Evening star., 1932-07-05
INSTALLMENT XXI.

M Al. BURNABY was doing his
NH accounts or-to use a more
V Dickens-like phrase, he was
4 i looking into his affairs. The
major kept q record OF shares
bought. shares sold and the accom-
panying loss or profit-usually a loss,
for in common with most retired army
men the major was attracted by a hign
rate of interest rather than modest
percentage coupled with safety.
"These oil wells looked all right,
he was muttering. Seems as though
there ought to have been fortune in
1t. Almost as bad as that diamond
minel Canadian land, that ought to
be sound now"
His cogitations were interrupted by
Mr.. Ronald Garfield. He found young
men extremely trying. and practlcaliy
everything the unfortunate Honnie ssio
or did managed to rub the major up
the wrong way. Still, hospitality Is
Have a drink" said the major
loyal to that tradition.
mo. thanks As matter OF 1act,
lust dropped in to see II we couldn
get together. I wanted to go to Ex-
hampton today and hear Elmer Is
booked to take you in"
Burnaby nodded. ,
Got to go over Trevelyans things,
he explained. The police have done
with the place now"
well. YOU see," said Ronnie rather
awkWardly. "I particularly wanted TO
20 into Exhampton today. thought
Il we could get together and share ana
share alike as it were. Eh? What
about it?" ~
agreeable. Do you a lot more good 70
walk" he added. Exercise. None OF
you young chaps nowadays take any
"Oh. well" said Ronnie, "I don't be-
liev In being stenuous myself. Elmer
said you were starting at II o'clock.
Is that right?"
That's it."
Good. I'll be there"
Ronnie was not quite so good as his
word; his idea of being on the. spot
was to be 10 minutes late. He found
Mai. Burnaby fuming and frettlng out
he proceeded to enter into cheerful con-
versation.
''Sittaford has become q pretty gay
spot-what? Miss TrefuSis and this
chap Enderby and the lad from AUS
tralia-by the way when did he blow
in? There he was as large as life THIS
morning and nobody knew where ne
had come from. It's been worrying my
aunt blue in the face" >,
He is staying with the Willetts,
said Mai. Burnaby tartly.
"Yes, but where did he blow in from?
Even the WillettS haven't got a private
aerodrome. You know, 1 think there's
something deuced mysterious about this
lad Pearson. He's got what I call o
nasty gleam in his eyes-a very nasty
CLINT. It's my impression that he's the
chap who did in poor old Trevelyan."
The major made no reply.
At Exhampton the car drew outside
the Three Crowns. Ronnie alighted and
after arranging with the major that
they would rendezvous there at half past
four fer the return journey, he strobe
of in the direction Of such shops as
Exhampton offered.
The major went first to see Mr.. Kirk
wood. After a brief conversation with
him, he took the keys and started on
for Hazelmoor.
He had told Evans to meet him there
at IL O'Clock and he found the
faithful retainer waiting on the door
step. With a rather grim face, Maj
Burnaby inserted the key into the
front door and passed into the empty
house. Evans at his heels. He
had not been in it since the night
of the tragedy, and in spite Of his
iron determination to show no weak
ness, he gave a slight shiver rs he
passed the drawing room.
Evans was deft and efficient at bis
work. Everything was neatly sorted
and arranged and classified in heaps
At ! O'Clock they repaired to the
Three Crowns for q short midday meal
At half past three their task was
finished. One trunk Of clothes and un-
derclothes was allotted to Evans, and
another was strapped up ready to be
sent to the Seamen's Orphanage.
Papers and bills were packed into an