Evening star., 1920-03-07
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the lire out or me in a more open
fashion. He'll alone knows the kind
OF poison that is in that tube OF rice
paper. But we shall f1nd 1t. out in
good time and so complete the case
against him. Now. Francie, what
have you to tell me-"
THAT the answer is mo- to both
questions"
80 I anticipated. We will now look
in upon Miss Wildrave."
On the way ] remarked to my COM
panion. 'Of course. the impending
crime to which you referred was this
attack upon yoursclf?"
"You think I should have made so
much fuss about my own skin?" he
laughed. At that moment a servant
opened the door to use.
Miss Wildrave went out ten min.
utes ago. sir" we We're told
"Alone"" snapped my companion.
"Mr. Edwards was with her, sir"
] said. Tredway's mutter, Good
God" under his breath. He fairly
pulled me away. "a cab, Francie!" he
calculated IN the tone of one mortally
afraid. MY soul, il that hound BEATS
u.s."
"What is the matter. Tredways?" l
demanded openly. as he fidgeted and
chafed and fretted and muttered.
Matter" ne echoed. only that
while we sit here Miss Wildraye may
actually be marrying Edw ardes at
registrars office!"
1t was touch and go, with ven-
geance. When we arrived on the scene
that sweet girl was on the very edge
Of putting-her signature to the all
important document. Edwardes saw
the game was up and made dash for
1t. He got past Tredways, but l tao
killed. him low. He want clean over my
shoulder and wall knocked the
senses out of him.
my dear Tredways." ! accosted my
friend that evening, as we sat in his
room and regarded each other over
the top of a cigar, "this thing has
wound itself out so quickly that l
most believe you have worked at st
not since yesterday morning, but from
the first hour OF my introducing you
to it. couple Of weeks ago.
Wrong, Francie, wrong. ] own that
we unraveled the thread with unusual
speed, but once ! made my prelimi-
nary discovery the rest, from the ma
ture Of the case, was bound to hap
pen smartly. Was 1 acting when l
said there was nothing in the affair?
I was quite sincere. l got my first
hint of the profound wher, examining
that Malayan painting merely as
work of barbarous art, / foun1 some
thing imbedded very deeply in the
woody fiber used as q native canvas.
1t looked like a tuft Of silk, of vel
low silk, and was well-nigh indis-
cernible on the background of color.
l extracted it with my pocket knife.
1t was precisely what I thought it
was: small dart tufted with silk,
very much like the we'll known darts
we used to discharge from air guns,
when we We're boys
ut was interesting, but scarcely sug-
gestive. A true suspicion was created
when Miss Wildrave spoke SO hesitat-
ingly of poor Branderwine's protege as
man of Malay blood who could trans
late the hieroglyphic. Now, I vas look
ing about for some party who had been
kept dark from US. You will remember
that on our arrival when wished to
reopen the case Miss Wildrave told me,
with no small agitation. that ] had too
long delayed. This statement she con-
firmed when l said. with intent. that
could do nothing for some weeks. What
could her distress mean? How was l to
interpret her fiushes her alternating
pallor? l translated it all by assuming
that she was about to give herself away
in marriage. I guessed the presence Of
an ardent. a long patient suitor in the
background l felt that she still loved
Oswald Street. whom. OF course. she
could not marry branded as he was; and
that she was soon to yield to this watt
ing. this pressing, this unknown third
lerson. But could he be Edwardes? II
seemed most likely. He had been dear
to her uncle, they had been near to each
other since childhood. All the same,
there WAS a certain amount of dark
blood in his veins. For that reason she
would keep his offer a secret. aware OF
strong opposition which would be
brought to bear on the part Of friends.
IAN this considered. + wanted to
know more about Edwardes. ] requested
his address. 1t was HAT which first
suggested to me the first gilnmer of
the terrible truth.
II know rreeward street. | have q
friend ut number five. rcclon.d up
l,A r,,. II, f.<, ,.,,l