The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-02-28
The MYSTERY OF
THE JADE SPEAR
.Are you Inspector Peace, Sir?"

OF hlCQmOQu StdtiOu IeSdTuiuB u
with a solemn, II cherubic. counts
nance. The little inspector nodded
his head az he felt in his pocket for
the tickets.
II have q cab waiting for you, SIR
"Are you from the Elms?"
YES, sir. Miss 6herrick sent me
to meet you, having heard as you
were coming"
We walked up the steps to the road.
way, climbed into the cab, and, with
Z eho boy on the box. dragged our way
up the steep of the narrow street,
! past the Star and Garter 1.-THE hostelry
Of ancient glories), and 30 for a mile
until. at q word from our youthful
conductor. the cab drew up at q
! wicket-gate IN "A fence Sofa split oak.
AZ We stepped out girl swung open
the gate and stood confronting US.
She was a tall and graceful crea-
ture, with the delicacy Of the blonde
coloring a beautiful face. There was
fear in her blue eyes, fear that Wild
ened and fixed them; and tremor
OF the full red lips that told Of q great
calamity. SOS
inspector Arlington Peace7"
yes. Miss Sherrick."
There was that about the little in
spector which ever invited the trust
OF the innocent, and also, to be frank,
no inconsiderable proportion of the
guilty to their special disadvantage.
I have noticed similar confidence
inspired by certain of the more ia.
when Miss Sherrick walked up to
him, and laid her hand on his arm,
with a confident appeal in her eyes.
do you know they have arrested
himT she said.
II had not heard. What is his
name?"
"Mr. Boyne."
''The man who found the body"
eyes. The man intend to marry"
liked that sentence. 1t was
stronger than any protestations of his
innocence that she could have made.
Peace marked 1t, too, for he smiled.
watching her with his head to one
you cannot think he is guilty" she
said quietly. "You are too clever for
that, Inspector Peace"
my dear young lady, at two o'clock
I heard that a Colonel Bulstrode, of
the Elms, Richmond, had been stab
bed to death in a road near his
house. That was the single fact tele-
gTaphed to Scotland Yard. Taking
mig friend here, I caught the 2:35
from Waterloo station. 1t is now
half-past three. AS you will observe,
my work has not yet commenced"
Il sent the boy to. meet you. I
wished you to hear my story before
you saw-the police up at the house,
I should like to tell you all I know"
"That will. doubtless. be very valh-
able," said the little inspector. "Can
You find us a place where we shall
not be disturbed?"
For answer she LED the way through
the wicket-gate. A couple of turns
and the winding walk brought us to
an open space in the laurels and
rhododendrons. On the further side
was a garden bench, and there we
seated ourselves, waiting, with great
anxiety on my part at least, for
further details Of the tragedy.
my father was widower," said
Miss Sherrick, land when he died he
left as my guardians and trustees my
mothers two brothers, Colonel Bull
strobe and Mr.. Anstruther Bulstrode.
Colonel Bulstrode, who had been in
the Indian Staff Corps, had retired
the year before my fathers death,
and taken this house. 1t was with
him that I went to live. Richmond
suited him, for he could spend the day
ut his London club and yet be home
in plenty of time for dinner.
my uncle Anstruther was also an
Anglo-Indian. He had been for many
years a planter IN Ceylon. 1t was on
the Colonels advice that he took
house near us when he came home
this spring
II first met Mr.. Boyne last Christ
mas, when we we're skating on some
flooded meadows by the Thames. He
is a lawyer, and, though he is doing
we'll, is by no means a rich man. I'm
fortunately, am an heiress, Inspec
tor Peace"
IT understand, Miss Sherrick."
Colonel Bulstrode expected me to
make what he called flrst-rate mar
riage. Mr.. Boyne and had been en-
gagged FOR two weeks, and at last we
decided to tell the Colonel. We knew
there would be trouble, but there was
nothing to be gained by continued
postponement. Mr.. Boyne made an
appointment with him for one o'clock
today.
"The morning seemed as II It were
never to end. AS the hour approach
ed could wait in my room no longer.
I slipped out of a. side door into the
upper garden, which lies at the furth-
er side of the house. I wandered
about for some time in great misery.
When I heard the stable clock chime
the half-hour, started back to the
house. It must have been decided
between them one way or the other.
81 had reached the drive and was