Evening star., 1924-07-20
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

You'd probably find her gone when
YOU got there" / said. My own belief
| is that she'll not be seen here until just
| before the Derby.
The Derby" he exclaimed. ITO
be sure, she'll come home for that!
Well, there's time for lot of water
to run under London bridge before
that comes off. Mr.. Cranage, though
it's getting near at hand. Now I'm
going" He shook hands and turned
towards his cab. but paused again,
nodding at the house. It's a Won
der" he said in a confidential whisper
"a wonder-to me-that there's been
no attack on that.-on her. while
she was in it. But its maybe that
he-or they-have only recently
known that she was concerned. Sup
posing
"supposing what, Jifferdene?" !
asked.
"Supposing you get a nocturnal
visitor in the shape of the China
man." he suggested. IT'S possible"
There are plenty of men in the
house-and firearms, too" / answer
ed. LAS for myself, I've carried a
revolver in my hip-pocket for the
last week"
Well, 1 think you're wise" he re-
marked. Murder stalking at large,
eh? Well, we can only do our best.
Mr. Cranage. We're trying, what
ever you may think.
He went away then. and ! returned
and profitless discussion. Peyton
had become profoundly interested in
the affair into which he had been ac-
cidentally pitchforked, and being a
man of means and leisure had mad e
up his mind to see 1t through. In
deed, he could not very well get
away from it for time, for his evil
dence was necessary at the repeated
bringings- of the three miscreants
who were on remand, and whom he
and I, Walker and Peggie had to con-
front from the witness-box until we
grew sick of seeing their sullen or
defiant countenances. AS l could not
extend Lady Renardsmere's hospital
ity to him for ever, Peyton took up
his quarters at the Renardsmere
Arms, a convenient center for keep
ing in touch with me and the police
AS / had little to do at that time,
he and l were much together, and
we spent a great part of each day at
Manson Lodge, where Ripping Ruby,
guarded day and night as II she had
been some empress whose life and
throne were in danger, was complet-
ing her preparations for the Derby.
This sort of thing was going on
when we arrived within one week of
the Derby. And the situation then
was this: The Chinaman had not
been found, nor had the police come
across one single trace of him. On
the strength of the evidence brought
against them, in which the memo
randa found on the leader largely fig
ured. and three men had been duly
charged with the murders of Holli-
ment, Quartervayne and Neamore.
and committed for trial at the next
assizes; the identity of the leader
had been fully established; as for the
other two, they still fatty refused to
give themselves a name. and up to then
fhe police had not succeeded in finding
out who they were. And, perhaps
more important than anything to
ourselves, up to chm, the Friday be-
fore the EPSON spring meeting be-
gan, neither Peggie Mansor nor my
self had heard word more. by let
ter or telegram. from Lady Renards-
mere. But on that Friday the silence
was broken.
was busy with such correspond
ence as there was that morning
not much had come in during Lady
Renardsmere's absence-when, about
noon, Burton, the butler. entered.
There was an air of mystery about
him. mingled, / fancied, with some
sense of relief and satisfaction. He
came close to my desk. and, quite
unnecessarily, whispered
"Mr. Cranage! Joycey is here, sir
wanting to see you
/ looked up at him, wonderingly.
"Joycey?" / said. Who is JOY
cey?"
Il forgot you didn't know, sir. The
butler at Park Lane. IL think he s
a message from her ladyship. For
you, Mr.. Cranage."
got up from my desk-a bit ex-
citedly, no doubt