Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07

manlel. tArn1d the mass OF tangled 1uoDlSll q
bureau drawer stood half open, and Astro
strobe over to it. With a sudden gesture he
took out box of twenty-five caliber cartridges;
then a woman's pocketbook. a ten-dollar bill,
piece of old fashioned paper fractional cur
rency of fifty-cent denomination, and a horn
handled shoe buttoner.
g think were getting at it now. he ex-
claimed. his eyes alght with discovery.
But, for Heavens sake, which one of them
did it, Antonioe Bull O'kennery' Or the
girls Or all three together.
"Or none of them?' smiled Astro in con-
tinuation of Valeskas questioning. But sud-
denly his mood changed he weighed the
bullet thoughtfully in his hand. It's very
pretty piece of business. he went on " What
was it the old Frenchman said in his WISDOM
ChercheS la temme9 I'm afraid Mr.. Gallino
across the street is up against it; unless-hum
well. We'll see what McGraw gets into his
net by .nightfall.
INALESkA never questioned further than
the Master wished to answer: for she knew
that it merely disturbed the marvellous de-
ductive and interpretive powers of his BRAIN
while they were at work, then, too he pre-
ferred her, in her student days. to work out her
own clues. Later. in case she had erred, he in
diligently pointed out her mistakes to her. 1t
was in some such tacit understanding that they
now left the Macdougal-st tenement and made
| their way back to Astro's coy studio.
Once there she could see that he had al
ready SOIVeu the pIODlelll u Ills OWL SdIlS-
faction, from the way in which he donned his
| turban and robe, lighted his water pipe and
disposed himself on the cushioned dIvan in his
favorite corner. His was assuredly grotesque
temperament. Above the top shelf a row of
the ancient Toltec laughing heads grinned down
on him. farther on. slabs of marvellous jade
wrought with hieroglyphIcS and brazen I'M
plements cleaned duly, and added their touch
of mystery to the man beneath. On the table
We're the sheets of paper and the dlvIders and
81. II -.
tricate curve in calculus. and this work he
again took up Immediately. Naleska with
drew. After an hours work, needless of the
passage of dinner time. he smiled carefully
laid aside his instruments, and turned to
plaster cast hung against the wall.
" 1t IS true. then. | thought about you.
Monsieur Noltaire he murrnured, half aloud.
" The line of the upper half of the perimeter OF
that right ear of yours is a logarithmlc spiral,
OF which the equation is IL : 2db + y. he
threw back his head and vawned.
Naleska gided in. "Mc(1raw has come with
Antonio" she whispered, and has been wait
ing half an hour but | wouldn't interrupt
until you had finished your calculations. Shall
let them in now.
Astro yawned again luxuriously You are
too Indulgent of me, my dear girl, I'm very
much afraid. The delay may cost Slgnor
Gallino a thousand dollars. possibly his life.
Do you happen to remember what date this
is, But. there, it's really none of your busi-
ness, suppose. les, you may SHOW tueIil III.
TN another moment the officer appeared,
leading by the sleeve very badly fright
ened Italian. The moment the latter perceived
the gorgeously picturesque figure OF the
pamist he rushed across the room and sank
on the floor, cutching Astro by the knees.
Il no t'row-a da bomb" he screamed. 81
no t'row-a da bomb, Sacrament | spik-a da
trut | no trow-a da bomb, signor. Gallino
he give-a me da bounce. 81! | shake-a- da fist
in da face; bot | no row-a da bomb! At
that the tears streamed from his wild eyes.
Astro waved his hand impatiently, took up
the palm of the other, and began reading it,
only to let it drop in few moments.
This young lady who roomed next to you,
he said gently YOU liked her. Antonio,"
The accused s eyes beamed. "Ah, ST. sgnorl
She the ine-a. nice-a girl. She spik-a to me.
often"
Very ofteno"
'Ah, no, signor! She lock herself in da room
ALA da time. Some eve she come-a in, get-a
da match. Da's all Read-a da pape', maybe,
sometime.
Astro cast quick significant look at Valeska
under his dark brows. When did she come
in and tear out page from The Era. Tony
Antonio scratched his head laboring to re-
member Sometime dees-a last-a wik. early.
ST. One night she come in. she say, Tony, /
Ikea get-a da posish You lemme take-a da
pape'. | bring 'er back | say no, wanta da
pape' por read-a tonight. She say, ALA
right; | tear-a off da one-a piece
Astro turned to McGraw. You'd better