Evening Star Newspaper, May 8, 1921, Page 66

re{1 ULLO. Brace." said Paul Harley as his secretary entered. “Some one is making a devil of a row outside.” “This is the offender, Mr. Harley.” gaid Lrace. and handed my friend a visiting card Glancing at the card. Ha aloud: “Maj. J. E Ragstaff, alry Club. London.” Meanwhile a loud, harsh voic which would have been audible in full gale. was roaring in the lobby. onsens I could hear the major shouting. “Balderdash’ There's more fuss than if | had asked for an in- terview with the prime minister'” Brace's smi developed into a laugh. in which Harley joined. “Ad- mit_the major.” he Into the study, w Harley and 1 had been seated o smoking, there presently strode ery cholerie gentleman He wore y cheek Suit and white spats, and his tie closely resembled a stock. In his hand he carried a heavy malac cane, gloves and one of those tall. light-gray hats commonly termed white. e was helow medium height, slim and wiry; his t and the shape of his legs. his build. all proclaimed the dragoon. His complexion was purple, and the large white teeth visible beneath a bristling gray mus- tache added to the natural ferocity of his appearanc anding just within the doorwa fr. Paul Har ley?" he shouted. It was apparently an inquiry, but it sounded like a reprimand My friend. standing before the fireplace, his hands in his pockets and his pipe in his mouth, nodded brusquely 1 am Paul Harley." he said. “Won't you sit down?" Maj Hrace F gstaff. glancing angrily at the latter left the study. tossed his stick and gloves on a settee and. drawing up a chair, seat- ed himself stifly upon it as though he were in a saddle. He stared straight at Harle “You are not the sort of person I expected. sir,” he declared. “May 1 ask if it is your custom to kecp clients dancin’ out- mide on the mat and all that—on the blasted mat, sir?" * k% K HARI suppressed a smile, and 1 has ette case. Iy reached for my cigar- the manteishelf. which 1 had piaced upon “] am always naturally pleased to gee clicnts. Maj. Ragstafl,”” said Har- le “but a certain amount of routine is necessary cven in civilian life. You had not advised me of your visit and it is contrary to my Custol discuss business after 5 o'clock As Harley to at him continuously ve secen you in India’ he roared: “damme! I've seen vou in India—and, ves' in Tur- Key! Ha! I've got vou now. sir!" He sprang to his feet. “Youre the Harley who was in Constantinople in 1M ‘Guite true “Then I've come to the Wrong shop.” “That remains to be seen. major “But [ was told you were a private detective, and all that. k “So 1 am.” said Harley_quietly. “In 1912 the foreign office was my client. 1 am now at the service of any one who cares to employ me.” J The major seemed to be temporarily stricken speechless by the discovery that a man who had acted for the British government should be eapable of stooping to the work of a private inquiry agent. Staring all about the roem with a sort of naive wonder- ment. he drew out a big silk hand- kerchief and loudly blew his nose. all the time eying Harley questioningl Replacing his handkerchief. he d rected his regard upon me. “This is my friend. Mr. Knox." said Harle: ou may state your case before him without hesitation, un- less. 1 rose to depart. ‘Sit down. Mr. Knox: ir'" shouted the major. v Tkeletons in the cupboard. 1 simply Want something explained which T Im teo thick-headed—too damned thick-headed, sir—to explain my- self.” He out small Sit down, “1 have no resumed his seat and. taking his wallet, extracted from it & news: cutting. which he ley.” he direct- e read as fol- and Harley lows “Refore Mr. strect police mith at Mariborough court John Edv\'dlrd jampton was charged with assault- street on Wednesday evening. It was Droved by the constable who made e arresthnat robbery had not been the motive of the assault and Bamp- ton confessed that he bore no grudge against the assailed man: indeed. that he had never seen him before. He pleaded intoxication. and the police Rurgeon testified that. although not Sergully intoxicated. his breath had amelled strongly of liquor at the time of his arrest. Bampton's employers testified 10 a hitherto blameless char- acter. and as the charge was Ann! pressed the man was dismissed with a caution Having read the paragraph. zled_cxpression “The point of this quite escapes * he confessed m’l-hmd E said Ma). Ragstaff “Is that fo. sir? Perhaps you will s be good enough to read t From his wallet he took a second pewspaper cutting. smaller than the firet, und gummed to a shect of club hote paper. Harley took it and read