Evening star., 1925-09-16

~ SHALL be obliged, sir, II you'll
80 come, too he said. wher
Wells curtly proposed that
Il Capt. Haste should explain
matters in the library, unem
tarra SSed by his hosts presence
But, sergeant, he accuses me OF q
great crime" Wells explained. And
So"
LAS far as I'm concerned, 1t doesn
matter whether you're present or alb
sent" Ken broke in. II can't say
more than I've said to you already"
Rawdon shrugged his shoulders as
he walked into the library with the ser
geant of police and the man who had
once been his best friend. He listened
quietly to the questions and answers;
heard all Ken's hastily built-up theory
of deliberate plot for revenge against
a successful rival and showed no emo
ton whatever until Ken produced the
piece of half-burned pink ribbon with
the crystal fringe. Then he flushed a
dark red, bit back some word at the
end of his tongue and took his lip be
tween his teeth.
You suspect Sir Rawdon Wells of
as you might Say-luring the lady to
his house and numbering her on her
wedding night?" Arson summed up
glowering at Haste. killing her some.
on the piano in the music room, with
you in the next room, and both doors
open: then taking the body by a Sc
cret way down to the cellar and burn
ing it in the furnace, where he'd
lighted a huge fire on purpose; he
thinking to escape in his own motor
car to Liverpool, without any one sus'
pecting-if all had gone well-that
he'd been near the place?'
I'LL hot tr1f
I suspect" Ken answered with dull
obstinacy. My wife's disappearance
the blood marks-her handkerchief
in the laboratory-this bit of charred
silk-the great furnace fire on July
night-Sir Rawdon Wells refusal to
explain his presence here and his eva.
sive answers about what he had burn
ed-everything. points to one horrible
conclusion
answers to you, sir, is no reason why
he should to me-" said Arson.
Though to Wells-"I m
bound to warn you, sir, that anything
you may say
"Oh, l know all that stuff, sergeant y
Wells cut in. And I'm not going to
say anything except this: I didn't kid
nap Mrs. Haste. | didn't murder her.
/ haven't seen her since the wedding.
1 ndd no intention OIL coming uOWu 10
the court when invited her and Capt.
Haste to spend their honeymoon here.
The business that brought me cropped
up later Il was important-but en-
tirely private; didn't concern Captain
or Mrs Haste in the least. The things
I burned in the furnace were acon-
nected with my business, but not with
the Hastes. I've already explained
that | brought the brides handker-
chief away with me as a souvenir.
Not much harm in that l haven't
vet seen the footprint and finger marks
in the music room near the secret
door. But there's one thing certain
about them; they're not mine, ard the
sooner 1 can prove that the better /
shall be pleased"
The footprint can be tested at
once, sir said hnson. "As for the
finger marks, they'll. require an ex
pert. I'm not sure we have any
one competent
You'll phone to Scotland Yard.
hope, Immediately" Ken cut him
short There's not a second to waste.
| hope to heaven that by this time one
of your men has-has looked TO the
turnace-has found out" he STAN.
mered and broke down.
THAT is being attended to, sir" An
son replied. svmpathetically enough
yet he was almost involuntarily watch
ing Sir Rawdon Wells as If for a
lead" From the story Capt. Haste
had poured out, suspicion against Sir
Rawdon-secretly Anson's idol and
hero-appeared hideously well found.
ed. The sergeant knew that there