The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-09-18


had turned OFF tho gas entirely nj
the main IN tho cellar. And sup.
pose the same person had secretly
say. In the afternoon--opened the
Jet In Marybollo'n room. And then.
suppose. late NJ night. or. rather
early In the morning--for the doc.
tor had said tho gaa had been
turned on not later than four
o'elock-the same fiend In human
shape had crept down cellar and
turned on the main. II would
escape nowhere else but at that one
burner. | went 10 see about this.
III was this way. sir" Mrs. Blum
responded. 10 my discreo, question.
ing. Il cooked all the dinner on
the gas range. except the roast
Them ovens Ia good enough for a
cheefe. but tho coal range for
boilin' or stoamin' In oh, lawksl SO
uses the gas range alluH. and
most satisfactory II IN. yua. sir"
"But you turned II Off after din.
norT" Inquired eagerly.
u did that. sir"
And no gas was used. OF course.
during tho evening or night"
We'll. wasn't there JUST Twas
that cold. mir. that us scrvaniseH
nigh froTe. And lots OF us. me
and Vida. anyway. and Spears. that
! know 81. We had our snug little
gas stoves a-goin' In our bed
rooms"
And these we're turned off. say.
about midnight"
Not mine. air KEEP tina, thing
turn on full all night long An in
the mornln' my room was warm NJ
a toast i,'s some expense. yea.
sir. but Mis' Moss. tho dear iydy.
sho never bcgridged US n mossel o
heat"
| ieft her. my bubble burst. my
aircas,le in ruins N the gas
burned in her room all nlght. there
was no chance for the theory had
formed thought perhaps the
woman lied. but other servants cor.
roborsted tho tale. 90 gave up
that idea.
tnabashed. undismayed and even
unruffiei. ! wen, back 20 my think.
ing chair. To say pondered.
family expresses II. thought
deeply. | cogi,ated. meditated
! specuiatcd. ruminated4 did
all the things Peter Mark Roget
could suggest or recommend. I
even cudgelcd my brains. ransacked
my mind and fell into brown
study.
oh. yes. know Friend Holmes
would have looked n, tho tipless
gas burner and nj once have bah.
hlei off his versatile portrait Of
the murderer. as a crosH-oyed man.
eight feet high. smoking a Trichin-
opoly cigar. Blu, the cigar aroma
was los, In tho Eas fumes. no man
is eight feet hirh. and orosscyed-
ness had nothing 10 do with the
case.
But there was one clue. good
enough for even that 'stutc fish.
Sherlock Tha, was tho moonstone
ring. Shades Of wiikie Collins' |
must doduce something from that
ring or write myself down a very
long-eared donkey.
First. then. why was the ring
on the gas burnorT Not for safe
keeping or 90 hide II from burglars.
The ring was not valuable. the
moonstone IL but scmiprccious
gem. something less than semi. in
my estimation, and. tho it was
we'll set. II was not In finely
wrought gold or faccted platinum.
but n might have been Of spe.
cial personal value to Marybelle
I must find out.
went TO Helen Wesley first. She
said she did not think she had ever
seen the ring before However.
that was not strange. as sho saw
Marybelle only once n year or so.
and II was not dinner ring. Doubt.
less she had had Il rs a girl. Il was
a schoolgirl looking affair. she
thought
Then | tackled tho Earl. No. no
had not given Marybelle that ring.
He had never seen II until Mt the
inquest. BY the way. he had given
her an emerald engagement ring.
Had that been cared for7
Good gracious" exclaimed pet
tishly. why don't you look after
these jewelry matters7 II II wasn't
buried with her. doubtless Mrs.
Wesley has e."
Probably" sighed the Earl. He
seemed resigned 10 losing all his
interests in such properties. and TO
be sure. they did not belong TO him.
Marybelle's possessions we're now
Helen's and there was an end ont
met Janet Field In the hall and
asked her about the moonstone
ring.
II never saw Marybcllc wear IT,"
she said. thoughtfully. But OF
course she had jewelry and trinkets
that | didn't know Of: why don't
you ask vida7"
did. and the maid declared II
was not her mistress ring nj all.
But. MOI" she exclaimed. II am
positive -ah. but positive Madame
never owned that ringl should
have known It. 80. All Madame's
jewels I know. | clean them. | ar
range them, But that bauble? No.
never was II Madame's."
But. Vida. how could II possibly
get on the gas fixture? Who. ex-
cept n lunatic. would climb up and
put II there?"
Vida shuddered. ut was the
wat you call? the polterre ghaistl
yes. but that Is who II wasl Miss
Carreau. she IL right No human
hand wore that ring No human
hand put II on the high gas! II
was the hand OF the evil spirite--
the wicked ghost--he left his ring
on the gas' His hand turned the
jet-from the finger OF that hand
came the ring-the moonstone ring