Evening star., 1922-08-25

grave \ own cellar. hennsnt taxes q sample
Of the mushrooms. The chef says he is very
careful in preparing Mr.. Mansteld's food. and
that both Mansfield and Miss Harcrave came
into the kitchen while he was working.
e found the chef busily at
NM work now, cleaning up. AS
Kennedy asked him a few
inconsequential questions
his eye caught a row of books on
shelf. 1t was most complete library
of the culinary arts. Craig selected
one and turned the pages over rapid
ly. Then he came back to the frontis-
piece, which showed a model dinner
table set for q number of guests. He
placed the picture before Francois,
then withdrew it in. l should say.
about ten seconds. 1t was a strange
and incomprehensible action, but l was
more surprised WREN Kennedy asked :
Now tell me what you saw"
Francois was quite overwhelming in
his desire to please. Just what was
going on in his mind l could not guess,
nor did he betray it. but quickly he
enumerated the objects on the table,
gradually slowing up as the number
which he recollected became exhausted:
Were there candleS?' prompted
Craig. as the flow of Francois de-
scription ceased.
oh. yes, candles" he agreed
eagerly.
,,Favors at each place."
Yes, sir.
l could see no sense in the proceed
ing, yet knew Kennedy too we'll to
suppose for an instant that he had not
some purpose.
The questioning over. Kennedy with
tilted than ever
Well" l exclaimed. as We passed
through the dining room. what was
all that
That" he explained sis what is
known to criminologists as the Aus
sage test. Just try it some time
when you get chance. If there are,
say. fifty objects in a picture. nor
twenty of Them
Il see" l interrupted. "a test OF
memory
More than that he replied. You
several things likely to be on the
table. They We're not there. as You
might have seen if you had had the
picture before you. That was test
of the susceptibility to suggestion of
The chef. Francois may not mean to
lie, but I'm afraid We'll have to get
along without him in getting to the
bottom of the case. You see, before
. we go any further we know that he is
rnreIiabe-to say the least. 1t may
he that nothing at all happened in the
kstchen to the mushrooms. Well
never discover it from him. We must
=et it elsewhere
Miss Grey had been trying 70
straighten out some of the snarls
which Mansfield's business affairs had
got into as a result of his illness. but
1t was evident that she had difficulty
in keeping her mind on her work.
The next thing I'd like to see"
asked Kennedy. when We rejoined her,
"is that wall safe.
She led the way down the hall and
into an anteroom to Mansfield's part
comparatively simple affair inside
closet. Indeed. 1 doubt whether 1t
had been seriously designed to be
hurglar-proof. Rather. it was merely
a protection against fire.
Have you any suspicion about when
the robbery took place." asked Ken
nedy. as we peered into the empty
compartment Il wish I had been
called in the first thing when it was
discovered. There might have been
some chance to discover finger prints.
But now, L suppose. every cue of that
sort has been obliterated."
No she replied. Il don't know
whether it happened before or after
Mr.. Mansfield was discovered so ill by
But at least you can give me some
idea of when the jewels were placed in
the safe"
1t must nave Deen De1oFe tne sup
rer, right after our return from the
theater."
that would mean that they might
have been taken by any one. don't you
seee Why did he place them in the
safe so soon, instead of wearing them
the rest of the evening"?
Il hadn't thought of that way of
rnnk,ins at it," she admitted. why.
when we came home from the thea
Ter | remember it had been so warm
that Mr. Mansield's collar was wilted
and his dress shirt rumpled. He ex-
FUSED himself, and when he returned
he was not wearing the diamonds
We noticed it. and Miss Hargrave ex-
pressed a wish that she might wear
the big diamond at the opening night
nf The Astor Cup Mr.. Ma ansfield prom
i-ed that she might and nothing
more was said about it."
Did you NOTICE anything else at
the dinner-no matter how trivial:
asked Kennedy.
Helen Grey seemed to hesitate. then
sid in low voice, as though the
words were Wrung from her.
of course, the party and the sup
ner were given ostensibly to Miss
Hareraye. But - lately - have
thought he was paying quite as much
attention to Nina Leitch.
we knew of Diamond Jack" Per-
haps it was this seeming rckleness
which had saved him from many en-
iauglinc appliances. Miss Grey said it
in such a way that it seemed like
an apology for a fault in his char
acter which she would rather have
hidden Yet l could not but fancy
that If mitigated somewhat the wist-
full envy l had noticed before when
she smoke of Madeline Hargrave.