Evening star., 1927-11-30
INSTALLMENT XXX.

IN HERE was no sound from
within. Softly he began to
turn the door handle--the
4 door would hardly be locked; ;
that would be a misp.ay; one
didn't lock ones bedroom door when
q guest in Il private house. No; 1t
was not locked He had the door
apart now. Again he listened. There
was still no sound from within. Was
the man back yet. or not? The
absence of any sound meant MOTH
ing. save that Newcombe was prob
ably not in the sitting room OF his
suite-he might easily, however. be
in either the bathroom or the bed
room beyond.
s Locke swung the door a little wider
open. stepped through and closed i
snoise,essly behind him Again he
stood still. his revolver now out
thrust "A little before him, The moon
light played across the floor. 1t dis
closed an open door beyond Still
no sound.
Locke moved forward. He could see
into the bedroom now The bed was
not only empty but had not been
slept i'm. He turned quickly and
opened the bathroom door. The bath
room, too. was empty.
Capt Francis Newcombe had not,
then, as vet returned. With grim
smile Locke thrust his revolver into
his pocket 1t was perhaps just as
well-the time while he waited might
possibly be used TO very good ad-
vantage. Capt. Francis Newcombe's s
baggage was invitingly at ones dis
posal--the Talofa. with its confined
quarters. and where, on the little yes
sci, it was always crowded. as 1t
= oef .trt,
tunity,
! Locke opened one of the bags. His
smile now had changed to one of
irony. Barring any other justifica-
tion, turn about was no more than
fair play, was it? He possessed a
moral certainty, if he lacked the
actual proof, that Capt. Francis New
combe had not hestitated to invade
his, Locke's cabin on the liner and
60 through his, Locke's. effects.
He laughed a little now I'm low.
grim mirth. He wondered which or
the two, Newconlbe or himself. would
be the better rewarded for his ef-
forts?
There was little light. but Locke
worked swiftly by the sense of
touch. with fingers that ignored the
general contents. and that sought
dexterously for hidden things. His
fingers traversed every inch OF the
Inning of the bag. top. bottom and
sides. He disturbed nothing.
Z Presently he laid the bag aside,
and started on another-and sudden
" he nodded his head sharply in
satisfaction. This one was what was
generally known as Gladstone bag.
and under the lining at one side OF
his fingers felt what seemed Ike u
folded paper that moved under his
foucn.. The lining was intact OF
course but there must be, hs some eva way
here IL was. Rather clever! And
ordinarily quite safe-unless one were
actually looking for something or
the sort,
There YVES flap or pocket, at
the side of the bag. the ordinary sort
OF thing. and at the bottom OF the
faap I.oche's fingers. working deftly,
found that the edges OF the lining,
x,hi.e apparently fastened together,
were made. in reality, into double
fold-the lining being stiff enough.
even when the edges were displaced,
to fall hack of Its own accord INTO
place again.
He separated the edges now.
worked his fingers into the opening.
and drew out an envelope. 1t had
been torn open at one end, and there
was a. superscriptions OF some sort
on it i'm faded writing which. in the
aemidarkness, he could not make
out He stood up. and went quickly
TO the window to obtain the fun bene-
At of the moonlight. He could just
decipher the writing now:
sPoily's papers which is Gods truth,
Mrs. Wickes X her mark"
For a moment he stood there mo-
tionless, but his eyes had lifted from
the envelope now and were nxed
on the lawn below. The WINDOW
here gave on the side OF the lawn,
with the trees at the rear of the
house in view. A man had just
stepped out from the shadow OF the
trees and was coming toward the
house.
Locke stared, even the envelope in
his hand temporarily forgotten, as
a frown of perplexity that deepened
into amazed chagrin gathered on his
forehead. The figure was quite
recognizable, even minutely so. 1t
was Capt. Francis Newcombe. 1t ac-
counted for the missing sockets on
that French window perhaps-but
the man was as perfectly and I'M
maculately dressed as he had been
that night at dinner. There was no
torn coat-or missing coat sleeve.
The man he had fought with, the
man in the mask. had not been Capt.
Francis Newcombe.
! He laughed now-not pleasantly.
He had obviously been waiting here
for the wrong man. There was no
need of waiting any longer-unless
he desired to be caught himself!
Queer! Strange! But there was
the envelope. Polly's papers! What
was it that was Gods truth?" At
least, he would find that out!
He thrust the envelope into his
pocket, closed the bag and returned
to his own room. He switched on
the light, hurriedly took the envelope
from his pocket again, and from 1t
drew out two documents. He studied
Them while minute after minute
passed. then dropping them on the
table before him. he stood with
drawn face and clenehed fists. star
ing across the room. Polly's birth
Certificate. The marriage certificate
IF her parents. He saw again the
agony In the dark eyes. he heard
the agony in the voice that had
proclaimed a parentage outside the
1,ale. And a great oath came now
from I.ocke's white lips.
. I lie HunS nlihseh iilo St"" "S
eide the table. He fought for cool,
Contained reasoning. These papers
-Newcombe, Did it change any
thing. place Newcombe in any bet
fer light, because 1t was some other
man who had worn that mask to-
riehta He shook his head in quick
-mnhatfc dissent. 1t did not! He
ras sure. certain of that. The trail
LA too far back. was too we'll de.
fned. too conclusive. And even to-
Sight. What was Newcombe doinf
Ant of the house at o'clock In
the morning? Ah. yes--he had IT
T,he old maniac's word came bach
with sudden and sure significance;
Observation-Disclosures Tn
but in the woods at the rear OF th'
house" IT,.