Evening star., 1923-05-13

swer to his unuttered wish. 1,
Ehrieked again: Fillmore. fillmore
Like Poe's raven" muttered Pei.
ham. "Uncanny creature. I suppose
It's chartered about nothing for years
and now that 1t ought to have some
thing to say it can only utter gargon.
He left the lodge and proceeded to
the garage and stables. A little later
he entered the house, examined the
dining room and went to the servants
hall.
Tho chief Of police and the county
coroner were seated beside Tryon. al
a long table. In other chairs. or
standing. were at least thirty serv-
ants. Tryon was talking to one OF
them, the butler, as Pelham entered
The ex-lieutenant looked a his ally
i've got the dope up until the mo-
ment that the gang entered the din
ling room. Mr.. Pelham" he said. Want
to question the others?"
Pelham looked at the butler. His
head was bandaged. and his face was
white. His swapping black eyes
seemed to glow. Suppose you tell
ham.
The butler shifted from ono foot to
another. "All know, m'sieu. is that
a man suddenly appeared in the door
other men followed; there was shoot
ing; I jumped for them. fell. and was
struck. Mex thing the doctaire was
attending me-"
"You are Frinch7" asked Pelham.
| "Oui m'sieu."
! rBeen employed here long7" asked
Pelham.
Tryon interposed: Il have the pedi-
grees of every one, Mr.. Pelham. Un-
less, of course, there was something
PARTICULAR"
Pelham shook his head.
IT just wanted to get all the facts
in the shortest possible time," ex-
planned Tryon. II think We can talk
to some Of the family now"
\ X Ak
lie arose, leaving the coroner to
J. i continue the examination, and.
followed by Pelham. walked from the
room. Outside, Pelham stopped at
his friend. "Why the sudden change
Of 'front.'" he asked.
"a hunch." said Tryon.
Pelham smiled. "You Just discov-
cred that some Of the servants were
part Of the bandit crew. eh?"
Tryon stared at his slender ally.
How did you know that7'
Pelham laughed. "Ths minute ]
asked how long the butler had been
here, you interrupted. My question
put into form a suspicion that had
been shapeless in your brain. And
you didn't WANT the buffers suspi-
cions aroused, or the suspicious of
any of the other servants"
GO on said Tryon. What else
do you know?"
well. know that the lodge keep
er was murdered by some one whom
he took to be a friend. Tho news
papers told US that tho car containing
the bandits was admitted by the
lodge keeper"
"The papers said nothing Of the
sort" exclaimed Tryon.
Pelham grinned. Tho papers said
, that the bandits arrived in An auto
| mobile and departed In one. Now, it's
obvious that the lodge keeper would
not have admitted q party OF stran-
gers. There Is q telephone in the
strangers. especially late At night.
the keeper would have phoned the
| house. And quite obviously he didn't
| telephone, because no one, servants
or family, knew that q car was COM
| ing up the drive. At least no one has
mentioned knowing. It,"
He shot q glance Of Interrogation
at Tryon.
Their arrival was q surprise to
| every one. according to what they
| say" said Tryon.
We'll. then. the lodge keeper
| opened the gates to q friend" OBJ
served Pelham.
Tryon shook his head. mo good.
The keeper was q Grabbed old Scotch
! man; he hadn't been out Of the
grounds In two years. Hadn't . relA-
tive or friend on earth. His only ac-
quaintancss were the servants here"
And we both agree that this was
partly an inside job" said Pelham.
THE keeper unlocked the gates be-
cause some one whom he knew asked
him to. or else"
THAT some one took tho key from
| him." said Tryon.
Pelham smiled again. Something
like that. eh? For certainly no ono
could have forcibly entered his house
without leaving some mark Of entry.
But the doors and windows are un-
injured. And II q stranger had
climbed the wall and rung his bell, he
would have telephoned the house be-
fore opening the door. So we must
assume that some one whose voice he
recognised summoned him to his
door,"
ryea wh&stlsA (which eass- -
asisd.