Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-05

Miss Airline Carlisie-and it was my
fortune to solve the mystery"
1.-THE mystery you yourself had
made" retorted Clifford.
"Why will you be so unfairly sus'
picious of me?" mourned Bradley.
TITS too bad we didn't join forces in
that case. Ready to come into part
| nership now?'
This jibe Clifford ignored His gaze
was fixed on Mary Regain. But her
| cold, imperiouS eyes were command
against any overture. and so he mere
| ly bowed when, after a few words to
Joe Russell, she and Bradley passed
out.
There, Uncle joe. you've had a
sample of how my wife behaves to-
ward me-"
ITO come back to Mr.. Foster and his
stolen emeralds,'' said Uncle Joe, II
suppose you're thinking Bradley is be-
hind that affair-and you want to get
not only the emeralds, but also Brad.
ley?"
Clifford nodded, hesitated for mo-
ment, then decided against telling
something else to this friendly one
time crook-that Mary Regain was
also in this emerald affair. and that he
was as determined to thwart Mary as
Another phase of the Foster affair
Clifford had not mentioned to Uncle
Joe was that Foster had come to him
because of an anonymous letter. This
made a haf-doZen or more cases that
had come to Clifford through the same
| influence, and in every case Bradley
had been involved. That anonymous
| friend was piquing Clifford's curiosity
! more and more-his identity and mo.
| tive had become one of the mysteries
Of Clifford's life.
WHEN Foster had come to him,
Clifford had made it a condition
toned. He was determined to have no
| open connection with this case. In
previous affairs with Bradley he had
fallen short OF complete success be.
cause Bradley and Mary Regain had
| known they had him for an antagonist
and had been prepared for him.
| In other cases Clifford had gained
valuable clues by watching Mary Re-
gan; and he now kept Mary under his
surveillance, purposely avoiding any
encounter with her. There was no use
watching Mrs. Grover. Her active
| connection with the affair was ended.
| And there was no use watching Brad
ley; he would leave all preliminary ac-
| tivities to agents.
A few days later Clifford saw Mary
| Regain lunching at the Grantham.
| With her was the beautiful Mrs.
! Grover. After luncheon he glimpsed
her In a corner Of the lobby with Brad.
| ley. Clifford needed no further proof;
/ his conjectures were certainties: Brad
| ley was in it and Mary was in it.
At length, three days before Mrs.
| Fosters expected arrival, Foster tele-
phoned Clifford that he had received
| his utimatum from Mary-unless he
was ready to do business the following
night, the world and its wife, also his
wife, would know the worst. Clifford
had prepared Foster for this situation,
| and he now instructed Foster to &C.
cede to all demands. Later he himself
| made 1t a point to mark every bill OF
the 1000 Foster had managed to
raise.
A new problem now confronted Cliff
! ford-where was the exchange of
| money for emeralds to take place?
Foster did not know; he was to be met
by q person unknown to him at an
hour to be appointed and escorted to
the rendezvous. The transaction
| nave db Spot
anywhere within hundred miles Of
New York.
Clifford decided to adhere to his
policy Of watching Mary Regain; and
thus IL was, at 4 o'clock the following
afternoon. that he was in a taxi a
block behind Mary's car when it
stopped in East Eighty-third street,
just off Fifth avenue. Marx got out,
went up the steps of splendid house,
It's windows boarded up for the Sum
mer, and unlocked the door. On the
house was nailed an agents sign,
which read: For Sale--or to Lease
Furnished" The house probably be-
longed to friend of Bradley's. What
safer place for that nights business
Undoubtedly, Mary was making this
visit to get acquainted with the stage
: selected for the evenings drama
q. Fifteen minutes after she had left
, Clifford was chatting with clerk in
the real estate agents office. In an
other Is minutes, he was being shown
: through the house. mentally noting
/ every room, every closet, every door
{ every light switch. AS he and the
clerk stepped back into the agents
2 car. Clifford became suddenly apol
| ogetic.
/ 1T was dumb Of me, but left my
gloves inside. Please don't bother; j