Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-12-15

Ember bent forward, holding Whit
aker's gaze with intent, grave eyes.
1.-THE first time" he said In a rapid I'M
dertone, "was year or so after her
triumph as Joan Thursday. There
were then two men openly infatuated
with her, a boy named Custer, and
man 1 believe you knew-William
Hamilton"
81 knew them both"
Custer was making the pace: the
announcement of his engagement to
Sara Law was confidently anticipated.
He died suddenly; the coroner's jury
decided that he had misjudged the in
tentions of a loaded revolver. People
whispered suicide, but it didn't look
quite like that to me. However
:. Hamilton stepped into his
place. Presently we heard that Sara
Law was to marry him and leave the
stage. Hamilton had to go abroad on
business; on the return trip-the we'd
ding was set for the day after he land
ed here-he disappeared, no one knew
how, Presumably he fell overheard
by accident one night; sane men with
everything in the world to live for do
such things, you know-according to
the newspapers"
Il understand you. Please go on"
Approximately eighteen months
later man named Thurston-Mitchell
Thurston-was considered dangerous
n mi M 70 hn ~ G., m
was exceedingly well fixed in a money
way-a sort of dilettantish architect,
with offices in the Metropolitan tower.
One day at high noon he left his desk
to go to lunch at Martins; crossing
Madison square, he suddenly fell dead,
with bullet in his brain. 1t was a
rifle bullet, but though the square was
crowded, no one had heard the report
of the shot, and no one was seen car
rying a rifle. The conclusion was that
he had been shot by somebody using a
gun with a Maxim silencer, from a
window on the south side of the
square. There were no clues"
"And now Drummondi n Whitaker
exclaimed in horror. 'Poor fellow /
Poor woman!"
A slightly sardonlc expression nodi-
fed the lines of Ember's mouth. $50
far as Mrs. Whitaker is concerned"
he said with the somewhat pedantic
mode of speech which Whitaker was to
learn to associate with his moments Of
most serious concentration-"I echo
the sentiment. But let us suspend
Judgment on Drummond's case until
we know more. 1t is not as yet an es-
tablished fact that he is dead"
you mean there's hope"
There's doubt" Ember corrected
acidly-"doubt at least, in my mind.
You see, l saw Drummond in the flesh,
alive and vigorous, a good half hour
after he is reported to have leaped to
his death"
"Where?
Coming up the stairs from the
downtown subway station In front of
the Park Avenue hotel. He wore a
hat pulled down over his eyes and an
old overcoat buttoned tight up to his
chin. He YVES carrying satchel bear
ing the initials G. S. D., but was other
wise pretty thoroughly disguised, and,
fancied, anxious enough to escape
recognition"
You're positive about thisr
THE man was Carter S. Drummond.
l don't think can be mistaken"
Which way did he goY'
Toward the Pennsylvania station, I
fancy; that is, he turned west through
Thirty-third street. I didn't folIow-I
was getting into taxi when / caught
sight of him"
But what did you think to see him
usguised2 Didn't 1t strike you as
curious?"
Very" said Ember dryly. "At the
same time, it was none of my affair
then. Nor did it present itself to me
as matter worth meddllng with until,
later my suspicious were aroused by
the scene in the observation-disclosures the
result OF your appearance there-and
sun later, when heard the suicide re-
port"
But" Whitaker passed a hand
across his dazed eyes. "What can 1t
mean! Why should he do this thingY"
There are several possible explana-
tiohS. How long has Drum
mond known that you are alive?"
"Since noon today"
May ask, what was the extent of
your property in his trustpp
"A couple of hundred thousands"
And he believed you dead and was
unable to find your wid>ya
oh don't think thatV Whitaker
expOStulated.
| Nor do L We're merely consider