Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-06

bled in her dress and produced a
| crumpled note. 1T was an answer
to this"
Dearest" ran the message: THE
old place ON the beach just after sun
set on Tuesday. 1t is the only time
1 can get away. F. NJ"
Tuesday was today, and I had
meant to meet him tonight"
/ turned over the paper This
| never came by post. How did you
get it?'
II would rather not answer that
question. 1t has really nothing to do
with the matter which YOU are in
vestigating. But anything which
bears upon that I will most freely
answer"
She was as good as her word, but
there was nothing which was help
full in our investigation. She had no
reason to think that her fiance had
any hidden enemy. but she admitted
that she had had several warm adj
mirerS.
May I ask if Mr.. Ian Murdoch
was one of them?'
She blushed and seemed confused.
There was time when l thought
he was. But that was all changed
when he understood the relations be-
tween Fitzroy and myself"
A GAIN the shadow round this
- strange man seemed to me to be
taking more definite shape. His
record must be explained. His
rooms must be privately searched.
Stackhurst was a willing collabora-
tor, for in his minds also suspicious
were forming. We turned from our
visit to The Haven with the hope
that one free end of this tangled
skein was already in our hands.
A week passed. The inquest had
thrown no light upon the matter.
and had been adjourned for further
evidence. Stackhurst had made dis
Greet inquiry about his subordinate,
and there had been a superficial
search of his room, but without re-
suit. Personally, I had gone over
the whole ground again both ply
sically and mentally, but with no
new conclusions. In all my chronicles
the reader will find no case which
brought me so completely to the
limit or my powers. Even my
imagination could conceive no solu-
ton to the mystery. And then there
came the incident of the dog.
was my old housekeeper who
had heard of 1t first by that strange
wireless by which such people collect
the news of the countryside.
Sad story this. sir. about Mr.. Nc.
Pherson's dog" said she one evening.
| do not encourage such converse.
tlons, but the words arrested my at.
tention.
| What of Mr.. McPherson's dog?"
Dead, sir. Died of grief for it's
| MASTER
Who told you this?"
! why, sir, every one is talking of it,
IL LOOK on terrible, and has eaten
nothlng for week. Then today two
oI the young gentlemen from The
GABLES found it dead-down on the
beach, sir, at the very place where it's
master met his end"
| At the very place" The words
STOOD out clear in my memory. Some
oim perception that the matter was
vital rose in my mind. That the dog
| snouid Gle was after the beautiful,
faithful nature of dogs. But lin the
| very placer Why should this lonely
peach be fatal to it. Was it possible
that it, also, had been sacrificed to
some revengeful feud? Was it pos
slble-yes, the perception was dim,
but already something was building
UP In my mind. In a few minutes
i w. va my way W he 1dDlSS, WuCIC
| found Stackhurst in his study. At
my request he sent for Sudbury and
| Blount, the two students who had
found the dog.
/ Yes, it lay on the very edge of
the pool" said one of them. 1T must
have followed The trail of its dead
| master"
| / saw the faithful little creature,
an Airedale terrier, laid out upon the
mat i'm the hall. The body was stiff
and rigid, the eyes projecting and the