Evening star., 1918-08-04

erts' the probabilities were In favor
Of the former supposition-or 20 he
said to himself. as he swung the
clock back into place.
When Mrs. Weston returned he was
standing as patiently as possible In
the middle of the room, saying over
and over to himself to insure remem-
brance till he could tot the lines
down in his notebooks: Bossberg.
Lucerne love but thee-and
His interest In this slight and
doubtful clue, however, sank into In
significance when, having unlocked
and unstrapped the trunk which Mrs.
Weston pointed out, he saw TO his
Roberts clothing--the one thing in
the world toward which at this exact
moment his curiosity mainly pointed.
II only he might help her handle tho
heavy coats which lay SO temptingly
on top! Should he propose to do SO?
eve. he felt that he did not dare. To
rouse the faintest suspicion in this
woman's intelligent mind would be
fatal to all further procedure, and 80
he stood indifferent. while she lifted
carefully on the bed. He counted five
coats and as many vests--and was
racking his brains for some plausible
excuse for nearer inspection when
she stopped in the midst Of her work
with the CHEEKY remark:
'"rhat will do for tonight. Tomor-
row I will look them all over for
moths before hanging them away in
the closet" IT,.
And he had to go. leaving them
lying there within reach Of his hand.
whom one glance at the lining ofsa
certain coat which had especially
attracted his eye might have given
him the one clue he most needed.
The room which had been allotted
to him in this house was in the rear
stairs. AS he Sought it that night. he
cast quick glance through the mar.
row passageway opening Just beyond
his own door. Would it be possible
for him to thread those devious ways
and reach Mr.. Roberts ,, room without is,9s
of her years had the alertness
Of watchdog with eye and ear
ever open2 To be found strolling
through quarters where he had no
suspected of taking personal interest
in the owners garments. He was OF
an adventurous turn, and ever ready to
risk something on the turn of die.
but not too much. A false move might
the airing these clothes were to get
and the nearness OF the clothes yard to
the pump he SO frequently patronixed
and all the chances which this Eave
for an inspection which would carry
little danger to one Of his ready wit.
So he. gave UP the midnight search
he might have attempted under other
circumstances, and shut his room from
the. moon and his eyes to sleep, and
seum, with it's hidden mystery en-
shrouding Its many wonders of high
art, or of a far-off time and far-off
scene. where IN the stress Of some
great emotion the, trembling hand Of
back Of this foolish clock for which
he still retained so great a fancy tho
couplet which he himself had SO faith
fully memorized s
II love but thee,
And thee will love to eternity
At 8 o'clock OH the following, morn
ing the quick strokes of the work.
at the end of the building where the
big inclosed .veranda was going up.
AS the clock struck Mrs. Weston
could be seen hanging up her masters
coats and trousers on n long line
stretched across the clothes yard.
They remained there two hours, view
ed from afar by Sweetwater, but NOT
approached till he saw the old woman
basket on her arm. Then he devel-
oped thirst and went rcarward to
the pump. While there he took look
at the sea. A brisk wind was spring.
ing UP. 1t gave him an idea.
Making sure that his fellow work.
men were all busy, he loosened one
end of the line holding the fiuttering
garments and then went back to His
work. As the wind increased, this
strain on the line became too great,
and soon he had the satisfaction OF
seeing the whole thing fall in one wild
flap to the ground. With an exclama-
tion calculated to draw the attention
of the men about him to what had
happened, he rushed to the rescue,
lifted the line and rearranged the
clothes. Then refastening--this time
securely--the end of the line which
had slipped loose. he returned to his
post, with just one quick and disap-
pointed look thrown back at the now
safe ii wildly fluttering garments.
He had improved his opportunity TO
examine the inside Of every coat and
had found nothing to reward his scru-
tiny. But 1t was not this which had
given him his chief annoyance.
1t was the fact that the one coat
from which he had expected the antici-
pated clue-the coat which Mr..
Roberts had certainly worn on that
tragic day at the museum-was not
there. summer overcoat had filled
out the number, and his investigation
was incomplete.
Why was that one coat lacking? He
was sure he had seen II the night
before lying on the bed with the
others Was 1t still there. or had
it been slowed away in drawer or
all try, ftxy4 49, las