Evening star., 1918-06-02
RIDDLE OF THE 5:2s
CONTINUED FROM LAST sunday

In the remainder of the
SS bun. Then he ducked
down and slipped away. And Cleek.
stepping back into the shadow.
where his features might not
be too clearly seen until he was
ready that they should be. stood and
narrowly watched the small process
sion which was being pi1oted to the
scene of the tragedy. A moment later
the four persons already announced
passed under Cleek's watchful eye and
stood in the dead mans presence.
Lady Stavornell. tall. graceful, beauti-
full, looking as one might look whose
lifelong martyrdom had come at last
to glorious end; Capt. Crawford,
bronzed. agitated. tride nervous.
short Of stature, slight of build, with
a rather cynical mouth and a small
dark mustache; the Hon. Mrs. Brink
worth, timid, dove-eyed, little wisp
OF woman. with a clinging, pathetic,
almost childish manner. her soft eyes
a-quiver with pain. the marks of
tears on her lovely little face, and,
last OF all, Col Murchison, heavy, bull
necked. ponderous Of body and pur-
%enament Rle 9n nisaEe: of self. E. vine breathing
Hum nm" muttered cleek to
himself, as this unattractive person
passed by. Not he-not by his hand.
He never struck the blow-too cow
little woman! poor little woman!"
And his sympathetic eyes went past
the others-past Mrs. Brinkworth,
sobbing and wrining her hands and
calling piteously on the dead to speak
and dwelt long and tenderly upon
Lady Stavornen.
A moment he stood there silent,
watching, listening, making neither
movement nor sound: then Of sud-
den he put forth his hand and tapped
Narkom's arm.
"Detain this party, every member of
1t, by any means. on any pretext, for
another forty-five minutes" he whis-
pered. II said the assassin was a
fool; I said the blunders made 1t pos
night, did I nota Wait for me. In
three-quartefs Of an hour the mur-
derer will be here on this spot with
meP Then he screwed round on his
heel, and before Narkom could speak
gone. just as he used to go in his VAN
fshing Cracksman's days. leaving Just
that promise behind him.
III.
It wanted but thirteen minutes OF
being midnight when the gathering
about the siding where the shunted
carriage containing the body Of the
murdered man still stood receiving
romething In the nature Of shock
when. on glancing round as a sharp
whistle shrilled a warning note, they
saw an engine. attached to one soli-
tary carriage, backing along the met
ais and bearing down upon them.
Il say, Mr.. knockem. or Narkim. or
whatever your name is" blurted out
the Hon. Mrs. Brinkworth by the arm
and whisked her back from the met
ais, leaving his daughter to be look
ed after by Capt Crawford. look out
for your blessed boobies. Somebody's
shunting another coach in on top of
us; and II the ass doesn't look what
he's doing. There! / told you"
as the coach in question settled with
a slight jar against that containing
the body Of Lord stavornell. "of all
Might have killed some Of us. What
next. I wonder?"
What next. as a matter Of fact, gave
him cause for even greater wonder;
for. as the two carriages met, the
door of the last compartment in the
one which had just arrived opened
briskly, and out of it stepped first a
couple of uniformed policemen. next
ginger haired youth with kit-bag In
one hand and a saveloy in the other.
then the trim figure of the lady who
had SO long and popularity been known
in the music hall world as Fifi de
Lesparre, and last Of all "Cleek"
blurted out Narkom, overcome with
amaZement, as he saw the serenely
alighting figure. And "Cleek" went
in a little rippling murmur through
out the entire gathering, civilians and
local police alike.
"All right, Mr.. Narkom," said C1eek
himself. with a slight shrug Of the
shoulders Even the best Of us slip
up: sometimes. and since everybody
knows now. we'll have to make the
best Of 1t. Gentlemen. ladies. you. too.
my colleagues, my best respects. Now
to business" Then he stepped out of
the shadow In which he had alighted
into the full glow of the lanterns and
the flare which had been lit close to
the door of the dead mans carriage.
conscious. that every eye was fixed
upon his face. and that the men,
bers Of the local force were silently
and breathlessly "spotting" him. But
In that moment the weird bfrth-gift
had been put into practice. and Mar
kom fetched a sort of sigh of relief
rs he saw that q sagging eyelid. a
twisted lip. q queer, blurred some-
thing about all the features had Sc.
upon that face q living mask that bid
enectY14ly the face he knew SO wei.
- -ssssssssr he repeated. "hh.
yes. quite so. my dear Cleek. ShfU /
tell the ladies and gentlemen Of your
promise? Well. listen. Mr.. Cle3k is
r.