Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-30
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE LITTLE GREEN STONE.

OF Ine prime lInpOTCanceI
THAT window was open when M.
| Annersley entered the room on Friday
night! Did he not assure us that 1t
was he who closed It?
There, my friend" and Flique spread
his hands engagingly, ut is an open
book. You have but to turn the pages.
You will not tell me You cannot read
what is written?"
lie Balafre and Bee are out, them"
I asked, ignoring his challenge.
Il did not say SO. M. lAntiquaire.'"
But they have no alibis to breakH'
exclaimed, exasperated. Moreover,
! both affairs imply a familiarity with
| the house and the movements Of those
in 1t which lie Balafre and Bee could
not have had"
"C'est vrai," F1ique chuckled. "Yet
| insist that those little ones have their
| place in this-um-tragic mosaic"
Those advertisements in the Mar
seille newspapers are significant, then?
Immensely So"
"And if they are, Dan Parados was
| Jules Lacote, the man who betrayed
| Bee and lie Balafre!" / continued.
"Ahi" Flique exclaimed, beaming.
THAT do not know. Anatole Flique
Is the principal agent Of la Surete," the
| little man reminded me seriously, but
he is not infallible."
|
| that moment, q buster in her hand.
/ Let us leave the good Manning to
| her duties" Flique suggested.
! AS We stepped onto the terrace Flique
| glanced at the outside stair that led up
the west side of the east wing to the
| nat roof above the sun room.
80 charming are these Californian
um--adaptations of our Old World
! architecture" Flique remarked, picking
his words with care Consider that
little stair. So enchantingly placed and
| so admirably useless. / shall wager
you cigar that 1t is never used. oh,
my good Manning" and Flique tapped
on one window Of the sun room.
The girl came running.
That stair there, ma fille," Flique
I said. rs 1t ever used?"
keep swept"
But that. my little one--is it not a
labor of love? Could it be otherwise
in this temple Of beauty?"
ooh, 60 on, Mr.. F1ique." and Man
ming giggled behind her buster. I'm
not arybody's little ONE" Then seri-
ously: And it's no temple Of beauty,
i sir-inside, anyhow. It's wicked house
| THE virtue of mademoiselle redeems
It," Flique said, bowling solemnly. SIT
intrigues me, that little stair. Whose
chamber do I see at the top of it?"
| "Ahl And there is a door. 1t opens
into madame's chamber"
well, not exactly" Manning replied
aye see, there's bed room and bath
room and a-you know, little hall, In
| between"
And the roof door see I'D there
opens into the little halls that it?"
| yes, sir"
Flique beamed. at is clear that
nademoiselle is . woman Of intelli-
II try to make the best of the talents
that were given to me. sir" Manning
said
who could doubt it?" Flique in
quired, and I wondered what his game
was. And now, mademoseille, he
continued, you will remember that
monsieur was killed between 6.90 and
z on Friday EVENING""
| Indeed do, Mr.. Flique."
| And you were with madame every
moment Of that tragic half hour, yes?''
II was, sir. I told Mr.. Samuels too"
| MATS Out. That is to say, you were
with madame every moment Of that
half hour except of course, for the
was It 10 minutes-in which she
bathed?"
"Of course, sir" and Manning sim
pered. Mistress bathes herself, sir
ITO be sure" Flique chuckled. And
when she had prepared herself for the
bath and slipped on her green robe
Her blue robe, sir. Her robin's-egg
blue"
'Imbecile that I ami" Flique cried
vehemently. Her robins-egg blue, to
be sure! And then she went into the
hall that opens into the bath room,
shutting the bed room door behind her,
while you. my little one. piled yalr
why, yes, did, sir. Mistress being
economical and all that, I was letting
| out one of her gowns"
Flique bowed acquiescently. But
madame went into the little hall, shut
ting the door behind her."
"Oh, yes, Mr.. Flique."
And perhaps she had one hand
thrust deep into pocket of her robins
"Oh, but she had, sirl" Manning
burst forth excitedly. "She seemed to
be holding something tight and won-
dered what it was"
'Mademoiselle would, being a woman
of intelligence F1ique murmured
gravely. But madame was-um-
nervous, perhaps?"
mo Yes; 81 she WAS" Manning fam cried glow
much of it, for Mr.. Parados never
treated her properly. But she needn't
have snapped at me the way she did
when I showed her that little stone
found on the carpet"
"A little green Stone?"
That's all 1t was, sir" Manning con-
tinued warmly. st showed 1t to her
and she knocked it out Of my hand, I
thought she was going to slap my face.
Really did, sir"
'Mademoiselle has her problem. But
who has not, I ask your" Flique
laughed.
"Thats right, sir" Manning sighed
pouSly. I'VE all have our crosses"
'Mademoiselle has the philosophy.
also" Flique beamed, and ne chucked
Manning under the chin. But this lit
tie green Stone-you have it, oui?"
mo, sir, I haven't. When I looked
for it 1t was gone. Mistress must have
picked 1t up"
F1ique shrugged. "a nothing" he
murmured casually. ut happened, this,
after madame had bathed?"
Yes, sir. You always guess right,
Mr.. Flique"
'Mademoiselle tempts me to try
again." Flique said. bowling Tell me,
when madame entered her bath room
you heard-um--water running?"