Evening star., 1921-09-04

! bert. Under this last will Herbert
gets twenty thousand. and all the rest
goes to Godfrey. 1t was only signed
on the morning Of the murder"
known quantities in this equation" :"
Reggie said. SILLY. futile things facts
are. This set will do for. anything
you please. AS soon as he knew the
will was in his favor. Godfrey does
the old man in. Or when he heard
there was a new will cutting him out.
Herbert sees red and knife's the old
man. BY the way, Lomas. I suppose
the old boy was stabbed?'
What? Oh, damme, don't be clever.
sional surgeon and his own doctor.
Newton, they both went over the
body. Stabbed in the throat. We've
got the weapon. too. Sort OF stiletto
or dagger"
of the criminal investigation depart
ment. Sounds Italian" he murmured.
"It is Italian"
wife"
cafes. That's the kind she was. Yes.
| that's the proposition"
"Lomas. old thing. you ought to
| Italian singer, she leapt out of the
her stocking. and she fell upon the
dear, kind old gentleman and left
him weltering in his gore. Then she
put the dagger down, SO the gifted
| detective could find it. and went back
/ to dinner"
! 'It is silly. isn't it?' Lomas grinned.
| But there it is. don't you know"
'I don't KNOW" said Reggie For-
! tune. II don't know anything; 1 was
born of poor common-sensible par
| ents. and this is all crazy. 1 suppose
no roal1v WAS Stahhed?"
| You will harp on that. Go and
look at him in the morning. Hang 1t.
| man. the family doctor and the divi-
sional surgeon they ought to know
Italian wife-they were on velvet
anyway. The disappointed nephew
f. well. I suppose he still had his allow
know anything about Nephew Herbert?'
Man about town-society tame cat
usual vices, what? Plays a bit high.
/ He's nothing in particular"
| Don't sound like lurking stab
| ber," Reggie admitted.
! "People don't do these things. That's
the trouble. Queer case"
] II suppose the old man hadn't a
lurid past?"
Lomas shook his head. Most re-
spectacle old bird"
| Reggie stood up and gave himself a
full glass Of soda water. THE extra
ordinary efficiency of the assassin" !"
he said carefully. "Lomas, old dear.
observe the extraordinary efficiency
of the assassin. Mr.. s. Charlecote
comes out of his sons house. A few
yards from the door somebody kills
him so quickly, so neatly. that he
don't make one sound. And then
this extraordinarily efficient assassin
leaves his dagger for you to find"
who says he didn't make sound?'
Yes. Only them and no one else.
| That's a flaw. Little essays in the
obvious by 8. Lomas. Well, it's me
for the corpse. then"
| A ND SO in the morning, he called at
IA the mortuary. He was slightly
surprised to md the divisional sur
geon and DIR. Newton waiting for him.
He returned thanks. ELS there any
thing to which you'd like to draw
my attention. gentlemen"
| its q plain case, to my mind" said
the divisional surgeon.
II am always glad to have q spe-
"Of course. this sort Of thing is rath-
er out Of my line. I confess I can
hardly approach it calmly" :.
quite. Quite. Most distressin'.
suppose you knew him well. doctorT'
"An old patient. Mr.. Fortune. I may
say an old friend"
':Ah. yes. You know the family. of
| course"
sThey were once such an affection
ate family" haid DR.: Newton. IT'S
really terrible" He sighed. He was
a forfd, bearded man with a senti-
mental expression and manner. Poor
Charlecote! He never seemed to bear
up after Geonrey broke with him. But
who would have thought that strange
/ escapade. would have ended like this?''
so you think Geoffrey did the
Z beg your pardonr' Dr.. Newton