as_follows ‘Mr. e Lana. a well known mem- | ber of the stock exchange. who met with a seroius accident recently, is still in a precarious condition P ! THE » szzled look on Harleyv's face ! grew more acute, and the major, watehed him Wwith «n expression | which I can only describe as one of fierce enjoyment You're thinkin' I'm a damned old fool, ain't vou?" he shouted, sudden “Searcely that slightly. “but the significance of these paragraphs is not apparent. | must confess. The man Bampton would not appear 1o be an interesting character. and since no great damage has been done, his drunken frolic hardly comes De lLana within my sphere Of Mr of the stock exchange 1 never heard unless he happens to be a member of the firm of De lana & Day “He's not a member of that firm, sir!” shouted the major. “He was, up to 6 oclock this evenin » “What do you mean exactly? in- the uired Harlev. and - he was begin- voice suggested that ning to entertain doubts of the ma- Jor's sanity or sobriety 7 ) “He's dead!” eclared the major. but before 1 had time for any reply s LS L LI : T &'door suddenly banged open above He “Gicd at 6 oclock. I've Just|you, Wessex? Have you got the ad-|how vou found out.” he said, “but you | restaurant called the Cafe Dame. As|&nd @ '"91';““"{;‘;'0"““““8 oumn, spoken to his widow on the tele- |dress? od. No. 1 shall remember | evidently know the truth. Provided n"nnfed. 1 bumped into him, grab- [ Who might have been some kine Of phone it. Many thinks. Good-bye. |you assure me that you are not out|bed his hat and jumped on it.” upper s«'rvur‘fln “":e bl ol 1 suppose | must have been staring| He turned to me. suEgest,| to make a silly-season newspaper PR A the stairs. Without seem ng o mos very hard at the speaker. and cer- | Knox,” he said, “that we make our|story, I'll tell you all I know." | tice our presence, she brushed pas tainly Harley ward me spoke the major glared | Har-“ ley glanced at the major with a puz-| said Harley, smiling tone of his was doing so, for he suddanly directed his fierce gaze to- “You're completely stump- ed, sir, and =o's your friend!” shouted T By SAxX RoHMER> Jlustrated by S CColt {jor. “I am the person—I. Jack Rag- staff—he assaulted. | was walking down from my quarters in Maddox A considerable interval elapsed he- fore the door was opened by a mar- velousiy untidy servant girl. who had street on my way to dine at the club, [ apparently been interrs treet or ) I 3 upted in the | same as T'do every night o' my 1ite. [ act of blackleading her face. Partly | when ‘this flamin’ ‘idiot sprang upon | apening the door” she stared ai oy me. grabbed my hat” —he took up his | agape. pushing back wisps of hair white hat to illustrate what had oc- curred—"not this one, but one like it —pitched it on the ground and jump- ed on it! Harley was quite unable to conceal his smiles as the excited old soldier dropped his conspicuous headgear on from her eyes, and with every move- ment daubing more of some mysteri- ous black substance upon her coun- tenance. “Is Mr. Bampton in?" asked Harley. “Yus, just come in. I'm coekin’ his the floor and indulged in a vigorous | “"IREL" antomi s “Tell him that two friends of his pantomime designed to illustrate his! pave called on cather impertant pusl: statement e Moxt extraordinars.” said Warley ATl Clght foatd the bladk-faced o at did you do?™ d & & i 2 3 . “What name je it™" What did [ do?" roared the major.| “"{ 1, a ‘1 gave him a crack on the head with | p YO MAME JUstsay (wo friends of my cane. and I said things to him . which couldn’t be repeated In eourt. | Lo tacuis 15 10 & Jong. vacant stare and leaving us standing on the step the maid (in whose hand 1 perceived ia greasy fork) shufficd along the pas- sage and began to mount the st An unmistakable odor of frying I _punched hir. and likewise hoofed him. but the hat was completely done in. Damn crowd collected, hearin' me swearin' and bellowin. Police and all | fhati,mames and addresses and Alll cages now reached my nostrils. Haro | guardroom and me turnin' up at tne | 16, 8lanced at me quizzically, but) LT B Go up.’ she directed. “Second a.” =ald Hacley.soothingly: front. Shut the door, one of I appreciate vour annoyance. but T Al this has to de with Mr. De leoa|below as Harley and I, closing the door behind us. ourselves of proceeded to avail of the stock exchange.” invitation “He fell out of the window!" shouted the major. “Fell ‘out of a windew?" “Out of a window, sir. a second- floor window ten rds up a side street! Pitched on his skull—marvel he wastn't killed outright! A faint expression of interest