Evening star., 1923-06-13

ample Of Japanese jugglery. When
you remember the tales of how the
| Japanese can do seemingly impos-
sible tricks, can swallow swords and
get out Of locked handouts. 1t Is
quite within the realm of possibility
and give 1t the appearance of hav-
ing been locked from the inside"
Now. Cray had already concluded
, that the door had been cleverly
before thought Of the cleverness Of
| the Japanese.
He rose almost abruptly. and said.
Il must look into some of these mat
ters. Miss Austin; you need not at.
tempt to leave town, for you will not
/ be able to do So
II most certainly shall not attempt
| to leave--as you express it-if / am
! asked not to. But. may say that
when I am entirely at liberty to do
so ] propose to go away from Cor
NTH"
Her dignity gave no effect of a per-
| son afraid or alarmed for her own
| safety. merely courteous recogni- :
statement of her own intentions.
Miss Bascom shifted and said:
! Don't worry. Mr.. Cray. I'll see to
, 1t that this young. woman does not
succeed In evading justice IL she tries
| to do so.''
At which Miss Mystery gave her a
smile that was So patronizing, even
amused, that the spinster was more
irate than ever
And. now, Miss Austin" the attor-
ney said, ''I'll take your finger prints,
please. as they may be useful In prov
| Ing what you did not do"
| He smiled a little as the girl readily
i enough gave her consent to the pro-
| cedure.
| And" he went on, more gravely. Il
will ask you for one OF your shoes
! one that you wore on Sunday.
| Surprised into a glance OF dismay,
Miss Mystery rose without word and
went upstairs for the shoe.
| She returned with the dainty. pretty
thing and merely observed. "Id like
to have 1t back, when you are through
with It,"
Putting the shoe in his overcoat
pocket, Cray went away.
Miss Bascom-" Anita said. turning
to her enemy. may you never want a
friend as much as l do now"
| The nerve Of her." Liza Bascom
muttered to herself. as Miss Mystery
went upstairs to her own room.
| Cray soliloquiZed, as he returned to the
Waring house. But I'm getting light
on It,"
genuity. and he proceeded at once to
Anita Austin with the prints on the
small black-framed chair that had been
found drawn up to the desk Of John
Waring.
They were Identical and Cray unused
over the fact
THAT girl was here that night" he
decided; there's no gainsaying that y
He called the butler to him.
! Ito" he began, did you let in any
one late Sunday night-after you came
home" ..,,.
ciared. thinking the question foolish. as
all the inQurers knew the details OF his
Sunday movements.
DO you remember seeing this chair
AohSss "pisslnetIy. 'aGs"'"s / saw Mr.. Lockwood
Smoothing it's back What do you
mean?"
room window to see X Mr.. Lockwood
ceived him carefully smoothing the
plush of the little chair. SIR
Cray meditated. Here was a point
of evidence. Lockwood was not the
sort to absent -mindedly paw over a
chair back. He was doing 1t on pur-
could be, save to erase some evidence
| Cray examined the chair. It had q
/ frame Of shiny black wood. while seat
and back were covered with a dark
plush OF a fine, soft quality.
! Cray drew his fingers across the back
They left distinct trail of burrows In
the fabric.
| Ito, watching, nodded his head
mot finger prints" Cray said to
himself-"but. maybe. finger marks
Whose?"
| Yes, sir: and Miss Peyton also saw
She was then in the doorway. asking
Mr.. Lockwood to come to breakfast"
| Cray went In search of Helen and
put the question to her suddenly.
What was Gordon Lockwood doing
! when you went to call him to break.
fast Monday morning."
/ He was-I don't remember"
| Speak the truth-or II may near
trouble for you and him, too"
He was-he seemed to be dustine
! off a chair
with a duster?"
NO: just passing over it with his
THAT isn't dusting it."
well. I don't know what you cal
| 1t! Perhaps he was merely pushing
the chair into place" ~ 49,,
study furniture into place. He was
| erasing indicative marks on tina,
plush chairback-thats what he was
doing"
Il don't know. Come and let US
see."
| Cray took Helen to the study and
! asked her to sit in the chair.
| Lean back" he directed. Now
get up"
The girl obeyed and there was
| plainly seen on the plush the faint
| but unmistakable imprint of the
beaded design that adorned the back
| Of the frock she wore.
i
triumph. THAT plush registers every
impress. and when Lockwood rubbed
1t smooth 1t was to erase a damag-
ing bit Of testimony"
"Rather far-fetched, Mr.. Cray"
. said Gordon Lockwood himself, who
had come in and had heard and seen