Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-10-07

RICHMOND TIM
T, clear mot" His voice rose and cracked
and he moistened his lips. you Set
! didn't do It. I mover set eyes on tn,
fellow before last night" "a
1--WE know you didn't kill him." sait
lima, sitting near the table.
Staync. with a keen Insight int
human nature, produced the pearl ant
placed it near lima. The momont hel
eyes lighted on 1t her enthusiasm wa,
fired. isn't there some way We car
manage It" she asked. desperately. :"
tell you I know IL can go: into tina
house again can dis up some clu,
to tho mystery" And she started fol
the door.
But Harry was before her. You're
not going there again" he said. Come
now. lima, give up tho key" Ant
lima. stin refusing. found the key
forced from her hand.
In At of despair she sank into heI
chair and hiding her hea din her hands
gave way to spell Of weeping. Harr,
chair and hiding her head in her hands
OF NIL the trouble on the table. The
astute Stayne quietly picked up the
key. and while the young man was
engaged In trying to reassure lima
surreptitiously slipped 1t into her
hand.
WELL" said lima. drying her eyes
III it isn't to be, 1t isn't" She went
out. and Harry and Stayne were left
to wonder what would happen next in
tho strange net of clrcumstantiai evi.
dence.
Meanwhile Perry Mason, having got
rid OF his inQuisitive callers. racked
his brains MS to where they could havs
learned that he had taken n pearl
from tho burglar. II made him I'M
easy. Had he been watched? He an
swered n call from Police FIeadquar-
tors and his face lighted as he heard
that the finger prints had been iden-
titled as those Of Stayne, alias Har-
Gibson, alias Hnynes-burslar, bank
robber. accomplish Of Jimmy Hope in
the Manhattan Bank Robbery.
The negro butler stood shaking his
head gloomIly during this tion,
SO much SO that his employer saw At
to slap him on the back after he had
hung UP the receiver.
Cheer up" he said sayly, they're
on his track"
But the negro refused to believe 1t,
and moved away. while Mr.. Mason
looked angrily after him.
Ilma's sudden exit from Harrys apart.
ment was tho result Of her determine
ton to return to the Mason house alone
and there do everything In her power
to clenr stnyne and thus recover not
only his pearl, but the one In the pos
session OF Perry Mason.
With this end In view, she proceeded
cautiously in the evening to the man
sion to which she now had tho key.
Before her arrival there was no sign
OF life within. The solitude seemed
absolute. Finally, light appeared,
and the butler moved about downstairs,
peertnE this way and that as though
he feared a ghost.
Evidently he was satisfied that all
was well, and he withdrew into the
'dininG-room just in time to miss the
sight OF an apparition coming down
the stairs. The executioner, whose
watch over lima had never relaxed,
ttptoad along carefully toward the
front door as though he expected some
one. lie even tried the knob. but quiet
~ slipped back Into tho shadow when
he realized that some one was trying
to enter.
lima. having used the key, opened
the door noieelessly and stepped inside
with beating heart, The only sound
was strange mumhlins as Of some
one praying. The executioner, still
concealed in the shadow. made no
move.
The door to the dining-room stood
slightly ajar. lima peered In. The
sight che cav there made hor hesitate.
The negro butler was kneeling with
clasped hands raised high. and from
his lips came an impassioped suppl
cation:
"Oh. may de good Lord have mercy
on my SOUL" he cried. his eyes fixed
on the ceiling.
lima listened. What could he mean?
She wondered, but not for long, Perry
Mason set her doubts 1T rest. Burst
ing into the room he strobe to the
terrified negro and selling him by the
shoulder jerked him to his feet.
You blIthering idiot, what do you
mean"
"Oh. Massa Mason. you know it's
true. You CANT hide yourself from
de Lawd. He seen you kill your
brother-he seen you
You dog, you're crazy" cried Perry,
now shaking him Violently. Shut UP,
tell you, or I'll send you where he
went" And he looked fearfully about
the room as II fearing the walls might
write down his words.
He pushed the butler away and
walked to the next room where. with
a GLASS OF whisky, he sought to steady
his jansiins nerves
lima, seeing the coast clear and pos
sesBed Of tho secret of the murder,
her heart beating fast with the knowl.
edge that Mt least she had Stayne's
pearl IA good as won. started up the
stairs.
a hand reaching through the balus-
trade clutched her ankle. She sttfed
scream, and. gazing down, saw a
note being left as the hand was with
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