began to creep into Harley's glance. “I un derstand you mean. Major Ragstaff, he said deliberately. “that while yvour struggle with the drunken man was the There s very little light upon the stair- case, but we managed to find our way to a poorly furnished bedroom, where a small table was spread for a meal. Beside the table. in a chintz-covered armchair. a thick-set young man was seated smoking a cigarette. a copy of the Daily Telegraph upon his knee He was a very typical lower mid- dle-class, nothing-in-particular young man, but there was a certain trucu lence indicated by his square jaw in progress. Mr. De Lena fell out of | 3 : 4 i A e a jand that sort of seif-possession which 5””1’:: oring window into thelpomznmes accompan physical strength was evidenced in his manner as, tossing the paper aside., he stood up. “Good evening, Mr. Bampto Harley genially. I take it’ ing to the ne shouted the major. “Right, 0 vou know this Mr. De Lana?" Never heard of him in my life until the accident occurred. Seems to me the poor devil leaned out to see the fun ‘and overbalanced. sible. quiries. point- | t aper—“that you are Icoking for a new job? Felt respon- only natural. and made in- He died at 6 o'clock this sir."” i sald Harley reflectively. “I { Still fail to see where I come in. From what window did he fail™” | “Window above a sort of tea shop. jcalled Cafe Dame—silly name. Place jon a corner. Don't know name of side ‘stron “H'm. You den't think he * % ¥ % AMPTON stared, with a suspicion of anger in his eyes, then. meet- ing the amused glance of my friend, he broke into a smile very pleasing |and humorous. | redness, and smiling he looked very boyish indecd. push- ed out. for instance?" o y | .“Certainiy not!" shouted the major: 1 have no idea who you are.” he he just fell out. but the point is, he's | 5aid, speaking with a faint north- dead! “My dear sir.” said Harley patiently “I don’t dispute that point: put what on earth do you want of me?" I don't know what T want!" roared the major, beginning to walk up and down the room, “but T know I ain't satisfied. not easy in mind, sir. I wake up of a night hearin’ the poor| devil's yell as he crashed on_the pave. ment. “That's all wrong. I've heard hundreds of death yells, but'—he took up his malacca cane and beat it loudly ‘on the table—"I haven't woks Up of a night dreamin' I heard ‘em country accent, “but you evidently know who 1 am and what has hap- pened to me. “Got the boot?" asked Harley, con- fidentially. Bampton, tossing the end of his cigarette into the grate, nodded grim- ly. “You haven't told me your name,” he said, “but I think I can tell you your business.” ow, look here, more publicity. “In'a word. you suspect foul play 1 don’t =uspect anything!" cried the other excitedly. “but some one men- tioned your name to me at the club— said you could see through concrete and all that—and here T am. There's something wrong, radically wrong. Find out what it is and send the story out of me, | as quick as you like. I'll mever get another job in London as it is. If you drag me any farther into the limelight, I'll never get another job in_England.” the large silk handkerchief, blew| g the act of taking a cigarette—“then his nose loudly. Harley glanced at|what the devil are you" me in rather an odd way. “There wili| "My name is Paul Harley, and I am {be no bill. Major Ragstaff.” he said:|® griminal investigator® =00 = 5 e erately. {“but if 1 can see any possible line of | s tixed upon the other's face: rinquiry T will pursue it and report the| but, alt Bampton was palpably | result to vou." startled. Bl aadia i e i lin siraigntiorward giance. He || st do yeu make of it, Harley?"{ ook "4 cigurette from the case. ! ira “Thanks, Mr. Har he said. "I} | Paul Harley returned a work of ref- cunnot imax whal business has | lerence to its shelf and stood Staring|yrought you here." i 1 {absently across the study. “our late L5000 ek vou two ques- | visitor's history does not help us'iiong" Harley answered. “No. 1 u\\'hn much.” he replied. somewhat dis-] pia" you to smash Maj. Hagstaft's tinguished army career. and so forth,] S35 S0 » 100, AL (CRERAL and his only daughter, Sibyl Margaret;| FNC TaLT No- 2 v S married the fifth Marquis of Ireton. |She is, therefore, the noted society beauty, the Marchioness of Ireton. I"“’d"'h“ suggest anything to your = 3 To these questions 1 listened in amazement, and my amagement was evidently shared by Bampton. He had been in the act of lighting his cigar- ette, but he allowed the match to burn down nearly to his fingers and then dropped It, with a muttered ex- clamation, in