Evening star., 1921-07-29
Continued from Yesterdays Star.


81 didn't know what to think" h
blurted out after moments hesita
ton. 81 heard MIR. AleXander's voic
and recognized it. Of course. but for al
knew he might have been the gues
Mr. Creveling was entertaining. The
he said something about murder ant
a strange voice answered. You know
the rest. sir; I'm giving it to yo'
| straight"
You've been with Million-a montl
Creveling for eleven years" McCart!
remarked slowly. using the nickname
with deliberate intent That's thre,
years before his marriage You ma!
have come through with all you know
| about tOnight'S affair, HILL but you'v.
| only done ii because we dug it out O
you. There's a lot more you know
about the man you've been working fol
and Pm going to have it,
There's been nothing since his mar.
riage that all the world don't know
and precious little before that. thanks
| to the reporters that We're forever bark
ing at his heels because he was free.
handed spender and liked a good time.
! the valet retorted. I'm not saying Mr.
Creveling was any angel in his younger
days, but there's nothing you can hang
! on him now
~ disremember just now what al
| the scandal used to be about him. but a
| look at the old newspaper files will give
, me line on that" McCarty spoke as
| though to himself. but he watched the
! other narrowly. Twas the usua!
thing. l suppose: wine and women anG
horses and cards. The first of them a,
! least he didn't give up when he mar
; r;cd. by your own testimony. but no"
| about the last? Has Creveling beer
gambling heavy lately, that you know
of? Did he have any quiet little games
| here"
Hill shook his head decisively.
.'He hasn't touched Il card in years
at least not that I've heard of. He
never even sat in at Mrs. Creveling's
bridge parties. After he married and
settled down he started in antique col
lscting: not paintings so much, but rugs
and tapestries and porcelains and rare
old books.
Regular passion it got to be with
him and he studied up on periods and
such. but then he was always natural
judge of good things, Mr.. Creveling
was"
McCarty pondered for a moment. The
other mans expression was AS inscrut-
! able as ever, but there had seemed to be
a thiniy veiled double meaning in his
last remark. Why had he been so OBJ
Viously on the defensive since the begin
ming of the interrogation? He was
shrewd and intelligent above the aver
age of his class: surely he must realize
the equivocal position in which he stood
with the inspector after his open de-
fiance and refusal to state where h<
mad himself been during those crucial
hours! McCarty tried another lead.
This house has a kind OF a new
look to it. in spite of all of the old things
Craveling collected" he observed.
'When was it built
"At the time of his marriage. sir:
he built it for his bride. There's not a
residence of its size on the avenue to
compare with it," The valet spoke with
almost personal pride
And twas him put up that high
blank wall at the back" asked Nc
Carty. "Why?"
Il never heard him say, sir. sup
pose he preferred it to the back courts
of the side street houses" The re-
serve deepened once more in HIS
tones. at may have been Mrs. CreveIing
who suggested it: | cannot say
Did anybody ever die here before?"
McCarty's own tones had lowered.
"Die?" The valet started nervouslv.
I'm this house, | mean. Has there
been a death here since it was built
mo, not until this
That's funny. | never heard of a
new house with never Il death in it
that sported ghost before" Nc
Carly seemed again to be rejecting
aloud and for a moment there was
silence while the other eyed him
aSkanre. At length he resumed:
You used your own latch key in
coming in a while ago: who else has
keys to the house,"
II don't know" The valet spoke in
evident relief. Rollins. of course
and his wife. The rest of the staff
We're supposed to turn theirs in to the
houSekeepar when they left. but they
may have had duplicates made The
houSekeeper went back to Scotland a
month ago when the esta blishmeut
was closed and Mrs. Creveling started
visiting. but I don't know what be-
came of the KEYS.
II suppose you do know, though.
what you're letting yourself in for by
since II o'clock?" inquired McCarty
You are the last so far as we know
i to have seen Creveling alive. you had
Il key to come and go as you please
and YOU won't try 10 make out an
alibi for yourself. It's liable to &c
hard with you"
Maybe" Hill commented without
bravadn. but there was peculiar
CLINT in his swiftly lowered. eyes
IF you're on this case Mr.. McCarty
PITS for you and the inspector to prove
that | was here after II. not for me
to prove that I wasn't. 1 know
American law. sir
In spite of his respectful tone there
was d covert challenge in it which
McCarty grimly accepted.
you've had reason to. maybe" he
retorted significantly. you've moth
ing more to add to what you've told
the inspector and me?-Then Wei
! just go back
A heavy. dull thud sounding from
the main hall broke into his sentence
and with common impulse both mer
turned to the door. McCarty reached
1t first and opening it stepped me
chanlcally outside just as the inspector
and Mr.. Alexander issued from the
breakfast room.
| Across the rotunda flooded with .
| minSling of pale sunshine and the
| more braZen electric lights. the foul
| men beheld a figure which momen.
tarily held them spellbound. A few step,
from the main entrance doors which haC
! Just closed behind her a woman stoot
| looking from one to another of them.
| Ash blond hair above deep viole
| eyes peeped from beneath her motor
hood and her tall. statuesque form
! sWathed in long satin coat which
! revealed rather than concealed it.
splendid lines was drawn up to it,
full height as she regarded them fo
a long minute in silence whicl
| none of them seemed inclined t.
| break.
At last her lips moved and will
perfect self-possession she inquired
slowly:
! "nat is II, please? What has hap
| pened to my huSband?"
The woman's tones were low ant
! well modulated. but they seemed t.
soar to the topmost reaches of tn,
galleried rOtunGa in the momentous
ness of their question. and as the!
! died away in quiverins silence ever
the matter-of-fact McCarty felt
cold shiver as of apprehension
1t seemed an age before Georg,
Alexander with a little nervous clear
| ing of his throat advanced to NEE
her.
MY dear Myra!" There was mingled
aStonishment and dismay in his yojc,