Evening star., 1918-05-26

q station master at Anerley re-
ceiyed the following communication
by wire from the signal box at Forest
Hill:
Five twenty-eight down from Lon
don bridge just passed. One first-class
compartment in total darkness. In
vestigate."
As two stations, Sydenham and
Pense, lie between Forest Hill and
Anerley, in the ordinary course OF
events this signal box message would
have been dispatched to one or the
other of these: but 1t SO happens that
the 5:oS from London bridge to Croy-
don is a special train. which makes no
stop short of Anerley station on the
way down. consequently the signal
man had no choice but to act as he
did
Wire fused, reckon, or filament
burnt out, that's the worst OF elec-
trio light" commented the station
master when he received the COM
munication. Get light Of some sort
from the lamproom. Webb. They'll
have to put up with that as far as
Croydon. Move sharp. She'll be along
presently" Then he took up lantern
(for, in addition to fog, slight. sift-
ing snow had come on about an hour
previously, rendering the evening one
of darkness and extreme discomfort)
and crossed by way of the tunnel over
to the down platform to be ready Tor
the trains arrival. having some little
SO happened that local celebrity had
been entertaining the newly elected
lord mayor that day, and in conse-
auence both the up and down plat
forms were unusually crowded 1or the
season and the hour.
Promptly at 5:42 o'clock. the sched-
ule time for its arrival, the train
came peiting up the snoW-coVered
metals from Penge and made its hrst
stop since starting. 1t was packed to
Ia. and in an instant the station was
in a state of congestion. Far down
the uncovered portion of the platform
Webb, the porter, who had now Joined
the station master, spled gap IN
the long line of brightly lighted win
dows, and the pair bore down upon
1t forthwith, each with a glowing
lantern in his hand.
Here she is. Now. then, let's see
what's the difficulty" said the station
master, as they came abreast of the
lightless compartment. where. much to
his surprise. he found nobody leaning
out and making 'to-do" over the
matter. Looks as If the blessed thing
was empty. though that's by no
means likely in a packed train like
the 5:es. Halo. Doors locked. And
here's an Engaged label on the win
dow. What the dickens did do with
my key? oh, here it is. Now. then,
let's see what's amiss."
A great deal was amiss. as he saw
the instant he unlocked the door and
pulled it open. for the first lifting of
the lantern made the cause Of the
darkness startlingly plain. The shall
low glass globe which should have
been in the center of the ceiling had
been smashed, ragged fragments of
it still clinging to their fastenings,
removed bodily. A downward glance
showed him that both these and the
fragments of the broken globe lay on
one seat, partly wrapped in a wet
cloth, and on the other-he gave q
Jump and q howl, and retreated
step or two in a state of absolute
panic. For there in corner, with
his face toward the engine. half-sat.
half-leaned. the figure of a dead man.
with bullet hole between his eyes.
and a small. nickel-plated revolver
loosely clasped in the bent fingers Of
one limp and lifeless hand.
The body was that of man whose
age could not. at the most. have ex-
ceeded eight and thirty. a man who
must in life have been more than or
dinarily handsome. His hair and
moustache were fair. his clothing was
and fashioning. he wore no jewelry
of any description, unless one excepts
q plain gold ring on the fourth finger
Of the left hand: his feet were shod
in patent leather boots, in the rack
overhead rested a shining silk hat of
the newest fashion, an orangewood
walking stick and a pair of gray
suede gloves An evening paper lay
between his feet, open. as though 1t
had been read. and in his buttonhole
there was single mauve orchid of
exquisite beauty and delicacy. The
body was quite alone in the compart-
ment and there was not scrap of
luggage of any description.
Suicide" gulped the startled sta
tion master az soon as he could find
strength to say anything: then he
hastily slammed and relocked the
door. set Webb on guard before It
and few to notify the engine driver
and to send word to the local police.
The news of the tragedy spread like
wildhre. but the station master, who
had his wits about him, would allow
nobody to leave the station until the
authorities arrived and suffered no
man or woman to come within a yard
OF the compartment where the dead
man lay.
Some one has said that nothing
osaacS " S1iduCc, Dut wneIher thae
1e true or not 1t happened that Mr..
Maverick Narkom was among those
who had attended the lunch In honor
OF the lord mayor that day and that
az the very moment when this ghastly
discovery was made on the down plat
ing with the crowd on the up one.
waiting for the train to Victoria. This
train was to convey CIeek, whom he
had promised to join at Anerly, re-
turning from a day spent with Can't.
morrison and his daughter In the
the law decided that the captain was
the legitimate heir of George Car
ooys and lawful successor 10 Abdul
Den Meerza's money.
As soon as the news of the tragedy
reached him Mr. Narkom crossed 70
the scene of action and made known
MS identity. and by the time the local
police reached the theater of eyenta
ne was in full possession of the case
and had already taken certain stems
with regard to the matter.
1t was he who first thought o. look
ing to see IL any name was attached
as is often the case, to the Engaged"
label secured to the window Of the
compartment occupied by the dead
man. There was. Written in pencil
vornell"
BY George" he exclaimed. az he
read the name. which was one that
half England had heard of at one time
or another. and knew to belong to a
man whose wild. dissipated life and
violent temper had passed into pro-
verb. Come to the end at last, has
ne: Give me your lantern. porter,
and open the door. Let's have q look
and see IL there's any mistake Or
The whistle of the arriving train for
Victoria cut in upon his words, and,