Evening star., 1923-10-29
CONTINUED from Yesterdays star.)

You quite believe SteinthaFs con-
fession. then" asked Quinton.
Inspector Cortelyou nodded as he
lighted a cigar.
quite" he said. quite. Oh. yes
that's the truth. And now. Of course.
putting a lot of things together, I
begin to see how things really were,
and how skillfully Stead turned them
to his advantage" .---
You mean that you can recon-
struct the crime and the surround
ings Of that evening"" asked the
manager. -
IT think so. Stead doubtless ar
rived in the library Immediately after
Inspector Cortelyou. "The open win
dow and the deer-stalker hat gave
him an idea that something was
| wrong. My own belief Is that Stein
that Stead saw what had happened
and closed 1t. / also believe that
it was during the next few minutes
that two things happened. One was
that it was then that the flngerprints
were made on the secret staircase,
into which he looked to see IL any
body was concealed there; the other.
| that It was then that he abstracted
the diamonds from the safe In the
library.
exclaimed Quinton.
Certainly! 1t was grand double
chance for Stead. Sir Roberts muir
der relieved him OF an always pos
as regards his fgures-for I have no
Idoubt we shall find that he has been
a most accomplished hand In that di-
rection-and It also gave him the op-
(which Sir Robert had doubtless shown
to him. I have no doubt whatever
that Stead had those diamonds in
his pocket, Mr. Quinton. when he came
into the study in response to your
only lay hands on him."
Quinton. HE can't have got off from
any of the neighboring stations. and
If he's walked across country hes
sure to be recognized"
AYE, If we could only have caught
that fellow who was in the orchard
tonight" said the detective. Or.
rather. If we could have We. f0liowed "a him. m.
straight to Stead. Steads lying hid
somewhere about"
Until he can get of, I suppose,
lsaid Quinton. "Of course, don't know
seems to me that It's quite easy for
"a man to wait until nightfall and then
go quietly away from place"
TT all depends or, on n1I' his appeaTsnGs: es aS,
|
cash." replied the inspector. But
Stead hasn't gone away from Man
Inersley yet, sir-he's somewhere
about We shall find him yet-and
those diamonds, too. That's all /
care about now-I've lost all interest
in the other case"
"Dr. Hilbert. sir" announced Quin-
tons landlady. ushering the young
doctor into the sitting room.
HILBERT came in, looking tired and
tagged. and nodded to both men. He
drew of his gloves and laid them on
the table.
Help yourself to whisky and soda; a.
cigarettes. l know you don't smoke
cigars"
'T'lI smoke a pipe" said Hilbert
He mixed himself drink, and swal-
! Ilowed half the contents Of the tumbler
tinued, looking round at the others,
inspector CorteIyou showed no
sign: opinton looked perpie1ed: ppu,-
"Dead!" answered Hilbert, laconi-
cally. Just after you left"
The detective pulled out cloud of
, cigar smoke and looked at the doctor
How was it?" he asked
HILBERT sat down and lighted his
pipe; it was plain that he had been
upset.
Chalmers and Iilingworth and went
downstairs. OF course, 1llingworth
knew Steinthal couldn't move or any
thing, and he wanted to consult with
Chalmers about some formality or
other. didn't understand. but they
wanted me. I wasn't away from him
more than seven or eight minutes. but
he was just dying when 1 got back.
Suicide, Of course"
"Suicide?' exclaimed Quinton.
Cyanide of potassium" answered
Hilbert. "It was-impossible to do
anything. He must have had It con-
cealed somewhere, but I can't think
where. unless it was in q hollow
tooth"
| Inspector Cortelyou thought of how
the mans clawlike hands had fingered
the old waistcoat, and he said moth
swell, I'll 60" said HILBERT: fnish: !:
I'd just drop in and tell you"
There was q short silence after the
young doctor had gone. The detec-
tive seemed in no mood for converse
tion, and Quinton watched his
"T suppose this will lead to Sir Clin.
ton Mannersley's release, Inspector
he remarked at last.
"Oh, yes" answered the detective.
"Of course---of course. That was only
a question OF time"
ut is a pity that the other affair
you know what I mean-still hangs
over him." said Quinton.
Inspector cortelyou smiled I m oraeu1 na,;
Stead" he said, that charge Won't
hang over Sir Clinton. Stead was
the man."
He rose to go, saying that he still
.eWsii, matters are clearing up. at
any rate" said the manager, shaking
hands.
, wait till I catch Stead" answered
Cortelyou.
day, and the next, no news came to
him which brought him any nearer
1.-The fugitive. The Mannersley mys-
Iteries were by that time noised abroad
all over the country. and vigilant
I Stead, but Stead had apparently dis,
appe ared as completely as II he had
been caught UP in a flying machine
and carried off to Central Africa.
| Inspector Cortelyou left no stone
iunturned in Mannersley itself. Ger
tain that the cashier had some ac-
compIice or confederates in the place,
he turned his attention to the two
| in conversation with respect to re-
butting Ginger Kings evidence. But
those gentlemen had disappeared.
The detective was not surprised to
learn that their disappearance, 81 AdA
as he could ascertain, had taken place
on the afternoon or evening OF the
Say on which Stead had effected his
escape from the police station, They
were both single men, living In lodg
; tng. had simply disappeared sud-
r denly without reason or excuse. and
, nobody in the village had noticed
their departure. Inspector Cortelyou
felt that this had a good deal to DC
) with Stead's disappearance, but the
two men seemed to have vanished
iust as inexplicably.
!. The detective had no reason to COM