Evening star., 1924-07-18

lord!-a Chinaman, with the lobe of
his ear gonei-you'd have thought
that the police would have combed
him out of all the Chinese in Lon
don. days ago!'
Yes" he said, nodding solemnly,
but your Fhinaman is a past master
in all sorts of things that Westerners
can't understand. That fellows fairly
article that he's after. and it's going
to take lot to stop him! My own
opinion, Of course. is that he didn't
find it at Pennithwaite's. And
so-
He paused and looked at me
significantly.
"Weu?" l said.
"The thing'll go on" he remarked.
laeonicaliy; lace -Hol1iment! Linen, That's Sas one.
more! Flats three. Pennithwaite!
That's four. And five will be
For Gods sake. man whom| l
exclaimed. THAT is
"Helln' he assented. Hell! But
got to be faced. The next'l
be Lady Renardsmere."
| said nothing. Instead | sat star
ing at him. [ had Il vision of my
queer old employer-digging the gar
den. Lady Renardsmcre
Lady Renardsmere" he repeated.
Sure! She's got the goods. or, II
she hasn't got the goods in hand, she
knows where they are. Look at this,
now, and see If there's a flaw in 1t.
Holliment and Quartervayne without
I; doubt robbed Chuh Sin Of the thing
which he'd robbed Mr.. Cheng; Holli-
ment. Quartervayne and Neamore
sold that thing to Lady Renardsmere
for ten thousand pounds; Chuh Sin
Quartervayne. Neamore and Pen
NTH waite in an effort to recover pos
session. But ss sure as were
breathing men. that Chinaman knows
by now that IL there's one soul alive
who knows where that thinE-what-
ever it isis, that souls Lady Rem
ardsmere, And = he'll go for her!
Not. perhaps, this time, by murder"
Then he'll have to get out of Eng
land" said / Lady Renardsmere's
on the continent
How do you know that he sug-
sested. She mayn't be. From all
you've told me. Cranage, | reckon
this old lady is playing fine game
of bluff What l can't make out is
just this-what's her game? What's
the possession OF which murder is be-
ing done right and left? What is it?
You tell me she's a multimillionaire,
well, is there anything she can't
buy that she lays fancy to? what's
this thing"
My own belief is that it's some i'm
mensely fine stone--a priceless dia-
mond, or something of that sort" |
answered. Il told you she's n craze
for acquiring that sort of thing, and
stops at nothing to get hold of what
ever it is she ia kes a liking for. I've
heard queer tales about her in that
way-since / came here. But in this
instance-why all the secrecy? For
I'll bet anything that when she
bought this thing from Neamore she
didn't know but what it was r per-
fectE legitimate transaction mean
she didn't know that the thing was
stolen property"
when did she know that it was?'
he asked.
Il think. when Miss Hepple and
had talk with her, and when the
two detectives came down and she
gave them the slip" 7 replied. THAT
was when she cleared out"
I'm, he said. rehectively. Il
when she cleared OUT
II wish I did" l exclaimed What
did she do?"
Seems pretty plain. Cranage.
think" he answered She went
straight to Pennithwaite's office in
London. and took away that thing
from him. And I should say that
wherever she is. she's got it in her
Just then a knock came at my
door and a footman entered.
Mr. Jifferdene to see you. sir" he
announced.
turned in surprise: JiTerdene.
alone, was already entering the room;
II seemed 10 me that he looked un-
usually grave. ! hastened to intro
duce Peyton.