Evening star., 1912-11-03

his bulk had subsidized. His red face WIS
blazing with wrath, and his long upper lip
was raised like snarling dogs. What in
Hades had my friendship and letters and
whereabouts to do with an inquiry into
Kyrle's deatho' he demanded fiercely.
"Don't be vulgar, Jack. Herbert poisoned
himself, it seems. And | had innocently OBJ
tanned crystals of nicotine for him from a
drugstore at Palm Beach-long ago. They
brought the man there, and he proved it.
Don't glare at me in that fashion. If you
can't behave yourself, go away-you will
find very full report in the newspapers,
am sure. Before you go, kindly ring for a
waiter. | want a cup of tea
He rang, ordered the tea and highball,
and managed to smile SO pleasantly that
Mrs. Delanar was secretly afraid, and longed
to be rid of him.
"You must not excite my curiosity and
then tell me to run away and buy news
paper, Feena, he said, oninously calm; for
he was one whose habit lay rather with
splutterings of rage when angered. "Even
the newspaper cannot vie with you IN ac-
curacy, and, what is vastly more important,
in cearness of explanation Thus far your
story has been incoherent. Now gather
your wits. and tell me about it"
Mrs. Delamar scented danger as a horse
will scent a lion from afar If Tearle was
to be got rid Of she must use all her arts
and hoodwink him thoroughly. To begin,
there must be no apparent concealment. SO
she slipped her tea, and went through the
proceedings at the inquest with absolute ac-
curacy; though she said not syllable anent
the substitution of one man for the other as
Claude Waverton.
Tearle listened in silence. She had reached
the end, and was waiting for some expression
Of Traha
nounced.
"This is the lawyer you instructed, isn't
it," said her companion, rising.
"Yes. | asked him to come and discuss
matters with me; but | really don't want
him. He can do nothing"
"Never mind Let him look after your in
terests locally. Don't you see, Feena. how
jolly awkward it would be for you if anyone
told the police that you watched Herbert
starting away in the cutter, and drinking the
decoction you bought for him in drugstores
at Trenton and other placeso'
A frail china teacup fell to the floor from
Mrs. Delamars hand, and was shattered:
but Tearle affected callous indifference to
the woman's blanched face and staring eyes.
As for her voice, it failed her completely at
this crisis.
"I1l meet YOU at dinner" he said care
lessly over his shoulder. "Dont say too
much to the lawyer, and when we have
dined you and | will have a long chat. The
situation demands it." And with that he
was gone.
HOW Clancy would have gloated over "the
IL man with the telescope had he been
privileged to overhear the conversation be-
tween this precious pair!
Not that his inability to be omniscient
and omnipresent really mattered great
deal; for he and Steingall were closeted with
Forbes at this moment, and the talk was of
the same topic-with a difference.
II really believe Kyrle committed suicide;
but hoped that circumstantial evidence
would hang his wife. said Steingall, an
nouncing his views with the directness that
was his we'll marked characteristic when a
case had reached its crucial stage.
Il never thought otherwise" chirped
Clancy.
"No, you didn't In fact, we agreed with
each other in principle; but differed as to
detail
"And you may both be wrong" said
Forbes sourly; for he was not pleased by
the way the inquiry had gone.
"You really don't think that, Mr.. Forbes
said Steingal, smiling. @If might pry into
the legal mind, l should hazard guess that,
while YOU speak of Mrs Delamar with YOUR