"Cannington did that, Mabel. He has been a brick, and but for his assistance I should never have pulled through." "What rot," muttered the boy, but he was secretly pleased. "Then you are in danger?" cried Mabel, startled. "I have been," I replied with emphasis, "as I discovered the body. But my own spotless reputation and Cannington's asseverations of my honesty, prevented my being arrested." "I'm so glad, Cyrus. Such a horrid thing for one's friend being arrested for a nasty pin-sticking crime." "Horrid indeed--for the friend." "Where did you hear of the murder, Mab?" questioned her brother. "Oh, the papers yesterday and this morning were full of it. Aunt Lucy drew my attention to them, as she knew that I knew you," said Mabel incoherently. "You were at the inquest, weren't you, Cyrus, and gave evidence? Tell me all about it, as I only read scraps." "There's very little to tell," I answered, yawning, for really I felt extremely tired. "I found Mrs. Caldershaw dead in the back room, and a woman in a white cloak, presumably her murderess, ran off with my motor car." "I read all that. What else?" "Nothing else, save that we found the car and not the woman. A jury of twelve good and lawful yokels brought in a verdict of murder against some person or persons unknown." "But I thought you said this woman was guilty?" "It is presumed so, since she bolted with my car and hasn't turned up. Her name is unknown, so the verdict is quite right." "But persons," persisted Lady Mabel inquisitively. "A mere graceful addition to round off the sentence. I believe that this woman stabbed Mrs. Caldershaw with a sapphire-headed hat-pin." "Sapphire-headed; she must have been rich." "Oh, Vance is drawing on his theatrical imagination," struck in Cannington impatiently, "the sapphire he talks of was only blue glass." "Oh, that reminds me that the papers said something about a glass eye." "I expect they said a very great deal about it," I assented gravely. "Catch your journalist missing a chance of hinting at mystery." "Is it a mystery?" asked Mabel, walking before us into the station. "More or less--possibly more. Mrs. Caldershaw was murdered by this unknown woman, presumably for the sake of her glass eye." "But why?" Cannington laughed. "That's what the police are trying to learn; not that they ever will. I believe the truth will never be discovered." "Are there no letters, no papers? Is there no gossip likely to----"