Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-25

II wouldn't call them complaints
| The inspector of income tax made
| little trouble about not being able To.
| see the man. He returned his income
at what inland revenue thought was too
low a figure. and he was summoned TO
/ appear before the inspector. And, OF
course, he did not appear. sending IN
stead permission TO inspect his bank
account. happened TO know OF this
and took the opportunity Of sharing
/ the inspection. 1t Is the simplest ac-
count have ever seen: ! 500 pounds
year paid in-by cash: / 500 pounds
year paid out. No tradesmens
checks. Nothing but taxes. ground
rent and substantial sums for his cur
rent expenses"
You say he has had visitors'" asked
Dick.
Yes. was going TO tell you about
these. AT intervals. never longer than
two weeks. he has visitor, sometimes
two in the course of a day. Generally
1t is on a Saturday The caller never
comes until 1t Is dark and doesn't re-
main longer than half an hour So far
as We have been able to learn. the same
man never comes twice. 1t was only By
accident that We discovered this: one
OF our officers saw man go in and
come out. The next Saturday. at pre-
cisely the same hour. he saw a visitor
arrive and, after an interval. take his
departure. This was seen again q few
weeks later. the caller being a negro
Our man tailed him up but could get
nothing out Of him"
"Malpas must be placed under closer
observation" said Dick. and the inspec-
tor made note. Pull in one Of his
visitors on some pretext or other and
see what he has in his possession. You
may md that the old man Is nothing
more alarming than a dispenser Of
charity-on the other hand, you may
not"
That almost exhausted the subject
OF the mysterious Mr. Malpas. and they
passed to the matter of a providential
fire that had saved an insolvent cabi-
net maker from bankruptcy.
Mr.. Malpas might not have come I'm
Tor discussion at all but for the story
tnat the dancer had told to a synfpa :
thetic and official listener. That this
sinister figure should be associated with
the events which, under his eyes, were
moving to a climax. that the ragged
princess whose image had not left his
MIND Tor nine months would shortly
come into the old mans ken and find
ner rate and future linked with his.
DICK Shannon could not dream. Mr..
MaIpas was IAN inquiry" an arrestine
circumstance to be questioned and
probed. Soon he was to loom upon the
view.
Audrey Bedford had made an inter.
esting discovery. There was an essen
tlaI thing in life about which she had
never heard. II was a mysterious
something called "a character; some
times 1t was more genteelly styled
references" -
Without one or the other (and they
were really one and the same thing) It
was impossible to secure employment.
There were leering men who said
Never mind. little woman, well get
along without that: other men who
did not leer and were apparently
shocked when she told them she had
just come from prison, but who bore
up well enough to engage her and ask
ner to come to dinner with them; and
tnere were others land she liked these
oest) who said curtly: We have no
opening for you"
Her little stock of food was dvin-
ding There dawned a Christmas DAY
Wnen she woke with a healthy appe-
Ute 70 breakfast on water and one
I
saved from the night before. And this
was to be her supper, too, only there
occurred that night, In a little street
on Gray's Inn road, a fight between
two vtragoe3, one of whom thrust a
small and greasy package into the
girls hand that she might deal more
effectively with her rival. The police
came instantly. there was a wild scrin-
mage: the battlers were hailed OF to
Theobalds road police station, and Au-
drey carried the parcel home and
supped royalty on fried fish and po-
tatoes. 1t was heavenly.
On Tuesday morning her landlady
came up the stairs and Audrey heard
the heavy foot of the woman with a
sense of blind panic
. Good morning. miss. There's let
ter for you"
Audrey stared Nobody knew her adj
dresS-she had never reached the adj
dress stage in any of her essays at
finding employment.
Il hope it's good news" said the
landlady ominously. "I don't charge
much for my apartments, but I like
II regular. We've all got to live. and
I've had a party after this room this
very morning. Not that I'm going to
turn you out. I'd sooner make up a
bed for you on the sofa." she added.
Audrey was not listening. She was
turning the letter over in her hand.
Tearing 1t open, she found an address
and few lines of penciled writing.
She read the message in bewilder:
ment.
Come at o'clock this evening. I
have work for you"
The note was signed "Malpas."
She knit her forehead Who was
"Malpas," and how had he discovered
her whereabouts?