“I know some parties connected with that firm.  What’s the young man’s name, Letty?”

“Mr. Tom Ostrello.”

“Indeed!  And he has invited you to go to the theatre with him?”

“Yes.  Then you know him, Uncle Adam?  I didn’t dream of that.  Don’t you think he is—­is rather nice?”

“Evidently you think so.”  For some reason the detective could scarcely steady his voice.  He was a bachelor, with only some distant relatives, and he thought a good deal of his protegee and her welfare.

“I—­I do, Uncle Adam.  He treats me so nicely.  I—­I—­don’t you approve of him?” she went on hastily, searching his face for the smile that usually rested there when he spoke to her.

“Why, I—­er—­I don’t know him so well as all that, Letty.”  For the first time in his life he was visibly confused.  “You say he has called on you a number of times?”

“Yes, and he has taken me out, let me see, I guess it must be a dozen times all told.  I—­I wanted to speak of this before, but I—­well, I couldn’t bring it around.  I hope you’ll approve, Uncle Adam.”

“Approve?  Of your going out with him?”

“Yes, and—­and—­” The girl hesitated again.  Then she arose and buried her face on his shoulder.  “Oh! don’t you understand, Uncle Adam?”

“Letty!”

“He is very nice—­I know you’ll like him when you get to really know him.  Of course he hasn’t much money, but I don’t care for that.  You always said money didn’t count for so much anyway—­that it was character—­and he’s got that.”

“Hum!” For the life of him Adam Adams could not speak.  He felt himself growing hot and cold by turns.  He caught the girl closer.  Never had he loved his friend’s daughter so much as now.

“I hoped you would approve,” she went on, shyly.  “I—­of course I didn’t want to leave you—­you’ve been so very good to me since papa and mamma died.  But—­but Tom doesn’t seem to want to wait.  He has asked me twice now and—­and—­I don’t know how I am going to put him off.  He seems so miserable when I say wait.”

“Asked you to marry him?”

“Yes.”

“And he wants you to go to the theatre with him—­now?”

“The invitation is for to-night—­he sent it last week.  He has been traveling out of town, but he said he would be back some time to-day.  I want you to meet him.”  She paused.  “Isn’t it all right, Uncle Adam?”

He did not answer, and she gazed at him curiously.  Then the look in his face made her draw back, slowly and uncertainly.  At that moment he felt that the occupation of a detective was the most detestable in the world.

“You—­you know something?” she gasped.  “Oh, Uncle Adam, what is it?”

CHAPTER XI

AT THE CORONER’S INQUEST

Sidham was in a state of keen excitement.  No such mystery as the double tragedy had occurred in that neighborhood before, and all of the inhabitants were anxious to hear the latest news and learn what the coroner and the police were going to do.  A hundred theories were afloat, all centering on the one object—­to find the murderer.