Evening star., 1924-03-22

criminal records Nice job, Styier-
out it can and must be done. It's our
only chance, unless
waiter came up to the corner IN
which they sat, carrying a telegram
"Mr. smith-Mr. John Smith: Wire
for you. sir
Smith tore open the envelope And
Styler leaning nearer in response TO
his masters beckoning nod, read the
message with him:
SUPERINTENDENT OF police. Lynch
field. has just wired that Ticken died
suddenly in hospital 10 o,eioek this
morning. IhESS
CHAPTER xx.
The Wreath and the Charm.
Smith deliberately folded up Oar
rell's telegram. put it carefully away
in one pocket. and from another drew
out a map which he proceeded TO
spread over the table at which he and
Styler sat.
"Styler." he said I'VE must be off
to Lynchfield at once. II there's any
thing to hear in connection with
Tickells death we must hear 1T. Ana
the thing is-how to get there as soon
mouth--there's Lynchfeld--sixty to
seventy miles away az | make 1t. And
so far as | can see, its a roundabout.
cross-country railway journey, inVoiN-
ing several changes. What about
motor car"'
"A motor car for you-I can ride my
motor bike" replied Styler. ITS half
past IL exactly--we can be there by
o'clock. And you wouldn't do II any
quicker by train. There's garage
order the best car I can get@
LAT once" agreed Smith. Mean
while I'll settle our bills and have
ss scms food put up for TVS Ts-Hs Sss,b must st
TickeIl is important. Sty!er-itll lead
to fresh developments. OF you go"
Master and man spent the next three
hours in racing across slices OIL Two
counties and the whole of one. Just
before the town clock struck they
dashed up to the police station at
Lynchfield and were presently shown
into the presence of the superlntend-
ent, who had accompanied Smith and
Hextall and Darrell to the cottage
after his accident The superintend-
ent recognized Smith at once.
All he said. II suppose you've
heard, then: The mans dead"
Mr.. Tress wired to me-" answered
Smith. You understand ?-fm look
ing after this affair in his interests.
Tickell died suddenly. ! suppose"
Complications set in. and he died
said the Superintendent Iaconically. so
there's an end of that.
Smith was about to remark that this
was probably but a beginning. but he
remembered that the official mind
works only in certain way, and he
refrained.
4 suppose you've no further in
formation" he asked. Nothing more
come to light-here?''
Nothing! We've heard nothing
IaV ied
the superintendent. turning on his
questioner quizzically. You amateur
gentlemen-e1cuse the phrase!---are
sometimes better hands than we are,
you know"
Nothing about Tickell." answered
Smith. Il know no more about him
than. I did when | was here the other
day"
opinion" remarked the superintendent.
There's been a lot of publicity in the
newspa pers--I've been nearly mad
dened by those confounded reporters.
and / suppose folks have talked the
thing well over, from Lands End to
John O. Groats, and yet nobody's come
forward to identify this man. It's
extraordinary"
'Nobody's come forward to identify
Kesteven, for that matter" said
There YOU are again" exclaimed
the superintendent. Two of 'em,
Might have dropped from the clouds,
thing that anybody seems to know of
'em. Surely somebody must have
known kesteven and Tickell as well!
They may, Of course. have been living
under assumed names Of late. but then,
pa per tnat prints such things. And
yet nobody comes forward to tell any
thing about them Now. didn't Mr..
Tress say at that inquest that he met
L < Of
yes, Newbury. Well. il Kesteven was
a frequenter of race courses. some
body must have known him. What's
this silence mean
deavornig to find OUT replied Smith
And as there's evidently nothing to
be learned here, I'll journey farther"
"Oh. we. know nothing" said the
superintendent. "All we know is that
the man suspected of shooting Kest-
even came into our hands as the result
of an accident and has died from his
injuries without our learning a single
said. there's an end of that But
now. look here" he added. as Smith
began making for the door; between
YOU and me. Mr.. Smith. do you think
this his. chap who's lying dead up there
"No!" replied Smith. Il don't"
Just so," said the superintendent
with a smile. Have you any idea who
did? In strict confidence, you know,
I'm strict confidence, 1 haven't" an
swered Smith. I've no more idea than
that desk Of yours has or ever could
have. haze But I'm just as certain that
the superintendent Il ''s never knew saia a
queerer one. Have your"
Yes" replied Smith, opening the
door. Half a dozen,"
The superintendent laughed incred-
ulously. and Smith and Styler left
him and went out into the street
What next?" asked Styler There's
nothing to be done here"
Smith jumped into his car.
.,,, Lynne Court styler," he said.
Give the driver a lead if you know
the way--if you don't. I'll direct him"
But Styler who had studied road
map while he ate sandwiches and drank
ale at a wayside inn. went on ahead
and before o'clock led the motor car
into the usually quiet street of the viii
lage.. That afternoon. however, the
street was ANYTHING but auiet-all
people were gathered, and in the
churchyard itself more people were
grouped about one particular place,
And on Smith pulling up his car
outside the Lynne Arms and max
Ius INJURY as 10 the reason OF this
commotion he was Informed by the
landlord, who came out to greet him
and Styler as well remembered Gus
toners, that Kesteven's body had been
buried that afternoon, and that all
these folk had come from far and
near out of sheer curiosity.
Quiet affair it's been, sir, apart
from all this" he went on to saw.
with a wave Of the hand toward the
people. many of whom were now max.
ing toward his own door. Nobody
there. sir, except Mr.. Tress, in the
way OF mourners-Mr. Tress and one
or two of his servants, ANYWAY,
Queer thing. sir, that no relatives or