Evening star., 1909-07-12
CHAPTER III-Continued.

"The Press Association, in another ac-
count. stated: The police are convinced
that the unfortunate lady has been as
sassinated, and that frantic struggle
must have ensued before the victim fell
lifeless. Curiously enough, there was no
other occupant of the house, and there
are several remarkable features in the
case which tend to show that the murder,
however 1t was accomplished, had been
very ingeniously planned
Each journal added a note stating that
the report was received on the eve of
going to press, therefore no opportunity
had been afforded to it's representatives
to make Independent inquiries.
For a few moments l sat rejecting.
Could it be possible that this foreign
woman, with dark hair. who wore the
black evening gown trimmed with silver,
now dead, was actually Lydia Popescue.
She and Garshore had driven together
to Redcliffe Gardens. That was already
established. Garshore had gone-fied
from London.
And Granny? here was he! lie mad
not yet returned.
In a flash, his hatred of the woman re-
Cured to me- / recollected every word
he had used. and also his sudden silence
concerning her. BY her influence over
the minister in Bucharest he had lost
the petroleum concession and been
ruined
felt impelled to probe the mystery
further. That a terrible tragedy had oc-
CURED was certain. But in what degree
was either man implicated: Suspicion
rested upon both--upon Garshore as
friend of the woman and as having been
in her company that night, and upon
Granny Cough, because of his violent
hatred of her. And further, both men
had disappeared,
he had spoken to me of leaving London? ?
His words were, I now remembered, full
of gloomy mystery. He might go any
where, to Germany or Austria, and he
had urged me not to wonder If he dis
appeared Was not that in itself a very
curious circumstance? Did it not look
very suspicious, as though he had in
his mind some sinister intention?
Suddenly l recollected my old friend
George Cunliffe, the man with whom
had spoken there on the previous even
ing and whose presence had given
Granny an opportunity of ascertaining
Lydia Popescu's address.
But was the dead woman really the
handsome Roumanian? l had not yet
established that fact.
My first meeting with Cunliffe had been
in st. Petersburg six years ago We
were staying together at the Hotel de
France. At that time he was acting
as special correspondent of the Morning
Post, describing the marriage Of one of
the grand dukes. But since then he had
been attached to several journals in sue
cession. He lived in chambers in Danes
Inn. opposite settlement Danes Church
in the Strand, and beneath the shadow
of the law courts. Therefore. | resolved
to go and call upon him. Mysteries OF
crime were his speciality in journalism
He was well known to many of the OFF,
cials at New Scotland Yard, and often as
sisted them with confidential information,
which, in the exercise OF his procession
he sometimes was able to obtain. Know
ing this, I expected that this latest mys-
terry would attract him. If SO, | would
join forces with him, and we would no
doubt be able materially to assist the
criminal investigation department In their
investigations.
From the very outset l saw that this
was no vulgar murder, but the result or
some very cleverly planned attack. IN
which the unfortunate woman mad iost
her life. Cunliffe, who for years had oeen
engaged as an up-to-date Journalist in the
investigation of crime. would certainly
have a theory.
When | knocked at the door of his
chambers, he opened it. and greeted me
merrily. He was a youngish-looking.
dark haired man in gray flannel suit.
keen-eyed, active, with rather aquiline
features and a small dark mustache. The
latter had an upward trend, and he wore
gold pince-neZ.
Hello, Ralston" he cried well, this
is a pleasant surprise. | thought 1t was
a boy over for copy. I'm on big case,
and very busy. But come in a moment,
my dear fellow-not too busy to smoke
cigarette with you
And I followed him into his rather un-
tidy and somewhat dingy bachelors room.
the big window Of which looked out upon
the narrow paved courtyard of the inn.
..What's the case you're on?" l asked
eagerly. as / took the cigarette he offered
me.
..Why, that curious affair down in
Redcliffe Gardens You saw 1t in the pa
pers this morning. / suppose? Ny ed-
tor 'phoned me at half-past this morn
ing, and I've been on 1t ever since. Makes
q good story-rattling good story!"