Evening star., 1921-08-21
HOW MANY CARDS?
BY ISABEL OSTRANDER

Author Of "The Island of Intrigue,
Copyright, 1921, BY Re-
Continued from Yesterdays Star.)
Its all in your hands, Mac, so
| long as there isn't any slip in getting
Hill under lock and key. One of the
warrant almost as soon as you are"
But McCarty did not at first turn
his, steps in the direction of the
Creveling house. Instead he took a
downtown Sd avenue car and
alighted at the scene of the Hildreth
night. The stout young operative
from the detective bureau who had
relieved Yost was seated in the
| kitchen, where the broken door and
| smashed flower pots still bore mute
evidence Of siege and flight 1t was
| around the few barely furnished
| rooms of the little fiat that Yost and
the policeman on the beat had made
| an even more thorough search of the
! premises for possible clues than Nc
| Carly and Dennis had done.
Half an hour later. accompanied
/ with obvious reluctance by another
| man. he presented himself at the
Creveling house and was admitted by
Rollins. who eyed his companion
| somewhat uneasily before he spoke.
Good morning. sir. There's "a
person waiting ere for you. e said
as 'ow you'd be along presently"
That's all right; I'll see him in a
minute. How is Mrs. Creveling?"
Better. sir, the doctor says. but
resting. Mrs. Waverly and MIR. Alex
ander are upstairs with 'er."
fn hn 0f
them;" McCarty said hastily. my
business. is with the valet, Frank
Hill, viii you ask him to come
here?"
When the butler had departed upon
his errand McCarty turned to his
companion.
60 into the breakfast room, there.
but leave the door ajar. Listen to
everything that is said and when !
call you. come out. Understand"
Yes" The man moved over to the
door indicated. 5haking his head dis
approvingly as he went Il don't
like this business! 1t don't seem fair
to me, even If this fellow has done
what you say he has. It's a dirty
trickv
AS he disappeared a fourth man
slid around from an angle of the
stairs where he had evidently been
waiting.
Here. Mac. Here's the warrant
the Old Man sent up; want me to
stay and serve 1t for you?"
mo. Give it to me, Hecker, but
you'd better wait with Yost. Go up
stairs and bring him down to the back
| hall as soon as l get into talk with
Hill, and when l serve him you can
do the rest"
The man withdrew and McCarty
pocketed the warrant as Hill, pale
nd q n
peared on the stairs.
Good morning, sir. You wanted to
Yes. Hill. what did you do when
speak to me?"
you were released from the station
house last night?"
II came straight back here. sir. i
| / hadn't been given any notice and /
| am still in service, for Mrs. Creve-
! ling is keeping me on. at least
| till things are Strengthened out. sir. :"
His tone was respectful but indiffer-
ent, as though the reply were a su-
perfluoIs one.
| where do you stay on your time
off, Hill?"
II sleep here. sir: I haven't any
| place of my own. I've been right with
Mr.. Creveling all these yars."
!: DO you ever travel under any other
name than the one you're known
by hers?"
'Of course notw There was Just
the proper touch of scandalized In
dignation in his voice at the aues'
ton. ,
DO you know''a woman who call.
herself 'Hildreth'?" McCarty shot the
name at him and for a moment the
mans pale eyelids quivered. Dut hi
gave no other sign.
NO. sir. never heard OF her
sir
Then you didn't know that this i.
an alias Of lisa HelWigs. the house
emeralds and Jumped her bail?"
mo. sir. Is it. indeed?"
"It is" responded McCarty grimly
And l suppose you're not stuck OF
her? You're not known as Mr.. Hill
dreth' down in the neighborhoo(
where she lived before we arrested
leave this house last night betweer
II and IL o'clock by shining ovel
the back fences and go down there
only to run into dick from head
quarters who was trailing you ant
get scared off before ever you had {
chance to see her?"
IL did not" The shot had tolG
and at McCarty's mendacious state.
ment of the woman's arrest Hill hat
visibly WINGED. Il don't know wha
you are talking about. 1 never heart
of any woman named 'Hildreth,' ant
l wasn't out Of the house last night
"Mr. Udell" McCarty raised his
voice firmly and the shrinking figure
of the night clerk from the Sd ave.
nue. drug store appeared in the dool
Of the breakfast room. ''Who is this
mani"
"It's Mr.. Hildreth, sir" he STAN
mered.
You'd swear to it?"
N''Td have to, sir, it's the truth. Oh
Mr.. Hildreth, hope you'll realize Tn
not doing this on my own accord!
hated to come and give you away lik,
What have you to say. Hll?" Nc
Carly cut the druggists lamentation.
abruptly short.
| Hill drew himself up and. staring
straight into Udells eyes, he said dis
tinctly:
Nothing. sir. never saw this mar
before in all my life" Then all a
once he began to tremble uncontroll
ably. II haven't seen lisa Helwit
since she was taken away from her,
under arrest. don't know any on,
down on Sd avenue: I've never beer
there
Then how did you know this mai
came from there? haven't said any
thing about Sd avenue. How did yo,
know 1t was near there the Hill
dreth woman lived? You're under al
rest. Hill. for the murder Of Eugen
Creveling"
CHAPTER XIV.
Wade Terhune Experiments.
To Jimmie Billiards. Joy and graft
tude he secured his beat" and tn
Bulletin made the most Of its exclu
ufyo aforv ~ EJil1'a arreaf Mcro ~,