The Washington times., 1913-04-11

, was looking for. That Barton woman's
confession wouldn't have deceived a
child. No. i started in on the jap"
The man who played the organ al
| the seance?'
Jeffrey nodded. 1T cost me -four
solid days he said. .'and got me no
where. Oh, it was interesting enough
In itself. and 1t did throw an interest
ing sidelight or two on Irene Four
nier's character: but 1t doesn't unlock
| Of regular secret service-a sort OF
| blackmail syndicate He's as much
| feared in certain quarters as any mar
| In New York
| when I realized what an unhealthy lot
| Togo knew about my affairs. Every
body treats Japanese servants like
that. We know so little about their
concerns that 1t never occurs to US
that they're taking an interest in ours.
But the Japanese is born spy. It's
perhaps the most conspicuous talent
he possesses.
This fellow had genious enough to
organize it. There are thousands of
apparently q good proportion of them
report to this chap. The Spiritualists
and orce-while-you-wait lawyers
would be nowhere without him. But
he seems to have met his match in
Irene.
She used him to hook Miss Meredith
and to get my portrait, and she must
have had some hold on him or she
wouldn't have dared to play fast and
IDENTIFY she gave him the slip completely.
He stayed on with Mrs. Barton appar-
emily in the hope Of picking up the
trail there again.
Even after he discovered that Irene
was murdered he evidently hoped to
pick up something big in a blackmail-
ing way. doubt IL he thought Barton
did 1t, or the game wouldn't have
seemed worth the candle. But It IN
equally evident that he thought Barton
knew some things that would interest
him.
There 1 am inclined to agree with
him. We may run across him again
or We may not: My guess is that
he pulled out of the affair altogether
when he found us in it, He took up
four perfectly good days of my time.
Jefirey fell into another long.
thoughtful silence. and finally I
Well" said I. what did you do
next?"
THE next thing I did," said Jeffrey,
was to get that frame back from the
decorator who stole it and pay the
poor devil hundred dollars. Under
the law believe that's compromising
a felony. But it's making a friend,
anyway, and that's more important.
| mounted the portrait in the frame,
had it boxed up, wrote Crow a note
Miss Meredith's town address, and
that i would call the next day-that's
yesterday.
Il said in the note that I was very
anxious to see Miss Meredith, as 1
thought l had some things to tell her
that would interest her. 1 told him
that 1 understood that he hadn't felt
In haratnfnra nj
Meredith and myself. but that l
thought there were important rea-
sons why he should reverse his de-
how that 1 meant business"
Just the thing, / should think, to
put him on his guard" said l. IF he's
got any subterranean reason for
avoiding such an interview"
Exactly" said Jeffrey, with a nod.
got a polite note from him by a spe-
cial messenger late that same after
noon, saying that Miss Meredith
would be glad to see me. When / got
that / put a suit of pa jamas in a bag
and caught the night boat up the
river
You what" exclaimed.
"Of course" he said, IF i had really
meant to see her, l shouldn't have
written any note. I'd have taken the
house without any warning. ] felt
pretty sure that when he knew | was
coming he'd send Miss Meredith out
for a drive or convince her that she
wasn't strong enough to leave her
bed, receive me himself when l called.
and entertain me with a polite excuse
that / couldn't possibly quarrel with
By that means he'd get the portrait
which undoubtedly he wants, and at
the same time deprive me of any ex-
cuse for repeating my visit
Then you didn't want to see Miss
Meredith?" said i.
why, yes. I've wanted TO see her
for some time. But there was something
just then l wanted more. Drew. do you
believe in the atmospheres that hang
about places? / don't know that ! be-
lieve in them myself. but l feel II.
wanted TO see the country house where
Miss Meredith lived-the place where ]
understand she stayed all last summer
and late into the fall. DO you know
where IL is she lives?"
II don't believe ! do" said l.
Jeffrey looked at me fixedly She
lives" he said, lat a place called Beech
Hill. It's ten or twelve miles from Sill
Yer Springs-up the river from Silver
Springs"
There's something familiar about
that name" said /. but don't place
it,"
Silver Springs" he said, lis where
that ice-cutter found the body of-well, |
wen go on calling her Irene Fournier
for a while yet, just to be on the safe
side"
Jeffrey" ] gasped. you don't mean |
that Irene Fournier is only another |
name for
For Claire Meredith? No | don't |
mean that yet. | mean exactly what / |
say That, for the present. we'll go on |
calling her Irene Fourier"
And Beech Hill. Miss Meredith's |
place. is that-near the river"
Jeffrey NODDED. About ten miles up,
ls I said"
The suggestion fairly made my head
spin. ] cast my mind back In an en-
1eavor to fit the facts we had about |
,er-about the mysterious vision JEFF
frey had had in Paris with this newi