Evening star., 1921-08-01

blows about after that little supper
week before last. thought you'd rather
keep out of the notoriety and all; that's
$50 that's it!" waverly's lip curled.
Graft, eh? Blackm-?''
Don't go too far, SIR McCarty's
tone was ominously quiet and there was
a CLINT OF steel in his eyes. "It'n do
got proof that two weeks ago come to-
morrow night You had supper alone
with Mr.. Creveling in his house and
high words passed between you over
lady; I've a witness who can testify
as to that. I'm not one to work up sen-
sations for the press to spring on the
public and drag people that's maybe
innocent into notoriety and scandal;
twas for that came here to you, man
to man.
"Did your witness tell you the name
of the lady who was supposed to have
been dicussed on that OCCASION"
Waverly sneered.
'Tf that's the way you care to put
It; it;,, yes: SIR" responded ,'on IA McCarty: :, N
the matter of that. but only one men,
toned by name. You left the house in
rage. l understand. yet Mrs. Crevel-
ing stayed on as guest at your coun-
try place and creyeling himself spen
THAT ought to be proof enough to
you that there was no trouble be-
tween U.s." Waverly's tone had be-
come all at once eager and concil,a-
tory. Sorry I misunderstood your
motive in coming here. I'm quite
little eargument with Gene Creveling.
for can see that it has been grossly
exaggerated to you. 1 don't know
who your witness Is, but ! presume
1t is that rascally butler Rollins; ]
warned Creveling 10 sack him long
ago. I did not leave the house in
rage. as you have been told, but in
sheer disgust. II Creveling is dead
I'm damned sorry, but there's no use
blinking the facts; his course OF con-
narrow, and although We are none of
us angels. ] took it upon myself as
an old and intimate friend TO remon-
strate with him and he didn't ac-
cept it in the right spirit. That's all
there was to. it; it was all forgotten
the next day.
And since then you've been Oh
friendly terms with him. Mr..
Waverly?"
Absolutely"
Your mutual friends can vouch for
I that, / suppose? 'Tis not that i doubt
your word. sir. but the inspector may
| want to check up my report" McCarty
paused and added: I'VE know ap-
| proximately the hour at which Mr.
Crevelfng came to his death. and if
you'll tell me where you were last
night from IL o'clock on, it'll put an
end to all annoyance for you
And if / don't choose to do so?"
The fabby face had darkened again
truculently.
McCarty shrugged.
That's up to you. sir
There Was a pause and then Wa
verify spoke thickly.
Have you the authority to keep il
out of the papers? 1 mean If / tell
/ You where 1 was and prove it to you.
| can you keep it from reaching my
aaSoluteiy beyond the pale about it.
bct you know what women are?" he
added hastily. Can 1 count on you
and your superiors to keep it quiet?"
well, sir, if your alibFs sound it's
no, no concern pa of. Of the he'd, department what
swered cautiously. of course. l
| can't guarantee that the reporters
won't look you up. az having been
| intimate with Mr.. Crevellng. but it'll
be on no information from us.
You telephoned out to your coun-
| that you would be detailed in town
last night. Mrs. Creveling says"
Yves" The light blue eyes were
lowered and his full underlip pro-
know and he invited me to a supper
party in his rooms; we whooped it
up until after this morning, and
| when the crowd had broken up /
| turned in there for a few hours rest.
! My host is a good fellow and all that.
but he's not quite the sort I'd take
to my own home or introduce to my
wife. and the party wasn't stag
affair. You understand? When l
woke up was disgusted with the after
! math and on an impulse I phoned out
| to Mrs. Waverly to ask her to run in
4 4 n Il FOL Sne
informed me of the message sum-
moning Mrs. Creveling. and 1 called
up their house"
| This man who invited you to supper
| in his rooms: you met him before you
phoned out to Long Island yesterday
| afternoon. Mr.. Waverly?"
| Naturally. 1 gave Mrs. Wayerly
| some trivial excuse: told her l had to
| attend a business conference with
some out.of-town people here az the
! be a late session. l intimated that
| ii 1t were I would take a room here
for the night" He spoke with evident
| reluctance.
/ ing and she told me of the supposed
accident / realized she would take it
for granted that I was here and
! might try to get me later to find out
| what had happened to Cr-veling.
That was why I told you I was stop
ping mere ana tnen hurrled down TO
| meet you"
81 see" McCarty nodded. who
is the man that gave the party. Mr.
Waverly? What is his name?"
The other hesitated and then replied
| In lowered tone:
'Mr. Samuel J. Venner."
McCarty stared. Sam Venner bore
! q reputation that was far from savory
| even among the sporting element of
| the city, and his activities had more
Of the authorities on the lookout for
new forms of confidence games. How
| could he possibly have wormed him
! self into even a nodding acquaintance
| with man of Waverly's social
| standing?
You fellows have heard Of him. 1
| imagine" Waverly shrugged in his
turn. Hes quite character around
town, but I don't believe you've ever
had anything on him.
I've heard Of him." McCarty ad-
/ mitted briefly. Did you spend the
whole evening with him. Mr.. Wav-
erly? After you accepted his invi-
tatfon and phoned out to your wife,
what did you dor
II went up to my town house.
climbed into some dinner clothes
which I had left there and dropped
in at the club" AS II anticipating
the inevitable question he expatiated:
"The Cosmopolitan Club. It was
dead as q doornail, nobody there
cared to talk to and I drifted down
to Sharp's Chophouse for a bite and
then dropped in for the last act of
"The Girl From Paradise"