Evening star., 1925-07-16


a match he said, always resource -
| full You come upstairs please" "a
He held japanese match in frofE
| of them. but IT scarcely dispelled 3heC
darkness and. they groped their war1,
up behind him. On the first floor he
unlocked door and going in lit a ,
gas jet --z
Come In, please" he said. -
It was small. square room. with
one window, and the only furniture
consisted of two low Chinese beds
/ covered with mating. In one corner
was a large chest, with an elaborate
lock, and on this stood a shabby tray,
with an opium pipe on II and a lamp
There was in the room the FAINT
acrfd scent of. the drug. They sat
down and Ong Chi Seng offered tIHem
cigarettes. In moment the door !,
| was opened by the fat Chinanian
whom they had seen behind the
counter. He bade them good exc
ming in very good English and sat /
4 down by the side. of his fellow coun
tryman.
THE Chtnawoman is just com
ing" said Ong.
boy from the shop brought In
tray with a teapot and cups and
| the Chinaulan offered them a cup
Of tea. Crosbie refused. The Chi !
nese talked to one another in under
toHes, put IrosOle ana Mr. joyce .
were silent. At last there was the
sound of a voice outside: some one
| was calling In a low tone. and the
China man went TO the door He
opened II. spoke few words and
ushered woman in Mr.. joyce
looked at her. He had heard much
about her since Hammond's death,
but had never seen her. She was. a
stoutish person, not very young, with
broad, phlegrnatic face; she was
powdered and rouged and her eye
brows were a. thin black line, but
she gave you the. impression Of
woman Of character. She wore 4
pale blue jacket and a white skirt.
her costume was not quite Europe5n
nor quite Chinese, but on her f6et
were little Chinese silk slippers. She
| wore heavy gold chains around her
neck. gold bangles on her. wrists.
gold earrings and elaborate gold prs
I'm her black hair. She walked in
slowly. with the air Of a woman sure
of herself, but with q certain heavi-
ness of tread. and sat down on the
bed beside Ong Chi Seng. He said
something to her, and. nodding. she
gave an injurious glance at the two
white men. -
HAS she got the lettsr?'' asIeaI
Mr.. Joyce. - ~
| Yes, sir" --z
Crosbie said nothing but produceS.-
roll of $500 notes He counted o4t+r
20 and handed them to Ong. -
VIII you see il that is correet73.' :. :.
The clerk counted them and gaze.
them to the fat China man.. = tir
Quite correct, sir 80 80
The Chinaman counted them .ohce'i
more and put them in his pocket. He
spoke again to the woman and she
drew from her bosom a letter. She
gave II TO Ong, who cast his eyes
over it. ---.-..-...-, ...-.-. ~
This is the right document, sir, -.
he said, and was about TO give 1T {
to AR. Joyce when CroSbie took it- z
from him. 1-rG
Let me look at IT," he said c;i'-s etrs,. :
Mr.. Joyce watched flim read a4lds+
then held out his hand for it. 90 30,
You'd better -let me have it,
Crosbie folded it UP deliberately and
put it in his pocket.
NO. I'm going to keep" It myself
It's cost me enough money" :,
MIR. Joyce. made no rejoindeE. The
three Chinese watched the iitt3s
passage, but what they thought !.
. it ~ass Impossible stos tell from, tf1AiE
impassive' 1countesIancEs. Mr.. JoyrkT
rose TO his feet. xs. > -
DO you want me any more to-
night. sir?'' said Ons Chi seng.
NO" He knew that the clerk
wished TO stay DSnlIlO IN zQTOeE 10
get his agreed share OF. the money,
and he turned to :Crosbie. Are yeu
ready?' 80 -"
crosbie aid not answer. but stosd
up. The Chfnaman went to the door
and opened 1t for them. Ong found
a bit of candle and lit, il in order
to light them down and The tco
Chinese accornpa MED. them 10 .tfle
street. They left the woman sitting
quietly on the bed smoking a cigar
cite. When they reached the street
the Chinese left them and went once
more upstairs. ~ =
What are you eeing 60 do with
that letter. asked Mr.. Joyce.
Keep It." .s -
They walked to where the car, was
waiting for them and here Mr.. Josse
offered his friend a lift, Crosbie
shook his head.
I'm going to walk" He hesitated
a little and shuffied his feet Il went !.
TO Singapore on the night of Ham
mond's death partly to buy a new
gun that a man ! knew wanted to
dispose of. Good night
He disappeared quickly into the
darkness.
Mr.. Joyce was quite right about the
trial. The jury went into the box,
determined to. a man to acquit Mrs,
Crosbie. She gave evidence on her
own behalf. She told her story sin.
ply and with neutrality-suspicious. y
The attorney general was kindly
man and 1t was plain that he took
no great pleasure in his task. He
asked the necessary questions in a.
deprecating manner. His speech for
the prosecution might really haa1st
been q speech for the defense, and
the jury were not out of the box for
more than five minutes. When the
verdict of not guilty was given 1t
was impossible to prevent the great
outburst Of applause. The Judge
congratulated Mrs. Crosbie and she
was a free woman. 1t had been ar.
ranged that after the trial Mr.. and
Mrs. Crosbie should go to the JoyceS
house. No one had Expressed a morHss
violent opinion of Hammond's be-
havior than Mrs. Joyce; she was 80
woman loyal to her friends and She
had insisted on the Crosbies staying
with her till they made arrangements, /,
to go away. II was out of the ques- :
tion for poor, dear, brave Leslie 20
return to the bungalow at which the
horrible catastrophe had taken place.
| Continued in Tomorrow's Starr