Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-07-12


she interrupted. dolefully. Now I
come to think of it. the Margaret
whom l used to know-and there
must be plenty Of her left yet-is
you"
They drew up outside the house In
Grosvenor SQUARE. Lady Cynthia held
out her hand.
Come and see me one afternoon.
Will your" she invited.
I'd like to very much" he replied
She fingered on the steps and waved
her hand to him--a graceful, some
what insolent gesture.
All the same. 1 think ! shall do
my best to make you forget Mar
garet, she called out Thanks for
the lift up. A bientot!"
| CHAPTER Xxx
Francis drove direct from Gros-
venor Square to his chambers in the
Temple and found ShopIand, his
friend from Scotland Yard, awaiting
his arrival
Amy news? Francis inquired
Nothing definite. I am sorry to
say was the others reluctant ad-
mission.
himself into his easy chair and lit
a cigarette.
The lads brother is one OF my
oldest friends. Shopland," he said
HE is naturally in a state of great
The. detective scratched his chin
| thoughtfully.
IT said nothing definite just now,
| sir" he observed LAS a rule. l never
mention suspicious, but with you it
| is different matter ! haven't dis
| covered the slightest trace of Mr.
Reginald Wilmore. or the slightest
reason for his disappearance. He
| seems to have been a we'll conducted
giant, perhaps, but able to pay his
| way and with nothing whatever
against him. Nothing whatever
| that is to say. except one almost in
significant thing"
And that"
"a slight tendency toward bad
company, sir. I have heard Of his
being about with one or two whom
Bobby Fairfaxs lot. by any
CHANGER"
Shopland nodded
He was with Jacks and Miss Daisy
Hyslop. a night or two before he
disappeared. l am not sure that
young man named Morse wasn't of
the party, too
What do you make of that lott"
Francis asked curiously. Are they
gamesters. dope fiends. or simply vi
cious?"
The detective was silent He was
gazing intently at his rather square
toed shoes.
There are rumors, sir" he said.
presently, of things going on in the
W,st End which want looking into
very badly-yery badly, indeed. You
will remember speaking to me of Sir
Timothy BraSt?"
II remember quite WELL" Francis
acknowledged.
I've nothing to go on" the other
| continued. Il am working almost on
your own lines. Mr.. Ledsam. cropping
| In the dark to find clue. as 1t were.
| but I'm beginning to have ideas about
Sir Timothy Brast. Just ideas"
| AS, for instance?"
| Well, he stands on rather queer
| terms with some of his acquaintance.
| sir. Now. you saw. down at Soto's
! Bar, the night We arrested Mr.. Fair
| fax. that not one of those young men
| there spoke To Sir Timothy as though
! they were acquainted. nor he 10 them.
Vat I happened to find out that every
| one of them. including Mr.. Fairfax
himself. was present at party Sir
| Timothy Brast gave at his house
| down the river a week or two before"
| I'm afraid there isn't much in
| that" Francis declared. Sir Timothy
| has the name of being an eccentric
person everywhere, especially in this
| respect--he never notices acquainr-
ances. heard. only the other day.
| that while he was wonderfully hos
/, pitable and charming to all his
guests, he never remembered them
outside his house"
Shopland nodded.
"A convenient eccentricity." he re-
| marked little dryly. Il have heard
the same thing myself. You spent
the night at his country cottage, did
| you not, Mr.. Ledsam? Did he offer TO
show you over The Walled House,"
How the dickens did you know I
was down there?" Francis demanded,
| with some surprise. II was just
thinking as I drove up that 1 hadn't
! left my address either here or at
| Charges street"
Next time you visit Sir Timothy"
the detective observed. Il should ad-
wise you to do SO. / knew you were
there, Mr.. Ledsam, because 1 was in
| the neighborhood myself. / have been
doing a little fishing, and keeping
my eyes on that wonderful estate of
| Sir Timothy's."
Francis was interested
"Shopland," he said. II believe that
| our fntelligences, such as they are,
are akin"
What do you suspect Sir Timothy
| Off" the detective asked, bluntly
, II suspect him OF nothing" Francis
| replied. He is simply. to my mind,
an ircomprehensible. somewhat sin
| lister figure. who might be capable Of
| anything: He may have very excel
lent qualities which he contrives to
| conceal. or he may be an arch criml-
! nal. His personality absolutely pug.
zles me-"
There was knock at the door and
Angrave appeared. Apparently he had
forgotten Shopland's presence, for he
ushered in another visitor
"Sir Timothy Brast TO see you, sir"
| he announced
The moment was one OF trial to
| every one. admirably borne Shop
! land remained in his chair, with only
a casual glance at the newcomer.
Francis rose to his feet with a half
clumsiness Of his clerk. Sir Timothy,
well-shaven and groomed. attired in
| perfectly fitting suit of gray fan
mel. nodded to Francis in friendly
fashion and laid his Homburg hat
| upon the table with the air of a ia
miliar.
MY dear Ledsam," he said. Il do
hope that you will excuse this early
call 1 could only have been an hour
| behind you on the road. dare say
you can guess what / have come to
see you about. Can we have a word
! together"
Certainly" was the ready reply.
You remember my friend Shopland,
Sir Timothy? 1t was Mr.. Shopland
N VINO arrested LII stsd.r young Fairfax that
IT remember him perfectly Sir
| ly I entered, that your face was ia
miliar," he added. turning to Shop
| land. II am rather ashamed Of my
self about that night My little out
| burst must have sounded almost
ridiculous to you two. To tell you the
| truth, l quite failed at that time to
give Mr. Ledsam credit for gifts
which i hQVa ajpca 1fScnvarad hin, 70