Evening star., 1920-02-15
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.i"" WIN Was unuOuDtedly mur-
oered was your cousin Lionel at all"
The fugitive from justice started as
II struck. mot Lionel?" nc echoed.
mo, feel not. I think no WAS Just
merely some poor namelcss devil Of
. tramp horribly hungry, or very i'll,
who tried to force a way into your
house."
impossible. He said he was Lii
onel." burst out the other.
Il disagree. He said nothing of the
sort You asked him II he was, and
ne made murmur or sign Of assent,
or course he did. That was to avoid
being charged with housebreakinr.
Despite his condition he kept his wits
together"
"But-but I reconized him." STAN.
mered Hambro.
Il disagree again. You plainly snid
that you had seen very little Of your
cousin. Now since he had been left
that great property you had natu-
rally thought about him a great deal.
He had vanished utterly. Was he
dead? Would he ever come back?
Vital questioning for you who were
separated from fine fortune by this
one mysterious life. You dreamed
Lionel. You took him with your
meals. You We're already prepared
possibly for as queer a return as his
disappearance had been. And when
that nameless wretch fell into your
conservatory the thought of your
relative rushed into your mind Be-
sides. you said he had cut himself
with the glass. and blood from his face
would assist rather than check your
imaginative recognition. Also very
possibly some likeness did exist"
At this juncture l cut in with
Wrong, Tredways You have forgot
ten the love letter and the ring with
the lock of hair.">
(which the poor fellow knew nothing
about" was the cool answer 'They
were put where they were found in
order that he might seem to be Lionel
Hambro without doubt; in order that
when dead-for at that time he was
believed to be dying-he might be bur-
led under that name Yet he did not
die natural death. for he was murder
ed. Who murdered him? Some single
member of secret society of mscreants
having it's headquarters In the city of
Prague. which Is famous for that sort
of vermin.
THAT Lionel Hambro was once con-
nectcd with such fraternity 1 feel GER
tain. His mysterious doings in that
city might be poor argument; a much
stronger is afforded by that abrupt fare
we'll of his to society. Remember.
Francie, that know something Of those
rodent, those carth-burrowing brother
hoods There was one rooted out three
months back called The Upas' When
one of themselves deserted or, realizing
the more than doubtful methods Of the
IraternYy, attempted to give informa-
ton to the authorities, they did two
things to him: They fired a pistol ball
through the center of his left hand, maxi
Ing clean hole there by way of brand;
and they sentenced him to lasting ban
ishment from every lane of life in which
he had moved. The condemned had to
cut adrift from every one he had known
and to leave his country for good Any
attempt at return was met by death.
II believe that Lionel Hambro suffered
this sentence. 1t fits the facts He van
ished without word Of explanatio save
that brief line Of goodbye to his fancee.
Suddenly, In the person of this unknown
derelict. he seemed to have turned up
The thing was talked about Doubtless
the medical man chatted of 1t a good
deal. 1t swiftly reached the ears of
Lioners enemies. one of whom was
naturally nearby on the watch that
Lionel should not return to claim his
fortune. This emissary struck. He en-
tered the sick mans room. There was
no need for violence. He found the
phial Of tincture Of opium, and he used
1t. He worked in the dark, remember
He had no proper sight of the patient.
but then he had no reason to doubt"
But the letter in his pocket the rins.
the lock of hair?" 1 persisted. who
put them there?"
At that instant we heard the sound
OF Footsteps on the stairs. Hambro
rose to his feet, very white, the fear
Of capture staring out of his ewes.
But Tredways went on, very steadily:
who put them there? Kellman did.
Now another reason why I am sure
the murdered man was not Lionel
Aambro IL because the Disagreement
Of hole in the middle of his left
hand was not noticed. and simply