Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-04-02
{. Phillips Oppenhenrl
Copyright by Little. Brown and company

1
ana nghtlng men from Chicago"
The fellows magnificent, at any
rate Wilmore remarked.
HIS host smoked furiously for a mo-
ment.
That's the worst of these multi-mil-
honaires," 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 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 your"
Wilmore shook his head.
The fact that he is the father of
Oliver Hilditch's widow"
Francis sat quite still for a moment.
There was complete change in his ex-
preston. He looked like a man who
has received a shock.
Il forgot that" he muttered.
x 4 4.
Francis met Shopland one morning
about 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 insignifi-
cant-looking little man, understood,
with thin frame and watery eyes. His
mouth, however, was hard, and there
were tell-tale little lines at it's corners
None whatever, am sorry to sag.
Mr., Ledsam," he admitted. eat pres
ent we are quite in the dark"
You found the weapon, 1 hear?'
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 it came to nothing"
Where was it picked up?'
In the middle of the waste plot Of
ground next to Sotos The murderer
evidently threw it there the moment he
had discharged it. He must have been
wearing rubber-soled shoes, for not a
soul heard him co.
Francis nodded thoughtfully.
Il wonder" he said, after a slight
pause, whether it ever occurred to
you to interview Miss Daisy Hyslop,
the young lady who was with Bidlake
on fhGa nj rht of hic
Il 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 was the cause of
his death. If she had not insisted
upon his going out for a taxicab, the
man who was lettering about would
probably have never got hold of him."
The detective glanced up furtively
at the speaker. He seemed to reflect
for a moment.
II gathered" he said, Sin conversa-
ton with the cOmmissiOnaire, that
Miss Hyslop was a little impatient
that night. 1t seems, however, that
she was anxious to get to ball which
was being given down in Kensington."
"There was a ball, was there?"
Francis asked.
without doubt" the detective re
piled. "It was given by Miss Clara
Bultiwell. She happens to remember
urging Miss Hyslop to come on as
early as possible"
They were walking along the Mall
now, eastward. The detective. who
seemed to have been just a saunterer,
had accommodated himself to Francis
destination.
"Let me see, there was nothing
stolen from the young mans person,
was there?" Francis asked presently.
apparently nothing at all, sir"
"And 1 gather that you have made
every possible inquiry as to the young
mans relations with his friends?"
$50 far as one can learn, sir, they
seem to have been perfectly amicable."
"Of course" Francis remarked pres
emily, ''this may have been quite a
purposeless affair. The deed may
have been committed by a man who
was practically a lunatic, without any
motive or reason whatever"
"Precisely so, sir" the detective
agreed.
But, all the same, I don't think it
was"
Neither do /, sir"
Francis smiled slightly.
"Shopland," he said, 'if there is no
further external evidence to be col
lected, 1 suggest that there is only one
person likely to prove of assistance"
"And that one person, sir?"
Miss Daisy Hyslop."
1.-THE young lady whom have al
ready seenp
Francis nodded.
1.-THE young lady whom you have al
ready seen," he assented. "At the
same time, Mr.. Shopland; we must re-
member this. If Miss Hyslop has any
| knowledge of the facts which are be-