Evening star., 1917-10-14

fitting a fellow passenger of his on the
Montana, a guy named Pierre Carnot
He hadn't had much conversation with
this Carnot, Pelletier says, Carnot hav-
in been seasick in his cabin most of
the time. But the last night out they
spoke to each other in the smokeroom,
a drink together. That's where he
learned Carnots name.">
And Carnot's destination?
II telephoned the steamship company
ran over the list of passengers for me
that arrived on the Montana. Carnot
in spite of his name and bein' French,
lives in Grand Rapids. Mich. Natural
ICED, I suppose. And" kelcey went on
before Herkomer could put the next
question, IT sent a wire immediately to
the chief of police in Grand Rapids,
asking for dope on this guy Carnot
There's no answer yet, of course.
And I hardly see what bearing any
answer can have on this affair. any
how. The man we're after isn't man
that looks like Waring; were after
Waring. And still, why should
Waring use the name and address Of
Herkomer puzzled over this. He gave
it up and attacked Kelcey with further
questions.
'TMesserman? The man that drove the
girl to the Plutonia? What did he have
to say? Was he located?'
'fYes, sir. He told the men I sent to
round him up that he picked up his
fare on the corner Of 9Th avenue and
4Sth street. He didn't know what
house she come from. She was walkin
along, half runnin', when she spied him
and he spied her. She jumped in and
told him to drive as fast as he could to
the Plutonia. There she told him to
wait for her. While she was goin' into
the hotel, another taxi drove up, and a
man asks Messerman II his fare said
when Messerman answers yes, and tells
him to blow. Messerman's one Of these
night hawks around the Tenderloin. He
don't ask no questions nor make no
parley when half a century is in 1t for
him. He drives OF. But he noticed the
driver Of the other car. He was guy
named Cantrell. a big gunman. He's
been mixed up in a lot Of gun play, but
We never had the real goods on him.
I'm havin' the burg combed for him
this minute"
"Good. Herkomer nodded approving
~. His head dropped forward on his
chest. It might very well be that ind
ing this gupman Cantrell would solve
the whole mystery, but the charces
were that 1t would not. Common gun
men. known to the police, were not
likely to know much Of the plans of
masters in crime such as those who
must be with Waring in this matter
But still. as Messerman had pointed the
way to Cantrell, Cantrell might point
the way to Waring.
And something else cropped up: it
would seem, from Messerman's story
and that story had had previous cor
roboration from the taxi starter at the
Plutonia-that Waring and the girl
had been inveigled into taxi that was
not theirs. This indicaaed there were
forces within forces, that-Herkomer
lifted his head and stared around him
n IL
thought on this problem much longer:
But. and he smiled whimsically, it had
to be thought on.
An officer entered. announcing that
oner for the commissioner. Herkomer
ordered them brought in. and he
wasted no time in his verbal assault
upon Peter Perkins, the half-wit. who
had brought him the Conybear note on
a day that seemed as remote as the
commissioners birth. so much had since
transpired.
Peter" said the commissioner Sc
verely, I'm ashamed of you"
WELL" said Peter. shufling his feet,
"I give you a good chance to gimme a
big reward, and you can't call ~ much.
can you? Leastwise. it's lot. but
kinda thought that II took my time
I might get more"
Herkomer hid smile. Peter had
the cunning Of . naive child who. pos
sessing . secret and. knowing that it
is important, hides it-Rnd yet does not
res1e hey very cry. ~oS $ the las. time
you were here. and you kept some
thing back from me. how much should
| give you to get everything you
It was better to placate than to
Twenty dollars" cried Peter
A moment later. a twenty dollar bill
crumpled in his pocket. Peter was tell
ing the true history of the Conybsar
swell." he said. ct didn't find the
note at 4 o'clock in the mornin' like
said. 1t was given to me about
o'clock by man I'd never seen before
I was-well, was trespassin' on Mr..
Conybear's land on my way back from
the beach, where I'd been clammin'.
and that's why I said found the note
on the road. The man said I wouldn't
get into no trouble for trespassin' IL 1
done what he told me to do. but was
scared and couldn't believe him.
could I? How'd know? But he gimme
81 and said that was all he had in,
his clothes. and the police commissioner
Of New York would give me some more.
lots more. he said. and. we'll Peter
drew a long breath before he went
ahead.
note he put it in the envelope and ad-
dressed it and give 1t to me. And i
opened it and read it. and bimeby ]
come to New York and got two dol
lars from you, and today I got think
in about it, and my mother had found
the two dollars and took 'em from me:
and I'd read the note before I sealed
it. the man having forgot to seal it. so.
went to the banker in Portsmouth.
thinkin' he'd want to know all about
Mr.. Conybear. and he laughed at ME,
and-I amt done nothin', and / want
to go home" walled Peter, forgetful of
the twenty in his pocket.
Herkomer reminded him of his for
tune. and Peters tears were quickly
dried. But nothing more. by the
shrewdest questioning. could be elicit
ed from the half-wit: he could not even
describe the man who had given him
the note. but was certain that IL was
not Copybear himself And Herkomer
dismissed the man, convinced that he
finally told the truth.
Another mystery! II the man had
written the note in Peters presence,
Malcolm had been right in declaring it
forgery. And, of course, the sigma
ture might have been on the paper be-
forehand-doubtless had been, in fact.
unless Malcolm was less a photographic
expert than Herkomer believed him to
be.
Once again Herkomers thoughts were
interrupted, this time by the telephone.
The speaker was one of those officers
detailed to find Cantrell. the gunman
chauffer. Herkomer put down
the receiver with q groan. For Cantrell
had been found: but in hospital
dead. Two men, so the officer said, had
been brought into the hospital In the
early hours Of the morning. They had
been In a, taxicab, both apparently on
the front seat: they had been speeding
a1 n.s, l,rl III