Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-06
Continued from Yesterdays Starr
CHAPTER XXX.

4 L had vanished.
Il hope 1 haven't kept you
from bed" he said apologetically.
All the way down Regent street ne
was hoping most devoutly that he nao.
She was reluctant to return to her
unpleasant experience of the evening,
hut he was firm on the point
mo, I'm not going to make any fur-
Their trouble"
She silently noted the word fur
ther," but wisely did not press him Ior
an explanation.
Marshall has a pretty bad private
reputation and had / wnown that you
contemplated meeting him I should
have stopped you.
IT thought he was married. she SAID
ruefully, and he shook his head.
mo. That is his famous safety
first stunt. 1t prevents his lady friends
from resting their hopes too high. He
is an unmitigated Scoundrel In spite OF
his wealth, and I'd give lot to deal
with him-adequately! Audrey, you've
got to leave Portman square severely
alone"
audrey? I don't mind really, though
I feel ought to be little more grown
up. In Holloway they called me '83,
or IL they were being more than usual
" kind, lust plain 'Bedford'-1 think
prefer Audrey from people who aren't
likely to hold my hand and get sen'i-
mental"
failed. You're quaint. Ill call you
Audrey. and if ever grow sentimental.
lust saw business and I'll behave. And
Won will leave Portman square"
She looked up quickly.
"You mean Mr.. Malpas?"
He nodded
Il don't know how many Of his hun
dreds you have spent
Sixty pounds" she said.
an give you that, and you can send
him back his money"
He felt her resistance to this proposal
before she spoke.
ct can't do that, Capt. shannon
she said quickly. Il must make my
own ARRANGEMENTS. When I see MN
on SATURDAY. I will ask him to specify
the wage he is paying, and tell him
frankly how much I have spent, ana
that / want to return the balance 10
him. When that interview is over
And it had better not last long.
princess" said Dick grimly, "or I'll be
Stepping into his grisly drawing
"Why do you call me princess?" she
asked with a little frown, and he went
red ~,
change INV habits and tell the truth! I
think of you as the-as the ragged
princess. There Is an old German
legend. or maybe it is Chinese, about
a princess who was so beautiful that
she was by law compelled to dress IN
rags to prevent everybody from railing
in love with her to the disturbance OF
domestic peace and happiness, ana the
first time I saw you I was reminded
Of the story and christened you So"
And that ends our interview" she
eai1 severely.
Size was by no means annoyed,
though be did not know this. In the
ard softly at the story and the COM
pliraent it held.
She was preparing for bed when she
saw a note which had been left on
her dressing table. The scrawled writ
ing she knew at cnce and tore open
II congratulate you on your es- I,
Cape 1t ran. ''You should have useo
She easped. How did Malpas know
what had happened behind the locked
doors of Lacy's sanctuary?
Audrey had left Dick Shannon In no
took his departure. for she was bad
actress. Walking home, he arrived at
the door of his fiat little after IL
o'clock, when the theaters were turning
out and the streets were lively with
rushing cars. and just as he was going
in he was aware that, standing on the
edge of the sidewalk, was a man whom
he had met before that evening. He
walked back to the motionless loiterer.
Are you still lost, Mr.. Brown" ne
asked pleasantly.
mo, I'm not" was the cool reply.
"It occurred to me after left you that
I would like to have q little talk with
you"
A moments hesitation, then:
Come in" said Dick. and ushered
his visitor into his bureau. Now, Mr..
Brown" he said, pushing forward
chair. into which his visitor sank with
o sigh of relief. -
Standing about or walking is little
painful to me-" he said. THANK you. 4
Capt Shannon. What do you know
about Malpas?"
The directness of the question took
the detective aback.
Probably less than you" he said at
last.
II knew nothing" was the uncom-
promising reply, except that he is {.
gentleman who keeps himself very
much to himself, doesn't interfere with
his neighbors and doesn't invite inter-
ference from them"
Was there a challenge In the tone?
Dick found it difficult to answer the
question.
''The only thing we know about him
Is that he has strange visitors"
who hasnt?" was the reply. But
Is anything known to his detriment:"
Nothing whatever" said Dick frank
~, except that We are constitutionally
suspicious of elderly people who live
alone. There is always a chance that
some Gay we shall have to force an
entrance and discover his tragic re-
mains. Why do you think know any
thing about him at alp"
house before the young lady came out
of Marshalt's and distracted your at
tention," was the cool reply.
Dick looked hard at him.
You told me you had just walked
into the square and out again." ne
said.
One has to prevaricate," was the
calm reply. Even in your business 1t
Is not possible to preserve an even can
dor. The truth is, I was watching the
watcher and wondering what you had
against Malpas."
You weren't watching from inside
the house by any chance?" asked Dick
dryly, and the man chuckled.
ut would certainly be the best post
Of observation" he replied evasively.
eve been wondering, by the way. what
happened to that unfortunate girl. Mar
shalt had reputation for gallantry In
the old days One suppcses that he has
not wholly reformed. Have you ever
seen anything like this?"
He went of at tangent, and, put
ting his fingers into his waistcoat
pocket, produced small brown pebble
10 which was affixed a red seal. Dick
took it in his hand and examined 1t
curiouSly.
what IS thatP" he asked.