Evening star., 1923-07-03
The EVIL SHEPHERD
By E. Phillips OPpenheim.
Copyright. isss. By Little. Brown q Co.

4 That seems to let Sir Timothy
out" Wilmore remarked.
There are many motives for crime
besides robbery" Francis declared.
Don't be afraid. Andrew. that l am
going to turn amateur detective and
make the unravelment of this case
all the more difficult for Scotland
Yard. II interfere, 1t will be on q
certainty. Andrew. don't think I'm
mad but I've taken up the challenge
tonight. I've very little interest in
who killed this boy Victor Bidlake.
or why. but I'm convinced of one
thing--Brast knew about it. and If he
| is posing as patron of crime on
great scale, sooner or later shall
get him. He may think himself safe,
and he may have the courage Of
Beelzebub-he seems rather that type
comes true. his numbers up. I can
almost divine the meaning of his
breaking in upon our conversation
tonight. He needs an enemy-he is
it,"
wilmore filled his pipe thought
fully. At the first whiff of tobacco
ne began @ to feel more normal. s
aren't we little overstrung to-
| night? Sir Timothy Brast Is no ad-
venturer. He is q prince in the city,
| a persona grata wherever he chooses
| 10 60 ne q ndngeT-On IN SOCIoly.
He isn't even dependent upon Bohe-
mia for his entertainment. You can't
seriously imagine that a man with his
possessions is likely to risk his life
and liberty in becoming the inspira-
tion OF band of cut-throatsT
Francis smiled. He, too. had lit his
pipe and had thrown himself into his
favorite chair. He smiled confidently
across at his friend.
| "A millionaire with brains" he
I'm lV
the world likely to weary of all ordi-
nary forms Of diversion. / begin to
remember things about him already.
Haven't you heard about his wonder
ful parties down at the Walled House?'
| Wilmore struck the table by his
side with his clenched fist.
BY George, that's IT." he exclaimed.
! who hasn't"
Il remember Baker talking about
one last year" Francis continued,
never any details. but all kinds of
mysterious hints-a sort Of mixture
between a Roman orgy and a chapter
from the Arabian Nights'-singers
from Petrograd. dancers from Africa
and hghting men from Chicago"
The fellows magnificent, at any
| rate, Wilmore remarked.
His host smoked furiously for a
moment
That's the worst of these multi
| millionaires," he declared They
| think they can rule the world, traffic
in human souls. buy morals, mock at
the law. We shall see!'
| DO you know the thing that I
found most interesting about him?"
| Wilmore asked.
His black opals," the other sug-
gested. You're by the way of being
! a collector, aren't your
! Wilmore shook his head
| The fact that he is the father of
Oliver Hildreth's widow"
Francis sat quite still for a moment
| expression. He looked like a man
who has received shock.
/ forgot that" he muttered.
CHAPTER X.
Francis met Shopland one morning
about a week later. on his way from
Charges street to his chambers in the
Temple. The detective raised his hat
and would have passed on, but Fran
Gle accosted him.
ANY progress, Mr.. shopland? he
inquired.
The detective fingered his small.
sandy mustache. He was an insignia
cant-looking little man, undersized,
| with thin and watery eyes. His
mouth. however, was hard, and there
were some tell-tale lines at Its cor
ners.
None whatever. I am sorry to say.
Mr.. Ledsam." he admitted. ''At pres
ent we are quite in the dark
You found the weapon, I hear?'
Shopland nodded.
ut was just an ordinary service
revolver, dating from the time of the
war, exactly like q hundred thousand
others. The inquiries we were able
to make from 1t came to nothing"
Il Where was It picked up?"
In the middle of the waste plot of
ground next to Soto's. The murderer
evidently threw 1t there the moment
he had discharged 1t. He must have
been wearing rubber-soled shoes, for
not a soul heard him CO."
| Francis nodded thoughtfully.
i Il wonder" he said, after a slight
pause, whether 1t ever occurred to
the young lady who was with Bid
lake on the night OF his murder"
Il called upon her the day after
ward" the detective answered.
! She had nothing to say?"
Nothing whatever"
Indirectly, of course" Francis con-
tinued, "the poor girl was the cause
of his death. If she had not insisted
man who was lettering about would
probably have never got hold of him.
The detective glanced up furtively
at the speaker. He seemed to reflect
for q moment.
"I gathered" he said, "in conversa-
tion with the commissionaire, that
Miss Hyslop was a little impatient
that night. 1t seems, however, that
she was anxious to get to a ball
which was being given down In Ken
sington."
There was a ball, was there?"
Francis asked.
replied. "It was given by a Miss
I Clara Bultiwell. She happens to re-
member urging Miss Hysiop to come
on as early as possible"
$50 that's that" Francis observed.
Just so, Mr.. Ledsam," the detective
murmured.
They were walking along the Mall
now, eastward. The detective, who
seemed to have been just a saunterer,
had accommodated himself to Fran.
els destination.
Let me see, there was nothing
stolen from the young mans person,
was there?" Francis asked presently.
Apparently nothing at all, sir"
And I gather that you have made
every possible inquiry as to the young
mans relations with his friends?"
| so far as one can learn, sir, they
seem to have been perfectly AMIGA
ble."
|, "of course" Francis remarked
q purposeless affair. The deed may
have been committed by a man who
was practically lunatic, without any
motive or reason whatever"
Precisely SO. SIR the detective
but. all the same. don't think
1t was"
Neither do /, sir"
Francis smiled slightly.
"Shopland." he said. "if there is no
; further Internal evidence to be col
| lected, / suggest that there is only