Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-06-16

HIS voice sank ana cropped OIL into
silence and Narkom had the good
the window and say nothing.
"And SO these remarkable dia-
monds have been stolen after all.
have they?" said Cleek. breaking ST.
lence suddenly "And that vulgar and
overbearing old shrew. the Dowager
for the possession of them with her
life! All, my dear Mr.. Narkom. what
disastrous thing lust of power and
craving for position is! The lady
would better have stuck to her
fathers beer watts and the glory of
Hobson and Simkins' entire, and
Netherlands might better have left
her there instead of selling her the
right to wear his ducal coronet. They
both would have lived and died a deal
happier. I am sure"
YES" agreed Narkom. "They lived
a veritable cat and dog life. | believe,
although it was years before my
time. or yours either. for the matter
OF that, SO 1 can speak only from
hearsay. His grace didn't find Miss
Simkins, the brewers daughter so
enviable a possession after marriage
she held the purse strings-and held
them closely, too-he got precious
little but abuse and unhappiness out
Of the bargain. The lady. feeling
herself miles above her former con-
nections when she became duchess.
as her husbands family would have
none of her at any price, she simply
made enemies for herself on both
sides. 1t was perhaps just as well for
all concerned that there were no chill
dren.'
"And at the dukes death. some ten
or a dozen years ago. the title passed.
! believe. to his younger brother, who
in his turn died about eighteen months
ago and passed it on to a cousin, a
young fellow of about two and twenty,
who had recently married girl as lit
was he himself"
YES" replied Narkom. "And as his
grandmother was one of the ladies who
had been bitterest in cutting the ex-
Miss Simkins, the old girl never let any
OF her sympathies or her sovereigns so
up to her. talked about 'upholding the
dignity of the name and all that, but
1t was no go; old Moneybags wouldn't
part with silver So the interview
wound up with some pretty plain
speaking on both sides. and the young
duke flung himself out of the house in
towering passion and with no good
will toward her. which was a bad
thing all round. and particularly bad
for him.
"Why?"
Because that happened only the day
before yesterday. Last night the old
duchess was murdered, and, so far as
can be ascertained with certainty, he
was the last person with her and the
last to see her alive"
Hum m m!' said Cleek, pulling
down his lower lip and frowning at his
toes. Not nice that, for the duke,
must admit
mot at all NICE" agreed Narkom.
"As matter of fact, should not be at
all surprised if warrant for his ares.
course, there is the Hindu to be taken
into consideration. AS you yourself
said. those beggars have always been
after the stones.'
'"oho! So there's a Hindu in the af-
fair. is there?"
Eyes. Been hanging about the place
for weeks and weeks, trying to
make friends with the servants Ped
dies embroidered table covers, silk
scarfs, crepe shawls, lucky charms and
things of that sort. Hasn't missed COM
ing, the housekeeper tells me, one soli-
tary day for the past month until the
present one. OF course, he may turn
up before night. although it's hours and
hours past his regular time for calling.
But. at the same time, it must be ad-
mitted that it has queer look.
Then. too, there's third party, or,
indeed, might as we'll say third and
fourth. for they are brother and sis
ter, Miss Lucretia Spender and her
brother Tom. They've relations of the
late duchess on the Simkins side,
Mother was an aunt of hers Not par
ticularly prepossessing, either of them.
Run a second hand clothing shop over
in Camden Town: down on their luck
and expected the brokers in. Came to
see the duchess in the effort to borrow
money. She bundled them out neck and
crop, and the brokers did come in and
they went into the streets, poor
wretches! That was ten days ago. But
both were seen hanging about the
house last night as late as IL o'clock.
The murder was committed and the
jewels stolen somewhere between mid
Cleek looked up.
beginning instead of giving me the case
piecemeal in this fashion, Mr.. Narkom."
he said. How did it all start? Was
last night?'
mo; but Capt. and Mrs. Harvey
Glossop were, and the thing happened
at their house, within stones throw
of Hyde Park corner"
Capt. Harvey Glossop."\ repeated
Cleek. Happen by any chance that
he's related to Glossop, the big COM
pany promoter who floated 'Sapayo'
and made 'Oxine' household word
three years ago?"
Same man. Worth a million sterling
If he's worth a penny. IAn't really a
military man, you know. Was cap
tain in the volunteers up to the time
Of their disbanding. Topping fine fell