Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
WNE

There are three OF them, as you VIII see;
all reception rooms. Mr.. Ransom mad
passed through them all in looking Tor MS
wife In No 1 he found several ladies'
sitting and standing all strangers. He en-
countered no one in No Q and in NO.
just one person. lady in street costume
evidently waiting for some one. 10 TINS
lady he had addressed h1mselr, ASKING II
she had seen any one pass that way the
moment before. Her reply was decided
NO; that she had been waiting In that
same room for several minutes ana mao
seen no one This staggered him 1t was
as if his wife had dissolved into thin air.
True, she might have eluded him ny SLIP
ping out into the hall by means of door two
alert to this possibility, he fastened back
into the hall to look for her. But she was
nowhere visible, nor had she been Cd
served leaving the building by the man sta
other exit, that of B. Had she gone out
that way? Mr.. Ransom had taken pains
to inquire and had been assured by the
man in charge that no lady had le1t Dy
that door during the last ten minutes
This he had insisted on, and when Air.
LOOMS and the detective came In .helr
turn to question him on this point ne IN
sisted on 1t again The mystery seefn .so
complete-at least to the manager. But the
detective was not quite satisfied. He asked
the man If at any time that day, before or
after Mrs. Ransom's disappearance, he had
swung the door open for lady VINO
yes: one who walked as If her shoes
were tight"
"Oh, a little while after the gentleman
asked his questions"
WAS she dressed in browne?
That he didn't know. He didn't look at
ladies' dresses unless they were something
special
"But she walked lame and she came from
room 81
Yes. He remembered that much.
stepped into the open compartment Of the
whiting door. IN off," said he. Eek
pect to hear from me in two hours"
At twenty minutes to o,d ten Mr. Ransom
was called up on the telephone.
lone question, Mr. Ransom
Hello, who are your
~"Gerridge."
did you see the face OF the woman you
spoke to in room No. 81
"Of course. She was looking directly at
me- =. ..
you saw 1t again.!
Eyes; that is
That's ALL goodbye
The circuit was cut off.
Another intolerable wait. Ihen there
came knock on the door and Gerrldge en-
tered. He held photograph In ms mana,
which he had evidently taken from MS
pocket on his way up.
Look at this" said he. DO you recos-
nize the facei
1.-The lady"
"Just so: the one who said she had seen
no one come into No. 3 on the first floor
Mr. Ransom's expression OF surprised III
curry was sufficient answer.
"WeIl, it's a pity you didn't look at her
gloves instead of at her face. You mlgnt
have had some dim idea of having seen
them before. 1t was she who rode ,, 10 , tne
hotel with you; not your wife. Inc vel
was wound around her face for far deep
| er purpose than to ward on rice
Mr.. Ransom staggered back against the
table before which he had been standing.
| The blow was an overwhelming one.
.Who Is this woman? he demanded.
| "she came from Mr.. Fulton's house More
( than that, from my wife's room. What is
her name and what did she mean by such
an outrage?" =.
| Her name is Bella Burton. and she Is
| your wife's confidential maid AS for the
! meaning Of this outrage. 1t Will TAKE more
| than two hours to ferret out that. l can
| only give you the single fact I've men
| toned"
| "And Mrs. RANSOM"
"She left the house at the same moment
! YOU did; you and Miss Burton. ohiy BIG
| went by the basement door,
"She? She?''
| oppressed in her maids clothes. On. you II
| have to hear worse things than mat De-
| fore we're out of this muddle. II you
| won't mind a bit of advice from man OF
experience. I would suggest that you take
| things easy. It's the only way.
Shocked into silence oy tne cEiosDi 10y !,
/ ed PHILOSOPHY, Mr.. Ransom controlled Dotn
| his anger and his humiliation; but ne coulo
| not control his surprise.
| "Wrhat does it mean?" he murmured to
| himself. what does it all mean?"
| (To be continued tomorrow)