The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-10

clicked violently.
 "Trave.ing?" remarked in a tauristy approach.
 No" This time he did not even glance around the newspaper.
 English. are your"
 He looked at me fully this time. His face was not old. but it was lined. his eyes were light yellow. gray. and around his mouth the hairs of his red beard grew thin. and you felt sort of distaste look ing at it.
 Mo- he said sharply. French" He stared at me moment and then added: If you must know. I've spent two years in America and I'm here for my health. also speak French and Italian. And can read Latin"
 said blandly: Funny place to come to for your health. Have you been here long?"
 The newspaper quivered for mo- ment. then his light eyes and fam ing soft beard reappeared.
 "If." he s7id coldly. you want my full history. go to the police. They've just acquired 1t. owing to the very strange affair which ac- companied your arrival here. There was." he added, driving the point further home. mo murder before you arrived" He continued to stare coldly and blandly at me. It was unfortunate that Pucci. who had been exploring silently in the vicinity of my pocket, drew forth at that moment a box of matches. laid It carefully upon my I knee. and uttered triumphant cluck. The priest looked at 1t, and Mrs. Byng looked at 1t. and the cockatoo looked at il and preened himself and clucked again happily. THE second cluck was too much | for Father Robart. who himself uttered sound not too faintly re- sembling 1t. showed his paper to- gether with an angry motion. rose. and stalked toward the lift. The lit. tie iron gate banged. the two mar row doors dipped together. and the small lift. looking not unlike very tall coffin. murmured. duly and started to crawl upward. l "Pucci." 1 said softly. some day someone's going to wiring your neck"
 Mrs. Byng sniffed again.
 "If there ever was bird in league with a devil. it Is that one" She eyed the bird with asperity. and Pucci. eyeing her brightly. uttered a kind of squawky gurgle which certainly suggested a hoarsely dia bolic laugh
 Mrs. Byng's thick eyebrows flew upward in a startled manner. ant the needles paused for just an in stant; then. recovering herself I nobly. she nodded to me in an T told you-so' way and resumed hel \ knitting. Pucci returned to tht matches quite as If sulphur had { natural attraction for him, and said to Mrs. Byng:
 I'm glad to see you've recovered from the shock of the other night
 q may look better" she said knitting rapidly "But still fee the shock. feel anything for a loni time. MT. Sundean. and feel 1t deep ly. l have temperament. have tenn perament. And might say righ here-I have good eyes. MT. Sun l dean. And temperament"
 No doubt" said warmly under the compulsion of her waiting gaze and just then the gong for luncl sounded.
 The meal over. returned to thu lounge and settled in corner a the far end with coffee and ciga rette and an old Punch" hopinl either Sue or Lorn would find m' there. But Lorn slipped quietly ou again and Sue had disappeared. Gradually the faint chatter iron
 regions back of the dining room died away.
 I The day had grown darker. an' the we'll of the lounge. lighted onl. by the gray and sullen skylight. wa shadowy and dim and very silent The whole place in fact had sunl into kind of sentient. broodinI silence which reminded you that. bs |, yond those twisting dark corridor
 and blank doors, there was. th' same small circle that had been i the hotel that wind-ridden nigh
 when a man was murdered. II l felt uneasy and restless. an was oddly relieved to hear Quic light footsteps cross the dining roor back of me.
 II It was Marcel. He came closer [ me. His eyes darted quickly abou the lounge.
 , "I have decided myself. l vii tell you." he said then. soberly an
 in a low voice. Tt is at best onl , three things that know. One about the towels. And one is abou I Father Robart. And the third on
 -may mean a life"
 (Copyrioht. 1sss. Hionon c. Eberhort A c,,dder, farr;hIo <I,ift ir, ths