Evening star., 1921-08-17
Continued from Yesterdays star.)


"Police-w The clerk gripped the
edge of the showcase. '"Those-those
Have you been on every night this
week?" McCarty interrupted.
"Y-yes. sir!"
ais there any other public telephone
booth in the neighborhood?" IN
"None any place that keeps open all
night" The clerk seemed to be satheF-
"Do you have many calls from mere
between midnight and early morning.
The clerk shook his head.
'Not unless somebody's SICK.
"Did anybody come in here ana use
that phone last night?"
TCertainly: a lot of people early In
the evening. but after midnight" He
paused and his eyes widened.
mo one came in here to phone after
that until-until half-past 4 in the
"Who was that?" McCarty asked
sharply. Some one from the neighbor-
1T was Mr.. Hildreth! I was sur:
prised, for he looked very bad
and l thought that he must be
sick and have come in for
some medicine. but ne said that he
in the booth and closed the door ana
/ didn't hear what number he called.
but it must have been a city one. for
he was only in there minute. When
he came out he looked so pale that
thought ne was going to keel over and
stimulant. Of course. l fixed him up
a dose with a dash Of strychnine In 1t
and 1t seemed to pull him together. he
said he had been out OF town on a
business matter and travelling all nlght
to get back; that his train should have
in ot patdpi0hf hr,f DELAYED
and he had to phone to his partner at
the earliest possible moment. 1t did
strike me as funny that he hadn't tele-
phoned from the station IL 1t was as
important as all that. but 1 didn't say
so. / was kind of sleepy. and 1t wasn't
home and settled down for a nap In
my chair behind the cash register"
Ibid you see him again before ne
came in tonight?"
mo" The clerk hesitated. II don't
know what you've got against the Hid
reths and I'd hate to get them into
any trouble, for they've been good Gus
toners here and pleasant to deal with
I'd never believe word against Mrs.
Hildreth. anyway"
here often" McCarty eyed him quizzi-
cally. when did you see her last?"
There was a pause and then the clerk
replied with evident reluctance:
Early this morning"
How early?"
fellows would find out. somehow! l,
was just before 5, less than half an hour
after her husband left. l told you I'd
settled down for a nap; well. l was
reused by the bell that rings whenever
the door is opened and looked up to see
as neat as wax. but this morning she
looked as though she had just thrown
on her clothes every which way. and
she seemed excited, too, about some
thing. She asked in that soft foreign
voice Of hers IL she could use the tele-
town call this time. for she was in the
booth nearly twenty minutes and
heard money rattle in the slot two OF
three times. She thanked me when she
came out. but didn't try to explain about
the call the way her husband had 3 abou,
his" He paused and added: I'll tel
you one thing l think. sir; whatever l,
was that happened to make her hus-
band look more dead than alive it Ger.
tainly put new life into her. She walked
out OF the store as though she was
treading on air."
Mccarty frowned thoughtfully. He
had found confirmation of his suspicious
from a totally unexpected quarter and
one Of the minor mysteries OF the case
was cleared up. but 1t led him no nearer
to the truth; rather by Its very nature
it raised complexities which he had mol
hitherto considered.
We may want you," he said at last
''what Is your name?"
"Willis Udell. and you'll find me here
or in the nat over the shop any time
done nothing to be afraid Of YOU fellow.
for, nor said word can't stick to, but
hope you are mistaken about the
Hildreths.
He shook his. head lugubriously aftel
them as they left the shop and wher
the door had closed behind them Dennis
too, drew a deep breath.
rwell. that settles the two phone
calls. anyway" he commented. THE
whole thing is as plain as the nose OF
your face. Mac. The man that killed
Creveling was
night" McCarty interrupted impa
tiently. "Come on till we hop a cal
and you'n hear what the inspector
has to say about it! He's waiting fol
US dow ntown.'
But when they presented them
selves at headquarters Inspector
Druet appeared to be very much o.
told the whole story of the night
vicissitudes. sparing himself not a
all in the recital for permitting tn,
woman known as Mrs. Hildreth" II
escape, but the inspector did no
censure him. Instead he listened
thoughtfully until the end and thel
brought his hand down resounding
! ly on the desk before him.
THAT is about the last link W,
needed in the chain of evidence.
| think" he declared. We'll clean thi
case UP in record time now, Mac
Don't worry about the woman; sh'
| won't get away from US again nov
, that we know she Is in the city. ant
Yost has phoned that Hill is bacl
| in the Creveling house. He's campet
| outside the fellows door now"
"Did you hear anything from Mar
tin. sir?"
mo, but the officer on the beat VI
there on Sd avenue called up to sa!