Evening star., 1921-08-18
le.ea,inu.d from ye..asaay.s s,sr.l


Inspector Druet laughed somewhat
which means that haven't con-
vinced you and you've taken the bit
| IN your teeth again! 1've no instruc-
tions for you. only suggesttons; you
you your head In every case you've
worked on with me since you resigned
from active duty and I've never re-
! gretted It, especially the last instance:
Aao!' His face sobered. go ahead
your own way and II you can prove to
Glad to acknowledge 1t, but tell you
now that you haven't chance! The
| guilty NAH
"Does that mean. sir. that you Won't
take In Hin right away" McCarty
no. We can AFFORD to wait a bit.
and l told you we would do so to see
! IL the woman tried to communicate with
| him; we might as well Kill two BIRDS
| with one stone and we've proof now that
wen give her two or three days to
try to get IN touch with him and IN
notify YOU. anyway before We decide
.aThsnks, SIR Mccarty picked up
the nine Of diamonds from the desk.
| III you don't mind I'll be taking this
across Nj. Douglas Waveriy. take a
look at his cigarette case; twill be
| worth your while"
The inspector started slightly.
"You don't mean? See here. Mac.
has that observation Of yours anything
10 do with the cigarettes that we found
= broken amber hoider?''
! mot that know Of, sir. but it's
thin and shaped like this playing card
hero and there are nine diamonds stuck
in Il; nine real diamonds arranged just
like the spots on this card"
This time Inspector Druet's laughter
| was frank and hearty.
you've still got your eyes out for
sorAsth!ng dramatic. haven't you! We're
not living in dime novel times. Mac,
II might have been lying on the floor
. there In the study for days; you saw
yourself that the house hasn't been kept
any too orderly since Mrs. Crevelinf
hs: been away ;,. h'and may ,,sr nave E. ed
Creveling and slipped 1t under the table
cover without thinking; q man is usual
ly dazed after 4 crisis like that and apt
| to do Q lot Of meaningless things in a
'taane n n. dep.rsm.nt s1ar % s; SHOW " You'll nna
there's some such simple explana tion Of
| Il, and as for Waverly's cigarette
case-! I suppose it's no use to talk
to you. though. You'll be seeing mines
|
Mccarty's expression did not change
as he slipped the card into his pocket
once more.
this csre fror." he vouchsafed imper-
! turbably. Denny and I'll be getting
on. then. sir. You'll hear from me II
anything turns up"
Tho ride back uptown TO Mccartys
1 .
! friends Of q merely desultory nature.
| for Dennis vas frankly sleepy and Nc
Carly felt the reaction from the excite
,nent Of the chase. An unusual depres-
Of spirit and he vas too fatieued men,
tally and physically to combat it.
The escape Of the girl. lisa. from be-
meath his very hands had been bad
enough but the stand the inspector had
taken in the case added tenfold to the
no way out. Not for moment would
he accept the theory Of Hills. guilt. dc.
spite the circunstantial evidercs against
him; slowly and almost without cor, con
| ing in his mind ever since he stood
beside that disordered supper table and
rothing he had learned since had tented
to eradicate 1t: Now with little added led
Strengthening into conviction, albeit a
vague and still obscure one.
.I'il 20 on back to the dormitory
At the hrehouse." Dennis announced
as they left the ear at last. Tis
too late to be breaking into my room
sleeps With both the ears of him
vide open for fear he'll miss some
thing, and he'd scream At to wake the
dead. I'm on duty from to s again
| tomorrow and then OF for twenty
four hours % you'll h"d mo II 70"
MeCarty invited. "'Tis after O'Clock
ana you'll get little enough sleep as 1t
is BY the sainted powers-thefe's
iisht in my windows! Thieves"
! He had halted in astonishment, bu:
now he broke into a run. and with
Dennis at his heels sped to his own
stoop. The entrance door stood wide
and still swiftly. but with measure
of caution. they stole up the stairs
ting to Mecarty's living room: but i
stood a3ar. and at the sight which
met their gaze through the aperture
McCarty halted again. this time in
vordless Indignation.
wade Terhune's long. attenua ted
figure fay stretched out comfortably
in the best armchair. with a tattered
| dream book open and lying face
downward across his knee and size
able heap of cigarette ashes In
china tray upon the table beside MIN
while, they stared, a delicate snore
broke tho silence. and McCarty's race
fhat China tray had been his moth
ar's: its fightful place vas upon the
mantel, and tobacco had never pro-
faned it beforel AS to the dream
Nook, it's possession had been the one
ahameful but fascinating secret n
i Mof.nrtys life; where had that med.
dieeomo, ofiicious son-of-a-gun FOUND
n. ana how had he got in?
"Is it boarders you're taking!
; Dennis inquired innoceHtly. FwouiG
be well for you II you had az gooe
bolts on your doors As INC 1lore'l
arhe ran of him. McCarty FOUND
lhis voice and muttered wrathfully
"It would serve him right II hat
him took up for breaking and en-
tering" .,.,,
snto thS room, and following, closee
the door with a resounding slam. In.
stantly, with no trace OK siSep ~
them, Terhune's slightly prominen,
eyes opened wide and he smiled WIZ
perfect self-possession.
.'Thsre you arc at last, my dear NC.
Icarty! And Riordan., too: so you ar
~ for Won some little time"
ffS snoke chidingly and McCartyi
sandv inustache bristled.
Il 1tas not expecting you' sH. May
III ask how you got IN? -.
aoh. / had no diMcdlty: both OF
your doors open quite readily Win !
skeleton key, and. OF course, couIe
= Sa eal5lI taERR@@ w