Evening star., 1924-05-04

a1ar, ana hc went IN, To OlScoNer the
place occupied by lady OF mature
years, who was sCruobtnG the floor
with 8 mop. He went into the bed
room and Jonned his bathing suit.
When he emerged, ten minutes later,
the charwoman had gone. but J. r.
Wheeler was still absent. Rather
glad OF the respite, ne sat down to
kill time by reading the morning pa-
per, whose sporting page alone he
had managed to master at the break
fast table.
There was not great deal in the
paper to interest him. The usual
bond robbery had taken place on the
previous day, and the police were
reported hot on the trail OF the mas
ter mind who WAS alleged ta be at
the back of these financial operations.
4 messenger named Henry Babcock
had been arrested and was expected
70 become confidential. Presently he
looked at his watch and found that
he had been in the studio. three
quarters OF an hour,
Archie became restless. Long sur
fering old bean though he was, he
considered this I bit thick. He got
UP and went out onto the landing. to
SEQ if there We're any signs OF the
blighter. There were none. Archie
turned back to the studio to dress and
SO away.
Ills progress was stayed by L solid,
forbidding slab Of oafz. Somehow or
other. since he had left the room, the
door had managed to get itself shut.
n
The nlildness OF the expistive was
! proof that the full horror OF tbs SIT
uation had not Immediately come
horne 20 him. His mind in the first
few moments was occupied with the
problem OF how the door had Got that
way He could not remember shut
ting it, Probably he had done it TN
consciously.
It was while he was r7rsing that
he sound o. Footsteps came to him
! from below. But almost in The first
| instant the hope that this might be
J. 3. Wheeler, the curse OF the human
race died away. whoever was COM
ing Up the stairs was running, and J.
3. Wheeler never ran upstairs. He
was not one os your lean, haggard,
6 large income with his brush and
pencil, and spent most OF II IN crea-
ture comforts. This couldn't be J. E.
Wheeler.
It vas not It was a tall, tEin nan
whom he had never seen before. He
appeared to be III considerable
hurry. He let himself into the studio
on the floor below, and vanished with
out even waiting to shut the door.
A sudden bright light was rouch-
safed to Archie, and he now saw an
admirably ripe and frutty scheme So'
ending his troubles. what copld be
simpler than to toddIe down one niEht
of stairs and in an easy and debonar
manner ask the chappte's permission
! to use his telephone? And what -oulo
be simpler, once he was at the phone,
than TO get in touch with somebody
at the Cosnopofis who would send
down a few trousers and what not "a
| g kit bag.
ct sa-, I hate 20 bother you-dzre
say you're busy and all that sort OF
thing-but would you mind 4
popped in for half second and used
your phone?"
That was the speech, the extremely
geutIemanly and we'll phrased speech,
which Archie had prepared to de-
liver the moment the man appeared.
The reason he did not deliver IL was
that the man did not appear. He
knocked, but nothing stirred.
IT say"
|. Archie Eow perceived tia. tae door
was aiar and that on an envelope at
tached with d tack to one OF the
panels was the name Elmer II.
Moon" He pushed the door little
farther open and tried again.
"Oh. MI Moon! Mr.. Noon" He
waited q moment. "Oh. Mir. Moon.
M. Moon. Are you there, Mr.. Aoon?"
He blushed hotly. To his sensitive
ear the words had sounded exactly
like tho opening line of the refrain
OF a vaudeville song hit He decided
TO waste no further speech on a man
with such an unfortunate surname
until he could see him face to face
and get a chance OF lowering his
voice bit. He pushed the door open
and walked IN and closed It gently
behind him.
TIE found himself confronting the
hurried gentleman who had run
upstairs This sprinter had produced
an automatic pistol and was point
ing it in a -ruculent manner at his
head Archie stared at his host and
hi. host stared 1t him
Put your hands up" he said.
"oh. Right-o! Absolutely said
70
The other was drinking him in with
considerable astsnishrnert. Arches
costume seemed to have made q pow
erful impression upon him
who the devil are you" he in
qUtred.
| 'sMe? Oh, my name's--"
Never mind your name What are
| you doing here?~
We'll, as a matter OF fact, I popped
in to ask II T might use your phone.
You see-
A certain relief seemed to temper
| the austerity Of the others gaze. As
a visitor. Archie, though surprising.
seemed to be better than he had eI-
pected.
| "I don't know what to do with
you" he said meditatively.
IF you'd just let me toddle to the
phone"
Likely said the man. He ap-
I peared to reach a decision. Here,
60 into that room"
He Indicated with jerk Of his
head the open door Of what was ap-
! parently a bedroom at the farther
| end Of the studio.
! The bedroom was N a state Of un-
| tidiness that eclipsed anything Archie
/ had ever witnessed. The other xp-