Evening star., 1924-03-13
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER x.
A Lady CONFESS A Lady Goes.

-
DO you know what this is?" asked
Smith. with a SLY laugh. You don't?
Then I'll tell you. It's bit Of gauze
that has formed the wrapping Of
f.,se mustache. Mr.. Maurice Tickell,
whoever no may be. went away from
here. not clean -shaven. as our worthy
official friend yonder imagines, but
wearing an adornment on the upper
lip of a different shape and of a
slightly different color to that which
usually characterized it. And that,
my dear Hextall, makes me certain
that the Tickell individual did not
murder John kesteven, doesn't know
who did murder him and is in ignor-
ance at this moment-unless some
Iearly edition of the afternoon papers
has informed him-that Kesteven is
dead. Do you follow that?"
MY mind is not quite as subtle as
yours. Smith," answered Hextall. Il
More than one wise man has told
US that probability is the guide Of
to what is probable am very
SIX keptical. impatient even, of what is
Improbable. Now. our friend the po-
lice inspector has formed the theory.
based on what Tress has told him
money on his person. that Tickell
|lured Kesteven out into the grounds.
shot him dead two hundred yards
|away from the house, in which some
in bed. some Of them no doubt asleep.
but some Of them awake or light
sleepers, robbed his victim. came
back to the house, shaved off his
mustache, appropriated a bicycle. and
vanished. Bosh!"
"And what do you think happened
in reality? asked Hextall.
81 think that Kesteven and Tickell
were in all likelihood hand-in-glove
with each other in some scheme or
other. more or less nefarious and
questionable. think they sat up late
purposely, discussing their business.
Ii think that business, whatever it
may have been, necessitated the i'm
mediate disappearance of Tickell. un-
ider a slight disguise. Mind you-en
passant-a slight, very slight dis
guise, is much more effectual than an
elaborate, overloaded one. An upward
twist to mustache-the wearing Of
a slightly pointed instead of a round
which your adept in makeup knows
the value of. But l pass on-Tickell
made that slight alteration in his ap-
ipearance hurriedly-Kesteven nc
doubt being with him. Then Kest-
even took him to the room where the
ithere-Tickell selected one. Kesteven
then showed him a near cut through
the grounds and the spinney to the
high road. And after that kesteyen
and the body was brought to where
lit was found. Eh?"
"In that case," observed Hextall
"the murderer Is somewhere at hand
within a close circle"
Just so. The murderer iS-or was
close at hand. probably is, just now
IKesteven doubtless went somewhere
close by-to keep an appointment
even at that hour, which was prob.
i ably between IL and l o'clock in the
to take One Styler is following now
making himself acquainted with
what we may call the ethnography OF
this immediate neighborhood-gett
live about here and so on-the other
/ is that which he started on when he'd
had his interview with Fowler al
your house-that is, finding out who
Kesteven really was. OF course the
coroner and his jury and the police
even was and all about him. I don't
think Darrell Tress can tell much
probably Tickell can, and will tell
more"
"When he's found" said Hextall,
"Oh" remarked Smith indifferently
'TickeH will be found within forty
eight hours-unless, indeed, he got
clear Of the country early this morn
ing. as he might do. Ny notion is
that Tickell probably carried away
some Of tho money which Tress says
Kesteven had on him. Whoever Tick
he'll probably hang for this-eyen as
the inspector so kindly prophesied.' .
"You think so!--in spite of believing
him innocent?" exclaimed Hextall
"I do! Especially If the gentleman
t-as is likely--has bad record and
q shady character. Take the cir.
tcumstances into consideratton-as ii
| you were British juryman. Look al
them carefully-pooh. Tickell won'i
have q cats chAnce-not he! He'll
hang, however innocent he may be
lea khA AamninE Guidance which thf