Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-10
T o'clock precisely on that
Eric Neville. young, handsome.

IN sweltering 18th of August.
At Eric Neville. young, handsome
& - bebonair. sauntered through
the glass door down the wrought-iron
staircase into the beautiful. oId-fash-
toned garden of Berkeley Manor.
When Eric's trim. tan boot left the
last step of the iron staircase it reach
ed the broad graveled walk of the
garden. Fifty yards off, the head gar
dener was tending his peaches. the
smoke from his pipe hanging like
faint blue haze in the still air that
seemed to CULVER with the heat. Eric.
as he reached him. held out petit
tionary hand. too lazy to speak.
Without word the gardener stretch
cd for a huge peach that was striving
to hide its red face from the sun I'M
der a narrow ribbed leaf, plucked it as
though he loved it, and put il softly
In the young mans hand.
Bang,
The sudden shock of sound close 10
their cars wrenched the nerves of the
two men: one dropped his peach. and
the other his pipe. Both stared about
them in utter anaZemeDt-
Look there. sir whispered the gar
dener. pointing to a little cloud OF
smoke ooziuE lazjly through window
almost directly over their head, while
the pungent spice of gunpoWder maze
itself felt in the hot air,
MY uncle's ROOM gasped Eric. Il
left him only q moment ago fast asleep
on the sofa"
He turned as he spoke. and ran along
the garden walk, up the iron steps
and back through the glass door into
the house the old gardener following
as swiftly as his rheumatism would al
low.
Eric crossed the sitting room on
which the glass door opened. went w
the broad, carpeted staircase four
steps at a time, turned sharply to the
right down q broad corridor. and hurst
straight through the open door of his
uncle's study.
Fast as he had come there was an
other before him. \ tall, strong figure.
dressed in light tweed. was bending
over the sofa where 4 few minutes be
fore Eric had seen his uncle asleep.
Eric recognized the broad back and
brown hair at once
"John." he cried-''John. what is it?'
His cousin turned 10 him a handsome
face, CHASTITY pale now even 10 the
lips
Eric. my boy" he answered, falter-
fngIy, this is too awful Uncle has
been nurdered-shot stone dead"
NO no; il cannot he. It's not FIVE
minutes since l saw him quietly sleep
ing" Eric began. Then his eyes fell
on the still figure on the sofa, and he
broke off abruptly
Squire Neville lay with his face 10
the wall, only the outline of his strong
features visible The charge of shot
had entered at the base of the skull,
the gray hair was all dabbled with
blood, and the heavy, warm drops
still fell slowly on TO the carpet.
-
ed out, almost speechless with horror.
1T must have been his own gun" his
cousin answered. 1t was lying there
on the table, to the right. barrel still
smoking, when l came in
1T wasn't suicide-was it," asked
Eric. in a frightened whisper.
quite impossible. | should say. You
see where he is hit
But il so sudden. ! ran the mo-
ment / heard the shot, ana you were
before me. Did you see any one?''
Not soul The room was empty.
But how could the murderer es-
"Perhaps he leaped through the win
dow: II was open when I came in"
HE couldn't do that Master John"
II was the voice of the gardener at
the door ME and Master Eric was
right under the window when the shot
came"
SON"
ITS not for me to say. sir
John Neville searched the room with
eager eyes. There was no cover in it
large enough FOR a cat. \ small book
case in the corner was the rooms sole
claim TO be called 4 STUDY The hug
leather-coyered sofa on which the
corpse lay, a massive round table in
the center Of the room and . few heavy
chairs COMPLETED the furniture. The
dust lay thick on everything the fierce
sunshine streamed in a broad band
across the room.
Come. Erie John said softly, we
can do no good here
I'VE had best look round first, hadn't
we, for some clue?' asked Eric and
he stretched his hand toward the gun,
but John stopped him.
'No. no." he cried hastily. I'VE must
leave things just as we find them. I'll
send a man to the village for WardIe
and telegraph to London for a de-
tective.'
He drew his young cousin gently