Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-10

| attempt had been made to break in. Are
those windows shuttered at night my
lord?'
Yes"
The detective examined the sill OF the
one nearest to where the pipe had been
found Then he opened 1t and stepped
into the dining room.
THE catch has gone, by lord" he said; {;
"broken-"
"Oh, yes; that happened a week ago. I
gave orders for 1t to be repaired"
| Lord Wimberley followed the detective
into the dining room and Murray exam
| ined the shutters. Then he went down
on his knees and scrutinized the floor.
"A burglar, eh?" queries Lord VIM
| berley.
"oh, no. my lord. If any one got into
the house last night it was you they
were after"
Wimberley laughed. You still believe
in that old theory, chr" he querled.
II have always said, my lord, that you
ought to be careful"
The detective had no further clues, and
the two men returned to the library.
I'll take this pipe UP to town with
me- said Murray, "if l may, and I'll
compare this footprint with the ones Den
ham found on the island. There is just a
chance 1t may be the same man.
should like to know II any of the ser
wants have seen any suspicious character
about here the last day or two"
Il will make inquiries" said Wimber-
ley. and he left the room. Ten minutes
later he returned.
mo tramps have been up here" he
said. "or any one of that sort"
well. you'd better have the catch of
that window mended, my lord, and I
must urge on you the necessity of being
nj uTHiI 7
were you, 1 would not go out at night"
But, my dear fellow, Dick MerIet is
dead"
Yes. but his brothers are both alive"
Lord Wimberley remembered Lopez, He
had promised Lopez that he would say
nothing Of the people the Spaniard had
encountered in the train, but he was
sorely tempted to break his word.
'T suppose you don't know where either
OF them is?" he said after a pause.
mo. my lord. Do you?"
'T do not. Herbert Meriet is at present
my heir, but 1 have not seen him for
years. Perhaps you could make few
inquiries2"
1T will do so, my lord"
Shall send you down to Harptree in
a carr"
"That's very good of you. my lord"
Ten minutes later the detective left for
Harptree and Lord Wimberley seated
IA good Job something turned up to dis
tract his attention" he said to himself;
''he was asking some very unpleasant
questions"
HIS thoughts turned to Erleigh and his
wife. and his face darkened, He knew
for certain that something serious had
happened to separate Erleigh and his
wife, but he knew nothing definite. He
only suspected. as the detective has sus-
pected, that in some way or other II was
connected with the KIDNAPPING of his
a.ephew more than year ago.
month later Lord Wimberley received
the following letter from Detective-In-
speotor Murray:
MY lord:-The two pipes are almost
precisely similar and / should say that
they had come from the same shop.
They are bitten down In precisely the
same way and are obviously the property
of the same man.
1.-THE footprint found In your grounds
is similar to those found on the island OF
Bartsea, but there Is no distinctive fea-
ture in either. They are merely the same
length and width and shape.
II am making inquiries, from which
hope to learn where those pipes were pur-
chased, but this will necessarily be a long
business can so far, md no trace OF
Mr. William Meriet at all He was last
seen In London-at his club-more than a
year ago. Herbert Meriet Is believed to
be abroad, but he was In London two
months ago. Ia some lodgings in West
minister. We could not have ascertained
those facts SO quickly II We had not kept
a watch over the movements OF those two
gentlemen up TO certain point.
II find that Mr. Yertigan has left Lon
don, and is now In the south OF France.
He seems. / may add TO have plenty OF
money, and has been seen gambling az
the tables Ia Monte Carlo ana Nice.
Il have instructed Russell to have you
and your house carefully watched, so II
you md yourself being followed DO not
jump 10 the conclusion that the man
means you any harm. Il would really
Be better II you had detective living II
ne house. and. with your permission,
aill send you down an extra footman.
se e 3 quiet unobatruslye ehap ana