The evening world., 1915-06-02
|THE TIME-LOCK'
A NEW YORK CITY MYSTERY. ROMANCE
By CHARLES e.. WALK


uuoNoutiui uiotory ok = hfISUo-kOr
that very reason I am rather hasy
as to- details. In other words, there
never has been any reason why one
should want to plumb her pasts' She
IL almost a member Of our family,
and has been for no long \ time that
whatever Affects her also touches
U.S."
Precisely" said Mr.. Flint, 20
briskly that his augmented interest
caught Van Vechten's attention.
"Well?" the latter encouraged.
TT IL In the close relhtdonship
among the different families con-
cerned that hope to ind the key TO
the puxsle. And there again look
'0 sc s1s ss'G Mr.. Van vecn.en. IT'S a
far cry from the murder of an OBJ
scure, unimportant young man here
in New York to Temple Bonner In
England. whose name In any Lam
power. He and his family own no
considerable portion Of the worlds
second city. He Is inaccessible to all
ordinary methods OF approach. and
by virtue of his position and anil
ations q force to be reckoned with
even by the ruler he has elected to
owe allegiance to. But II has become
unmistakable that binding cord
leads through the maze Of intervening
events, uniting Temple Bonner and
jim O'Neill as surely as IL they
walked hand in hand" .,.,..g.r.
FLINT, how did you como to be bur-
rowing into the past and rallnB up
old dead, forgotten romances2"
you supplied the hint" was tho
quiet answer. when you said that
tho house had not been rented
through the regular channels-that II
to say. by application at the estates
offices-a moments reflection told mo
that possession Of the house could
have been obtained only In one other
way--namely, by direct authority of
Mr.. Bonner himself. Rather extraor-
binary. eh? 1t was while trying TO
verify this conclusion that STUN
bled upon tho rest"
III your information 10 exact. the
old place over yonder--Lord, what
would Josephine think II she knew
how II had been exciting tho clubs
curiosity for 10. these many moons!-
IL you are correct, then II IL her old
home-her birthplace-the house from
which she was married. Well. well.
well!'' ... -, q -. '
That marriage had not been q happy
ono, and the speaker paused. There
was a quality in the detectives
silence and intent attitude. that
seemed subtly to encourage the
young mans reminiscent vein, for
after giving the unfortunate union q
brief mental turning over. Van vech-
ten dismissed 1t and went on. ~
Josephine had q twin "sister--Hs
rletta-heen dead for years and years.
she too made an unlucky. match, I
believe-people. you know, don't talk
about such things. I know next to
nothing about 1t. Must have been
. Mr.: Flint of sudden leaned for
ward and liked Van Vechten with n
look that arrested and held his at
tention.
,"Now then, Mr.. Van vecliten," he
mad grown all at once compelling, az
the yelled lady you saw Sunday al
ternoon-the one who came in the
taxi-if she did not resemble Miss
Carew, then wasn't It Mrs. Devereaux
that you were reminded OFT"
Wait. Flint. wait" tho other
checked him. "Shs was a young lady.
mind" ". -
STILL" insisted the detective. you
thought at first glanoe-befors you
saw that she was a young lady--that
she was Mrs. Devereaux-isn't that
so?"
For n long time Van vechten sat
scowling at the table. BY and by he
looked up and his regard encountered
the detectives. '
II believe you are right. Flint" he
admitted at last. "It was the differ
once in years that fooled me. Until I
realized my mistake I believed. the
yelled lady to be Josephine Dsver-
eaux."