The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-11-23

or to make any effort to attract the atten-
ton of any body who may enter this ruin
tonight; and if-you will give me that
II don't know what you mean. Put it .
little clearer, please"
"It is absolutely imperative that you
should not return to your home tonight,
and that your stepmother should have no
hint of where you have gone or what has
become of you"
"Why?"
'Thats my affair, and you will have to
pardon me if l keep it to myself. Now,
then, why not make matters easier and
pleasanter for you and for me by giving me
your word Of honor that you will secretly
journey up to London stop there the night,
and neither by word nor deed will let
hint of your whereabouts get to Clavering
Close?"
II don't know; can't think what's at the
bottom of it. Good Lor'du'-with sudden
flash of suspicion-"you don't mean that
you suspect Lady Clavering simply because
De Louvisan was an Austrian and she's an
Austrian, too
"O-hor' interjected Cleek. $50 Lady Cla=
vering is an Austrian, Ell? l see! But /
have not, thus far, unearthed even the ghost
of thing that could connect Lady SLAYER
ing with the crime. Do you want me to tell
you the truth? 1t is you against who1l all
suspicious point the strongest; and l want
you to go away tonight simply that / may
know if you have spoken the truth, or are
an accomplished actor and a finished liar!
eff what you said about your stepnloth-
er's reason for following you out upon the
common last night is true, not all the pow
ers on this earth will be able to keep her
indoors should you be mysteriOusly miss
ing. But if it is not so great, if you have
lied, Lady Clavering will not come out in
quest of you herself, and shall know that
you have something to hide and some des-
perate reason for i.iding it. Now, then,
will you give me your parole and go
up to London tonight and face the issue
of that act like MANI"
eyes, certainly I WILL said Geoff in
stantly.
With equal promptness Cleek walked for
ward, unlocked the handouts and set him
free.
but one last thing"-this as Godfrey
began to run up the steps toward the open
trap-door-"if you should happen by any
chance to catch glimpse of Mr.. Harry
Raynor while you are in town tonight, keep
an eve on hin,-see whom he meets, see
where he goes, and mind that he does not
see YOU. Just one more word: Happen to
know anybody besides Mr.. Harry Raynor
who is addicted to the use OF black cos
metic for the mustache?"
"Yes," said Godfrey, pausing halfway up
the staircase ana cdugnC ny the d. u1le09
of this apparently artless question. know
two other men. Why?"
"Oh, nothing in particular. Who are the
two men in question:"
Lord St. Timer, fer one"
Lord St. Hunn-m-rn! Just so! Just so!
And the other-who is he?''
why, my dad! Used it for years, bless
his bully old hearth =,
"Your- Good-by" said cleek, with
curious "snap'' in his voice; then he faced
round suddenly and walked down the under
ground passage and let Geoff go his way.
He came again to the cell where the muir,
dered keepers clothes lay. 1t was an old
trick of the assassin's,, burying things and
then barking back to the spot either to re,
move them or to see if they were safe; and
this assassin, whoever he. might prove to
be, would be sure to follow the universal
precedent When he did
Cleek bundled the clothing back into the
hole, took up the spade, shoveled back the
earth, and made the spot look as nearly as
possible as it had been when he stumbled
upon it.
"a little bit of spy work for Dolsops,"
was his unspoken thought.
He put the spade back in the place where
he had found it, and, facing about, went up
after rpnlacinQ the