New-York tribune., 1921-01-23

one, but one like it-pitched it or
the ground and jumped on it!"
u : Il x
Il HARLEY was quite unable to con.
ceal his smiles as the excited
old soldier dropped his conspicuous
headgear on the floor and INDUCED
in vigorous pantomime designed to
illustrate his statement.
"Most extraordinary" said Har.
ley. "What did you do?"
"What did | do?" reared the ma
jor. II gave him a crack on the
head with my cane, and said things
to him which couldn't be repeated in
court. I punched him and likewise
hoofed him, but the hat was CON-
pletely done in. Damn crowd COL
lected, hearin' me swearin' and bel
lowin'. Police and all that; names
and addresses, and all that balder-
dash. Man lugged away to guard
room and me turnin' up at the club
with no hat. Damn ridiculous spec
tacle at my time O. life" =
"Quite so," said Harley soothing
ly; II appreciate your annoyance,
but am utterly at loss to under
stand why you have come here and
what all this has to do with Mr.. De
Lana of the Stock Exchange."
''He fell out of the windowl"
shouted the major.
''Fell out of Window"
Out of a window, sir, a second
floor window ten yards up a side
street! Pitched on his skull-mar-
vel he wasn't killed outright!"
A faint expression of interest be-
gan to creep into Harley's glance.
II understand you to mean, Major
Ragstatf,' he said deliberately, chat
While your struggle with the drunken
man was in progress Mr.. De Lana
Tell out Of neighboring window
into the street,"
"Right" shouted the major
"Right, STRIP
do you know this Mr.. De Lana ?''
Never heard of him in nv life
the accident occurred. Seems
to me the poor devil leaned out to
see the fun and overbalanced. Felt
responsible, only natural, and made
inquiries. He died at 6 o'clock this
cvenin', sir"
Him." said Harley refectively. ~
still fail to see where / come in.
From what window did he fall?"
window above sort of tea shop.
called Cafe Dame--silly name. Place
on corner. Don't know name of
side street."
"H'm. You don't think he was
pushed out, for instance?'
Certainly not!' shouted the ma
jor; che just fell out, but the point
is, he's dead"
my dear sir" said Harley pa
tiently, II don't dispute that point :;
but what on earth do you want of
me?"
II don't know what I want!"
roared the major, beginning to walk
up and down the room, "but / know
amt satisfied, not easy in nv
mind, sir. ] wake up of a night
hearin' the poor DEVILS yell as he
crashed on the pavement. That's all
wrong. I've heard hundreds of
death yells, but he took up his
malacca cane and beat it loudly on
the tablet haven't woke up of a
night dreamin' l heard 'em again. {"
S1n a word, you suspect foul
play"
Il don't suspect anythingw cried
the other excitedly, "but some one
mentioned your name to me at the
club-said you could see through
concrete and all that-and here I
am. There's something wrong, radi
cally wrong. Find out what it is
and send the bill to me. Then per-
haps I'll be able to sleep in peace"
He paused and, again taking out
the large silk handkerchief, blew his
nose loudly. Harley glanced at. me
in rather an odd way. "There will
be no bill, Major Ragstatf," he said;
"but if / can see any possible line
of inquiry will pursue it and re-
port the result to you"
What do you make Of it, Har-
ley?" ! asked
Paul Harley returned work of
reference to its shelf and stood star
ing absently across the study.
"Our late visitors history does not
help us much" he replied. "a some
what distinguished army career, and
80 forth, and his only daughter, sibyl
Margaret, married the fifth Mar
quis Of lreton. She Is. therefore,
the noted society beauty, tho Mar