Evening star., 1927-10-16

chief of the criminal investigation de
partment.
Seems irrelevant. what' VIII
knows the inscrutable design? Dori
falls in love with Bill Davis. mos
ordinary, most correct. Ana satan
invisible worlds displayed.
"The nastiest case of my time, sal'
Iomas. Il suppose you know you
babhling. Reginald"
NO. no. The web OF life--Dori'
Bronasgrove-as simple as mllk-sn'
gets hound up with Mr.. Maple Van
stittart It's like finding a link be
tween music and diseases. Wen, there
is. of course. Queer world. Lomas.
So he philosophical. But he saw
nothing queer in the beginning. Doris
Rromsgrove, the daughter OF tha'
eminent throat specialist. Sir Alcetel
Bromsgrove, met Bill Davis when NJ
was her fathers house physician. ana
as soon as he was established, fell In
love with him.
They married, and Reggie Fortune
who had known her since she coulo
talk. sent them a parcel of Venetian
glass and became a friend OF the
house. For Doris he respects as one
Of the few women who understand
that tea is a meal. ,,
One afternoon he called a little
early, She was not in her drawing
room. When she appeared. she had
perhaps. three hairs on her nice head
out of their appointed places. She
was almost excited.
"Oh, how do you do? Is this pro-
fessional?" she said.
What have / done?" Mr.. Fortune
gazed at her with alarm. Don't
you love me any more?"
You haven't heard? I nearly sent
for you this morning. We've had
burglary
Anything serious?"
well, in way. The creatures
have taken my moonstones. The set
mother gave me. We are insured, OF
course. But I did love them"
s"Too bad. Anything else taken"
"Nothins. We were lucky. OF
course. / haven't got so very much.
But I was wearing my pearls and my
diamond star"
"Oh, you were out?"
I've had gone to Lady Shovers
dance. We didn't get home till 3,
and then my moonstones were gone.
There were some other little things,
but the poor burglar didn't get them.
The police say that something fright
ened him"
yes. Do the police say anything
else?"
"They say it was a, cat burglar. Mr..
Fortune. He must have been clever
to get UP to my bedroom. The inspec-
tor said he was an expert"
"who is the Inspector"
inspector Fargo. He said the local
police thought it a case for Scotland
Yard"
Fargo. Yes. He's a burglary spe-
cialist, much esteemed. And he says
It was an experts job. Well. we'll. F"
What do you think. Mr.. Fortune?"
II don't think. They wouldn't like
me to think about burglars"
-tOh. you believe there's something
Inspector Pargo didn't see. How thrill
ing. Do come and lcok.
Its not in my line" Mr.. Fortune
murmured, but he let himself be taken
up to her room, q pleasant place as
neat as became her.
There -" she demonstrated-"the
moonstones were in this drawer. The
inspector took the case away to look
for fingerprints. But he said there
wouldn't be any He couldn't find any
on the window or anywhere"
MIR. FORTUNE put his head out Of
AVA the window. The room was on
the second floor. at the back, more
than 20 feet above a small, paved
yard. Behind it was a narrow street,
with houses only on the farther side.
THE inspector said the burglar
mutt have come down the news
there, got over the wall into the yard,
and climbed up by the drainpipe.
What a distance to stretch 10 my
-
Mr.. Fortune turned from the win
dow to her dressing table. Besides
its silver apparatus, there were some
jeweiry, gold bangle, q bunch OF
opals and diamonds. These were
lying about?" he said.
NO, not last night. They were in
the drawer here, with these other
little things"
But ne might have had them. II
he'd looked"
Isn't it lucky? He must have been
frightened by some noise, the inspec-
tor said, and off he went. Fancy get
ting across to the pipe in the dark
when he was frightened! How dread
full, If he'd fallen"
yes. yes. That would have made
bad night of it," Mr.. Fortune MUIR
INJURED.
OH she shuddered. You're
rather horrid. As If you didn't believe
In it."
MY dear child, believe everything.
It happened. Some fellow came up
the pipe last night and took your
rnoonstones and went of with them. :"
Her brown eyes were still troubled.
'sYou make it sound shivery. ! hope
be won't come again"
Don't worry. He won't"
He walked home by way of the
news, and. in the morning, he called
at Scotland Yard.
The chief of the criminal investi-
cation department was on holiday.
Fishing, SIR Supt. Bell explain
ed. searching Mr.. Fortunes face.
'.Didn't you happen to know"
'I know. How is life, Bell? Busy?'
About the usual. Nothing big. you
know
You have an anxious eye"
Bell laughed uneasily. That's your
fault. Mr. Fortune. You see too much.
I hope I'll never be up against you.
But I wasn't worrying till you came
in. You have a way OF bringing us
q bit of trouble"
.'oh, Bell. How can you? I'm al
ways smoothin' things out. This Is
Just a friendly call. Some friends Of
mine nave ndQ DurSidT.
(Which case is that, sir?''
Had lot lately?"
"Oh. no-not big stuff. There's al
ways plenty of little jobs. We haven't
had much high-class work since the
crop of West End cases in the
Spring"
This Is West End case. Holland
s'reet. DIR. Davis house, night before
lest
Bell nodded. "T remember. Cat
burglary Rather fine work"
Yes, yes. / thought that. Does
anything else strike the expert mind?"
What have you got, sir?" Bell
grinned.
"Oh. me. don't know any burglars.
/ want you to tell me about IL.
well, ! don't know what there is
TO tell. Pargo's got the case. Wen
have him up, if he's here"
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