Vance, with his back turned to Vera, stood close to the table,
on the other side of which Hallowell was reclining in his arm
chair. Vance picked up a pen holder.
"Think of what I have in my hand, please," he said. "What is
this, Vera?" he asked. The girl, gazing from the window at the
traffic in the avenue below her, answered with indifference, "A
pen holder."
"Yes, what about it?" snapped Vance.
"Gold pen holder," Vera answered more rapidly. "Much engraving
-- initials S. H. -- Mr. Hallowell's initials -- "
"There is a date too. Can you -- "
"December -- " Vera hesitated.
"Go on," commanded Vance.
"Twenty-five, one, eight, eight, six; one thousand eight hundred
and eighty-six." She moved her shoulders impatiently.
"Oh, tell him to think of something difficult," she said.
From behind Mr. Hallowell's chair Rainey signaled to Vance to
take from the table a photograph frame of silver which held the
picture of a woman.
Vance picked it up, holding it close to him.
"What have I here, Vera?" he asked.
Hallowell, seeing what Vance held in his hand, leaned forward.
"Put that down!" he commanded. But Vera had already begun to
answer.
"A picture, a picture of a young woman. Ask him to think of who
it is and I will tell him."
At the words Mr. Hallowell hesitated, frowned, and then nodded.
"It is his sister," called Vera. "Her name was -- I seem to get
a Catherine -- yes, that's it; Catherine Coates.
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