the fire. “I don’t know othing whatever,” I said blankly. Nor to mine,” murmured Harley: The telephone bell rang. “Hullo!" called Harley. “Yes. That | “DEAD AS THE BEGU 6 O'CLOCK.” “HE'S DEAD!” DECLARED MAJ. RAGSTAFF. nd then proceed to dinner as ar- ged.” Since I was always glad of an op- portunity of studying my friend's| Harley laid his card on the table. nless the ends of justice demand it,” he said, “I give yeu my word that anything you care to say will go no call Maj. Hagstaff methods, 1 immediately agreed, andifirther. You may speak freely be- confrss it." replied Harley. quiet- | before long. leaving the lights of the! fore my friend, Mr. Knox. Simply Iv: “and since my time is of some lit- | two big hotels behind, our car Was! (1] me in as few words as possible tie value | would suggest. without|gliding down the long slope Which| i}t Jed you to court arrest in that disrespect. that you explain the con-|leads to Waterloo station. The unier moction, if any, between vourself. the ! (hrough crowaed. slummish highroa Rignt replied® Bampton, *I will.” crunken Bampton and Mr. De Lana|we made our way via Lumbeth to that; g 5800 D0y Tatis réflectively. of the stock exchange. who died you | dixmal thoroughfare, Westminster. ¢ S50 CUORS SR Te Lyons cafe, inform us. at 6 o'ciock #s the result. presumably received in an accident “That's what I'm here for' Maj. Ragstaff. “In the first place. then, T am the party. although I sa 10 it that my namc wus kept print, whom the drunken lunatic saulted. Harley, pipe in hand, stared at the epeaker perplexcdly “Aindgratand me,” continued the ma- this evening of injuries cried out of Bridge road, with its forbidding, often; ! ¢ Monday e yltar] to whieh St Monday afternoon when a at down facing me and got into raation.” cribe him!" as 4 man rather above me- windowless houses, air of desolation The house for which we werc bound was situated at no great distance from Kennington Park. and, telling the cab- man to wait, Harley and T walked up a narrew. paved path. mounted a flight of steps and rang the bell beside a some- what time-worn door. above which was an old-fashioned faniight dimly illumi- nated from withig. i man o “He dium height. a neat mustache and a short beard, and the look of a man who had trav- eled & lot. His skin was very tanned, ~ HE SUNDAY STAR He was a fresh-color- | ed young fellow with Lair inclined to He ceased smiling. | 1 don't want any If you think you are| going to make a funny newspaper) change your mind | bill to me. Then pe; 2 ©| "My deur fellow.” replied Harley. o sleep in peneerPeTNaps Il be able ' yo5tiingly, at the same time extend. PR ing his cigarette case, “you misappre- x 3 = hend the object of my call. I am not | HE peused and. again taking out[4 et said _Bampton, pausing in Wwas no trace of feur TO. . WASHINGTON, D. C. MAY 8, 1921—-PART 4. burned it. 1 thought it was playinz the game to do so. It wouldn't have helped you much. though.” he added: “it was an ordinary common envelope, posted in the city. address typewritten, and not a line inclosed. “Registered?” Bampton stood looking at us with curiods expression on his face. here’s one point.” he said, “on which my conscience ist You know about that poor devil who fell out of a window? Well, it never have happened if I hadn’ d up a row in the street. There's no doubt he was leaning out to see what the disturbance was about when the accident occurred.” “Did you actually see him fall?" asked Harley. “No. He fell from a window several yards behind me in the side street, but | 1 heard him cry out, and as I was lugzed off by the police 1 heard the bell of the ambulance which came to fetch him.” i 1 ! NOW £ SHE almost as deeply as yours. Mr. Har- | He paused again and stood rubbing Tey. Not at all the sort of chap that | his head ruefully. | goes in there as a rule. After a H'h,” said Harley; “was there any- | While he made an extraordinary pro- | thing particularly arkable about posal. At first 1 thought he Was|this man in the Lyons Cafe” | Joking, then when 1 grasped the id Bampton reflected silently for some e "Was ‘serious I concluded he | moments. “Nothing much,” he con- Was mad. He asked me how much |fessed. “He was evidently a gentle- a vear [ earned, and [ told him 1. wore a blue topcoat, a dark tweed Peters & Peters paid me £150. He!suit and what looked like a regimental PeiaTSNl give you u vears salary ltie, but I didn't know the colors. He to knock a man's hat off! { was very tanned, as I have said, even As “Bampton spoke the words helto the backs of his hands—and, oh. yes, twinkling eves.