"What depths? It is a simple case of murder followed by theft. To
be sure we do not yet know the criminal, but money was his motive;
that is clear enough."

"Are you ready to wager that that is all there is to it?"

This was a startling proposition to the minister.

"You forget my cloth," said he.

The young man smiled. "That is true. Pardon me. I was only anxious
to show how strong my conviction was against any such easy
explanation of a crime marked by such contradictory features."

Two children on the Portchester road were exchanging boyish
confidences.

"Do you know what I think about it?" asked one.

"Naw! How should I?"

"Wall, I think old Mrs. Webb got the likes of what she sent. Don't
you know she had six children once, and that she killed every one
of them?"

"Killed'em--she?"

"Yes, I heard her tell granny once all about it. She said there
was a blight on her house--I don't know what that is; but I guess
it's something big and heavy--and that it fell on every one of her