Evening star., 1933-07-05
CHAPTER XI.
SUNBEAM EXPLAINS.

ME. GRETHE'S green eyes
M were very bright and know
wv ing during the commissaire's
l i brief questions. but they
looked less knowing when
began to tell of the man who had shot
at me In the courtyard. She looked
for the first time at a loss, and
Lovschiem, who had let her do most
Of the talking thus far, suddenly be-
came possessed Of an active tongue.
But you are mistaken. Mr. SUM-
dean!" he cried. THE wind deceived
you. There could have been no one
in the courtyard"
Hell, don't know when I've been
shot at?" I took the flashlight out
Of my pocket and showed them how
it was shattered. THE wind cannot
do this. There was some one in the
court not Is minutes ago. He had
a revolver and shot at me twice or
the stairway-that's when he got the
f1ashlight-and three times in the
courtyard"
The young officer turned to the
pompous commissaire de police, there
was an excited sputtering of French
which sent one of the men in the back
ground hurrying away, and Nine
Grethe sent me a most unpleasant
look from her green eyes.
Where is Father Robart?" she said
in French to Marcel
He went away, just after the gen.
tleman went downstairs. I remained
alone with-him''
He went away?" Her narrow eye
brcws were straight and her eyes wary
She broke into rapid French, telling
as near as I could make out, that she
had sent at once for the priest.
Following her example, Lovschiem
plunged into the stream of converse
ton and Sue and I were momentarily
forgotten. She was standing quite near
me and I said in an undertone:
What are they saying?"
She gave me startled look
"Oh-you do not understand them
Lovschiem is saying that he does not
know the man, that he was killed out
side, away from the hotel, and brought
here and left to throw suspicion from
the murderer. They are considering it
But you and your shattered fash
light are troubling the younger man;
he says the murderer must be here In
the hotel. Lovschiem says you were
frightened by the wind and dropped
~. A1C odyo AIO ollC IOQlQ lldfc kOt
into the hotel. The commissaire-that
is, the older one-says in case you
are telling the truth they will discover
him.
What do they say Of the dagger?"
She did not reply at once: 1t was
strange that where I had felt a kind
of friendliness about her, now / felt
as distinctly a withdrawal.
They say nothing of the dagger
said Sue warily, her eyes on Nine
Grethe, as If to be sure she was not
overheard.
And at that the young officer
whirled to me and said very, very po-
litely:
viii monsieur be kind to tell me
why he was in the lobby Of the hotel
so late in the night?"
Why was 1? How could I avoid
telling of Sue Tally? Her own words
returned to me in the very nick of
time She had said something about
wanting to lock the door of my room
while waiting for me, but that the
key was gone I said, not daring to
look at the door to be sure there was
no key in it: Il went to the lobby
for key. There was no key In my
door"
Inc young Object eyeuIOWS WE'LL
up a little, but he repeated my reply
to the commissaire. I added no fur
ther word. though I longed to do so;
explanations can be more damaging
than silence.
All at once Sue spoke; it was almost
whisper:
They are talking of how the muir
der was done" she said. They are
going to look at it again" She looked
frightened
will monsieur approach himself
this way?" asked the young officer po-
litely will he be kind to regard the
one that is dead?"
I followed them into the corridor
Lovschiem stepped back to let me pass,
and I caught q flicker Of Nine.
Grethe's eyes.
Approach near. monsieur" said the