|there was one point; own part I Was|covered tooth.” “Which tooth?” glanced at us with he had a gold- but although for my merely amused, Harley's expression had grown very stern. “Of course. T| I can’t remember. except that it was Taughed" continued Bampton. “bution the left side, i it when he smiled.’ “Did he wear any ring or pin which u_would recognize?” when the man drew out a fat walle and counted ten flve-pon‘md notes on | the table I began to think seriously |y £ Even supposing | about his proposal he was cracked [t was absolutel s there anything queer in his. i money for nothing D speech or voice WOt course, he said, ‘vow'll lose No. He spoke like thousands of vour job. and you may be arrested-:giper Enplishmen.” but you'll say that you had been out Harley nodded brizkly and buttoned with a few friends and were a Hitle g, overcoat. “Thanks. Mr. Bamp- Secited, also that vou never could | (on™ he vaid: “we will detain you no Shand while hats Stick 1o Uhat StOI%. joniep and the balance of a hundred pounds As we descended the stai where Wwill reach you on the following morn=iih. <meil of frying sausages had given | place to that of ~omeihing burning probably the sausages— Harley said *1 was half inclined to think that Maj. | Ragstaff’s ideas were traceable o a former touch of the sun. I begin to believe that he has put us on the track | of a pretty unusual crime. I am sorry | to delay dinner, Knox, hut I propose | to call at the Cafe Dame.” | On entering the doorway of the! Cafe Dame we found ourselves in a narrow passage. In front of us was ing. %] asked him for further particu- nd 1 asked him why he had :}Z:{g; ‘me for the job. He repiied that he had been looking for Name time for the right man: a man who was strong enough physically to ac- complish the thing. and some ono“_— ‘Bampton's eyes twinkled again—"wtih 2 Dbit of dash in him. but at the same fime a man who could be relied upon to stick to his guns and not to give the game away. g .1 | @ carpeted stair and to the right a “You asked me to be brief and ,1 )t | Blass-paneled door communicating | try to be. The man in the white hat | (iih " giccreetly lighted little dining & was described to me and the €xacliroo;m which secmed to be well time and place of the meeting. I|patronized. Opening the door, Har- | Tt had to grab his whife hat. smash | BUTORECS Opon g IC doon e '=nd face the music. 1 agreed. 1],o¥ CG€Ranet, [0 B N le said 1 don't deny that 1 had a couple ofl .y “Nfoyer is enguged at the mo- ! S0ff drinks before 1 set out, but the .o oy 0t red. memory of that fifty pounds locked up here in my room, and the further hundred promised, bucked me up. It was impossible to mistake my man; I could see him coming toward me as Where is he ™ “In his office upstai be_down in a moment. The waiter hurried away, and Har- ley stood glancing up the stairs as sir. He will ‘™M 1 should say about my | own build; dark, going gray. .He had 1 waited just outside a sort of little | if in doubt what to do. “I can't imagine how such a place can pay”” he muttered. “The rent must be enormous in this district.” . But even before he ceased speaking i became aware of an excited conver- { sation which was taking placing in | some apartment abo ! “Ive scandalous™ 1 heard. in al i woman's shrill voice. “You have no | | right to keep it! IUs not your prop- i erty, and I'm here to demand that you give it up.” A man’ voice replied in voluble broken English, but | could only dis tinguish a_word herc and there. [ saw that Harley was interested, for. catching my questioning glanc he raised his finger to his lips, enjoining me to be silent. “Oh, that's the game, tinued the female voic: you know it's blackmail?" A flow of unintelligible words an- swered this speech. “1 shall come back with some one,” cried the woman, “who will make you give it up!” “Knox.” whispered Harley in my, ear, “when this woman comes down.l follow her! I'm afraid you will bun- gle the business, and I would not ask | you to attempt it if biz things were stake. Come back here: I shall wait.” As a matter of fact, his sudden re- quest had positively astounded me. iz it?” con- “Of course, OF BANGALORE! HE DIED AT/ us and went out into the street. “Off you go, Knox!" said Harley. * ok K X HE paused, raising his hand to his head reminiscently. “My man was a bit of a serapper. he continued. “I've never heard such | GEEING myself committed to an un- pleasant business. I slipped out laniguage in my life, and the way he| of the doorway and saw the woman laid about me with his cane is some- | ; five or six yards away hurrying in the | hurr, ! direction of Piccadilly. 