Evening star., 1927-10-30
By II. G.. Bailey

! ooh no. It's been empty for
years
MIR. Fortune sighed, I'm afraid
we've given you a lot OF trouble, cap
| tain"
I'm afraid you've drawn a lot of
! blanks, sir" Capt. Gambler smiled. IF
/ | can be of any use'--his tone de-
! clared certainly that he could not
"deliehted, Mr.. Lomas. But my idea
| is you'd better take Miss Daymer to
! London
"My dear fellow, I wish you knew
| her" said Lomas, and when they
we're outside condemned the eyes Of
I Capt Gambler.
quite, quite" said Mr.. Fortune
Not one of our brighter minds. But
there seem to he other people who
agree with the captain
What do YOU mean?
'I haven't decided. But the provi-
sona, hypothesis is that somebody
here wants to get Miss Daymer out of
her cottage"
"That's what you were working at,
is it? You didn't make much Of it.
Why should any of these people want
to turn her out? She can't do them
any harm They don't want her cot
tage The fellow said it had been
dereict for years"
Il know. It's all very curious.
! Why do they want to get rid of Vera?
/ think we'd better go and ask her
1t took much trouble to persuade
I.omaS t. this enterprise, but at last
he was won over. The lane from the
high road to Cele is narrow. The big
ca. SLOW ed drew in to the bank and
stopped to give way to a battered
nivver Mr.. Fortune raised himself
in his seat.
THAT was Veras friend, Isabel, and
Isabel's friend, Charles. With po-
liceman. lie had the air of one who
pnches them. And will you tell me
what that means?"
Good gad." said Lomas. II should
say it means that your provisional hy-
pothess is Cancelled"
Il wonder" Mr.. Fortune frowned.
yes. l wonder, too. l wonder
They" Mr.. Fortune stared at him.
Il mean these local police, of
course"
"Oh! I was thinking of Isabel and
Charles. Who is Charles, anyway?
What's his Junction."
Great heavens, how can | tell?"
X x X X
THEY were on the verge of the vii
liveliness; it was being conversational.
Half dozen women and several men
were gathered together.
But the arrival of strangers pro
duced silence. Mr.. Fortune. with his
most engaging manner, wondered if
anybody could tell him where Miss
Daymer lived. A man directed him
and was nudged by woman and bid
den tell the gentleman. why, what
have YOU got to tell me?"
You won't find her. sir. There's
been murder done here"
What: who's murdered?"
"She be. They ha took her into
Stanchester. all bloody and dead
"Why. who did it?''
"Ah, it's her own fine friends done
it," a woman cried. That's what
comes of their carrying on. They be
took away to Jail. the pair of them"
Her friends murdered her? You
don't mean that?'
There's them as saw it. Albert
Tell the gentleman" \ lad was thrust
forward, proud of his importance.
Tell un what you saw"
" 'Twere the other one and her
sweetheart" said Albert. They was
by the old quarry and she comes
along. The man hits her on the head
and down her went into the quarry
so | run home"
They were scattered by the coming
Of another car. 1t pulled up short
Capt. Gambler sprang out and made
for Lomas. Il tried to get you in
Stanchester. You've heard, have
you?"
They tell me Miss Daymer has
been murdered" Lomas said.
I'm sorry" Capt. Gambler lowered
his voice We'll, she's not dead.
The doctors won't promise anything
But she may pull through. We've had
to arrest her friends. There's a wit,
neSs-'
Yes, We've met him." said Mr.. For
tune. IT'S conclusion, / suppose.
Anything worse?''
Broken n rib and an arm. She's
unconscious. They hope it's only
bad con cussion. VIII you go back and
see her? I'm going up to the place
where it happened"
I'D better see the place" Mr.. For
tune said. "Lomas, I'll take that
first, There's nothing for her yet but
quiet"
Thanks" Lomas nodded. You're
in charge"
ALBERT Small" Capt. Gambler
called" l want you"
The quarry has long been out of