Evening star., 1932-06-29
INsTALLMENT XVI.

" MILY sat on the chair indicated
- Il understand you are the girl
who is engaged to Trevelyan' S
H. nephew" said Miss Percehouse.
i've heard all about you and
now I have seen you l understand
exactly what you are up to. And l
wish you good luck"
Thank you" said Emily.
'T hate a SOLDERING female" said
Miss Percehouse. Il like one who gets
up and does things"
She looked at Emily sharply.
"I suppose you pity me-lying here
never able to get up and walk about?"
NO" said Emily thoughtfully. i
don't know that / do I suppose that
one can. If one has the determination,
always get something out of life. II
you can't get 1t in one way you get IL
in another"
"Quite right" said Miss Percehouse.
"You've got to take life from different
angle, that's al"
As clearly as she was able, Emily out
lined the theory she had evolved that
morning and the application OF 1t she
had made to the matter in hand.
Not bad" said Miss Percehouse nod
ding her head Now, my dear-We
will get down to business. Not being
born a fool, l suppose you've come up
to this village to find out what you
can about the people here, and TO see
If what you find out has any bearing
on the murder. Well, II there's any
thing you want to know about the
people here. I can tell it to you"
Emily wasted no time. Concise and
business-like, she came to the point.
Maj. Burnaby?" she asked.
typical retired army officer. narrow
tv1da daI otad Iiyaaitnd in Ofltlnnk inQ Ions
disposition Credulous in money mat
ters Kind of man who invests in a
South Sea bubble because he can't see
a yard in frcnt of his nose. Likes to
pay his debts promptly and dislikes
people who don't wipe their feet on
the mat"
Mr.. Rycroft?'' said Emily.
queer little man, enormous egoist.
Cranky. Likes to think himself Won
derful fellow I suppose he has Of
fered to help you solve the case Alright
owing to his wonderful knowledge OF
criminology."
Emily admitted that was the case.
"Mr. Duke? she asked.
Don't know a thing about the man
and yet l ought to. Most ordinary
type l ought to know-and yet I
don't. It's queer. It's like name on
the tip of your tongue and yet for the
life of YOU. you can't remember it"
THE Willetts?" asked Emily.
"Ah! The WillettS!" Miss Perce-
house hoisted herself up on an elbow
again in scme excitement. What
about the Willetts indeed? Now, I'll
tell you something about them, my
dear Il may be useful to you, or 1t
may not. Go over TO my writing table
there and pull out the little top draw.
Bring me the blank envelope that's
there"
directed.
II don't say it's impcrtant-it prob
ably isn't" said Miss Percehouse.
Everybody tells lies one way or
entitled to do the same as everybody
else
She took the envelope and slipped
her hand inside
Il will tell you all about it. When
the Willetts arrived here, with their
smart clothes and their maids and their
innovation trunks. she and Violet came
I'D In Forder's car and the maids and
the innovation trunks came by the sta
tion bus. was looking out as they
passed and / saw coIored label blow
OF from one Of the trunks and dive
down on to one of my borders Now, il
there is one thing hate more than
another, it is litter of paper or mess
Of any kind, so I sent Ronnie out to
pick 1t up. and was going to throw it
away when it stuck me 1t was bright,
pretty thing. and I might as well keep
1t for the scrapbooks / make for the
children's hospital Well, wouldn't
have thought about it again except for
Mrs. Willett deliberately mentioning on
two or three occasions that Violet had
never been out Of South Africa and that
she herself had only been to South At
rica. England and the Riviera"
"Yes?" said Emily.
Exactly. Now-look at this"
Miss Percehouse thrust a luggage
label into Enlily's hand. 1t bore the
inscription: Mendle's Hotel, Melbourne.
Australia" said Miss Percehouse,
'isn't South Africa-or it wasn't in my
young days. I daresay it. isn't impor-
tant, but there it is for what 1t is worth.
And I'll tell you another thing: have