"Shot!" he said. "Bless my soul, no. Why, what have you been
doing up at the big house, Miss Innes?"
"Some one tried to enter the house during the fire, and was
shot and slightly injured," I said hastily. "Please don't
mention it; we wish to make as little of it as possible."
There was one other possibility, and we tried that. At Casanova
station I saw the station master, and asked him if any trains
left Casanova between one o'clock and daylight. There was none
until six A.M. The next question required more diplomacy.
"Did you notice on the six-o'clock train any person--any man--who
limped a little?" I asked. "Please try to remember: we are
trying to trace a man who was seen loitering around Sunnyside
last night before the fire."
He was all attention in a moment.
"I was up there myself at the fire," he said volubly. "I'm a
member of the volunteer company. First big fire we've had since
the summer house burned over to the club golf links. My wife was
sayin' the other day, `Dave, you might as well 'a' saved the
money in that there helmet and shirt.' And here last night they
came in handy. Rang that bell so hard I hadn't time scarcely to
get 'em on."
"And--did you see a man who limped?" Gertrude put in, as he
stopped for breath.
"Not at the train, ma'm," he said. "No such person got on here
to-day. But I'll tell you where I did see a man that limped. I
didn't wait till the fire company left; there's a fast freight
goes through at four forty-five, and I had to get down to the
station.
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