More puzzled than ever, although now fully convinced that murder had been committed, West could do nothing but wait the reappearance of Sexton.  The latter arrived promptly on time, but, much to West’s disappointment, merely nodded his head negatively to the general inquiry as to whether or not he had made any discoveries.  The early hour enabled the host to secure a secluded table in the dining room, but there was no effort at conversation until after the meal had been ordered.  Then West told his story.  The retelling of these incidents of the afternoon, coupled with Sexton’s evident interest in the narrative, and the questions the man asked, caused the discoveries made to assume a greater importance than before.  His listener seemed to sense the situation clearly.

“It wasn’t no mistake, your goin’ out there, sir,” he said, confidently.  “What we know now gives us something to work on anyhow, an’ it’s just what I thought—­that trip Sunday led up to this killin’, an’ something happened while they was in there to stir Miss Natalie all up.  Now we got to find this fellow—­what did you say his name was, sir?”

“Hobart—­Jim Hobart; that is he was known by that name there.”

“And you say he has simply dropped out o’ sight?”

“That’s true; never left a clue behind him.”

“Well, sir, I’m not quite so sure about that.  You listen to me, sir.  I walked out to Fairlawn from the car-line, an’ come in across the fields to the house.  I didn’t have no good excuse for goin’ back there, sir, an’ was sorter afraid to meet up with Miss Natalie.  She might have thought I was just spyin’ ’round.  But I didn’t have no need for being afraid, for it seems she’d driven into town about noon, an’ hadn’t got back.  There wasn’t nobody but the servant around the place, sir.  Do you remember Lizzie, the second maid—­sorter full face, an’ light hair?”

West nodded, wondering what all this might be leading to.

“Well, she an’ I always hit it off together, an’ I talked with her quite a bit.  She’s goin’ to quit too, because of something what happened, so it was safe enough to question her.  She told me, sir, that Miss Natalie had a telephone call this morning that took her into the city.  Lizzie she went to the ‘phone when it rang, an’ it was a man’s voice.  He wouldn’t leave no message, but insisted on speaking to Miss Natalie.  Lizzie had to call her down from upstairs.”

“Did the girl overhear the conversation?”

“Not so as to make very much out of it, sir.  She was sorter interested, the man’s voice being strange, and hung around in the hall listening, but about all she could make out was what Miss Natalie said.  It seemed like he was givin’ her some kind of address, which she didn’t exactly understand, an’ so she repeated it after him two or three times to be sure.”

“What was the address?”

“238 Ray Street, sir.”

“You are certain of that?”