Evening star., 1918-06-02

ana InaC Ene never even ucdTu VI any
alteration in the date
"Ah. non. non! non! nevaire! I do
swear" chimed in Fiji herself. almost
hysterical with fright II know moss
ing-nossing!"
s'That is true" said Cleek quietly.
Fifi's complete innocence of any con-
nection with this murder
Then her husband?" ventured Capt.
Crawford agitatedly. Surely, you
have heard what Mrs. Brinkworth has
said about seeing him in town today"
"Yes. have heard, captain. But 1t
so happens that I know for a GER
tainty Mr.. Philippe de Lesparre had
no more to do with it than had his
wife"
"But. my dear sir" interposed the
colonel; "the-er-foreign person at
the station. the little slim man in the
Norfolk suit, the fellow with the lit
tie dark mustache? What of him?"
"a great deal of him. But there are
other men who are slight other men
answer for Capt Crawford here; and
If he, too. were in town today"
Il was in town" blurted out the
captain, a sudden tremor in his voice.
a sudden pallor showing through his
tan. But. good God. man! you-you
can't possibly insinuate-
mo. I do not" interposed Cleek.
Set your mind at rest upon that
point, captain. for the simple reason
dark fiction; in other words. he does
not and never did exist"
whats that" fairly gasped
Narkom. Never existed? But, my
dear Cleek, you told me that the
porter at London bridge saw him
Il told you what the porter told me;
what the porter thought he saw, and
what we shall, no doubt, find out in
time, at least fifty other persons
doUhs1sss dnoqgh. t1ss tss saw. saw: and and what was
in the forged note. The only man
against whom we need direct our at
tention, the only man who had any
hand in this murder. is a big, burly,
strong armed one like Col Murchi-
What's that?" roared out the colonel,
furiously. by the Lord Harry, do
you dare to assert that IL sir
killed the man?"
mo. do not. And for the best of
reasons. The assassin was shut up
in that compartment with Lord stav-
ornell from the moment he left Lon
don Bridge; and / happen to know,
colonel, that. although you were in
town today. you never put foot
9. aboard the 6:as from the moment
stopped: And at that final moment,
colonel" he reached round, took
something from his pocket, and then
held it out on the palm of his hand,
at that final moment. colonel. you
tai Palace Low Level with a lady,
whose ticket from London Bridge
mad never been clipped. and with this
air-pistol. which she had restored to
you, in your coat pocketm
W-W-what crazy nonsense is this,
SlT. i never the h1oscoH
in an my life"
"Oh. yes. colonel. Loader of Totem
ham Court road repaired the valve
Tor you the day before yesterday. and
Quick! nab him. Petrie, Well played,
After the king. the trump; after the
confederate. the assassin! And 50"
he sprang suddenly. like a jumping
cat: and there was click of steel. a
e9r,, ae scn despairing I; cry. then the rustic
crawford and Lady stavornell turned
and looked he was standing with both
hands on his hips. looking frowning-
~ down on the spot where the Honor
aDie MRS. Brinkworth lay. curled up
IN limp. unconscious heap, with a
pair OF handouts locked on her folded
wrists. A'Neu
Il said that when the murderer
was found. Mr.. Narkom." he said as
tne superintendent moved toward
saw or heard Of in all your life.
knew 1t was a woman from the
bungling. unmanlike way that pistol
was laid In the dead hand. The only
question l had to answer was which
woman-Fif, Lady Stavornell or this
wretched little hyprocrite. Here's
your little dark man. here's the as
sassin. The Norfolk suit and the
= false mustache are in her room at the
hydro. She made StavorneIl think
that she. too, was going to the fancy
ball. and that the surprise Fiji had
planned was for her to meet him as
she did and travel with him. When
the train was under way she shot
him. Why? Easily expnkaed, my
dear chap. His death made her little
son heir to the estates During his
minority she would e1ve the handling
OF the funds. With them she and
her precious hueSand would have a
gay life Of It in their own selfish
little way"
Her whae? Lord, man, do you
mean, mean to say that she and the
Were privately married seven
weeks ago, Mr.. Narkom. The certifi-
cate: Of their union was tucked away
bs Col. Murchison's private enects,
where 1t was found this evening"
How was the escape from the
compartment managed after the mur-
der was Accomplishment" said Cleek,
answering Narkom's query. as they
whizzed homo through the darkness
together by the last up train that
night. simplest thing in the world.
As you know. the 5:2S from Lordon
hrtdOo xDi% uA~