Evening star., 1925-06-14


was a rool"' Daniel Rocke
grumbled as he diveSted
i himself of his coat and muf
fer. First warm day for
long time, and the silly young kid
builds furnace that would roast an
OK"
Miss Ann Lancaster looked up from
her task of arranging a little pile OF
letters upon the desk. She was carry
ing a newspaper in her hand.
Il made the fire" she confessed
Il am so sorry if it doesn't please you.
! thought it was rather a good fire, y
she added.
Too big-much too big" her en-
ployer grunted.
She closed the discussion with a
little toss of the head.
Il am sorry she said impenitently
do you mind looking at this news
paper? There seems to be rather A
curious disappearance reported. l
will wait while you read it, if l may
Daniel pointed to chair and
nodded. Then he bent over the news
paper and read the paragraph which
she had marked.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE
"OF A
WORCESTERSHIRE GENTLEMAN.
"A most extraordinary case of dis
appearance, in which the aid Of Scot.
land Yard has been invoked by the
local police, is reported from South
Fawley, a small village on the boun-
darieS of Somerset and Devon. 1t
appears that at about 5 O'Clock on
Thursday afternoon Mr.. Gerald Oakes
of South Fawley Hall left home with
the intention of shooting a few rab-
bits on the confines of the park. He
was seen to leave the gunroom, cross
Paddock and enter a small wood
through which a footpath leads to the
village. Two shots We're heard and a
recently killed rabbit was subse-
quently picked up in the wood. At Z
O'Clock, as Mr.. Oakes had not re-
turned, one of the gamekeepers went
to look for him. Later on a search
party was instituted, and the farther
woods and all possible places where
an accident could have occurred were
thoroughly explored, but without re-
suit. The local police have come to
the end of their resources and
representative from Scotland Yard is
now upon the spot. Mr.. Oakes has
only lately succeeded to the property,
and is a young man of considerable
wealth and a well known athlete. He
is of cheerful disposition. exceedingly
popular, and there is not the slightest
cause to suspect that he is in trouble
of any sort"
Daniel finished the paragraph and
leaned back in his chair. Ann waited
patiently, as she had learned to do.
Il fear" he concluded at last, lit
tie irritably, that l am losing my
memory-breaking up all round, in
fact. l have seen the name of that
village South Fawley, somewhere
within the last "a hours
''Probably in connection with this
affair" she suggested.
Mo- he snapped.
Yesterday" she reflected, you had
Prof Moon in to see YOU You left
early for lunch to keep an appoint
ment with Sir Francis at Whitehall
House. You were late back. You
must have called at one of the second
hand book shops, for YOU were carry
ing the volume of De Quincy you
showed me-
Stop he interrupted. You have
solved the mystery. 1t was an ad-
dress label in the book shop. saw
it on the top of a pile of volumes.
Put on your hat, Miss Lancaster, at
once"
THEY left the Office together, walked
up ShaMsbury avenue to the
Charing Cross road, and entered the
book shop at the corner. A little pile
of volumes stood in front of one of
the shelves covered by a sheet of
brown paper. The addressed label
was still there. They both bent over
1t.
The Rev. Gordon Maseley
The Vicarage
South F'awley
Somerset
'Let us see what his taste in books
is" Daniel remarked.
He lifted the edge of the brown pa
per, glanced, carelessly at first and
then eagerly, at the little row of vol.
umeS. He stood tranSfiXed. The man.
ager of the shop strolled over to him.
Queer hobby for a clergyman. Mr..
Rookie" the latter observed. This
Mr. Maseley sent me $50 and gave
me a list of standard, modern works
on lunacy he wished sent down to
him. l am just waiting for Hobson's
Diseases of the Brain to send the
parcel off. 1 expect it today"
"Is this gentleman-Mr. Maseley-
an old customer
II never heard of him before" the
manager admitted. Does he happen
TO be a friend of yours, sir?''
Il could tell if l saw his handwrit-
ing" Daniel replied. Have you his
original letter."
Il am not sure, sir
The man made his way to the office
and reappeared a moment or two
later with a sheet of note paper in his
hand.
Nothing doing" he announced
'SThe order came typewriter on a