Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-03

MAY ! ring for my car" he said
and did so.
| Are you taking up the case
Lomas?" Reggie smiled.
| An. official solemnity rebuked him
Julian Brase has been found" Iona:
announced. This morning his body
| was found !n his own park. The
county police have asked for our as
| sistance. OF course. this alters tbs
whole case"
Dear Lomas." Reggie chuckled
"Has he been moved?"
II told them to touch nothing.
aim going over at once. I've tele.
phoned for Bell"
Me. too" said Reggie Fortune.
The car bore them to the foot of
the downs.
II feel rather criminal. Reginald
Tomas apologized Il wish / hadn
mentioned the case to you
Il wouldn't be out of it for the
world"
You're really not yourself. you
know. It's not like you to he keen"
Its not like your usual cases,
Lomas"
Isn't it," said l.omas
We'll, look at it, He was missing
u week ago. His wife bolted yester-
day. lie was found this morning.
Not quite normal crime. Tomas. Very
odd sequence.
I'VE don't know that it is crime"
mo. no. Slight favor Of the late
DIR. Crippen upside down. But moth.
ing definite. No base imitation"
what do you make of it,"
81 wonder" Reggie murmured. II
wonder
You thought there was something
queer last night
Reggie chuckled. aha. The mys-
FERROUS, sinister figure of the rector s
wife"
Tomas, with some heat. declined
to know what he meant.
X X 4 X
WHERE the downs break into a
" cluster of hills. Brase Hall stands
gray in hollow and takes the val.
ley and one sheltering hill for its
park. The car turned in at a gate
guarded by two stone bearers Of the
Brase arms and one policeman.
The latter stopped them. saluted
Lomas' name, said the inspector was
waiting for them, and they must turn
off the drive and take the track up
the hill and they could not miss him.
Z
mighty trees of beech and ash. but
when they turned and climbed the
track led over bare turf. On the
wind-swept breast Of the hill nothing
moved, the turf bore no marks but
that Of the old gray track by which
they climbed and another coming to
meet it on long slant from the blue
smoke where a village nestled.
They came in sight of the circle of
stunted beech that marked the sum-
nit. There stood two cars and some
men.
One Of them hurried forward. "Mr.
Tomas, sir? I'm Inspector Warnham.
Only waiting for you to move him."
''Quite right. This is Mr.. Fortune.
inspector. our medical expert"
I've got a doctor here. sir. He
says it's quite clear case. Man was
shot in the head"
Sounds conclusive" Reggie muir.
INJURED.
The inspector nodded. Eyes, sir.
DR.. Harcourt? Here we are,"
DR.. Harcount. voluble fellow,
could tell Mr.. Fortune about it in a
sentence and took 90. but they came
to the body at last
Julian Brase lay on his face ir
the ring of beech trees. slight body
in brown tweed. He might have been
asleep. but for his stiffness. but 70,
the dark stain which came from his
head down his face and neck. Reg
gle knelt beside him and looked long.
moved his cap and the head, bent
closer, while above him DR.. Harcourt
discoursed, telling him what he should
see.
Reggie rose slowly and surveyed
the landscape. Extensive view.
what?" he murmured, and wandered
away.
What about it, Fortune?" Tomas
called.
Reggie strolled toward him. We'll,
the man was shot by revolver fired