The Washington herald., 1915-09-12

n m! yes! l see! Maybe She
went by the stairs then-she's too up
set to remember, poor girl All right.
In with you, Todgers, and up with US
to What number, Mr.. Gamlingay,
please?"
Suite twelve-6rst floor, Todgers.
Look livelyw
"Gawd. Mr.. Gamlingay, sir, not to
the dead gentleman's suite," said
Todgers in a voice of awe and fright.
I I"You-you'll never in the world go
in there with a corpse in the place
and Yessir; all right, sir; l hear,
| sir-yes" And blundered in and
shut the gate and laid his hand on
the cable, and would have sent the
lift whlzzing upward without more
! ado, but that curious thing hap
: pened which prevented him from do
ing so at the moment
That curious thing" was that
Cleek, glaneing down, saw that frag-
ment of typing paper-a bit whisked
in from Miss Fairweather's booth, no
doubt-lay on the floor at the boys
feet, that he had twice trodden on it
and off of it as he took up his posi-
ton at the cable, and, STOPPING, he
picked it up.
1t was as blank as the palm of your
hand. Nevertheless, blank though it
was, he slipped it quietly into his
pocket and, in another instant, up
shot the lift and halted at the land
ing above, and they were within half
a dozen yards of the dead mans
door. And in the space of another
half minute they had traversed those
half dozen yards, crossed the thres-
hold and were in the presence of the
dead mans self.
The body was that of a bull-neck-
ed, sensual-mouthed man of about
forty-five years old, broad chested,
strong limbed. we'll nourished
1t lay in the central of the FIVE
rooms which composed the suite, and
beside it there was fallen table, up
on the surface of which the blue
print" design OF section of machin
cry was fastened BY four spiral-head-
ed drawing pins, and that. at some
time or another, the man must have
been engaged in taking a tracing of
that design was manifest from the
fact that sheet of tracing paper and
a sharpened lead pencil lay on the
carpet, and for some little distance
about the body there was a scatter
of loose drawing pins which must
have been thrown out of their card
board box when the table went over
and had rolled unchecked about the
room.
1t was upon those drawing pins
Cleek's rapidly-shifting glances first
fixed themselves, and, at sight OF
them, his jaws clamped together, his
under lip went out and UP over the
one above and he remained quiet for
a moment-doing nothing. saying
nothing, merely looking. Then, Of
sudden, he walked forward and pick
ed up one OF the pins, turning it over
on his palm, examining the twist OF
the spiral which formed its broad,
fiat top and the curious. tense express
sion of his countenance slowly relax
ing; then, with customary abrupt
ness, he ficked the thing away,
screwed round on his heel and went
terrier er-like-careering and snithng
round and round the room and never
once going within arms reach of the
body.
What do you make of it. old chap? A
mouse in the trap. eh?" ventured Mr.
Narkom with repressed easerness.
Two of them he gave back. still pur-
suing his terrier-like tactics. THE draw
ing pins vouch for one and the scent
stands sponsor for another"
The scent. dear chap?'
"Yes-of Jasmine Don't you smell II?
There's been woman in here since last
night: and If am not the most blither-
ing type of a fanciful idiot" He stop
ned, biting his words of short and
smothering them at once in rattle OF
short sharp. terky laughter, as he
stopped and plucked something close to
the bottom of the wainscot: then rose.
with his hand crumpled up over it. and
went for the first time to stand near ana
to take a close look at the dead man.
'.Cleek-dear chap-you found some
thing, I saw you. You picked it up
from the foor-over there"
To be sure-to be sure. I've picked
I'D many thing in my day. Let 1t go
at that" he raped out irritably. This
man was alive less than two hours ago.
That would be about the hour when
luncheon is served, would it not Mr..
Gamlingayo Then. naturally, such few
guests as remain in the place would be
down in the dining-room and the rooms
up here would be vacant. and given that
fact in conjunction with silent
weapon
a silent weapon Cleek?"
Yes, Like Hepburn's, This man has
been killed with an air gun or an air pis-
tol, Mr.. Narkom, fired at close range
fired smack in his face. Look here
here's where the dart went in-here
| through the left eye-straightway to the
brain-and the headsman's axe couldn't
snuff out life quicker than that barbed
thing did when it got there. So. then. IN
the event of Mr. Robert Hepburn having
told the truth about putting that air
pistol in his table drawer when he came
home last night and then leaving 1t
there
But man alive. that he-that young
chap-who, on his own confession, loves
the mans wife-and has a good and suf-
ficient reason cried Gamlngay.
Good and sufficient reasons do not al
ways establish facts. my friend. So. be-
fore We pounce down on the young man
and take him by the scrun Of the neck,
and third degree him after the Amer
lean fashion, let's see if that air pistol IN
still in his table drawer and there's the
full complement Of three barbed practice
darts with it. Mr.. Narkom, you can at
tend to that. Give him the number Of
Hepburn's room will you. Mr.. Gamlin-
gay. and let him nip up there at once?'
The number? Blest II know. The
allotment of quarters to the resident en-
ployes is the business of the housekeep-
er. my dear sir. so naturally"
Here Mr.. Gamlingay stopped. interrupt
ed by a thin eager voice. saying agital-
edely. But I know, sir-I do"