Evening star., 1935-11-17
Continued from page seven

ueSi dDle me1nDeT OF tnlS CluD II you
could be induced to humor our criminal
proClivities.
You would find me very tolerant" ="
she confided, looking straight across
at him, "of every crime but one.'
And that?" he asked.
She waited until the man had left
the room.
kidnapping children" she said.
He set down the glass of wine which
he had just raised to his lips. you are
thinking of the Chester case?" he
asked politely. 1T seems to have
created a great deal Of unnecessary
commotion."
Il am interested in the Chester
case" she admitted That is why |
am dining here with you tonight"
There was a curious and a profound
silence. Not by a twitch of the eyelids
had he shown any surprise or emotion
at her speech. He was looking at her
fixedly. Even with her perfect nerves.
the silence seemed to have become I'M
canny. She looked round the room and
discovered the reason.
How modernw she observed. Air
conditioned. No windows. no outside
ventilation. What dangerous apart
ment this is in which you choose to
entertain your guests, Sir Walter"
That is why | admired your cour-
age so much when you came" he re-
marked. lam beginning to understand
you little better, Miss Rookie"
You will understand me better still
when l tell you of slight happening
which took place a week or ten days
ago." she recounted, 1.-The day, by
the by, when the Chester child dis
appeared. was driving my car along
rather lonely by-way in Surrey when
something came f1uttering down from
the sky in front of me. l couldn't
imagine what it was. saw that it was
coming down in little circles from
beautiful. smoothly running airplane
which was mounting rapidly. l drew
up my car and waited. Soon I'saw that
it was book. 1t fell with plop in the
field at the side of the road. The air
plane was then almost out Of sight |
entered the field and picked up the
book One moment if you please,
this chicken is too delicious" She con-
tinued her dinner for moment or two
in silence. Then she took sip of her
wine.
The book was a child's picture
book" she went on, leaning back in
her place, but child's picture book
de luxe. Its illustrations were by Rack
ham and it struck me that the letter
press might almost have been one Of
those private ones, the type was so
exquisitely clear. looked it through
and was fascinated. | took the book
back with me to London. That night
the evening papers we're blazing with
the news of little Pamela Chester's
kidnapping"
Once more she paused. this time be-
cause the maitre d'hotel had slipped
into the room and filled the glasses.
Even after he had withdrawn she was
in no hurry.
Il think from the first thirty sec
onds," she continued, Il have con-
nected in my mind the discovery OF
that book and the abduction of the
Chester child. Chester, as we all know,
is a millionaire. The picture book
which had fluttered into the field by
my side was the book of a millionaire's
child. The hour was about one hour
after the child had been missed by her
governess in Bond Street. | went to
the one or two book shops in London
which were likely to have sold such
production. and the third at which |
called recognized it at once. 1t had
been sold across the counter of their
establishment in Piccadilly about a
week before and despatched with two
others to the address of the buyer"