Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1918-07-21

Leaving Scarlet Runner in her
garage. he went to his club and picked
up the last edition of his favorite
paper.
His eyes ran down column after
column OF the pages on which such
news might be displayed, and finally
caught at a paragraph headed "Mys-
terry of Motor Car"
Here we are" Christopher NUT
tered. beginning 10 read with interest.
But to his disappointment, the para
graph had nothing TO do with the af-
fair at Tilton-on- Sea.
Yesterday morning" he read. 'an
empty motor car was discovered on
the Oxford Road. A party Of laborers
going to work saw new-lOoking. blue
painted car of moderate size stand
ing by the roadside. with no one In it.
They gave information to the police OF
Needleham. the nearest town, and
horse was sent out 10 tow the auto
mobile TO the police station. There 1t
was recognized during the morning as
the property of gentleman who had
arrived al a hotel the evening before,
unaccompanled by chauffeur. This
gentleman had already left town, but
as he had gone by rail he was traced
to oxford. about ten miles distant.
| Interviewed there on the subject Of
the lost car he changed color. and ap-
peared at first somewhat agitated at
| learning where il had been found. But
he expressed himself delighted 10 hear
of its recovery. offered a reward to the
men who had given the information.
and returned by the next train to
| Needleham, where he took charge OF
his property. The gentleman's name
as il appeared In the visitors book OF
/ the Bell and Bush Hotel of Needleham
was John Smith. London. He refused
to lodge a complaint against any per-
son for the theft of his motor. though
he did not deny in so many words that
he knew who had taken it. He was
not. he said. altogether surprised
that II should have disappeared, but
| further than this he declined TO be in
terviewed. Mr. Smith and his car left
Needleham Immediately; but its
stranding in the woods remains a mys-
| terry which has aroused considerable
! local interest"
a new-looking. biue-painced car of
moderate size" Christopher repeated
TO himself. This was a queer coin
cidence, to say the least"
IL the London papers Eext day We're
paragraphs concerning the finding OF
an automobile on the East Coast in
curious!y suspicious circumstances,
and several journals cited the occur
renee at Needleham as queer coiuci-
| dence. The Daily Recorder, a half
| penny paper OF great prominence and
/ popularity, seized with eagerness i
| choice morsel which might be worked
into Il sensation for the approaching
silly season."
! Ii was while Christopher was read
/ ing the column under a somewhat SEN
sational heading. which the Daily Re
| corder gave TO the mystery OF Tilton-
on-Sea. that the maid who brought his
breakfast brought with II a visiting
card. The name was an unfamiliar
| one, but the magic words, Daily Re
corder," were printed beneath, as a
kind Of open Sesame" to closed
doors.
Tell the gentleman to come up"
said he TO the little servant who had
brought him so many queer messages
and visitors of late
In another moment a spruce-iooking
young man appeared-not an ordinary
|
tive deputed TO ask Mr.. Races help
in solving the mystery of the blue mo-
tor-car. The matter was TO be taken
up" by the Journal, and a reward was
to be offered for information.
He agreed TO the proposal, and
once. the Daily Recorder giving him
carte blanche as to his proceedings.
The first thing that Christopher did
was to proceed in Scarlet Runner TO
Needleham. pretty little town which
had just Outgrown villagehOod. At the
best hotel he obtained a description
Of Mr.. John Smith, Of London. From
Needleham he went to oxford (whith-
er Mr.. Smith had journeyed by train),
and sought the hotel where the miss.
ing man had been found. There he
had given no name, but had beer
traced by the police Of Needleham
through a cabman. Mr.. Smith had
been interrupted while lunching: ant
as he had not asked for a room, Il
was supposed he had not intended Il
spend a night