Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-22

BC wary ana NOT AJJckI1pt W 4OAOC u,AA
issue against his stubbornness.
As he spoke to Vance his eyes shifted
with intense curiosity about the room.
as IL he were looking for something
Vance. who had been watching him
appraisingly, answered, after elishs
pause, In q tone that struck me as
unnecessarily devoid of sympathy,
mo, it's not the milit'ry, Mr.. 5Alve-
ter. It's the police. The fact Is, your
uncle is dead-he has been murdered.
"Uncle BENZ Salveter appeared
stunned by the news, but presently an
angry scowl settled on his forehead.
''SoEthat's It'll" He drew In his head
and sQulnted pugnaciously at DR.. Bliss.
'He had an appointment with YOU this
morning, sir when-and now
did It happen?"
reply. ..,.. ,,- s.,vstsr INA
struck over the head With that statue
of Sakhmet at 10 o'clock. Mr.. ScarletS
found the body here and notined me.
/ in turn notified the district attorney.
This. by the by, Is Mr.. Markhanns
and this is Sergt. Heath OF the HoEni-
"A damned outraged" ne muttered.
setting his square, heavy jaw.
"An outrage-yes" Bliss lifted MS
head and his eyes, piufully discouS
aged, met Salveter's. 1T means the
end Of ali our excavations, my boy"
"Ercavationsl' Salveter continued 30
study the older man. What do they
matter? I want to lay. my hands on
the dog who did this thing" He swung
about aggressively and faced Markham.
what can I do, sir, to help you?" HIS
ewes were mere slitS-he was Ike
dangerous wild beast waiting to pounce.
"Too much energy, Mr.. SalyeteE,
Vance drawled, sitting down tndolently.
Far too much energy. can appreee
y,know. but aggressiveness, while bein'
virtue In some circumstances, u
really quite futile in the present situa.
ton. say, why not walk around
the block vigorously couple OF times
and then return to us? We crave
bit of polite intercourse with YOU, but
calmness and self-control ere most
Necessary"
SaIvter Rlared ferociously at Vance.
who met his eaze with langlid cold
ness, and for fully 80 seconds there
was an unfiinching ocular clash be-
tween them. But I have seen other
men attempt to stare Vance out OF
countenance Finally Salveter shrugged
his broad shoulders.
"Ill pass up the promenade" -, he
said, with admiring sheepishness. Fire
away"
Vance took . deep inhalation on his
cigarette.
this morning, Mr.. Salveter?"
About half past g." Salveter was
now standing relaxed, his hands in his
coat pockets, All his aggressivenees
was gone, and though he watched
Vance closely, there was neither ami
mostly nor tenseness In his manner.
"And you did not by any chance
leave the front door unlatched-or
open2"
"Realiy: y'know, couldn't say"
Vance conferred on him . disarming
smile. "A more or less vital question,
however. Mr.. Scarlet, dye see, found
the door open when he arrived be-
tween 10 and 1890"
"Well, I didn't leave It that way'
What next?"
"You went 10 the Metropolitan Mu-
scum Of Art, understand. And you
got the informatiOn?"
Vance looked ct his watch.
twenty-five after J." he read. THAT
means you have been absent about four
hours. Did. you by any hap walk 10
Eighty-second street and back9"
Salveter stared at Vance's nonchalant
figure.
| q could not determine whether he was
merely exerttng great Self-control or
whether be was actually frightened.)
II took bus up the avenue and came
back In o taxi"
"Let us say one hour coming and
| going, then. That allowed you three
hours to obtain your information, eh,
what?"
"Mathematically correct" Again SAL
veter grinned savagely. But 1t hap
pened dropped into the rooms On the
right of the entrance to take a look at
Der-Neb's Tomb. I'd heard recently
that they'd added some objects to their
collection Of the contents OF the burial
chamber. I. Perh-neb, you see, was
fifth dynasty
Eyes, yes. !. And how long did
you prowl and commune among the
Per-neb fragments7"
"see here, Mr.. vance"-Salveter was
growing apprehensive-'T don't know
what you're trying to get at; but II it's
Of Uncle Ben's death, I'll take your
gan. hung around the cabinets
In the Egyptian rooms for nearly. an
hour. Got interested and didn't hurry.
knew Uncle Ben had an appoint.
ment with DR.. Bliss this morning and
I figured that If got back ct lunch
time it would be all right"
"But you didn't get back at lunch
time" Vance remarked.
what If I didn't had to cool my
feet for nearly an hour In the curator's
outer ONCE after went upStairs-Mr.
Lythgoe was talking with Lindsey Hall
about some drawings. And then had
to hang around another half hour or
so while he was phoning DR.. Reisner ct
the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. I'm
lucky to be back now"
Vance apparently accepted his story
without question. He rose lazily and
drew small note book from his pocket.
at the same time feeling In his waist
coat as If for something with which TO
write.
Sorry and all that 0N6r. Salveter:
but could you lend me pencil2 Mine
seems to have disappeared"
II immediately became Interested, for
knew Vance never carried q pencil.
but invariably used a small gold foun-
tain pen, which he always wore on his
"Delighted.'' salveter reached In his
pocket and held out o long hexagonal
yellow pencil.
Vance took it and made several no
tations in his book. Then, as he was
about to return the pencil, he paused
and looked at the name printed on 1t.
"Ah, Mongol No. /, whAt?" he said.
Popular pencils, these Fabers-aS2.
Do you always use them?"
Never anything else"
Thanks awfully." Vance returned
the pencil and dropped the note book
into his pocket And now, Mr.. SAL
veter, I'd appreciate it If you'd 90 to the
drawing room and wait for US. Wen
want to question you again. Mrs.
Bliss, by the way, is there" he added
casually.