Evening star., 1927-05-05

ING IN LOVE AND YOU MUSTN'T"
"a big black car with three men,
and going at such rate that
| thought they'd turn over at the curve.
I think they must have had an acci-
dent because 1 heard the brakes go
on and a bump"
Beyond the cottage the road turned
abruptly, and here th~-e was a wall
which showed marks of collision.
| "It wasn't serious enough to stop
them," said Bullott after making his
| ms ion. Those were our men un-
doubtedly."
| A police patrol whom they met near
| Two Bridges had the same story to
tell of a car that was laundering along
the road in defiance of all speed regu-
| lations.
II signaled them to stop, but they
| took no more notice of me than if I'd
| been a fly on the wall" he said.
ANY number on the carr" asked
Bullott hopefully.
mo, sir. They had no back light so
far as could see. They took the Exc
ter road"
"I'll get on the phone to the Exeter
| police" said Bullott, after they had
gained admission to the hotel, but in
| this project he was not successful.
The wires which followed the Exeter
road had been cut, and there was no
other telephone communication.
| In point of fact the big black car
| did not take the risk of being OBJ.
served in fairly populous city where
| it must go at a slow pace. Five
miles from the suburbs of Exeter
Joshua Latin leaned across to the
driver and bawled in his ear:
keep away from Exeter! There's a
| byroad to the left that takes you past
| Taunton"
Capt. Harvey Hale waved his hand,
not taking his eyes from the road
ahead.
AT o'clock that morning DIR. Latin
arrived at Bath Station, caught the
early train, and was in his home be-
fore IL o'clock, Detectives watching
the house saw him come, and duly re-
ported his arrival to Bullott, but long
before the inspector was on the spot
William Holbrook was knocking at the
front door, which was opened by Laf-
fins servant.
1.-THE master is busy" said she, re.
| membering the trouble which had been
caused to her through admitting him
on his last visit.
I'm busy, too," said Bill, and
pushed past her into the hall.
Without a word he turned the
handle of the study door, threw it open
and walked inside. The room was, as
usual heavily curtained, and the only
light was candle upon the table.
Joshua Latin was nowhere to be seen.
II thought he was there, sir" said
| the girl, aghast. He must be in his
| room. III run up"
| {VS {nT foc
with the news that the doctor was
| not in the house.
| AS he stood there the area door
below opened and an elderly woman in
| an old mantle and carrying a big
| milk jug and a key in her hand came
out, shuffled down the path and
| turned toward the station. 1t was
apparently Laffin's cook. He saw the
two detectives watching on the oppo-
site side of the road and knew there
was no chance of the man escaping.
Turning to the girl. who was stand
| ing aimleSsly in the passage, he asked:
| What time did the doctor come
back?"
| About 10 o'clock, sir. told him
the police were coming here"
| You told him that, did your"
On, yes, sir; they quite frightened
me. There have been two men watch
ing this house all the morning and
all last night. I got SO nervous that
l nearly went home to my mother"
| but why do that?" said Bill good
humoredly. Surely the cook is some
| sort of protection, isn't she?"
Cook, sir?" said the girl in sur
prise. 1--WE haven't got a cook. / do
all the cooking there is."
But who's the elderly woman in
the kitchen downstairs?"
She shook her head.
| There isn't any elderly woman, sir.
We have charwoman in once a
week, but this is not her day."
| A sudden suspicion shot through
Holbrook's S mind, and he ran out of
the front door, down into the street.
and ~AZed the way the old woman had
gone. 1t was at that moment that
Bullott arrived and the reporter told
him what he had seen.
THAT was Latin all right" said
Bullott bitterly. He walked into the
trap, and we hadn't sufficient intelli-
gence to close in on him.
He called the two watchers and
gave them instructions. In 10 min
an elderly woman carrying a milk jug
and key.
| Lord Lowbridge heard the news
with q grave face.
"Impossible" he said. when they
told him that Latin was wanted for
murder by poisoning. my uncle died
a natural death"
Who gave the certif1cate?" asked
Bullott significantly, and Give Low
bridge stared
Il never thought of that. OF course.
DR.. Latin gave the certificate. But
1t Is too preposterous-wha could he
hope to gain?"
He could hope to make you a very
rich man and trust that your gener-
osity would reward him. He hoped
also to hide the fact, which would
have been discovered by Lord Low
bridge, and certainly should have been
discovered by his lawyers, that a large
parcel of land had been transferred to
Latin by means Of forged deeds. In
other words, my lord, DIR. Latin Is
partly responsible for the poverty of
your estate?"
Gives jaw dropped.
"1t is Incredible" he muttered. And
then, aloud: II have never cared very
much for Latin, although I thought
/ owed him something, and probably
your view as to what would have
happened if / had inherited a large
fortune is nearly accurate. AS a
matter of fact, / had decided in my
mind to give the doctor very sub
stantial sum. He was always in debt
and generally in the worst kind of
other trouble; 1t would have been a
real pleasure to me to have relieved
that state Of affairs for him. And my