Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-17
INsTALLMENr v.
(FprnAY M

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Y YANCE frowned slightly and
" for a moment.
1T may mean nothing
surely nothing supernatural
but the fact that this particular statue
was chosen for the murder makes me
wonder If there may be something dia-
bolical and sinister and superstitious in
this affair"
Come, come, Vancel" Markham
spoke with forced matter of -factness
This is modern New York, not legend
airy Egypt"
YES oh, yes. But superstition
Is still ruling factor In so.called hui
man nature. Moreover, there are rnany
more convenient weapons In this
room-weapons fully as lethal and more
readily welded. Why should O cum
bersome, heavy statue Of Sakhmet have
been chosen for the deed? In any
event, 1t took q strong man TO swing
it with such force"
He looked toward Scarlet whose eyes
had been fastened on the dead man
with a stare Of fascination.
Where was this statue kept?"
Scarlet blinked.
"Why-let me see :" He was
obviously trying to collect his wits.
"Ah, yes. On the top Of that cabinet. .
He pointed unsteadily to the row Of
wide shelves in front of Kyles body.
1T was one Of the new pieces we I'M
packed yesterday Henri placed It there.
You see, we used that end cabinet
temporarily for the new items, until we
could arrange and catalogue EN- prop
erly."
There were 10 sections in the row of
cabinets that extended across the rear
lrNf HHA kAf.
21S feet wide and little over feet
high. These cabinets-which In reality
were but open shelves-were filled with
all manner Of curios-scores of ex-
amples Of pottery and wooden vases.
scent bottles, bows and arrows, AIDES,
swords, daggers, sistra, bronze and cop
per hand-mirTors, ivory game boards,
perfume boxes, whip handles, palm-leaf
sandals, wooden combs, palsttes, head
rests, reed baskets, carved spoons, plas-
terers' tools. sacrincial mint knives.
Itinerary masks, statuettes, necklaces
and the like.
Each cabinet had q separate curtain
Of . material which looked like silk rep,
suspended with brass rings on . small
metal rod. The curtains to all the
cabinets were drawn open, with the ex-
ception Of the one on the end cabinet
before which the dead body of Kyle lay.
The curtain Of this cabinet was only
partly drawn.
Vance had turned round
And what about the Anubis, Scar
lett?" he asked. Was 1t recent ac-
quisition?"
"That came yesterday. too It was
placed in that corner-to keep the
shipment together"
Vance nodded, and walked to the
partly curtained cabinet. He stood for
several moments peering into the
shelves.
very interesting" he murmured, al
most as II to himself. II see you have
q most unusual post Hyksos bearded
vessel is very lovely ..' though not
so lovely as yon blue-paste lions
head. Ali I note many evil
dences Of old Intefs bellicose nature
that battle Ak, for instance. And
my wordl-there are some scinitars
and daggers which look positively Ash
attic. And"-he peered closely into the
top shelf-"a most fascinatin' collection
Of ceremonial maces."
Things DR.. Bliss picked up on his
recent expedition" explained Scarlet.
Those flint and porphyry Ynaces came
from the antechamber Of Intef's
At this moment the great metal door
Of the museum creaked on its hinges.
and Sergt. Ernest Heath and three de-
tectives appeared at the head of the
stairs. (Sergt. Heath had worked with
Philo Vance on most of his important
cases. He was very matter of-fact
policeman, but he had great admiration
for Vance's genius. And Vance adj
mired the sergeant. They elaborated
very smoothly The sergeant immedi-
ate1y descended into the room, leaving
his men on the little landing.
He greeted Markham with the usual
ritualistic handshake.
"Howdy. sir" he rumbled. II got
here a. soon as could. Brought three
Of the boys from the bureau, and sent
word to Capt. Dubois and Doc Doremus
to follow u.s." Capt. Dubois was then
the fingerprint expert Of the New York
Police Department and DR.. Emmanuel
Doremus was the medical examiner.)
"It looks as If we might be in for
another unpleasant scandal, sergeant"
Markham's tone was pessimistic. That's
Benjamin II. Kyle"
Heath stared aggressively at the dead
man and grunted.