, 1924-03-12
E. Phillips 0ppenheiln
copyriFh. by Little. Brown and Company

Civ" huShiiSCutp Ut duy
rate.' Wilmore remarked.
His host smoked furiously for a mo-
ment.
That's the worst Of these multi-mll-
liOnaires." he declared. "They think
they can rule the world. traffic in hu-
man souls, buy morals. mock at the
law. We shall see!"
do you know the thing that I found
most interesting about him?" Wilmore
asked.
"His black opals," the other suggest
ed. You're by the way of being a COL
lector. aren't you?"
WilmOre shook his head.
"The fact that he Is the father of
oliver Hllditch's widow"
Francis sat quite still for a moment
There was a complete change In his ex-
preston. He looked like a man who
has received a shock.
II forgot that" he muttered.
= .
Francis me Shopland one morning
about a week later. on his way from
Charges street to his chambers in the
Temple. The detective raised his hat
and would have passed on but Francis
accosted him.
ANY progress. Mr.. Shopland?" he
inquired.
The detective fingered his small.
sandy mustache. He was an insignif-
c~ant-looking little man, understood,
with thin frame and watery eyes. His
mouth. however. was hard, and there
were teli-tale little lines at Its corners.
None whatever, l am sorry to say.
Mr.. Ledsam." he admitted. AT pres
ent we are quite In the dark"
You found the weapon. 1 hear7"
Shopland nodded.
1T was just an ordinary service re-
%volver, dating from the time Of the
war. exactly like a hundred thousand
others. The inquiries we were able to
make from II came to nothing"
Where was 1t picked up?"
I'm the middle of the waste plot of
ground next to Soto's. The murderer
evidently threw 1t there the moment he
had discharged 1t. He must have been
wearing rubber-soled shoes. for not a
soul heard him CO."
Francis nodded thoughtfully.
II WONDER" he said, after a slight
pause, whether II ever occurred to
you to interview Miss Daisy Hyslop.
the young lady who was with BIdlake
on the night of his murdeG?"
II called upon her the day after
ward" he detective answered.
"She had nothing to say"
Nothing whatever"
Indirectly, of course" Francis con-
tinued. "the poor girl vas the cause of
his death. II she had not Insisted
upon his going out for a taxicnb. the
man who was lettering about would
probably have never got hold of him."
The detective glanced up furtIvely
Mt the speaker. He seemed to reflect
for a moment.
II gathered" he said. ''in conversa-
tiOn with the commissioning, that
Miss Hyslop was a little impatient
that night. II seems, however. that
she was anxious to get to a ball which
was being given down in Kensington."
'"There was a ball, was there2'
Francis asked.
without n doubt" the detective re-
piled. 1T was given by a Miss Clara
Bultiwell. She happens to remember
urging Miss Hyslop to come on as
early rs possible"
They were walking along the Mall
now. eastward. The detective. who
seemed to have been just u saunterer,
had accommodated himself to Francis
destination.
LET me see, there was nothing
stolen from the young mans person,
was there7" Francis asked presently.
Apparently nothing at all, SIR"
"And | gather TINT YOU have made
every possible inquiry as TO the Young
mans relations with his friends?"
& for os one con learn. air tbev
seem 10 have been p~erfectlv am,cabIe"