Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-12

Inlet us see and Godfrey also examined
the tube. It's empty" .
Yes, l said. i've used II once or twice
and II works all right"
Wen. Tremaine wasn't satisfied with
, lie ran his hands along the top
and and ne oe Ihe door, doors mounted chair
ahmed every nook and Granny. At
last he gave It up. replaced things
Jnst as he had found them glanced
at his watch. and went away. Now. what
was he looking for?"
i cudgeled my brain.
II don't know" said. II can't imagine y
Let me help YOU" said Godfrey. his eycs
shining still more brightly. II had time 10
think 1t all out in the closet there. In the
hrst place. he looked only In the outer
room; In the second place. he was plainly
looking for something that had been pur-
poseiy concealed: In the third place. when
ne examined the room. he placed his chair
just where Miss Croydon had sat"
a nash OF light burst upon me.
The clippingsr' / cried.
THE clppings-just that I haven't the
least doubt OF it, And that explains an
other thing which seemed very puzzling-
II explains why Miss Croydon was so
anxious to rent this suite. or course If she
hid the clippings here. she was desperately
anxious to recover them. and she'd have
got them If Higgins hadn't been such A
superstitious fool"
Yes that was plain enough: what had an
peared so mysterious was really quite sim
pie after all. 1t is with most mysteries,
II one can only see rightly The trouble IL
that most of us persist in trying to look
beneath the surface instead of examining
what Is in plain sight. The admirable c.
Auguste Dupin was quite right in remark
ing that truth does not always lie at the
bottom of we'll.
But how did he find out about them 90
| asked. at last. "Simmonds decided to
keep that point to himself. and you have
told no one except me-"
Il don't know-nor how he came IN Ia.
iieve they were hidden here"
Perhaps Miss Croydon told him." sug-
gested: Perhaps she asked him to get
them for her.
mo. l don't think so: If she'd done that
she'd have told him where she hid them
1 think 1t much more probable that they
contain some secret of his. and he's con-
Guided she hasn't got them because she
hasn't produced them against him. And
he's reasoned correctly In supposing that
II she hasn't got them. she must have hid
den them here
1t was a good guess an adroit one
The question is" added Godfrey. looking
about him. where did she hide them?" q
L looked about, too. but | could think OF
no place which had escaped Tremaine;s
scrutiny.
Perhaps it was I'm the table she sat be-
fore" said Godfrey. at last. 1T must have
been some place near at hand instantly
suggesting itself for SimmOnds and i were
in the inner room only minute two"
The table had only a single drawer"
said. and | looked through it the night
engaged the rooms. 1t was empty. / don't
see why Miss Croydon should have con-
cealed the clippings at all: it seems to me
that the most natural thing for her to DO
would be TO put them In her pocket"
No doubt" agreed Godfrey; yet In
moment of excitement like that. the
natural thing might be the very last
thing she'd think of. Besides, She might
have feared that she was to be placed
under arrest, and of course, she wouldn't
want the clippings to be found on
her. But there's no sitting here
spinning theories. l feel in need of solid re-
freshment"
so do L. said. and we went down to
the street together.
BY the way he added. as we reached
the door, here's that photograph you asked
me for
! looked at 1t. at the coarse. bearded face.
with its closed eyes--the livid forehead, the
full. sensual lips. the heavy. bloated nose.
1t was not a pleasant sight. but your police
photographer does not aim at beauty--he
scorns retouehing and the other tricks OF
the trade-hes strives only for truth
ITS hard To Imagine any connection be-
tween him and Tremaine" / remarked
Not half so hard to imagine his con-
nection with Miss Croydon" commented
Godfrey; and l agreed with him.
Go be continued tomorrow.)