The Washington herald., 1914-11-29

1 Drlght-faced, fairyuke little Iady OF
about eighteen. all three staring after
the taxi in blank amazement.
MY goodness, pepper. I guess Curzon
and I have sort Of muffed 1t somehow
the little lady said.
Il guess You have. honey-I guess you
have. Anyhow, let's all go and ask Sir
i Mawson what it's all about"
''Yes-let US by all means" put In the
| younger man. Come on"
Mr.. Narkom, who heard these things.
drew closer to Cleek, and contrtved to
whisper an inquiry.
Found out anything. old chap?
"Yes-and a very important thing. too.
They are not Diamond Nick and Dutch
Ella. I'm afraid. Mr.. Narkom, you've
been barking up the wrong tree"
| BY this time. the Major. his daughter
J and young Curzon Leake had crossed
| the intervening space and were at Sir
| Mawson's side: but on the plea Of "hav-
/ Ing some very important business with
these gentlemen, which would not permit
OF another moments delay" Sir Nav
son MANAGED to get rid OF them
'T should like to have a look indoors
| particularly in Lady Leake's boudoir-
| as soon as possible" said Cleek, when
| the others had gone.
| Again let II be remarked: Upon what
| trivial circumstances do great events
| sometimes hinge! Speaking. he turned
toward the curve OF the road to go back
to the guarded gates Of the house. when
Lady Leake's hand plucked nervousIy
at his sleeve.
Not that way! Not for worIds-with
those Hindoos on the watch" she eI-
claimed agitatedly. There is another
and safer way. Follow me-
They followed forthwith and in another
moment were taking that other way
with her pushing through a thick plan
tation, crossing a kitchen garden, until
they came at last to the final obstacle
| Of ALA large rock garden-which bar
| red their progress to the smooth, close
clipped lawn OF whose far end the house
stood. 1t was plain from the course she
/ was taking. that il was Lady Leake's
| intention to skirt this rock garden, but
Cleek. noting that there was a path
! running through the middle OF it, pointed
out that fact
Zone moment he said. "As time is
| OF Importance. would not this be the
shorter and the quicker way"
Yes" she gave back. without. how
over. stopping in her progress. But il
We took IL we should be sure to meet
Bevis-that is his special playground. you
| know-and II he were to see his father
and me we shouldn't be able to get rid Of
him again. This is Miss Miniver's half
holiday. Pardon? Yes. his nursery gov
erness. She won't be back until 3 only
hope he will stay with his pirates cave
until then"
Ills
pirates cave. Miss Miniver took him
to motion picture show one day. He
saw one there. and nothing would do
him but his father must let him have
one for himself: so the gardeners made
one for him in the rock garden. and he
amuses himself by going out on what
he calls treasure raids and carries his
spo'ls in there
His 'spoils,' eh? HIM, I see, Pardon
me. Lady Leake. but d. you think it
i Is at all possible that. not knowing the
lue- % the Ranee's necklace. your lit
tie son may HI made that q part OF
his spoils?''
mo. Mr.. CIeek. do not. Bevis had
been bathed and put to bed before the
ncctlace was lost"
"Hum-m-m, Just soi Another question.
your ladyship. You spoke Of running
down to the foot OF the stairs with
the lint for Miss Eastman and running
back in panic when you remembered
the necklace. How did you get the
lint to Miss Eastman after alp
Il sent il TO her with apologies for
not being able to do the bandage."
Sent 1t 10 her. your ladyship? By
whom
"Jennifer-one OF the servants"
"Oho" said Cleek. in two different
tones. $50 then You did unlock. the
door Of your boudoir for 4 second time.
and somebody other than Sir Mawson
and your stepson did sec the inside Of
that room. eh?''
Your pardon, Mr.. Cleek. but YOU are
wrong in both surmises. Jennifer was
the servant who was working in the low
hall
ed the foot of the stairs and thought of
the necklace I called Jennifer to me.
gave him the lint with orders to take
il at once to Miss Eastman's maid. and
then ran back
HIM! see. 7 suppose. your Iadvship.
il isn't possible that this man Jennifer
might possibly. in going to carry that
message But no: / recollect: the door
of your boudOir was locked: so even II
he had managed to Outstrip you bv going
up another staircase. Just so"
"oh. see what you mean" she de-
clared. But. Mr.. CIeek. such 4 thing
would not bear even limiting at. so far
as Jennifer is concerned. There, look,
There he is-over there. sweeping the
leaves OF the terrace. You can judge
for yourself how impossible It would be
for him TO run upstairs
Cleek did see. Looking in the direc-
Soi hiNASdNSus ne saw All CiutIly man.
whose limping gait betokened an injury
OF some sort to his left leg.
His leg had to be amputatcd as the
result of being run over by an omnibus
in the streets OF London" explained her
ladyship. "and in conscience he wears
q wooden one. He has been in the en-
ploy Of the family for more than forty
years. Originally he was a gardener.
and after his accident Sir Mawson was
for pcnsioning him off But he quite
broke down at the thought Of leaving /!
the old place. and as he wouldn't listen |
to such thing as being Paid for doing !
nothing we humored his whim and let |
him stay on as a sort of handy man."
''One last question. YOUR Iadvship." |
Cleek said. You mentioned that Jsnni- |
fer was cleaning up the hall at the time !
YOUR stepson left the house. How hap
pehed it that he was still at his lnbors !
at ten minutes past o'clock in the :
evening? That's rather late to be clean |
ing UP a hail.
''Yes-much too late she acknowI-
edged. But it couldn't he helped in
the present instance. The gasfitters
didn't finish their work as early as we
had hoped"
THE gasfitters.s Ell? So you had those
chaps in the house. did your
Yes. There had been an unpleasant
leakage of gas-in both the music room
and the hall-for two or three days: and 1,
as the men hal to take down the fix
lures to get at the seat Of the trouble
Jennifer had improved the opportunity
to give the chandelier and the, brackets