The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-10-02

would miss no chance.
The cardboard came up slowly. II
was wedged in firmly between the
mantel-piece and the wall, but he
loosened IL at last and held IL up to
the light
When he saw II he gave little ges-
ture of disappointment II was the
photograph of child. That 1t be-
longed to Emberson seemed the last
thing likely
He called up the landlady and held
II out to her. She shook her neau over
II. She had never seen IL before, but
It must have belonged to Mr.. Ember.
son she said, for her own daughter
had occupied the room. before he had
had It, and the photograph was of no
child they knew.
NARROW looked at IL again and made
note of the photographers name
which was printed on the back. It
bore the address of small town, and
he frowned a little as he looked at It,
What had Fred Emberson, a thier, to
do with little child?
He shut his pocketbook with a snap
and gave final look around.
He was just turning away when his
man came back from the station with
the information that Emberson had
been seen taking n ticHct-not to Lon
don, as they had expected, but TO n
little place called Staybridge, half way
down the line. II was a trick, of
course. He would go on to Euston and
pay excess fare. and be lost at once in
the London crowd.
Still NARROW sent his man to tele-
graph to the station at Staybridge.
and waited, still impatiently, search
ing the room. for the reply.
1t came promptly. Only one person
had come by that train on the day be-
fore, and that was a mechanic in n
working suit apparently on the look.
out for work. Evidently il was not
Emberson, and NARROW decided that
his only chance now was to go to
Topping. where the photograph had
been taken.
He started Immediately. sending his
man on to London TO try to get some
information there. and meaning to
wait for him at Topping. He got out
at little quiet country station The
town lay behind it--s sleepy market
town full of sheep and cattle and farm
ers' gigs, and bright with the spring
sunshine.
He found the photographer easily
n1 a M
tograph he had brought from Ember-
sons rooms. 1t had been taken just
about year ago. The photographer
remembered 1t distinctly, because the
woman who brought the child broke
down. crying at the finish for no rea-
son at all that he could make out.
81 suppose you know nothing of her,
do you?" asked the detective, and the
photographer shook his head.
mo; but she came from place not
far from here" he said. AT any rate
| sent the proofs thereto a place
called Staybridge, about five miles
away"
Detective NARROW started little
Staybrdge! He was on the road al
last, surely! Staybridge was the place
to which Fred Emberscn had booked
the place at which the workingmar
had got out! Detective Marlow's
pulse quickened. and ten minutes lat
er he was walking away from Topping
toward the distant village.
It was hot walk that day. The
roads were dusty, and he was tired
| when he reached it at last.
He made his way slowly through the
struggling houses and quiet shops
toward an inn. He would have tC
stop. of course; perhaps for some
days, certainly for one night.
He went in and had some tea. ant
| then set out to look around. He was
all impatience. The thought Of the
$500 stirred him.
He was remembering with a beating
| heart the girl he meant to marry
| thinking that it would not be Ions
now-when a bend in the road brough
him suddenly upon small cottage.
1t lay close to the road, low wal
hemming in its little square patch o
garden, and a little wooden gate lead
ing to the tagged path, bordered will
wallfowers and lupins and lavender.
He looked up half carelessly, won
dering IL Emberson was living in
cottage like that-if he was in Stay
bridge at all-when the sight of littl
child sitting on the wall brought hin
to a standstill
Something about her was familiar
At first he could not tell what, and the
he remembered the braid on her frocl
and the braid on the child in the pho
tograph. 1t was the same dress, tn
same child, only now she was older
and prettier
He stopped and went toward hei
She was such little. thin child, an
her face was pale and delicate in spit
of the country air. She looked up q
him with bright eyes and smiled, an
somehow he felt oddly uncomfortabl
before her.
He hesitated before he spoke, an
then his question came with a gruf
sharp jerk.
/ M,