Evening star., 1924-03-14
The Mystery of Lynne Court
By ]. S. FLETCHER



1--WE amt none hereabouts!" he re
marked. "Poachers there's naught
to poach-on the Tress property, any
| way. 'Tain't a game estate, that-old
Mr.. Tress, the uncle, what had it
| before this young gentleman, he
| wasn't one for sport All his tastes
| was for flowers and rare plants and
| trees, and such like. Fine gardens
| and grounds and a well laid out park,
but not much in the game line-few
partridges and hare or two, but
naught worth what you'd call
proper poacher's attention. No, sir;
that there man wasn't put an end to
by any of our folk"
Il expect you know everybody in
| the placer" observed Styler. Not SO
many to know, is there?"
Il know every man Jack of 'em in
| Lynne" answered the landlord. And
every woman and child, too. It's a
small place, as you say-we've no
strangers here. That is, 'cepting
young widow lady as took the War
rem not so long since, and an old gent
| as has just come down to a furnished
cottage up in the woods. Them's the
only two-Mrs. Renton, the young
widows name is, and the old chaps
and bred here. And you wouldn't
| look to a fine young widow lady, nor
yet to an old gentleman, to go about
! in our woods at night with revolvers
1
No, sir, 'tain't no Lynne folks as done
| that murder! If it amt him-Tickell
Las they're after. then it is mys-
terry, and no error"'
Young widow, you say? Pretty
| woman?'
"Uncommon,' replied the land
lord. Fine woman-a lady. No
great establishment, you understand,
but enough-two or three maids and
a page boy
ITS a queer thing" observed
Styler. insinuating with look that
he was quite sure that the landlord was
you've noticed it, that these young
widows invariably bury themselves
in what you might call the truly
rural-where there is nobody that
they could make a second attempt
| well, don't know" replied the
| landlord sagaciously. "You see, that's
when the first year or SOS on. They
like to get where its shady, to reflect
on on things; hdn!;s But h III tell you what"
always noticed that a period of re-
Election like that gives Fem an appe-
tite for a second husband-yes!'
This lady making any attempt that
| wayT asked Styler.
Nay, 1 can't say that we've noticed
aught," answered the landlord. She's
| a quietish sort-spends her time a
| good deal in the garden and such
like. We've no marrying gentleman
, about here, either; it's a poor coun-
| try for that. OF course, there's Mr..
| Tress-but this here Mrs. Renton is
bit too old for him-she's the sort
! gentleman. You understand-eome-
thing like that guv'nor of yours that
| was in here just now"
understand what you mean: Look
| well at the head of a rich mans
table, eh? I'll tell him to keep his
sLaw gentleman, that, I reckon. ?"
observed the landlord inquisitively.
81 thought as much when I see you
| drive up to the door. 1 said to my
| missis, One of these here lawyers I
here 9sre over this aair that We sen.
It's an i'll wind that blows nobody
some good, as they say, and expect
this do IL put money in pockets like
mot if I sit here all the morning."
answered Styler. He drank off his
ale, remarked that he should look In
q bit later for mouthful Of lunch
folk who saw him there might have
fancied that he had no aim or OBJ
| into the win windows Of the two or three
churchyard and iinger by the open
door of the school. presumably to
listen to the hum Of juvenile voices
! within. But Styler had an object Of
I his own, and he pursued it in his own
| fashion. He had already found out
! that in that small community there
| were only two persons whose ante
| cedents were not common property
! an old gentleman and a young lady:
he meant to have a look at both Of
them. And having kept his eyes open
as he strolled around and duly mo-
| ticed, from a slight eminence by the
churchyard, that in the woodlands
| near Lynne Court there stood one
largish house and one smallish one,
he betook himself to those woodlands
by various narrow lanes and paths.
For intuition and deduction-both
jstrong qualities with Styler-told him
that the large house must be the
Warren and the small one the fur
nished cottage both referred to by
the landlord OF the Lynne Arms, and
he desired to take closer look at them
ana to see their inmates. All this
was part Of his-And Of John 6m1th's-
Man. II lnWe&ht0G QQu&pa1 has oc.,