The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-09-23

ably nicknamed Pel at school-sup pose this cool customer goes up tt Smithins and says, Either giv' me what I want or blow up"
 Good heavensl' I cried. "Th' very words of Pell-that the wholt thing was going to blow up pres lently"
 T daresay. He was just putting the match to the fuse when some body shot him, somebody interested in preventing the explosion"
 Yes" Somerfield said. Yes see. But what did he want? Just { job?"
 T can't think so,' said Laxtor T expect he wanted revenge"
 Revenge on whom? Seabrokei Seabroke who'd kicked him out oi Brussels? Marling who didn't like ex-prisoners? Cant see any Smith ins in that"
 NO. But you remember that Pei spoke of having met Marling once before. If we could guess where let's say on Dover Cliffs"
 Holy snakes" cried Somerfield And a padre"
 No. I told you I couldn't find Marling in the clerical directory But I did find him in the direc- tory of directors. Marling was a director of Smithins."
 Then what is Smithins, Profes- sor? A crook shop?"
 "Very respectable firm to all ap- pcarances. Simply Smithins Ltd. exchange brokers, agents-may be perfectly reputable; may be cloak for anything you like. I have my suspicious.
 But Marling-"
 We could not fit Marling into g new character so diverse. How could a shady fellow from shady city firm impose himself on MT Fotherbury as a parson? 1 All in due time,' said Laxton.
 But Ostend?" Somerfield asked
 T can see Marling at Ostend, said I. You recall the living pic ture of him in the newspaper-th. cadaverous man who looked a though he'd been tonsured?"
 "Yes. It's a miraclel" Somerfielc exclaimed. Ever since the pro lessor began to talk about hin in the newspaper-the cadaverou man who looked as though he'( been tonsured?'
 "Yes. It's the miracle!" Somer field exclaimed. Ever since tn professor began to talk about him I've been seeing him looking ol at the great coup with his blazini dark eyes. But how did the pro lessor see him at Ostend?
 q didn't. I only saw Pell and hi friend at Ostend. They'd com from there-money on them-righ in the middle of the crook season If theIr story was true in substanc something had happened whicl they would not reveal even to avoi' going to prison But we aren half way in the Ostend affair. An we've hardly begun on the affai Iof Pell's death. I'll admit Ir held up. There's only one wa through, and that's risky. But I'r taking it. I'm going to ask M Grenofen to write letter"
 We both looked puzzled.
 "A letter to his Cousin Joh Merryweather, I don't mean tn real one"
 "Oh But you said yourself on might as well look for needle i a haystack.
 , "Yes-but if you look with strong enough magnet-plop! tn needle arrives. If you'll write this sense-not to your Cousi John direct, but to Miss Seabrokt something like this: I shall i glad if you will tell my Cousi John that he can now return . England, with a safe-conduct frol Professor Laxton, and that h presence and certain informatio he can supply are greatly desire He will be all the more anxious do so, since the man Richard, whom he knows, is now official reported dead and will not be off cially resurrected.' You can put . anything else you like" ;. "Laxton!" I cried DO you mea : itP You're giving up the charge of escape?-yes. There's som' ' thing more important" . But the other thing" You mean Pell? My dear M . iGrenofen, I've always been qui certain that your Cousin John ha no more to do with killing Pell tha fyou had"
 Copyright, 1929, Wm. Morrow Go But the mystery of Cousin