Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-12-09


could not leave my car parked where
il was. added:
IF you will do me the honor will
be glad 10 drive you wherever you
wish"
For fraction Of second she hest
tated, then with a nod allowed me to
assist her into the roadster
Where tor asked. taking the
wheel once more into the stream OF
traffic.
Headquarters | have an appoint
ment there at eleven-thirty, an APP
pointment which is very important"
You still have almost an hour"
assured her after a brief glance at my
watch. then. ceding to the longing in
my heart for companionship. ] sug-
gested that We take short drive,
promising that we would return in
ample time for her engagement.
She nodded smilingly. and without
further urging l drove in the diree-
ton OF the Speedway. ] was glad Of
I q friend TO talk with, for. though |
/ hardly admitted IL. my heart was
dreadfully lonely and in need Of
gs1npathy Just how much Miss Car
son was my friend did not really
I know. but she was companionable and
I Eelpful. and that was what | most
needed. glanced OF her from the.
corner, of my. eye, She. was as lovely.
as ever III her neat blue Serge. salt
md small black hat. and ] wondered
< curiouely how Jack was progressing
/ in his love affair The warm per-
TUNED breeze caressed her face and
4 gently played with the dark curls that
escaped from under the hat. We
drove in silence for time. My mind
drifted back over the past few weeks
Once, only once. had | taken Agnes
for drive and then ii was only that
she might meet Whitplore AZ the
+ Country Club What memories,
We were almost beneath the shad
CIV of the Washington Monument
when Miss Carson broke the silence
when you addressed me few
moments ago. ! was wondering whe-
Their or not you had returned from
San Francisco. l have much news
for you"
''Haye you indeed? BY the way. !
should like to know why wa1 no
kept informed of events here while !
was on the other coast. Not word
! OF the case reached me. Surely /
have a right TO know"
Because because Mr.. Richmond
considered 1t better to await your re-
turn. IN fact we have not had rauch
success until just recently, and then.
and then Agnes" she broke OF
hurrictlly and changed the subject
Perhaps it will interest you most
to hear that at last we have found the
/, needle in the haystack"
What" ] calculated narrowly es-
Gaping collision in my astonish-
ment
Eyes. aud the needle was none
other than MIR. Clifford Ashton. OF
New York; YOU have doubtless hearI
of him. The man who in the past ten
years has arisen from poverty to be-
come one OF the.wealthiest and moss
/ influential men Of the metropolis. Il
was really o very strange search"
Tell me about it."
That is. the s.rangcst part of 1t,
Mr.. Lockwood; there is hardly any
thing to tell We did not find him:
he came to us entirely of his own free
will. otherwise ! am certain we
should never have known who was
the man you heard threaten Mr.
Whitmore'
'He came OF his own free will?"
repeated. stopping the ear in a shady
nook where l could listen uninter-
4 ruptedly to what promised to be an
interesting story. "a
we had almost given up hope.
when one day Mr.. Ashton appeared
at Washington headquarters with the
statement that he had seen in the
papers that the police were searching
for The Mystery Man. as he vas gen
orally designated. and DECLARED that
he was tine man whom you had seen
coming from Whitmore's study on the
/ night in question. OF course. it was
quite surprise to US Mr. Ashton
1ASu ne N-1tbCiGnl
cause to justify the threat. which he
stated was made in moment of un-
goyernable temper"
"And the cause. did he say what il
was?" | asked in low voice, feeling
intuitively that another side of my
former partners character might be
revealed.
Miss Carson considered for NOM
ent. eyeing her wrist watch, then see
ing she still had ample time. she drew
off her long gloves and opened her
handbag After funlbling about she
extracted an envelope from which in
turn she produced q picture
"Here'is an old likeness OF Mr.. Ash |
ton" handing me the piece OF card |
board. 1T was taken some years ago. !
but you can get fair idea of what he |
looks like now
Ally hand shook as ! gased 1.-The |
likeness of the man whose voice !
had heard swear e.ycngeaucc< upon