Evening journal., 1922-08-11

House. the country estate Cl hll
wealthy bachelor brother,
MARK ALBEIT? Roberts body wa,
on the floor Of the locked Office, MARI
was missing and, in the opinion o.
Inspector Birch. II was clear thal
Mark, who had looked forward VIII
annoyance TO the return OF his
brother from Australia, had shot
Robert and then disappeared.
But there we're mysterious circum-
stances. The shot was fired a few
ASToNY l'e'SI eGcS1IIrnNGHAM. gentleman
adventurer and friend OF
BILL BEVERLEY, one OF Marks
guests, had entered the hall where
ne found
1T was you who heard Mr.. Mark
ayesterday. wasn't it7" Antony asked
fthe maid.
"Yes, sir"
TITS my turn now. You wait"
murmured Antony TO himself.
Eyes. sir. Nasty-like. Meaning
TO say his chance had come"
II wonder"
"wen, that's what I heard sir
Truly"
Antony looked at her thoushtfuiiy
and nodded.
Yes, i WOndeTs NVHN0t VIZ
why what, sir"
"oh. lots OF things. Elsie-
He had found his pipe and went
downstairs again.
Antony was glad TO have spoken
10 her. because he had recogSized
a. once the immense Importance OF
her evidence. To the inspector no
doubt a had seemed only OF Inn
nortance In that Il had shown Mark
70 have adopted something of
threatened attitude toward MS
brother. To Antony It had much
more significance. II was the only
trustworthy evidence that Mark had
heen in the office at all that after
noon.
For who saw Mark go into the
office? only Cayley. And II Cayley
had been hiding the truth about the
KEYS. why should he not be hiding
4he truth about Marks entry into
the Office? Obviously all Cayley
evidence went for nothing. Some OF
Al no doubt was true; but he was
giving II. both truth and falsehood'
with a purpose! What the purpose
vas Antony did not know as yet; to |
shield Mark. TO shield himself, even
10 hetray MarkLit might be any OF
these.
Elsie's evidence. however. seemed
TO settle the point. Mark had gone
Into The office to see his hrother'
F,s.a he'd heard them both talking;
and then Antony and Cayley had
found the body OF Robert
and the Inspector was going TO drag
.he pond.
! Rut certainly Elsie's evidence did
not prove anything more than the
here presence Of Mark IN the room.
rIts my turn now; you walt. That
Mas not an immediate threat; II
vas a threat for the future. II
Marx had shot his brother imme-
siatelv afterward II must have been
IN accident, the result OF strug-
rle. say provoked by. that nasty
sxev tone OF voice. Nobody would
nav you walt" to a man who was
Inst going 70 be shot. You wait
meant you walt. and see what's
foing to happen 10 you later on. =
The conversation Elsie had over
.eard couldn't have meant murder
ANYWAY not murder OF Robert by !.
Mark
.sIt's a funny business" thought
Antony. "The one obvious solution
: so easy and yet so wrong" Il
He found Bill in the hall and pro- @
sosed stroll. Bill was only too a
eady.
.swhere do you want 10 go7" ne a
,sked. s. v
Il don't mind much Show me
he park"
"Righto."
They walked out together,
watson. old man" SAID Antony
< soon as they were away from the
,ouse. ~you really mustn't talk so
oudiv indoors. There was a gen .
lenaan outside, 5ust behind you, an
be time"
aoh. ray.- said Bill. going pink
9'm awfully sorry. SO THAT'S why
ou were talking such rot"
! PARTY. yes. And partly because I
fdo feel rather bright this morning. !
! Are we really? What are we
bing to do7"
: .sThey're going TO drag the pond
eg its pardon. the lake" ,
'syye're on the way TO u now, III
ou'd like to see II. What are they S
Raging It for7"
Mark"
"Oh. rot" said BIZ uneasily. He
Ias silent for little. and then. q
agerly. Il say, when are we going
0 look for that passage7"
I'VE can't do very much while a
'ayley's in the house" ~ ~
What about this afternoon when =, :,
hey're dragging the pond? He's "a
nre to be there" ~
Antony Shook his head.
There's something I must do this =,
pternoon," he said. "of course we NJ
eignt have time for both"
Wen, 1 think he ought TO be-" OF
say. is 1t anything rather ex- iit
fting?" fr'
don't know. II might be rather WI
Interesting. I daresay could do u IN
some other time. but rs+har ev
ancy It at o'clock, someboS- 81
We been specially keeping n bscr ro
or then" s0A Sc
E---