Evening star., 1921-08-13
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER.
Continued from Yesterdays star.)

your former COiledSue' VI
petitor, Mr.. Wade Terhune. has aireaas
paid me a call and he told me that
might expect you shortly. Mr. cua,el and
dropped indolently into cnaiI on"
stretched out his long; sitiit teII ne Won any
1hinS can about our late friend Eugene
Creveling." bafore him
and left that ironic warnlng' knoM tnS {,
that it would be repeated. and his
stified a profane observation anu ne ne
own honest blue eyes Travelled IN sWiil
appraisal over his companion. ne saw
a man in the late forties with DARK,
lean, almost ascetic face ana mar JUS
craving at the temples; man VINO
bore himself with the cordial but uh =
consciously aloof air OF an arls'ocra. :
and yet about whom there appeared
to be an alert tensity as OF one haDlt-
ually on guard. There seemed 10 MG-
Carly to be something vaguely 1amll-
lar about that expression; upon whose
face had he encountered II beIore:
you'll excuse me for intruding on
you, sir, but we've hardly any clues
to work on and it's only through MT.
Creveling's friends and associates that
we can hope to get line on him'
McCarty began at last. 'We're trying
to find out what motive ne could nave
had for killing himself.
Mr.. Cutters eyebrows went up ana
he put the tips of his long, slender.
tapering fingers together.
$50? The authorities have come to
the conclusion that it was suicide?
That is not the impression 1 gathered
from Mr.. Terhune."
=. "Mr Terhune is a private detective,
sir; a scientific criminologiSt, he calls
himself, and u wonder he is in some
respects with his little recording ma
chimes and such, but I'm special dep
nfv n
old school. Suicide the assistant med
ical examiner names it. and as a sui
eide I'm investigating the case" Nc
Carty's tone was that of one har-
nessed to routine, but there was a
speculative CLEAN in the gaze he be-
slowed upon his host.
Mr.. Cutter shook his head.
Of course. you know your business.
Mr.. McCarty, and your medical eX-
pert's diagnosis ought to be conclu-
sive. but isn't there room for doubt ?
I'm not actually insinuating that some
one broke in and shot Mr.. Creveling,
all sides?'
IF there was room for doubt that
1t was suicide what else are you
thinking of but murder, Mr.. Cutter?"
McCarty demanded
The other shrugged.
nave formed no opinion. person.
1lly. can no more conceive of Mr..
Creveling killing himself than 1 can
OF any one wishing to take his life.
yet the fact remains that he is dead
IRON the shot of a pistol fired by his
his hand or that of another. If the
authorities are satisfied that it is a
case OF suicide that is one step on the
way to its solution"
You've known Mr.. Creveling a long
timer
Since he left the university, but
only casually in those earlier years.
He was having his fling in the bright
lights and my tastes drew me in quite
another direction; it was only after
his marriage and through a mutual
tact with him and discovered that
we had an interest in common which
rendered US congenial."
And what was that interest, Mr.
Cutter? McCarty asked quickly.
"A love of the beautiful in all
things-textiles, books, paintings,
porcelains. sculpture. 1t had lain
dormant in him but with me it was
innate, the passion of a lifetime; he
had the acquisitive zeal of collector
and I the appreciation of an heredit-
ary possessor, but I was naturally in
terested in finding a kindred spirit
where had least thought to discover
one. If you were a connoisseur, Mr..
McCarty. you would understand what
a pleasure it was to me to instruct
III
made many mistakes but /he was
learning-he was learning. What a
pity!'
Yes. SIR" McCarty agreed grave
~. Who was the mutual friend that
brought you together"
''Mr. Douglas WaverIy"
Him!" McCarty calculated "And is
he what you call connoisseur, too?"
Mr.. Cutter smiled with evident amuse-
ment.
I see. No. Mr. WaverIy' is a good
sportsman and, a capital fellow. but he
has no interest in-er-antiques. How
ever, fear We are wasting your valu-
able time. AS said, cannot conceive
t,o Mny Mr; Greveling should have killed
"Unless what?" McCarty leaned for
ward and his teeth clamped upon his
cigar.
II was going. to say, unless he had
Cutter replied. stirring uneasily in his
chair. II would not have suggested it
as possibility but now that have per-
mitted myself this indiscretion 1 must
tell you quite frankly that on several
occasions of late Mr.. Creveling has
seemed to be rather-er-peculiar. Not
exactly irrational, but. he has let go.
lost control of himself over the merest
trifies, worked himself up into a state
Of ungovernable fury because of some
at which he would have laughed a year
ago."
Difference of opinion?' McCarty
repeated. with whom Mr.. Cutter?"
"Oh. any one! l do not recall any
particular instance, but it has seemed
as though he had been rather going
to pieces. 1 am telling you this in
confidence; it may have been simply a
case of nerves. but in the light of
what has occurred and in the absence
r
can imagine it may be worth looking
into"
1T may that?" McCarty assented.
DO you know if any of his other
friends noticed the change in him? He
washer was mere at your : house o. last Tuesady
Yes, poor chap" That is the last
time I saw him alive" Mr.. Cutter
eyed him steadily.
Did he show any Of the temper that
you've been telling me about then
"'The others'?" Mr.. Cutters
straight brows lifted inquiringly. ooh,
evening""
Yes. Mrs. Kip and the o'Roukes
act peculiar then?"
Il see you have quite a compre-
henstve list of our mutual friends"
The other laughed shortly Mr..
Crevelfng displayed on ill-temper, If
that Is what you mean, but it did oc-
cur to me that he was preoccupied
element"
WAS he on good terms with every
one? McCarty persisted Did you
notice any GOODNESS between him and
one OF your other guests?"
Mr.. Cutter frowned.
Il did not. He appeared to be on
excellent terms with himself and tho