you explain that?"

Somewhat to the surprise of the colonel Darcy was silent for a moment.

Then the young man slowly answered:

"No. No, I can't explain it. I don't know what did it."

"Well, then I'll have to fish on that alone, I guess. I thought you, knowing a lot about clock-works, might have some explanation. You know most of the timepieces _were_ stopped--all of them, in fact, except the watch in your cousin's hand?"

"Yes, I remarked that at the time. That watch was going."

"Yes, so you told me--you thought it was her heart beating."

"I wish, oh, how I wish, it _had_ been!" exclaimed Darcy in tones of despair. "If it had been I wouldn't be here. But it's too late to think of that now."

"Do you happen to know what became of that watch--the one in her hand?

It belonged to an East Indian, you said."

"Yes, to Singa Phut. I was to make one little adjustment in it for him, and he was to come in early to get it. It wasn't much. The hair spring, I think, had become caught up and it ran very fast. I planned to do it the night before, but the light was too poor. So I made up my mind to get up early and attend to it. But I never got the chance.

No, I don't recall what happened to that watch. I suppose the detectives have it."

"The prosecutor did take it, but Singa Phut has it now."