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Page 64
"Mr. Kennedy," she began, "I am going to find this very hard to
say."
"Really," he assured her, "there is no reason why you should not
repose your confidence in me. My only interest is to solve the
mystery and to see that justice is satisfied. Beyond that nothing
would give me greater happiness than to be of service to you."
"It's--it's about Merle Shirley--" she started, bravely. Then all
at once she broke down. The strain of two days had been too much
for her.
Kennedy lighted a fresh cigar, realizing that he could best aid
her to recover her composure by making no effort to do so. For
several moments she sobbed silently, a handkerchief at her eyes.
Then she straightened, with a half smile, dabbing at the drops of
moisture remaining. With her wet eyes and flushed cheeks she was
revealed to me again as a very genuine girl, wholly unspoiled by
her outward mask of sophistication. Furthermore, at this instant
she was gloriously pretty.
"Again--why do you play vampire roles, Miss Loring?" I asked, as
quickly as the thought flashed to me. "I think you'd be an ideal
ingenue!"
"About a thousand people have told me that," she rejoined. As she
replied her smile took full possession of her features. My
idiotic repetition, entirely out of place, had served to restore
her self-control to her. "No, the public won't stand for it.
They've been trained to know me as a vamp, and a vamp I remain."
Facing Kennedy, she sobered. "Merle Shirley and I were engaged,"
she went on. "That you know. Then poor Stella made a fool of him.
She didn't mean any harm, any real harm, but I don't think she
knew how deep he feels or just what a fiery temper he has.
Finally he found out that she was only playing with him. He was
perfectly terrible. At first I thought he had killed her in a
burst of passion. I really thought that."
"Yes?" Kennedy was interested. He needed no pretense.
"When I asked him point blank he said he didn't." A very
wonderful light came into Marilyn Loring's eyes at this instant.
"Whatever else he would do, Professor Kennedy, he wouldn't lie to
me; that I know. He would tell me the truth because he knows I
would shield him, no matter what the cost."
"You simply want to assure me of his innocence?" suggested
Kennedy.
"No!" There was a touch of scorn to the little negative. "You
don't believe him guilty; you didn't even when I did."
"Then--"
"But he knows something--something about the murder of Stella--
and he won't tell me what it is. I--I'm afraid for him. He isn't
sleeping at night, and I believe he's watching somebody at the
studio, and I know--it's the WOMAN'S intuition, Professor"--she
emphasized the word, and paused--"he's in danger. He's in some
great threatening danger!"
"What do you wish me to do, Miss Loring?"
"I want you to protect him and"--slowly she colored, up and
around and about her eyes as she always did, until she wasn't
unlike an Indian maid--"and no one must know I've been up to see
you."
Gravely Kennedy bowed her to the door, assuring her he would do
all that lay in his power. When he returned I was ready for him.
"Now!" I exclaimed. "Now say it isn't Werner! Here is Merle
Shirley watching some one at the studio. Isn't that likely to be
the director? And if Shirley is watching Werner you have the
explanation for the second intruder at Tarrytown last night.
Shirley is big enough and strong enough to have given the deputy
a nice swift tussle."
"A little tall, I'm afraid," Kennedy remarked.
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