Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-13
appear to have gone out at once. Could
you hear 1t struckf''
II heard nothing whatever: absolutely


III you win step into Miss Norris room
now for moment" Hewitt suggested, I'VE
VIII try an experiment Tell me II you hear
matches struck. and how many. Where Is
the match-standy'
The match-stand proved to be empty but
matches were found in Miss Norris room.
and the test was made. Each striking could
be heard distinctly. even with one OF the
doors pushed to.
sBoth your own door and Miss Norris
were open. I understand; the window shut
and fastened inside as it is now, and moth
ing but the brooch was disturbed?
Yes, that was So"
Thank YOU Mrs. Cazenove I don't think
need trouble you any further just at
present. ! think, Sir James," Hewitt added,
turning to the baronet, who was standing
room and take a walk outside the house. II
you please. / suppose, by the by, that
there Is no getting at the matches left be-
hind on the first and second occasionsE
NO." Sir James answered. Certainly
not here. The Scotland Yard man may
have kept his.
The room that Mrs. Armitage had occu-
pied presented no peculiar feature. rev
feet below the window the roof OF the bill
lard room was visible, consisting largely OF
skylight. Hewitt glanced casually about the
walls. ascertained that the furniture and
hangings had not been materially changed
since the second robbery. and expressed his
desire to see the windows from the outside.
Before leaving the room, however, he wish
ed to know the names Of any persons who
were known to have been about the house
on the occasions Of all three robberies.
Just carry your mind back. Sir James"
he said. Begin with yourself, for instance.
Where were you at these times?"
when Mrs. Heath lost her bracelet l was
in Tagley Wood all the afternoon. When
Mrs. Armitage was robbed I believe 1 was
somewhere about the place most Of the
time she was out Yesterday / was down
at the farm" Sir James face broadened.
Il don't know whether you call those sus-
piciOus movements" he added. and laughed.
Not at all; only asked you SO that, re-
membering your own movements, you
might the better recall those of the rest OF
the household. Was anybody. to your
knOwledge-anybOdy, mind-in the house on
all three occaSions?"
We'll, you know, it's quite impossible to
answer for all the servants. You'll only
get that by direct questiOningI can't pos
sibly remember things of that sort AS to
the family and visitors-why, you don't sus-
pect any of them, do your"
Il don't suspect soul, Sir James," Hew
lit answered. beaming genially. mot soul.
You see, l can't suspect people till 1 know
something about where they were. It's
quite possible there will be independent evil
dence enough as it Is. but you must help
me If you can. The visitors, now. Was
there any visitor here each time-or even on
the first and last occasions only?"
mo, not one. And my own sister, perhaps
you will be pleased to know. was only there
at the time OF the first robbery.
Just so! And your daughter as 1 have
gathered, was clearly absent from the spot
each time-ndeed. was in company with the
party robbed. Your niece, now?''
why. hang it all, Mr.. Hewitt. can't
talk of my niece as a suspected criminal!
The poor girls under my protection, and 1
really can't allow
Hewitt raised his hand and shook his head
deprecatingly
MY dear sir, haven't I said that don't
"a
people were distributed, as nearly as pos
sble. Let me 1t was your niece l
think, who found that Mrs. Armitage's door
was locked-this door, in fact-on the day
she lost her brooch?"
Yes, it was"
Just SCAT the time when Mrs. Armitage
herself had forgotten whether she locked it
or not. And yesterday-was she out them"
NO l think not. Indeed. she goes out
very little-her health Is usually bad. She
was indoors, too. at the time of the Heath
robbery. since you ask. But come, now. 1
don't like this. It's ridiculous to suppose
that she knows anything of it,
Il don't suppose 1t. as l have said. am
only asking for information. That Is all
your resident family, 1 take it, and you
know nothing of anybody else's movements
except perhaps, Mr.. Lloyd's?"
Lloyd? Well you know yourself that he
was out with the ladies when the first rob-
berry took place. AS to the others. 1 don't
remember. Yesterday he was probably in
him, eh?' Sir James looked quizzically into
the broad face of the affable detective. who
smiled and replied:
"Oh. of course. nobody can be in two
places at once, else what would become Of
the alibi as an institution? But, as l have
said. 1 am only setting my facts in order
Now, you see, we get down to the servants
unless some stranger is the party wanted
Shall We go outside now?''
Lenton Croft was large, desultory sort
OF house, nowhere more than three floors
nigh. and mostly only two. 1t had been
added to bit by bit till it zigzagged about
like game of dominoes." Hewitt scru-
tinlZed its external features carefully as
they strolled around and stopped some little
while before the windows of the two bed
Presently they approached the stables and
coach house. where a groom was washing
the wheels of the dog cart.
DO you mind my smoking?' Hewitt
asked Sir James. Perhaps you will take
cigar yourself-they are not bad, think.
l will ask your man for a light"
Sir James felt for his own match box, but
Hewitt had gone and was lighting his cigar
with a match from box handed him by
the groom. A smart little terrier was trot-
ting about by the coach house. and Hewitt
stopped to rub its head. Then he made
some observation about the dog, which en-
listed the grooms interest. and was soon
absorbed in a chat with the man. Sir
James, waiting a little way off, tapped the
stones rather impa tiently with his foot and
moved away
For full a quarter of an hour Hewitt
chatted with the groom, and. when at last
he came away and overlook Sir James, that
gentleman was about re-entering the house.
Il beg your pardon, Sir James," Hewitt
said for leaving you in that unceremoni-
Gus fashion to talk to your groom, but a
dog, Sir James-a good dog-will draw me
anywhere
''Oh!' replied Sir James, shortly.
There is one other thing" Hewitt went
on disregarding the others curtness. that
I should like to know: There are two win
dows directly below that of the room occu-
pied yesterday by Mrs. Cazenove-one on
each floor What rooms do they light?'
THAT on the ground floor is the morning
room; the other is Mr.. Lloyd's-my secre-
tary. sort of study or sitting ROOM
Now you will see at once. Sir James,"
Hewitt pursued. with an affable determine
ton to win the baronet back to good hui
mor-"you will at once that, If a lad
der had been Used in Mrs. Heath's case
anybody looking from either of these
rooms would have seen it,
"Of course! The Scotland Yard man
questioned everybody as to that. but no
body seemed to have been in either of the
rooms when the thing occurred; at any
rate nobody saw anything"
STILL think l should like to look out
)f those windows myself; 1t will, at least,
give me an idea of what was in view and
what was not If anybody had been there"