Evening star., 1920-02-01

since your imprisonment"
No. sir. My wife has been keeping
1t together"
Excellent. is she methodical per-
SOM"
The bookseller looked bewildered.
Il trust she is, for in. that case she
may have retained the correspond
ehce OF the business making it pos
siple that you may find the card you
mentioned, that postcard from an un-
known customer asking. you TO re-
serve the History of the Peruvian
Aporigines,' in ten volumes. want
that card. Spells. Do you think you
can lay hands upon it?"
Il might" replied the bookseller in
gloomy tone, utterly devoid of in
'eFest. MY wife's last words were
mat she would keep everything in
tact. She never doubted nv in
noeence' gentlemen" he, added in
burst OF feeling. .,....
VI course not" echoed Tredways.
warmly. as he showed our visitor to
the door. Tell her that you have been
70 me- and tell her what want"
lie closed the door. returned to his
seat by the fire and lapsed into a long
silence which he was the first to
break
"lf Spells did not kill Pendrill. some
one else did. Now that some one had
to enter the shop, make his wav to
the upper back room, attack the vic
TIM, convey the body to the disused
cellar. That would want doing. I
should say it was impossible--ridic-
uious on the face of it,"
'The theory of suicide was never
entirely shattered" ventured.
THAT does not explain the blow on
the foreheads which stunned Pendrill
into unconsciousness before he was
murdered"
Then you think that Spells did kill
him?"
How can ] think that? Would h. .
nave come here to have his conscience
cleared II he was indeed guilty? He
has been through prison He has moth
ing TO gain by weaving a tissue of
= hes Besides, I respect the opinion
you formed Of him in Chains an,
inclined with you to believe that W..
nave mere a case of justice deceived.
NO" "hat can we do? The harvest Of
evidence has been. reaped and gar
nered. What is left for me to CLEAN?
lt Is a situation which we must face
IN every instance Of a similar kind.
you know what that means, Frsncie?,
III means. as I told you, that YOU
VIII grapple with the impossible" L
answered. You will come far, far too
late on the scene"
Which l shall have to myself" he
added with laugh. That is some
thing at any rate. However, the like
.hhood Of failure In investigating such
cases is intense. I shall succeed
here and there. And / will tell you
how shall succedd-it will be by my
spotting some apparently utterly in
significant detail which Is in reality
a most vital value"
"Is that likely to happen" j doubt
ed;
1T may happen sometimes, Francie."
said Tredways earnestly. "It Is the
one thing to search for---this mere
trifie in the case, which was not reck-
oned with at the trial which sent an
innocent man to his fate. And as it
was not reckoned with 1t will have to
be very trifling indeed What Is the
time?'
Nearly 10 o'clock
Rather too late TO call upon Miss
Lucy Pendrill. We will pay her
visit early tomorrow morning"
"Ah, you are quite in the dark?"
II am quite intensely interested
Find me this lady's address, Francie.
You should be able to trace her. We
will visit her at this hour tomorrow
morning. Good night" M
AS the sensation of the case had
made Miss PendrilFs movements more
or less conspicuous my task was not
difficult She had been staying at
Rickmansw but had just let that
house furnished and had returned to
the house in Woburn place, which
WAS Pendrill's residence whef he was
alive. ..''
uogg Tredways' card obtained us a
ready interview. A shade Of surprise,
of pain, appeared on Lucy Pendrilrs
young, pleasant face as she listened
TO my .companion's opening remarks.
. Ia t,,lr