Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-14


Boy Luckily for him. he didn't get It,"
1T was young Salveter who wangled
his uncle into financing Bliss The lad
was pupil Of Bliss when the latter
was instructor of Egyptology at Harvard.
When he was graduated he was at
loose end, and old Kyle financed the
expedition to give the lad something to
do. Very fond Of his nephew, was old
Kyle"
And salveter's been with Bliss ever
since?"
Very much so. To the extent Of
! living In the same house with him.
Hasn't left his side since their first visit
70 Egypt three years ago. Bliss made
| MIN assistant curator Of the museum.
He deserved the post, too. A bright
boy-lives and eats Egyptology"
Vance returned 10 the table and rang
for Currie.
The situation has possibilities" he
remarked, In hfs habitual drawl.
BY the way, what other members Of
the Bliss menage are there?"
There's Mrs. Bliss-you met her in
Cairo strange girl half Egyptian,
much younger than Bliss. And then
there's Ham, an Egyptian, whom Bliss
| brought back with hiBl--or, rather.
whom Mrs Bliss brought back with her.
HAM was an old dependent of Meryt's
| father" -
"Meryt2"
Scarlet blinked and, looked Ill at
ease.
/ Il meant Mrs. Bliss." he explained.
Her given name is Meryt-Amen. In
Egypt you see, It's customary to think
Of a lady by her native name"
| ooh, quite A. slight srnifg fiickered
| at the corner Of Vance's mouth. And
the household"
| Scarlet plirsed his lipS.
| "A somewhat anomalous one, If you
ask me. .Fellahin stock--a Coptic
| Christian of sorts. He accompanied old
ercrombie-Meryt'sE fatl1er-on his
various tours Of exploration. When
Abercrombie died he acted as kind Of
foster father TO Meryt. He was at
tached to the Bliss expedition this
Spring in some minor capacity as a rep
resentative of the Egyptian government.
He's sort of high-class' handy man
about the museum. Knows a lot of
Egyptology, too" .
Does ne hold any official post with
the Egyptian government noW?p
That 1 don't know :. though I
wouldn't be surprised If he's doing bit
OF patriotic spying. You never can tell
about these chaps"
And do these persons complete the
household?'
There are two American servants
Brush, the butler, and Dingle, the
cook.
Currie entered the room at this mo-
ment.
oh, say Currie," Vance addressed
him; IAN eminent gentleman has Just
been murdered in the neighborhood,
and / am going to view the body. Lay
out a dark gray suit and my Bangkok.
A sombre tie. of course. -. =. And,
Currie-the Amontillado first"
| al ,
Currie received the news as if muir
ders were everyday events in his life,
and went out
do you know any reason, Scarlet"
! Vance asked, why Kyle should have
been put out of the way?"
The other hesitated almost imper-
ceptibly.
Cant imagine" he said, knitting his
brows, He was kindly. generous old
fellow-pompous and rather vain, but
eminetly likable. I'm not acquainted
with his private life, though. He may
have had enemies"
still suggested Vance, "it's not ex-
actly likely that an enemy would have
followed shim to the museum and
wreaked vengeance on him in a strange
place, when any one might have walked
in"
Scarlet sat up abruptly.
But you are not implying that any
one in the house"
My dear fellow!''
Currie entered the room at this mo-
ment with the sherry, and Vance poured
out three glasses When we had drunk
the wine he excused himself to dress
| Scarlet paced up and down restlessly
! during the quarter of an hour Vance
was absent. He had discarded his
| cigarette and lighted an old briar pipe
which had most atrocious smell.
| Almost at, the moment when. Vance
returned to the library an automobile
horn sounded raucouSly outside. Mark
| ham was below waiting for u.s..
| AS we walked toward the door Vance
asked Scarlet:
Was it cStom'ry for Kyle TO be in
the museum at this hour of the morn
ing?"
mo, most unusual But Dr. Bliss
mad made an appointment with him
for this morning to discuss the expendi-
lures of the last expedition and the
possibilities of continuing the excava-
tons next season." +t
You knew of this appointment"
Vance asked indifferently
"Oh, yes. Dr. Bliss called him by
phone last night during the conference
when we were assembling the report"
Wen, well" Vance passed out into
the hall. so there we're others who
also knew that Kyle would be at the
museum this morning"
Scarlet halted and looked startled.
Really, you're not intimating-"
he began.
Who heard the appointment nader"
Vance was already descending the
stairs.
Scarlet followed him with puzzled,
downcast eyes. -..-.-,t
We'll, let me see. ). There was
Salveter, and Hani, and :"
Pray, don't hesitate"
and Mrs. Bliss"
Every one in the household, then,
but Brush and Dingle?"
Yes. But see here, Vance;
the appointment was for IL O'Clock, and
half-past TO-" So
That's most inveiglin'," Vance muir
INJURED. 49,.
. (Friday. July 10. 1880 AND
Markham greeted Vance with a look
OF sour reproach.
What's the meaning Of. this?" he de-
manded tartly. Il was in the midst of
an important committee meeting"
Inc meaning is still to be .ascer-
tanned" Vance interrupted lightly. step
ping into the car. THE cause of your
ungractous presence. however is a most
fascinatin' murder"
Markham shot him shreYd look, and
gave orders 70 the chauffeur to drive
With all possible haste to the Bliss Mu-
scum. He recognized the symptoms of
Vance's perturbation; a frivolous out
ward attitude on Vances part was al
ways indicative of an inner seriousness.
Markham and he had been friends for
is years, and Vance had aided him in
many of his investigations. In fact he
had come to depend on Vance's assist
ance in the more complicated criminal
cases that came under his jurisdiction.
1t would be dif1cult to find two men
SO dramatically opposed to each other