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

limbs contorted. There was agony in
every line of it.
From The Gables 1 walked down
to the bathing pool. The sun had
sunk and the shadow of the great
cliff lay black across the water. which
glimmered duly like a sheet of lead.
The place was deserted and there was
no sign of live save for two sea-
birds circling and screaming over
head. In the fading light l could
dimly make out the little dogs spoOr
upon the sand around the very rock
on which his masters towel had
been laid. For long time stood in
deep meditation while the shadows
grew darker around me. My mind
was filled with racing thoughts. You
have known what it was to be in a
nightmare in which you feel that
there is some all-important thing for
which you search and which you
know is there, though it remains for
ever just beyond your reach. That
was how / felt that evening as l
stood alone by that place of death
Then at last / turned and walked
slowly homewards.
HAD just reached the top of the
path when it came to me. Like a
flash / remembered the thing for
which l had so eagerly and vainly
grasped. You will know, or Watson
has written in vain, that | hold a
vast store of out-of-the-way knowl-
edge, without scientific system, but
very available for the needs of my
work Ny mind is like a crowded box
room with packets of all sorts slowed
away therein-So many that / may
well have but a vague perception of
what was there. l had known that
there was something which might
bear upon this matter. 1t was still
vague, but at least 1 knew how |
could make it clear. 1t was mon
strous. incredible, and yet it was al
ways possibility. / would test it to
the full
There is a great garnet i'll my little
house which is stuffed with books. 1t
was into this that l plunged and rum
mayed for an hour. AT the end of
that time / emerged with little
chocolate and silver volume. Eagerly
l turned up the chapter of which
had dim remembrance. Yes, 1t was
indeed a farfetched and unlikely
proposition, and vet 1 could not be at
rest until I haC made sure if it
might, indeed, be SO. 1t was late
when I retired with my mind. eagerly
awaiting the work of the morrow.
But that work met with an an
noying interruption. had hardly
swallowed my early cup of tea and
was starting for the beach when |
had a call from Inspector Bardle of
the Sussex Constabulary-a steady,
solid, bovine man with thoughtful
ewes, which looked at me now with
a very troubled expression.
81 know your immense experience,
sir" said he. This is quite unoffi-
cial, of course, and need go no fur
Their. But I am fairly up against 1t in
this Mcpherson case. The question
is, shall / make an arrest, or shall
1 not?"
Meaning Mr.. Ian Murdoch"
Yes, sir. There is really no one
else when you come to think of it..
That's the advantage of this solitude.
We narrow it down to a very small
ompaSS. If he did not do 1T, then
who did,"
What have you against him."
He had glanced along the same fur
rows as had. There was Murdoch s
character and the mystery which
seemed to hang round the man. His
furious bursts of temper, as shown in
the incident of the dog. The fact
that he had quarreled with McPher.
son in the past, and that there was
some reason to think that he might
have resented his attentions to Miss
Bellamy. He had all my points. but
nc fresh ones, save that Murdoch
seemed to be making every prepare.
ton for departure.
What would my position be if /
let him slip away with all this evil
dence against him." The burly, phleg-
matte man was sorely troubled in his
mind.