Evening star., 1924-07-03

Cranage," observed the detective
when we were fairly away. 80 far
it's beyond me! What do you make
'1!" I exclaimed. Good Heavens
man. l know nothing of it beyond
what told you. / should think you
and that chap from Scotland Yard
what do you call m?-Jifferdene?-
you're the men to know things abou:
dry laugh. Il can assure you we
know next to nothing. That Chinese
gentleman who came with US to see
you-if anybody knows anything, HI
does. But those easterns,-Lord, you
might as well try to get butter out
If they don't want to give it,"
How did he come to be with you
anyway" l inquired I've wondered
good deal about that"
iii tell you he answered. He
turned up, with Jifferdene, at our
headquarters at Portsmouth a few
days before We saw you on those
Downs. He wanted to get news OF
said, was believed to have been in
Portsmouth of late and wnom the
Chinese legation were very anxious to
lay hands on. l was told off to maxi
Inquiries. Eventually-really within
Chinaman, evidently a respectable
man, had been seen once or twice in
company with Holliment. We went
to Holliments place and found there d
been strange doings there and that
Holi1ment had vanished. Then we
made inquiries round about and
that potman at the Admiral Hawke
told us about strange young gentle
man who'd been at Holliment's place
all one day. Two or three days later
he came to US and said he'd found
that young gentleman-you-ani told
us where you were. So we came up
to Northumberland heard from you
about the Chinaman who looked in at
Holliment's window, and afterward
broke in with other fellows. See?"
And is that all you know?"
asked.
All I know up to now" he replied
MIR. Shen went off with that much
heard nothing more until I got this
wire"
"Then it really comes to this" said
1. What you three were after was
not Holliment, but some Chinaman?' %
That's about it." he answered: "A
legation want him-whoever he is
pretty badly, so much so that they
set Scotland Yard to find him. But
why they want him, and who he is, and
it, I've no more notion than an un-
born baby!'
"Spillerw I said. It'll lay you any
thing you like that if it's Holliment
that murdered it was that Chinaman
murdered him.
Il should say that a certainty" he
remarked with a laugh. You'd be
safe in laying a million to one! But
what object?"
d" don't know" I answered "All
I know it that I never saw a man
in such absolute thorough fear as
Holliment was in when I told his I'd
eyes at the window. He was in
deadly fear of his life, Spiller-his
life"
We'll the chaps got him." he said
You'll find it'll be Holliment. But
Jifferdene will know more by the
time we get up"
We found Jifferdene awaiting us
when we got to Scotland Yard He
took US to a little waiting room and
closed the door on the three of us
And by that time, having debated on
it with myself in the intervals of my
conversation with Spiller in coming
along. had made up my mind not to
| mention Neamore in connection with
Holliment-yet, at any rate. For If
I mentioned Neamore, I should have
to mention Lady Renardsmere, and
didn't want to. And after ali, Nea-
more might have nothing to do with
this business-Hollimen doubtless
knew plenty of men in London.
81 don't think there's any doubt
that this man is Ho1liment-from the
description I had of him in Ports
mouth" remarked Jifferdene, when
he'd shut the door. 1 should say that
there's no doubt about it,