Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-19
BLUE MURDER

With Crime and
Rescue Q n

tered the concierge. casting his eyes
around him and shifting suspiciously.
"A strange smell. m sieur, he COM
| planned. Like chemicals"
Dlghton, itching to get away from
him, shifted. too.
something passing in cart out
side" he suggested. 1T would so up
these stairs like flue.'
Leaving the other still bordering
over this possible solution or mys-
terry, he hurried into the road. His
quarry was no longer in sight. He toi-
lowed the trail into the avenue, strained
his eyes seeking for the gray hat in the
crowds that thronged the pavements,
and gave up hope altogether at the
Etoile station.
The thing that was uppermost In his
mind as he reached his hotel was the
importance of leaving Paris as soon as
possible. He had left the concierge hot
on the track of those fumes. From his
brief conversation with the fellow in
the hall he had adjudged him prylng
busybody. ready to jump to conclu-
sion at the least suspicion. If the police
were not already in Mile. Laroche'S
fiat, the discovery Of the crime was
only a matter of hours. Late editions
of the evening papers would have it in
glaring headlines. together with de-
scriptions of himself and the other
visitor
Barring Daudots hat. he had left
nothing discriminating in the apart
ment. He made kind of hasty in-
ventory to assure himself that this was
so. The paper with which he had
wrapped the hat was plain piece taken
from Taverner's study.
The memory of his interview with
the hatcer's manager was rather UNI
settling. He would read of the tragedy
in the papers and remember
Dighton breathed again.
He had given him the other address
the address of Daudot'S home. 1t
would never occur to him that he knew
of the ex-detective's liaison with the
dead girl The police would soon dis
cover-even if they were ignorant al
ready-that the rent was paid by Dau-
dot. The presence of a hat with his
initials would not suggest anything.
Dighton packed the hat and coat he
had worn and substituted cap and
Burberry. 1t was not until he glanced
in the mirror over his dressing table
that he noticed that his hands and
forehead were tinged a delicate shade OF
blue!
In the little office on the first door
he found a railway time table. The
De Luxe train was due to depart at
$40. CHANGING at his watch. he dis
covered he had barely 25 minutes to
reach the Care 6e Lyon. In little
more than IL. hours he would be across
the frontier. He decided to bolt for it.
The crowd at the booking office
seemed endless He looked at his watch
a dozen times before he reached the
guichet and bought first-class ticket.
with supplement, from a lelsurely
booking -office clerk.
1t was the porter, however, who
caught him that train. A little. sturdy
fellow blue-smocked and numbered.
with pieces of baggage hooked all over
him which he applied to the crowd by
the barrier after the manner OF bat
tering ram.
Five minutes later Dighton. gulping
for breath. was standing In the corrl-
dor of swiftly moving train, sur
rounded by suit cases that had been
pushed OF somehow. Blue-smock had
form to the other to achieve this
miracle not emitting at the very limit
of the course to shout his thanks for
the handsome tip that had been passed
to him In a kind Of farewell handshake.
Bon voyage. msieur!" he had yelled.
and the smile which accompanied this
utterance was expansive.
A sleeping car attendant. suddenly
aware of the Englishman's presence,
bore down upon the scattered pieces
and consulted Dightons ticket.
Turin. m'sieur!"
That's right" agreed the traveller;
Turin"
There were not many people travel