Evening star., 1918-05-19

your father wants to know why
sent for you to come up here again
pigeons are dead for want of food"
And for moment or two. after she
had closed the door and gone below
again. he stood looking at Mr.. Mar
kom and slowly rubbing his thumb
and forefinger up and down his chin.
Then. of a sudden
II think. Mr.. Narkom. we can fairly
decide. on the evidence of that nth
pigeon. that George Carboys left this
room voluntarily" returned Cleek:
that the bird brought him a message
of such Importance II was necessary
to leave this house at once and that.
not wishing to leave II unlocked while
he was absent. and not-because of
the captains inability to get back up
stairs afterward-having anybody to
whom he could appeal to get up and
lock 1t after him. he chose to get out
of this window and to go down by
means of that wistaria. l think. too.
we may decide that, as he left no
note to explain his absence. he ex-
pected to return before morning. and
that, as he never did return, he has
met with foul play. OF course. II is no
use looking for footprints in the gar
den In support of this hypothesis. for
the storm that night was a very Sc
we're one and quite sufficient to blot
out all trace OF them: but Look
gether. II message was sent him by
a carrier pigeon. where must that
pigeon have come from. since 1t was
one Of Miss Morrison's?"
why, from Van Nant's place. OF
course. 1t couldn't possibly come from
any other"
Exactly. And as Van Nant and
Carboys lived together-kept bachelor
hall-and there was never anybody
but their two selves in the house at
any time. why. nobody but Van Nant
himself could have dispatched the
bird Look at that fragment of burnt
paper lying in the basin of that can
dlestick on the washstand. II that
isn't all that's left of the paper that
was tied under the pigeons wing. and
il Carboys didn't use 1t for the pur-
pose of lighting the spirit lamp by
which he heated his shaving water.
depend upon it that in his haste and
excitement he tucked 1t into his pock-
ct, and IL ever we find his body we
shall find that paper on 1t"
His body? My dear Cleek. you
don't believe. that the man has been
murderer"
II don't know-yet. 1 shall. how
ever. II this Van Nant puts anything
in the way of my searching that
house thoroughly or makes any pre-
text to follow me while I am doing
SO. I want to meet this Maurice Van
Nant just as soon as / can. Mr.. Mar
kom. just as soon as 1 can"
And it was barely two minutes aft
er he had expressed this wish that
Miss Morrison reappeared upon the
scene accompanied by a pale. ner-
vous, bovine-eyed man of about
thirty-five years of age, and said in a
tone of agitation: Pardon me for
interrupting. Mr.. Headland. but this
is Mr.. Maurice Van Nant He is most
anxious to meet you. and father
would have me bring him up at
once"
Narkom screwed round on his heel
looked at the Belgian. and lost faith
in Miss Morrison's powers of dis
elimination instantly. On the dress
ing table stood Carboys' picture
heavy jowled. sleepy-eyed. dull-look-
ing and on the threshold stood a man
with the. kindest eyes, the sweetest
smile, and the handsomest and most
sympathetic countenance he had seen
rors of the soul. II the face Is the
index Of the character. then here was
a man weak as water. as easily led
as any lamb, and as gufleless.
You're just the man 1 want to see
Mr.. Van Nant." said Cleek. after the
first formalities were over. and as.
suming. as he always did at such
times. the heavy, befoggled express
sion of Incompetence. Il confess this
plexes me: but you. 1 understand
were Mr.. Carboys' close friend and
associate. and as I can find nothing
in the nature of clue here. 1 should
like. with your permission. to look
over his home quarters and see II
can find anything there"
II he had looked for any sign of
reluctance or Of embarrassment upon
Van Nant's part when such a request
should be made he was wholly dis
appointed. for the man, almost on the
point of tears, seized his hand. press
ed 1t warmly and said in a voice of
eager entreaty, "Oh. do. Mr.. Head
land, do. Search anywhere. do any
thing that will serve to find my
friend and to clear up this dreadful
affair. can't sleep for thinking of
or day.
You didn't know him or you would
understand how I am tortured and
how 1 miss him. The best friend.
the dearest and the lightest-hearted
fellow that ever lived. II I had any
all-all. Mr.. Headland. to clear up
the mystery Of this thing and to get
him back. One man could do that.
believe. could and would. IL I had
the money to o1er him..
Indeed. And who may he be.
1.-The great. the amazing. the un-
deceivabIe man, cleek. He'd get at
the truth of it. Nothing could baf-
fle and bewilder him. But-oh. well.
it's the old. old tale of the power of
money. He wouldn't take the case.
a high and mighty 'top-notcher' like
that. unless the reward was tempt
ing one. I'm sure"
mo. I'm afraid he wouldn't" agreed
Cleek. with the utmost composure.
calculations altogether. Mr.. Van
Nant. And now. il you don't mind
accompanying US and showing the
chauffeur the way. perhaps Mr.. Mar
kom will take us over to your house
in his motor"
Anything in the world to get at a
clue to this thing, Mr.. Headland.
anything. Do let us go, and at once"
once"
Cleek led the way from the room.
he excused the olea Of
having forgotten his maEnifying
glass and ran back to get it, Two
minutes later he rejoined them in
the little drawing room. where the
ing the whole time and attention
of his daughter. and, the motor be-
ing ready, the three men walked out.
got into 1t and were whisked away
to the house which once had been
the home Of the vanished George
Carboys.
It proved to be small, isolated
brick house in a very bad condition.
standing in an out-of-the-wav road
somewhere between Putney and VIM
bleton. 1t stood. somewhat back from
the road, in the midst OF a little patch
n ahaYndtn0 In nrfvAt and