Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-10

crime 50 help me God Wait. Come up to
the office, and III explain it all
A STRO and Ealeska retrace1 their steps III
company with the refugee. and
found themselves before the office door All
was dark. Hudson gave three knocks paused,
and then delivered another. The door was
opened silently. Miss Vivian stood before
them in a dim light. At sight Of the two
strangers she staggered back.
"Oh!' she cried in alarm. Are you
arrested, Mr.. Hudson:"
e don't know he answered chiltishly as
he turned up the light.
There was a litter of papers strewn on the
office floor. a long table was piled with letters
opened and unopened; there was a type
writer on a stand, copying press, a high desk
with ledgers, and in a corner, suspended from
hooks in the ceiling the compound pendulum
that Astro had described. On the horizontal
shelf, fixed midway to the pendulum, a
white card; and, extending from a table
nearby, an arm carrying glass pen projected
so that, when the pendulum was swung, d
curve in purple ink was traced on the card.
\ heavy weight depended from the bottom of
the instrument.
Hudson sunk into a chair and groaned. The
girl waited without a word, watching him.
Then Vaeska approached him. Mr.. Hud-
SON she said gently. pray don't take 1t all
we'll both help you. If you tell us every
thing. can find some way of saving you
He raised his head and looked at Astro, who
nodded in confirmation Hudson took cour
age, The first thing, the most important
thing of course, is to explain about Professor
Doves death. have no idea how it occurred.
Indeed, didn't know he was dead until you
told me. | suspected that something fatal
had happened; but knew nothing definite
When did you see him LAST"
Two weeks ago; but Miss Vivian has seen
him since then
The girl took it up. q 1t was here in this
office that l saw him. He was intoxicated,
and he frightened me; so went out and tele
phoned to Mr. Hudson about it. Then, when
| got back the professor had gone"
You will understand" hastily explained
Hudson, that Professor Dove, when in his
right mind, was a most gentlemanly and kind
hearted man; but when he was drunk there
was no dong anything with him. | have had
several unpleasant experiences with him be-
fore He'd go out and wander all over the
town in a sort of daze, talking aloud to him
self about his psychic beliefs and all that. He
especially fond of the river, and
found him sitting away out on d pier and gaz-
ing into the water. But | know absolutely
nothing about his death sir, assure you.
Now, about my being here. I'd Ike to ex
plain"
That is not necessary" interrupted Astro.
Il know everything | wish to now
What do you mean: What do YOU know
about my private aHars!'
TIL tell you, Mr.. Hudson. First, for long
= time you have been anxious to discover
some way of making more money than you
could in the real estate business. You and
your wife wanted to go abroad; and you
very fond of her and naturally wished to
please her. Thinking it over and watching
the advertisements, you saw that the quickest
way to make money was to go into some sort
OF fortune telling business and play upon the
cre.lulity OF fools Knowing of the compound
pendulum and the curves IT traces mVSterI-
ously, you decided to adopt that as the basis