Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-09-27

important. It's my message. AS an
admirer of your talent who doesn't
wish you to fail ridiculously after all
your success, L warn you solemnly,
as you value your reputation, TO
keep off the Haste-Carroll case. Make
any excuses you choose. But keep of.
Otherwise ruin-perhaps death for
you"
Thanks for the advice" Dagon re-
torted, extremely puzzled, but speak
ing with airy indifference of tone.
please add to your goodness by stat
ing why l should keep off the grass
l mean the case"
No answer was vouchsafed to this
question. Dagon repeated 1t several
times, in varied forms, but silence
answered, with the odd impish echo or
the telephone. At last. softly wills
thing, the detective hung up the re.
ceiver.
He believed that the voice had in
all probability called him from pub
lie telephone. The speaker would have
been a fool to run an unnecessary
risk, especially when dealing with
detective. Now which of my lot, II
| any of them, wanted to brighten me-"
| Dagon asked himself, casting his eyes
over each of the photographs in turn.
Whoever 1t was might have saved
| himself or herself the trouble, for in
stead of being frightened the detec-
tive felt doubly keen. But, of course,
| the person who had called him up
wouldn't stop there. Something else
would happen. Dagon would have
given a good deal to know what.
His new theory, however, was not
shaken. In fact If anything, 1t was
| strengthened. But 1t was very young
still, only just out Of the shell and
covered with yellow down, as he ex
pressed IL himself There were al
| most as many ways of testing the
| theory as there were ramif1cations OF
! the strange case on which he was en-
gagged, and Dagon didn't mean to miss
| one Of either.
| The odd thing was that. so far as
| he was aware, Capt. Haste was the
one person who knew he was paying
| this short visit to London. And Capt.
| Haste was the one person Of the lot"
| las he put iD whom Dagon did not
suspect at least Of Interior motives
| or hiding some secret knowledge.
| Also he had an appointment with
| Haste later on. Therefore, Haste was
also the one person who could not
| now have called him up.
Ken had loathed the necessity Of
| remaining at Hidden Hall Court, and
| had well-nigh been driven insane by
living and in the neighborhood re-
| manned as obstinate as ever 1t had
been since his first black mood Of de-
| spair had passed. Some one-if not
| Rawdon Wells. then another-had
| shut Eve up in a secret place, and
wished him-kennedy Haste-to be-
| lieve her dead. But he would not be
| fooled. And he would stop in the
| house until he or Dagon-to whom he
no 10 OIL 70
| should hit upon the truth. 1t was par
| ucularly disagreeable for Haste hav-
| ing Wells about the place, suspecting
| him as he did. But Ken realized the
| police point Of view, that Wells must
remain on the spot. And after all, he
argued, Wells presence made his own
more than ever essentials a watch
err. 1t was not necessary that they
should meet: and the Court was big
enough for them to keep apart.
Dagon, however, had asked Haste IL
he would object to showing him let
| ters from Miss Carroll written just be-
| fore her marriage, as some chance
! word might be enlightening to the
mind of a detective. Ken had a bun.
| die of such letters in town, and being
| told that Dagon had to go to London
for day. offered to go also and get
! the parcel.
| ing here?" he wondered. Il told him
didn't want it known, as l wished
| to be free and undisturbed. But he
may have spoken Of 1t to some one he
| didn't think would disturb me-"
| 1t was easy, it seemed, to obtain an
| answer to this question from head
quarters. He had made an appoint.
ment to call at the Haste house, os.
, tensibly to get a glimpse Of Eve Car
L.,f tn, foy- =,
| object quite as important to him. if
F, not more so. This appointment was
! for an hour hence, but he was sure
| that Haste would be at home, and he
| could not resist calling him up on the
! phone.
Can you see me now. instead of in
an hours time, as we arranged"
Dagon asked.
Certainly, I would prefer it." the
| answer came.
| And the detective started out in
| delay.
| Kennedy Haste's house was on North
| Audley street. He had lived there
only since his engagement to Eve, at
| which time he had sold the big and
somewhat gloomy old home of his
| boyhood. Eve had selected the new
house herself, or. at least, had said
that she would like to live on North
| Audley street, which had been enough
| for Ken. Furniture, decorations and
everything had been chosen to please
her. excepting the suite which Ken
| had set apart for his adopted sister
Pan.
| The first note struck, even on enter
| ing the hall, was gay modernity. Da-
gon was shown into a drawing room
with a dark carpet, and furniture
mostly of old Chinese lacquer, much of
1t red. There were green curtains,
with splashes of purple embroidery
| and wonderful irideScent bowls con-
tanning fantastic-colored fruits which
might have been stolen from the stage
\ at performance Of "Chu Chin
| Chow" Poor little lonely Eve. She
would have been a witchlike vision Of
beauty here, in the wonderful gowns
that she affected. Where was she
living or dead? 1t was as If a voice
whispered the question in Dagon's
ear.
J After a moments waiting he was
ton of library and smoking room. and
| there Haste met him at the door-a
pale and haggard Haste.
This house is killing me-" he said.
Its worse than at that haunted hole
| of Rawdon Wells'-she and I chose
! everything together. I can hear her
calling me to save her from some
| horror.
I'm glad you came early. I want
to get away-to get back to Essex.
Anything may have happened there
while I've been gone-who knows?"
II know that nothing has happened
to interest YOU" Dagon tried to soothe
him. But you can get back as soon
as you like, SO far as I'm concerned.
| I see how you must feel here. But
didn't you tell me, when you spoke of