Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-11-25

It WAS a good thing Mrs. WirtaS Was
dead. Polly wouldn't A3ut Ia live
: in England nov. Mrs. Wakes death
settled that problem. which, otrcI.~ Isc,
he would have had 10 find som" other
way of settling.
i minor matter. Very minor, Why
should it have crossed his mind
There was first tho money. tn"n, as a
coruIlarY. when that was fnuId, ihc
djStrosSjnGlN fatal accident that would
oVertakc poor old Mr. Martin ami
woven into the warp and wool "t
this. the twisting of a certain WlnI-
pipe that would screcch its ind"9,r"-
ton for the last time to 4 far differ.
emf tune.
An. that was more like Shadow
Narno.
lie parted the bushes ana slipned
in under the Vcranda. This was the
spot where the old mailman had dis
appeared from view last night His
flaShliGht WAS switched on now. 1t
showed a Well defined path if it
could he called a path. where through
much usage the earth and gravel had
been pressed down close up against
the side of the house. 1t led toward
the rear. He followed it. 1t took him
around the corner of the house, aud
here. under a flight of steps that ted
to the NCranda above. he found him
self confronted with basement door.
Capt Fra nciS NeWcombe smiled. He
had never ranked the task OF probing
the old mans actions as one that de-
manded much ing enuty. or As pre-
senting any particular difficulty it
was simply a question of Watching
the other without being seen himself.
and with the mans mode Of exit and
entry from and into the house already
known. the rest would autom4t ically
take care Of itself.
He opened the door and stepped in.
side, The flashlight disclosed an or
binary basement storero0m, and. at
one side a fight of stairs. Capt NeW-
connie moved quickly. but without
sound now. lie crossed the base
ment and crept up the stairs. Here
at the top, another door confronted
HIM. With the tlashlight out. he open
ed this door cautiously--and again a
smile touched his lips. lie had rath-
er expected it. The door opened
on the lower hall. and almost directly
opposite Mr.. Martins room
He stepped across the hall and lis
tened again at the old lnan's door
There still came from within the
sounds of occupancy; but instead now
of the regular breathing as of one
asleep. it was the sound of one NOV
ing softly around within.
Capt. Francis Newrumhe retreated
TO the stairs, closed the door behind
him, descended the stairs, left the
basement. and selected Il spot among
the trees At the edge of The lawn
whore he could command Il view of
the shruhbery bordering the vcranda
1t was still little earlier than the
hour last night, when, according To-
Polly, Mr.. Marlin rad gone out. and
if, in the bizarre workings of warp
ed brain. a later hour each night add
ed TO secretness and security, Mr.
Marlin was not yet to be expected for
little while. Quite so. He. Capt
Newcombe, had formulated his own
timetable on that basis. There was
nothing TO do but wait
He frowned suddenly. Suppose
though, Mr.. Marlin did not come out
at all? This might he one of the
nights when-No, lie shook his
head decisively. To begin with, he had
had just heard the man moving
around in his room after having pre-
viously been. or pretended that he
had been. asleep; and if po,ly's re-
port was based on facf as It TN