Evening star., 1918-06-02

ihttidtiNSs SiI, Iot the sake VI AeliC
and that dear. lovable old chap. her
father. 1 have saved fifty-eight
pounds. Mr.. Cleek. 1 had hoped that
that might tempt a clever detective
to take up the case. but what is such
sum to such a man as you?"
''If that is all that stands in the
way. don't let it worry you. my good
fellow" said Cleek. with a smile.
Put your fifty-eight pounds in your
pocket against your wedding day, and
for nothing. Now. then, what is it?
What the dickens did you mean just
now when you spoke about the lions
change ard the lions smile? What
lion-Nero? Here. sit down and tell
me all about it,"
There is little enough to tell, good
ness knows" said young Scarmelli,
with sigh, accepting the invitation
after he had gratefully wrung Cleek's
hand. and his iancee, with a burst of
happy tears, had caught it up as it
slipped from his and had covered it
with thankful kisses. That, Mr..
Cleek, is where the greatest difficulty
lies. There is so little to explain that
1t is only that the lion, Nero. that is,
the chevalier's special pride and spe-
cial pet, seems to have undergone
some great and fnexplicable change,
as though he is at times under some
evil spell, which lasts but a moment,
and yet makes that moment a tragi-
cal one. 1t began. no one knows why
or how. two weeks ago, when. with
out hint or warning. he killed the
person he loved best in all the world
less you have heard of that?"
Yes" said Cleek. bet what you
are now telling me sheds a new light
upon the matter. Am to understand,
then. that all that talk. on the bills
and in the newspapers, about the lion
being savage and a dangerous one
is not true. and that he really is at
tached to his owner and his owners
famiiy?"
YES" said scarmelli. He is. indeed.
ligent beast of his kind living. In
short, sir, there's not a bite in him;
and, added to that, he is over thirty
years old. Zelie, Miss di Roma, will
tell you that he was born in captivity;
that from his earliest moment he has
been the pet Of her family: that he
was. SO to speak, raised with her and
her brothers; that, as children, they
often slept with him; that he will
follow those he loves like any dog.
fight for them. protect them, let them
tweak his ears and pull his tail with
out showing the slightest resentment.
even though they may actually hurt
him. Indeed. he is SO general fa-
vorite. Mr.. Cleek. that there isn't an
attendant connected with the show
vino "ouiu HoS anu, iHoeeo, mas NOT
at some time, put his head in the
beasts mouth. just as the chevalier
does in public, certain that no harm
could possibly come of the act.
you may Judge. then. sir. what q
shock, what horrible surprise 1t was
when the tragedy Of two weeks ago
occurred. Often. to add zest to the
performance. the cheyalier varies 1t
by allowing his children to put their
heads into Nero's mouth instead of
doing $50 himself. merely making
fake of it that he has the lion under
such control that he will respect any
command given by him. That is what
happen ed on that night. Young Henri
was chosen to put his head into Nero's
mouth. and did SO without fear or
and pulled them apart, and laid his
head within them. as he had done a
hundred times before: but Of a sud-
den an appalling. an uncanny. thing
happened. 1t was as though some
supernatural power laid hold Of the
what a moment before had been
noble-looking animal Suddenly a
strange kissing noise issued from Its
jaws. its lips curled upward until 1t
smiled-smiled. Mr.. Cleek-oh. the
ghastliest. most awful, most blood
curdling smile imaginable and then
with sort of mingled snarl and bark,
it clamped its jaws together and
crushed the boys head as though II
were an egg-shell!"
He put up his hands and covered his
eyes as IL to shut out some appalling
vision, and for a moment or two moth
ing was heard but the slow sobbing
of the victims sister.
"As suddenly as that change had
come over the beast. Mr.. Cleek." Scar
melli went on presently. 'just SO
suddenly 1t passed, and It was the
docile afYectionate animal 1t had been
for years. It seemed to understand
that some harm had befallen its ia
vorite-for Henri was its fayorite-
and, curling itself up beside his body.
1t licked his hands and moaned dis.
consolately In a manner almost hu-
man. That's all there is to tell. sir.
save that at times the horried change.
the appalling smile. repeat themselves
when either the chevalier or his SON
bend to put a head within its jaws,
and but for their watchfulness and
quickness the tragedy Of that other
awful night would surely be repeated.
Sir, 1t is not natural I know now.
as surely as IL the lion itself has
spoken, that some one ia at the bot
tom of this CHASTITY thing; that some
human agency is at work, some un-
known enemy of the chevalier's is do
ing something-God alone knows
what or why-to bring about his
death as his sons was brought
And here, for the first time. the
chevaliers daughter spoke.
"Ah, tell him all. Jim, tell him ALL"
she said in her pretty broken Eng