Evening star., 1925-10-04
The Davis Mystery.
r TOW terrible." the girl groan.
ed. Think of Ken agoniz.
ing about her. almost mad


l. Il with grief. Think of Dor
Z accused Of numbering her
Think Of that masked beast scattering
blood and finger prints about, and
burning skeletons to fix the guilt on
Don and get him hanged. while here
she is all the while"
1t seemed to Pandora that she must
do something for the two men she
loved. She had done her best. but she
must do more. If Eve were imprison.
ed here. the Masquer would not let
her go free until Don was ruined or
dead-perhaps for his own protection
not even then. She and the girl she
had hated-but did not hate now
would be got rid of. unless--unless
she could think of some way out.
With all Dagon's keenness and diplo.
macy, he failed to learn what had be.
e' come of the late butler at Hidden Hall
Court.
Barring Marianti, who had taken
Davis place (Marianti Dagon did not
care to ask, there was nobody likely
to know the mans address, unless one
of the two old servants who remained:
The head gardener and a lodge keeper.
Making friends with these the detec-
tive learned without direct inquiries
that neither had any knowledge of
chap" liked by none, though perfec-
Lion as butler. He had kept himself
to himself" and on leaving the Court
had not mentioned where he was go
ing
Dagon had no better luck in the
small village mile away. where, be
tried the post Office and the inn, and
the town of Ardry.le- Mare was too far
off to offer much hope. The more diff
11@, tl,x |, a
more firmly Dagon determined to
play it to the end, and by telephoning
Scotland Yard he arranged for an ad-
vertisement to appear next morning
in all the most important London
papers.
A firm Of solicitors asked for news
OF Samuel Davis the Christian name
was recalled by the local postmasterl,
late butler at Hidden Hall Court, Es-
sex, who would. by applying immedi-
ately 10 them, learn something to his
financial advantage.
That would tempt Davis out of his
hole, thought Dagon. And it did the
result of the 'ad' bringing with it an
electric shock of surprise. Samuel
Davis wired to Messrs. Topham from
Portree. Skye.
He was there. he telegraphed, visit
ing a relative, md being confined to
his room with gout could not at pres
ent undertake the journey to London.
He would, however. be glad to hear
at once what was the object Of the
advertisement. Had money been left
him and, If so, how much?
Dagon had arranged that colleague
should go to Skye and try to catch
sight of Paolo Magnani on ono of his
moving picture excursions. Davis be-
inn of tho birds rnllli he
killed with one stone-if ii were aimed
by sure hand. The Canadian would
have liked that hand to be his own:
but he could not leave Hidden Hall
Court just then.
The ex-butler gave as his address
Post office. Portree," but Dagon's
substitute. John Murdoch. had only
to show his credentials to the post
master Of that town to clear his way
of all difficulty in the matter of identi-
tication. A wire to Davis warned him
10 expect a letter containing particu-
lars" and such letter was dispatched
at the same time with the telegram.
IT contained a check for five pounds,
signed by John Topham." and inform
ed Mr.. S. Davis that 1t came from an
anonymous friend. grateful for
past kindness, which he perhaps had
forgotten. 1t said also that further
sum would be handed over, at a per-
sonal meeting, when Mr.. Davis could
keep an appointment in London.
Murdock was invited to sit in the
postma ster's room, and when "A letter
for Samuel Davis" was inquired for
he was promptly told. This gave him
time to slip out into the public Office
and see the legal-looking envelope de-
livered-after a slight delay-to a re-
III n11 I In hnH
tie doubt from the description given
him that il was Davis himself in spite
of that attack of gout,' which con-
fined him to the house.
This person could not control his
impatience till he got outside. but
halted in the middle of the post office
10 open the letter. Murdoch had time.
therefore. while pretending to write
out a telegram. for thorough in
spection of the squat and elderly
form.
The man was a curious mixture of
Two types, neither agreeable; frog and
fox. He had the figure, short neck
and thrust-up chin of d frog. and the
sly slant black eyes. pointed nose and
square, whiskered jaws of an old dog
fox He read the letter eagerly. though
with a puzzled air, sneered at the five
pound check and finally stuffed envel-
ope and all into his pocket. He walk
cd TO the shelf where telegraph forms
and pencils We're displayed. but chang
ed his mind and with q shrug Of the
shoulders marched out of the office.
At a safe distance Murdoch followed,
and after walk of nearly a mile
saw Davis go into small but pretty
house beyond the limits of the town.
1t did not look in the least like
house where an ex-butler would stay,
visiting a relative.
In Portree again, Murdoch went to
mn estate agent, described the house,
said he had taken a fancy to 1t, and
nsked If it might be sold or let. AS
matter of fact, said the agent, the
place was generally let furnished dur
ing the Summer. This season the U.S.
uaLHenants had been unable to come,
and aMr. Magnani, the cinema star,
had. taken the house for a few weeks
orffSsat high rent The agent under
stood that the actor was i'll, however
and his part was being played by an
understudy. This was a blow to the
girk, Of Portree, who had been thrilled
et the prospect OF seeing their 1aVor'
ite screen hero in real life.
The discovery that Davis was an In
mate of Mr.. Magnani's house, prob
s,hIy a. servant there, interested Muir.
r.ooh, Besides, the fact that those
Two were under the same roof would
save him time and trouble. He had
been ordered to learn all he could con.
cerning the movements OF Magnani,
as we'll as to get at" Davis, and he
knew ii was a connection between the
two Gf any that Dagon wished to
trace. This connection at least was