Evening star., 1923-12-11
CHAPTER 1.
With the Light of Morning,

was flooded with the daz-
cling bright light of early morning.
1t gl.Atcd not only down through the
lofty, giass-domed roof. but in from
the whole north side, thrown open
to the glistening sandy shore with
the dancing blue waters just beyond
In conformity with the Spanish style,
the rooms were built in two stories, a
gallery running around the three in
closed sides. AS Carp, the butler,
came down the staircase. his faded
eyes blinked in the glare and he
shook his head disapprovingly.
These new-fangled copies of foreign
architecture We're not to his liking.
used to this huge, bare. sanded court
with its fountain and the ugly stone
seats scattered about. He missed a
spacious veranda outside where a
body could serve tea and iced drinks
after the oid-established custom of
his two generations with the best
families.
Moreover, something was wrong.
Carp paused at the foot of the stair
case. uncertain what it was that
seemed out of place. Then. as his
eyes became accustomed to the light,
he saw that the great center double
door OF glass, across the patio open
ing on the still unfinished concrete
terrace, stood widely ajar. Directly
facing II, with Its massive. carved
back to him, was the stone bench
upon which he had left Mr.. Bernhard
seated on the previous evening. when
the latter announced that he himself
would lock up. He had evidently
forgotten to do so. but it would never
do to have him come down and be
reminded of 1t by finding out that
the house had been left open on the
shoreward side ali night.
Carp hurried across the sanded
stone floor, sktrting the fountain and
the end of that wide-armed marble
bench. Then he stopped all at once
and a shrill, high pitched scream tore
its way from his throat.
Henry Carp, have you gone crazy"
sharp featured housemaid OF in
determinate age appeared hurriedly
at the head of the stairs, adjusting
want to wake up the house. yelling
like that? What is ft?"
But Carp could only wave to her
inarticulately. He was grimacing in
staring down at something at his
feet. something which was concealed
from her by the high back of the
seat. She hurried down and across
to him, then stif1ed the cry which
rose to her own lips. Lying face
downward at their feet was the body
of a man in dinner clothes. with the
whole back of his head shapeless.
spongy. congealed mass. The white
sand all about il was stained a
hideous. reddish brown.
sit isn't-it can't be Mr.. Bernhard" ?"
Her lips barely formed the superhn-
Gus question, but the old man nodded.
gripping her wiry arm for support.
gentleman in the house after Mr.;
Lane started back to the city. and
l left him here smoking when Mrs.
Cayley and the young ladies had gone
that very seat Carp's voice had
risen in cracking falsetto. Lefty,
what could ha' happened?"
Letitia opened her lips to speak but
paused, as though realizing the
about TO offer. At that moment a
cheerful if somewhat monotonously
whistled refrain sounded from out
side, and tall. lanky workman in
overalls crossed the terrace toward
the pile of concrete blocks just be-
yond the open glass doors.
Leave go my arm Letitfa ex-
claimed. "Geoff. Geoff, come here,
will you?"
The workman turned. revealing
long, lantern jawed face with mild.
rumiuative brown eyes and a shock
of sandy hair beneath his cap.
Whats up?' he asked in slow.
the body. he halted Land O. Iiberty:"
IT'S Mrs Cayley's brother, Mr..
Joseph Bernhard. . replied Letitia.
you know him, don't you?"
IT know him, all right" The man
called "Geoff" was still staring down
al the body. 81 wouldn't swear that
was him, though, unless 1 seen his
face"
Il left him here smoking last night
and he said he'd finish locking up"
Carp repeated the only fact which
his stunned mind seemed still able to
grasp. I'D already tended to the
ground floor windows and big front
side OF the house. The ladies had
all gone to their rooms and there
wasn't anybody else on the place but
Lefty and the cook and me, He
ing careless like and the terrace
doors were standing half open, just
the way you found them when you
came in minute ago. He-he
and hit his head on something and
then fell forwards again.
Henry Carp, stop talkin' like an
old fool.' Lefty seized his arm in
her turn and gave it little shake.
There's been a--an accident; or
Geoff?"
Hes dead. anyways" the individ-
ual appealed to l responded laconical-
". Better let the folks know and
neeo; got to git back to my work"
He turned as though TO go out on
the terrace once more. but at the
word dead" Carp had reeled and
would have fallen if Lefty had not
caught him.
mixin' concrete If the skies fell"
she exclaimed witheringly: Help me
to ease him down on the bench
Seems to me l wouldn't do that
If 1 was you Geoffs mild eyes
glanced once more speculatively at
the prostrate, motionless figure as
he relieved her Of the old buffers
business but IL you ask me, seems
to me I'd stay away from that bench
and everything round it, and keep
other folks away. too, until the doc
gifts here. Kinder think I'd put
Henry on that stone seat over there
"Why?" Lettys sharp tones were
hushed as she helped to lead Carp's
tottering steps in the direction in
dicated.
'fFootprints" The workman spoke
in as matter-of-fact a manner as
though he were discussing a detail in
masonry. Doc Hoods medical ex-
amtner-used to be called coroner
cove and outside the city limits-and
he's mighty partic'lar about footprints
in this kind of a accident"
This kindr" Lefty repeated, hor-
ror-stricken. For once in her capa-
Bile existence she was at a loss.
How'll 1 keep Mrs. Cayley and the
rest from crowdin' round soon's L
wake 'em and tell 'em that-that
somethin's happened to Mr.. Benk-
ard?'
"You go git me a piece O. rope,
Geoff suggested. There's some out
by the concrete mixer"
When she had flown out to the
terrace. Geoff strolled at a discreet
distance. about the bench and the