Evening star., 1924-03-27

Like Il good many other folk who
have set out on this particular sort
of quest StyIer had no very clear
notion Of what he was going to do.
But he was a profound believer in
chance: something, he felt sure.
would turn up which would he OF use
and advantage TO him. To begin
with, he introduced himself, worm
fashion. into Mrs. Ecnton'S quiet
grounds, and from the convenient
am buscade OF shruDbery took a
look at the house. There were
lighted windows above and below.
hut as all the blinds were closely
drawn, S:yler quickly perceived that
he was not going to have much on
portunty OF getting peep into the
interior. This was Disappointing. be-
cause h. wished to see Mrs. Renton 8
companion at close quarters. And
then. while he was casting about in
his mind AS TO what he should do
next, the hall door opened, and in
the flood of light which strearncd out
and the man who had ridden with her
III the motor car emerge and walk
quickly away down a side path. In
another minute StyIar heard the click
of a garden gate; then footSt cps on
the hard road without. And in the
second minute he had slipped off his
shoes. had slipped out of the shrub
berry. and was following those foot
steps at a safe distance.
The two people in front went up
hill; up the lane toward the woods
which shut in the park and grounds
of Lynne Court Styler fancied that
might be going thore; wherever they
were going. he too, was bound. But
before he had time to speculate
further on this matter his quarry
yrt1E ri Il Ill
and made straight for the retired
bungalow in which dwelt AIR. Samuel
Pegge-
Stylers heart began TO thump in
his bosom. This, he informed him
self gayly, this was A bit of all right :
this was a real, proper adventure. !.
Visiting Samuel Pegge. alias Stepti-
mus Philcox, latiSh in the evening, i'll
secret faShion-go0d, Now if only
he could transform himself into one
of those spirits that you hear about,
and get into that bun nsalow unseen
and he present at the interview that
was coming, and overhear all that
was said between theme there?-ah.
that would, indeed. be a fair. good
cop, But as Styler was essentially y
material such a convenient course
was utterly impracticable, and the
only thing he could do was TO do
what he cood-under the circum-
stances.
Styler was sufficiently acquainted
with Mr.. PegSe's domestic arrange
Inents to know that the good gentle
man lived alone. His household re
qutrementS were seen to by a village
dame who came at 10 and left at
5; consequently Mr.. Pegye's eve
nings were spent in solitude. There
fore he, Styler, would have little
difficulty in prospecting around the
bungalow. And when he had heard
Mrs. Renton and her companion ad-
nitted, he left his shoes under a CON
venient hollyhush in the lane. stole
into the garden, made his way from
tree to tree and hedge to hedge. and
I, finally crept into the veranda, to
look cautiously through the window
of the one apartment in which light
was shown.
There was nothing before that
window but a lace curtain, carelessly
drawn. and Styler, keeping himself
we'll within the shadow of the porch,
had a clear, uninterrupted view of
tthe room and its occupants. Mr.
Pegge appeared to have heen enjoy
ing a quiet evening when his visitors
| interrupted him. There was q bright
| fire on his hearth, an easy-chair was
drawn up to the fender, and on the
table in the middle of the room stood
| jar On that table lay also a pile
of magazinese and newspapers and a
yellow-backed novel, which Mr.
Pegge had evidently thrown down,
idtf lOItHAoS(y "Acu the KNOCK came
at his door.
The three occupants of the room
were already in conversation when
Sty1er contrived to get a view of
them. Mrs. Renton occupied the
| easy-chair which Mr.. Pegge had lust
| vacated; her companion sat in an
! other on the other side of the table.
/ Mr.. Pegge stood, a briar pipe in his
hand. on the hearth-rug between
| them. He was listening with close
| attention to whatever it was that
+, the other man was saying, and Styler
/ cursed the builder of that bungalow
| for building it so well. 1t was evil
| IDENTIFY no jerry-built erection, for the
| window fitted properly and tightly:
not sound came to him through any
| crack or crevica And though he
watched and waited a good half hour
he heard nothing, saw nothing, out
| of the common. The three people ap-
| peared to be discussing something
som ething of a serious nature, to
| judge by the expression of their re-
| spective faces. Now Mrs Renton
| talked, now her companion talked
| now Mr.. Pegge talked. They appeared
| to be on very good terms; the elder
ly gentleman accepted Mr.. Pegge' s
hospitality, and took a. whisky-and-
soda at his hands and lighted a cigar
from a. box which Mr.. Pegge reached
down from a shelf over the fireplace.
In fact, they seemed to be very
friendly together, and again Styler
mathematical the builder of the
bungalow.
ICoxatjnxaed in ISouaoxroWss StaxN