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of us suspects anybody except Wah
Wo." "Why strange?" asked Caithness,
then he added impatiently, "yes, it is
strange I Do you think she would
have looked at a Chinaman?"
"The Chinaman looked at her; I
saw him," I replied.
"After all, she'was a common girl,"
said Penlow unaffectedly, "and I
guess pride cut no figure with her."
"That is where you lie," said Caith
ness in a low voice.
There was a dead silence. Then
Penlow said: "Did I understand you,
Caithness?"
I rose and 'laid my hand on Pen
low's arm, which was twitching,
though his face was calm.
"Are you crazy?" I said to Caith
ness. "I think I am," said Caithness
slowly, "I beg your pardon, Penlow."
Lynde turned his puzzled eyes from
Penlow to Caithness and lifted his
mug mechanically. Penlow straight
ened in his chair but said nothing,
and' I leaned back, motioning Mc-
Manus to remove the covers.
i .
Lynde picked up a paper and ran
it through, unaffectedly searching
for his own matter; after a while
Penlow did the same.
I looked at Caithness, and he "felt
my eyes, for presently he moved a
little and passed his hand over his
sunken cheeks.
"What's up?" I asked, dropping my
voice and bending toward him.
"Nothing why?"-
"You lo"ok like the last rose of sum
mer you'vegot a beastly cough."
"He smiled faintly. "It's consump
tion," he said, "I found put today."
I stared at him stupidly.
"I don't mind," he said; "I'm dead
sick of the whole business."
"How do you know it's consump
tion?" I asked at length.
"I went to three doctors to make
sure; I tell you I don't care."
Little Penlow was listening now;
before I could speak again he leaned
over and took Caithness', hand af
fectionately.
"Brace up, old boy," he said,' "go
o California and get. welt".
"Chuck up your, job! Let the Con?
solidated Press go to the devil!"
urged Lynde.
"I have resigned." said Caithness
nuietlv. "T t.hnuerht. T'ri r.nmf amiind H
tonight and say good-bye."
The dog shifted his position under
the bar and, sighed again.
"Do you fellows know that I have
scooped?" said Caithness abruptly.
"Not not the fellow who shot
LI1," faltered Penlow, who had
thrown his whole soul into solving
the mystery.
"Yes the murdejer of Lily Whitfe,"
said Caithness. 'In the silence I could
hear McManus grinding his tooth
pick in his yellow teeth.
"I'm out of the Consolidated now,"
continued Caithness calmly "the
scoop is yours if you want it, Pen-
vlow."
"But but you began Penlow.
"I? said Caithness fiercely "what
do I care for newspapers? What do
I care who- knows it now what
paper prints it first?"
Lynde leaned over the table, his
head in his hand; Penlow's pipe went
out.
"Did you never know," said Caith
ness with a touch of scorn in his
voice, "that I also .loved the girl?
Do you think I am ashamed to con
fess it? Do you know what I have
been through since she died? Hell?
Oh, yes, that's what they say in
books. It doesn't matter Penlow,
when you are ready "
Penlow started, then groped in his
pocket for pencil and paper.
"I am ready, Jack," he said.
"This is the story," said Caithness,
almost eagerly. "On the 13th of last
November, Lily White, a" girl living
next- door, was shot through the
heart by a man who was jealous of
her. He knew that she came Into
McManus' and gossiped with th?
newspaper men. When she was wita
