The Washington herald., 1914-12-06

aStonlshed exclamation, turned around
and found him staring-positively staring
at a closely written sheet of paper
which he was holding with both hands;
We'll OF all the amazing things! ne
sxclaimed, with sharp intaking OF the
breath; then, catching Cleek's eye fixed
lnquirtnEly upon him. It's call for you.
Cleek," he added excitedly. NO won
der that Bird sent 1t without delay. Two
your seryices-two people who will not
have anybody but you at any price: and
II you were to guess until you were gray
you'd never guess who those two people
Mr.. Jack Arbuthnot, and both wish to
Il DEATH
Cleek blew out a soft. low whistle.
| "A facer that he said. I've had a
good many things happen to me in my
time. but never had three persons en-
| deaVoring TO put me on the one case at
the one time. Mr.. Narkom. Did they visit
! doesn't Inspector Bird say?
Yes. It's the peculiarity Of the thing
that made him write to me. The men
came singly. Both were violently agi-
tated. Each declared that he wished
the visit kept secret: that nobody but
! himself had any interest in unravelling
the affair. and that nobody but the
| great CIeek'-as each phrased it-would
| do. II must be CIeek or no one-CIeek
at any price and at all hazards, Then
! Mr.. Eugene Brand left word for you to
|
| O'Clock sharp this evening; and Mr..
| Jack Arbuthnot desired you to call on
| him at the Cecil at I'D without fail, and
each asked that YOU como prepared TO
| take mp the case without an instant's de-
lay. What the dickens are You going to
| do
Keep both appointments" replied
| Cleek. composedly. There must be
| eye. Mr.. NarkOm. But il I am right
in my surmise-and A look at the latest
victim will settle ;hat-nOthing can save
| the boy from going the way his two
he the last OF its kind in that doomed
family. ] promise you that. What is
the hour? Hum-m-m! quarter TO 6. eh?
or course, Lennard and the Limousine
are within easy call? Order them round
will YOU. and tOotle me back to town.
Seven is Mr.. Eugene Brands hour. and
on the tick Of I mean 10 see him and
hear what he has TO say"
lie did.
Contrary to his expectations he found
Young Brand a Clear-eyed, frank-spealSing.
altogether lOvable chap of about seven
and-twenty. who took his fancy out OF
hand and impressed him with a sense
Of his sincerity, generosity and cieanness
OF mind.
He soon discovered exactly what was
at the bottom OF young Brands wish
for him to take hold OF the case and
what he desired him to do. It was not
to apprehend A murderer; not to trace
anything out but the means that were
being employed. and to mako those
means so apparent that whoever was
guilty would never dare to make use Of
them again.
II shall never be able to make you un-
derStand how dear those new-found cous-
ms are to me. Mr.. Cleek.' he said. nor
how horrifying is the thought that they
have secret enemy. l can't imagine
cannot blind myself to evident facts.
These deaths are not natural: somebody
who has a knowledge OF secret poisons
is certainly directing that knowledge to
the eXterminat tion of the family; but
feel that if you can discover what that
poison is and can make the method Of
procedure public. fear OF detection Will
cause that rerS9n to o., desist' and and Kate I,e,5s
be saved from the fate which has over
taken their brothers. That's all l ask.
Mr.. Cleek-discover the means and make
them public. Do that. and ! will pay
any priCe-any price in the world-for the
service
And. look at the circumstance how he
might. Cleek could not persuade himself
that the man really had any other OBJ
ject i'm view but lust that which he
claimed-the desire to have the means
discovered and the horrible death toll
stopped. There was. however. one point
wherein Cleek felt positively certain that
he was not telling the truth. He had
openly asserted an utter ignorance Of the
hand which was dealing these secret
hind them. and this Cleek knew-positive-
" knew-was not the truth. Try to hide
it as he might, when once Cleek got the
first hint Of it he simply wormed the
thing TO light without the mans knowl-
edge: he suspected Jack Arbuthnot-
wild. reckless spendthrift Jack Arbuth-
not-who would he the sole possessOr OF
Miss Raynor's money IL all the other
heirs expired.
After promising to take the case and
arranging to be at the Belgravian house
at ? that night. Cleek Iert him and Jared
forth to his other appointment at the
Cecil.
And here he was conducted into a spe
cially engaged private suite and COM
PEELED to listen flor the third time) TO
the history of the laughing death.
He found Jack ArbuthnOt as lovable
fellow as he had found Eugene Brand.
albeit OF a wholly different type. For
whereas Brand was gentle Of manner
and guarded Of speech. here was a hot
who flung his thoughts into words. no
matter how much they hurt nor how far
reaching they were.
II tell you it's st. Just. Mr.. Cleek-l
AT tn" bottom Of my soul feel certain
that It is nc said impetuously. Il hate
to thnk-I'd sooner cut OF my right
hand than think it-but how is a man
to go behind the evidence? These deaths !
never occur but when he is visiting us" |
Ohio" said Cleek. fairly carried out
of himself for the moment. rs that
AS true as gospel. Maybe it's coin |
cdence. but-welI. if it is. it's an appal- !
ling one. that's all I can say about it. !
Then there's another point. He's as !
poor as the proverbial church mouse. /
Every stick and stone he has inherited .
from his father is mOrtgaged up to the 4
hilt: and YOU can see. can't you. what
a benefit it would be to have my sister /
inherit the entire fortune instead OF a !
mere portion OF IL. Well. it will be my /
turn neXt-maybe it would have been
mine before poor little Eric's if had |
let the truth out"
What TRUTH
I'm engaged to be marrisd-and I am
going to be married secretly next
Wednesday morning 4 wifes an heir to
some part Of what a man has to leave.
For Gods sake come and ferret the thing
out, Mr.. Cleek. II there anybody on
earth that can do it you are the one.
Come and save us-save me-save my
poor sister! She knows. She suspects.
God. yes. That's what's killing her by
inches. She loves him-loves him so well
that she won't speak. Come. won't you
like a man.
Yes" said CIeek. taking the hand held
out to him; look out for me at to-
hurried out Of the room.
Five minutes later, when he stepped
1ut into the Strand-where Narkom was
to wait for him, that worthy suddenly
put in an appearance from a most uneN-
pected quarter and caught him by the
arm.
Bad news, old chap he said in a
lowered voice. I've just come
out of the public telephone booth, where
I've been communicating with Bird.
You'll hardly guess what's happened.
Lord st. Just rang Up the Yard few
had died"
Nine o'clock had scarcely sounded when