Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-23
THE glMIDDLE7 E7,ElNPL MURDER
A Detective Story by J. S. Fletcher

Nobody you could 90 to for informa-
tlon about the past?'' asked Spargo.
sNo--notodyl"
Spargo drummed his fingers on his
blotting pad He was thinking hard.
How old Is your father2" he asked
"ie was fifty mine a few weeks
ago., answered Evelyn.
:, and And how how old are you, and how old
nineteen"
Where were you born?"
Both o. us at San Gresorio, which
is in the San Jose province Of Argen.
tina. north Of Montevideo."
Your father was in business there?"
He was in business In the export
trade, Mr. Spargo. There's no secret
about that. He exported all sorts OF
things to England and to France
skins, hides. woods, dried salts. fruit
That's how he made his money"
You don't know how long he'd been
thcre when you we're born?"
"NG;' 'Ms. b. married u,,. b. wen, or,
there?"
mo. he wasn't. We do know that.
He's told us tho circumstances Of his
marriage, because they we're romantic
When he sailed from England to Bucnos
Aires he met on the steamer young
lady who. he said. wns like himself, re.
lationlcss and nearly friendless. She
was going out to Argentina as n gov
crness. She and my father fell in love
with each other, and they were mar
ried in Buenos Aires soon after the
steamer arrived"
"And your mother ia dead?"
My mother died before we came
to England. ] was eight years old,
and Jessie six. then"
And you came to England-how
long after thatT'
Two years
80 that you've been in England ten
years. And you know nothing what
ever OF your fathers past beyond what
you've told me?''
Nothinp--absolutely nothing"
Never heard him talk of--you sec,
according TO your. account, your father
was n man Of getting on to forty when
he went out to Argentina. He must
have had career Of some sort in this
speak of his boyhood? Did he never
talk Of old times. or that sort of
thing?"
II never remember hearing my father
speak Of any period antecedent to his
marriage" replied Evelyn.
Il once asked him question about
his childhood" said Jessie. HE an
swered that his carly days had not
been very happy ones, and that he had
done his best to forget them. So
never asked him anything again"
So that it really comes to this" re-
marked Spargo. "You know nothing
whatever about your father. his fam
lily. his fortunes. his life, beyond what
YOU yourselves have observed since you
were able to observe? That's about it,
isn't it?'
II should say that that is exactly
it," answered Evelyn.
Just so." said Spargo. And there
fore, as told your sister the other day
the public will say that your father hal
some. dark secret behind him. and thai
Marbury had possession Of II, and tina,
silence him. That isn't my view.
not only believe your father to be ab
solutely innocent. but believe that HI
| knows no more than child unborn o
| Marbury's murder. and I'm doing m,
| best to find out who that murderer was
BY the by. since you'll see nll about i
in tomorrow mornings Watchman.
may as we'll tell you that I've found ouI
who Marbury really was. He
At this moment Spargo's door wa,
| opened and in walked Ronald Breton
He shook his head at sight OF the tive
sisters.
~ thought I should find you here
| he said. "Jessie said she was coming
to see you, Spargo. 7 don't know what
good you can dol don't see what good
the most powerful newspaper in thu
world can do. Ny God !--everything'
about as black as ever it can be. Mr.
Aylmore---I've just come away from
him: his aolicitor. Stratton, and
have been with him for an hours
obstinate as ever--he will not tell more
than he has told. Whatever good car
| you do. Spargo. when he won't speat
about that knowledge Of Marbury which
he must have?"
..'Oh. we'll !" said Spargo. Perhaps
we can give him some information about
Marbury. Mr.. Anymore has forgotten
that it's not such difficult thing ia
rake up the past as he seems to think
it is. For example. as ! was just tell
ing these young ladies'. | myself nav.
Breton started.
"You have? Without doubt" he ex :
claimed
without reasonable doubt. Mar
bury was an ex- convict,
Spargo watched the effect Of this sud.
den announcement. The two girls
showed no sign of astonislment or OF
unusual curiosity; they received the
news with as much unconcern as II
Spargo had told them that Marbury
was a famous musician. But Ronald
Breton started, and 1t seemed to Spargo
that he saw a sense Of suspicion dawn
in his eyes.