Evening star., 1918-08-18
CHAPTER XXI.
Perplexed.

"Elvira Brown! A very fair alias
that is. the Brown end. But what am
] to think Of Elvira7 And what am
! to think Of the Brown, now that I
remember that the woman who has
chosen to hide her Identity under an
other name Is q Frenchwoman. Some-
thing Queeri Let me see II can call
: up the stationmaster at the place she's
gone"
A long-distance connection proving
practicable. he found himself after a
little while in communication with
the man he wanted. Fv
''rm Gryco Of the New York police.
A woman In whom we're greatly In
terested has just entered your town
under the name Of Elvira Brown"
''Elvira Browr!"
Mr.. Gryce was startled at the tone
In which this was repeated, even maxi
ing due allowance for the medium
through which 1t came.
''Yes. What's there strange about
thatr' ~,
"only this: That's the name Of q
woman who has lived In these noun.
tains for forty years. and who died
here three days ago. Today we're go
inE to bury her;" . ~. ..,.
expectations. What awful mistake
had he made? Or had it been made
by the man detailed to steal the name
from the package-or by the woman
Me the soas sns0p op all to hsss ask pS 81
caught at the first loose end which
Well 1t isn't she whom we're after.
that's certain. The one we want is
dress. II she came into your town,
1t was yesterday or possibly the night
before. You wouldn't be apt to no.
tice her, unless your attention was
caught by her lameness. Do you re-
member any such persona
mo, and I don't think any one like
that passed through my station. We're
off the main road. and our travellers
r,vs ars dsw !, would have AYE n9ticed the
Mr.. Gryce. with an exclamation Of
chagrin, hung up the receiver. He
felt completely baked.
But old as he was. he still had some
willing to accept defeat without one
moro effort. Going downtown as
usual, he wandered again into the
little dry goods shop to see II the
package had been sent. VI
Yes. 1t had gene, but the expressman
had had some trouble with a drunken
man who actually took the package
out Of his hands and didn't give 1t
back without a squatble. Strange
and SO early in the morning. at that!
Mr.. Gryce's vigorous hunch dismiss
ed snmmarily this expression Of opin-
ion as altogether feminine. But he
age itself. which kept the good woman
waiting. though customer or two
demanded her attention.
You'll think me fussy old man..
said he. but I've I've worried % about that that
dress SO much, and I'm afraid you
didn't have the right address,. I res
member 1t now--it was--was-
"Barford on the Hudson" she nm
grudged the time she was wasting on
his imhecilities.
That's It; that's It. Way up in
the catskills, isn't it?' Il
7 don't KNOW Those people are
"One moment! I want to buy some
thing more for her. But I'll send 1t
myself this time: won't bother you
again. Another dress. something
ms ansn shs ne gad isa
II don't know. sir" The woman
was really. very. much embarrassed:
She vas honest to the core cor onda aId
disappear from the shelves, It wasn't
In her heart to take advantage Of a
man SO old rs this. "rm afraid she
wouldn't bo pleased. You see. 1t
isn't q fortnight since she bought
and made up the one sold her first.
and she thought that great extrava-
gance. Now with the gray"
"Are you speaking Of the blue one?"
mo, It wasn't blue"
''what color was It? Haven't you
bit left to show me? ] should know
better what to do. then"
She pointed to a bolt Of striped wool
IA little gaudy for a woman whose
taste trey had both been speaking OF
as incl ned to the plain and somber.
THAT? But that's bright enough.
I've never seen her In that"
"she didn't like it: But something
ma made her h,s take last II; She wore 1T when
Thaniee ali the same. Just give me
q pair Of gloves for her. and I'll be
getting on"
She picked out pair for him. and
he trotted away mumbling cheerily to
himself as he passed between the
counters. But once in his taxi again,
he concentrated all his thought on
that bolt OF striped dress goods. The
colors were crimson and black. with
a dot here and there of some lighter
shade! He took pains to fix II in his
mind, for this was undoubtedly the
dress she fed in--an important clue
to him, II this hunt should resolve it
self into a chase with doubling and
redoublinR OF the escaping quarry.
He spent the next two hours in ac-