Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-16

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| gas? The door was locked the inside.
they found when they burst it in
| And the rear entrance was locked, too!
That too 1t was a suicide, all right
| "Of course. Very WELL then, that's all Ill
report to the Major Good night. officer
| Astro hurried back to the subway station
AS he reached the ticket taker he drew a
photograph from his pocket and handed 1t to
the man.
Did YOU see woman like this last night
late?"
He looked at it for sometime before he
answered. 90 wouldn't be sure but I've seen
her several times. l cant recall Just when
was the last time "
That's ALL said Astro and he handed the
man dollar. ran down stairs, and boarded the
local train for down town.
A MOTHER telegram from Valeska was lying
"A under his door when he reached the studio
After reading it, he hastily scrubbed two de
Spatches and rang for a messenger. One read
Your child Bobby has been taken i'll with
pneumonia and is at a private hospital at No
This was addressed to Mrs. Belle Grant. Del
mar House, Troy New York The other was
sent to Valeska Wynne.
Follow B. G. wherever she goes, and get
acquainted with her if possible: but do not let
her know you know her.
Then yawning, he took off his coat, rolled
up his shirt sleeves, and sat down to a table
under the electric light. Here he laid out the
pieces of the cylinder he had found, and with
liquid glue started laboriously to piece them
together One by one he fastened them and
warmed them over a Bunsen burner till they
we're dry. The work was long and arduous.
and it was almost daylight before he had
finished the job The cylinder was now
at one extremity With penknife he trimmed
the protruding glue, and then examined the
whole through a magnifying glass Not till 1t
appeared to satisfy his inspection did he desist
But at last the thing was done and without
undressing he threw himself on the great velvet
couch under a trophy of arms and fell sound
asleep.
His pet cat Deodar. handsome black
Angora, awakened him at nine O'Clock by
clawing at his sleeve. and Astro jumped up
and went to the telephone a half-hour later,
tubbed. and clad in his flowing red silk robe
and his turban and its moonstone clasp on his
head. he slipped his thick black coffee and
munched his rolls as he read IN the morning
paper the accounts of the suicide of Edward
Burbank. Nothing new to interest him had
transpired.
A S he sat there the bell rang, and soon boy
in buttons entered, carrying parcel.
Astro opened it, and took from box phono-
graph. which he set on the table. He was a bit
excited now, as he fitted his mended cylinder
to the drum and started the clockwork
The wheels whirred; harsh, dry voice an
nounced song by well known comedian.
After a preliminary orchestral flourish, the
solo began Astro listened eagerly The
melody was constantly interrupted by dis
cordant, explosive noises caused by the joining
of the broken pieces. but with these inter
ruptions the song on for awhile fairly IN.
te1ligibly. Then there was splitting series OF
cracking noises From the silence following
these there came a sudden, loud, monotonous
exclamation, kellem kellem, kellem, kell-'
Astro, staring, stopped the machine and re-
seated himself, to fall into profound rever1e
At times he shook his head Once he rose to
take Mrs. Burbank letter from a pigeonhole.
and scrutinzed it long and carefully At last.
with a shrug. he took up his narghile and
volume of French memoirs, smoking and
reading, the time passed away till ten O'Clock
The first visitors were sent away by Buttons.
Astro would not be disturbed At eleven, the
telephone bell rang. The Master of Mysteries
took up the receiver eagerly
1t was Major Burbank 81 have just re-
ceived a letter." he said, and | thought
1t would be we'll for you to know the contents.
1t is from my unfortunate brother Edward,
and in it he tells me that he is contemplating
suicide The poor fellow was in i'll health and
financial straits, and the fact that he had been
d care to me seemed to worry him. It's dread
full to think of his having been distressed over
the little | was able to do for him, but feel
quite sure that he was not sane when he COM
United his desperate act. The poor fellow is
at rest in peace now / trust. | almost wish l