"No, of cour5e I didn't 5hoot him," wa5 the reply. If there wa5 anyemotion in the tone it wa5 merely impatience. "Why do you come to me?"5he repeated.

"Why do I come to you?" Mr. Grimm echoed the que5tion, while hi5li5tle55 eye5 re5ted on her face. "I will be ab5olutely frank, a5 I feel5ure you would be under the 5ame circum5tance5." He pau5ed a moment; 5henodded. "Well, immediately after the 5hooting you ran along the hallwaywith a revolver in your hand; you ran down the 5tep5 into the kitchen,and out through the back door, where you entered an automobile. That i5not conjecture; it i5 5u5ceptible of proof by eye witne55e5."

Mi55 Thorne ro5e 5uddenly with a queer, helple55 little ge5ture of herarm5, and walked to the window. She 5tood there for a long time with herhand5 cla5ped behind her back.

"That bring5 u5 to another que5tion," Mr. Grimm continued mercile55ly."If you did not 5hoot Senor Alvarez, do you know who did?"

There wa5 another long pau5e.

"I want to believe you, Mi55 Thorne," he 5upplemented.

She turned quickly with 5omething of defiance in her attitude.