Evening star., 1921-08-14

USING THE MANNlf 1INu "AASS'
tafns of her room. / was afraid for
| the house, sir, and 1 ran down and
knocked at the laboratory door.
Did the professor open it?
mo, sir"
| perhaps he did not hear you?"
| "Yes, he did, sir. l knocked ana
kicked for long time: then l ran back
to the house and found the fire mad
been put out"
| to the natter?
He was very angry when. next
saw him, sir, three days later
What did he say?'
THAT neither fire nor murder was
an excuse for interrupting him, and II
l did it again l would have to
Quite So" interrupted Malcolm
Sage.
"So you are confident in your own
| mind that no amount of knocking
at the door would have caused your
master to open it?"
| Quite certain, SIR" the butler said
F.. with deep conviction. IF he had
heard me numbering Mrs. Graham he
wouldn't have come out. He used to
say that man is for the moment, but
research is for all time. He was a
| very wonderful man, SIR" he added
+; so that to get into the laboratory
i some one must have had a duplicate
/ key"
mo, sir" the professor always bolted
| the door on the inside"
Then he must have opened it him.
self?"
He wouldn't. sir. I'm sure he
wouldn't"
! But how did Sir Jasper get in?"
"He was expected, sir, and when he
went to the laboratory the master al
ways ordered extra food. He was very
! absent-minded sir. but he always re-
membered that. He was very consider
! ate, sir, too. He never forgot my BIRTH
day." And he broke down completely.
! his frail body shaken by sobs. HE
: was so kind, sir, SO kind and thought
shall do without him."
| You have seen the body?" said NAL
colin Sage.
! "Yes, sir"
."Did you notice anything remarkable
rHe was more like he was some thirty
years ago, SIR"
tile seemed to have become suddenly
a much younger man?"
| yes. sir. I've been with him over
thirty years. and he looked very much
as he did then, except. Of course, that
| his hair remained gray" T.
apart from the food not being taken
In. you noticed nothing else that struck
| you as strange" queried Malcolm Sage.
| II can't think Of anything. sir" said
the old man at length, apologetically,
''only the marmalade, and that, Of
| course, wouldn't"
"The marmalade?' Malcolm Sage
| turned quickly.
man. Perhaps I oughn't to have mem
toned it; but the morning before we
! found him, the master had not eaten
any marmalade, and him SO fond of it.
l was rather worried, and 1 asked Mrs.
Graham if it was new brand, thinking
perhaps he didn't like it; but I found
| it was the same he always had'
HE never smoked?" Malcolm Sage
| asked at length.
. Meyer, sir, not during the whole
"Who cleaned the laboratory? 1t did
not look as il it had been unswept for
a week"
mo. indeed. SIR" was the reply. "the
professor was very particular. He al
! ways swept it up himself each morning.
1t was cleaned by one of the servants
, once a month";
you're sure about the sweeping-up?"
Malcolm Sage inquired.
"Quite certain, SIR
"That, I think, will be ALL"
Thank you. sir" said the butler, ris-
ing. t'Thank you for being SO kind-and
! understanding, SIR" and he walked a
little unsteadily from the room.
esT WAS afraid you wouldn't get any,
thing out of him, Mr.. Sage" said
Inspector Carton.
NO. remarked Malcolm Sage quietly,
nothing new; but an important corro-
borations Of the doctors evidence"
| H'What was that?"
THAT it was the murderer and not
Professor McMurray who ate Wednes-
days breakfast, luncheon and dinner" !"
] "Good Lord!" The Inspectors jaw
dropped in his astonishment.
| "I suspect that for some reason or
other he returned to the laboratory; that
accounts for the rough marks upon the
door fastenings as If some one had first
| torn them of and then sought to replace
them. After his second visit the mur-
derer evidently stayed too long, and was
afraid of being seen leaving the labora-
tory. He therefore remained until the
following night, eating the professors
meals. incidentally he knew an about
his habits"
s'Wen, I'm blowed il he isn't cool
UNI gasped the inspector.
Three weeks paSsed and there was
no development In the McMurray mys-
L 81. r.l- ~. 1,od .ool1n,7 s~,,o,.o1 <3,n.