1 had no dif- thing 1 am not likely to forget in a: A crowd gathered, naturally, | g wathered. naturally, |\ "in following her, for she was and : zh I've bech ssed by Peters | thouzh I've bech dismissed by Peters | "/ i ward-hound bus 1 did likewise. | | Lzecelvea in theiclty, [ the near side where 1 could ohserve I was pinched. That didn’t mat-, : e ievidently unsuspicious of my pres |& Peters. twenty crisp fivers are locked | § W& WETIRGIT MR L e, 1 Harley checked him. “May I see the | un\ onc lcaving the vehicle. much, 1 got off lightly; and al- o BhL Ve SN L fene nd when presently she mounted | in my trunk th , witl ten whicl + ¥ ere. with the ten which | | 0 "on top, @nd occupied a place on envelope in which this money arrived At Hyde Park corner I saw the he asked. woman_descending, and when pres- “Sorry,” replied Bampton, “but Ilently she walked up Hamliton place . I was not far behind her. At the door of an imposing mansion she stopped. and in response to a Ting of the bell the door was opened by a footman and the woman hurried in Evidently she was an inmate of the cstablishment; and conceiving that my duty was done when I had noted the number of the house. I retraced my steps to the corner and. hailing a taxicab, returned to the Cafe Dame. | inquired of the same waiter whom| Harley had accosted whether my friend was there. I think a gentleman is upstairs with Mr. Meyer.” said the man. In his office?"” es, sir” 1 mounted the stairs and before a half-open door paused. Harley's voice was audible within. <o T knockéd and entered. 1 discovered Harley stands ing by an American desk. Beside him. revolving chair which, with the <k. constituted the principal furni- ture of a tiny office, sal a man in a WHISPERED. dress suit which had paipably net been made for him. He had a sullen and_ suspiciously Teutonic cast of countenance, and he was engaged in a voluble 'but hardly intelligible speech as 1 entered. “Ha. Knox:" said Harley, glancing over his shoulder, “did you manage?* “Yes," | replied. Harley nodded shortly and turned ain to the man in the chair. am sorry to give you so much trouble. Mr. Meyer,” he said, “but 1 should like my friend here to see the room above.” At this moment my attention was attracted by a singular object which lay upon the desk in a litter of bills and accounts. This was a piece of rusty iron bar, somewhat less than three feet in length. that once had been painted green. You are looking at this tragic fragment. Knox,” said Harley, tak-| up the bar. “Of course”—he | shrugged his shoulders—“it explains the whole unfortunate occurrence.: You see, there was flaw in the: metal is ¢nd here"—he indicated | ¥ nd the other end huj dently worn loose in its socket. I don't understand. will all be made clear at the | inauest, no doubt. A most unfortu- nate thing for vou, Mr. Meyer.” “Most unfortunate.” declared the proprietor of the restaurant, extend- ing his thick hands pathetically. “Most ruinous to my business.” “We'll go upstairs now.” said Hi ley. “You will kindly lead the w. Mr. Meyer, and the whole thing will be huite clear to you., Knox.” As the proprietor walked out of the office and upstairs to the second floor Harley whispered in my ear: “Where did she go? No. Hamilton plnci“' 1 replied an undertone. “Good God! muttered my friend and clutched my arm so tightly that I winced. “Good God! This crime was the work of a genius.” Opening a door on the second land- ing, Mr. Meyer admitted us to a small supper room. Its furniture consisted of a round dining table, veral chairs, a couch and very lit- tle else. T observed. however, that the furniture, carpet and a few other appointments were of a char- acter much more elegant than those of the public room below. A win dow which overlooked the street was open. so that the plush curtains which had becn drawn aside moved slightly in the draft. “The window of the tragedy. Knox. explained Harle: He cressed the om. “If you 1 stand here be- o me you will sce the gap in the railing caused by the breaking away of the fragment which now lies on Mr. Mey desk. Some few yards to the in the street below is where assault took place of in = Teft the ! which we have heard. and the unfor- tunate Mr. De Lana. who was dining here alone—an eccentric custom of his—naturally ran to the window upon hearing the disiurbance, leaned out, supporting his weight upon the railing. The rail collapsed, and— we know the rest” 1t will ruin me” groaned Meyer; “it will give bad repute to my es: tablishmen “I_fear it sympathetically. manage to clear up one or two little agreed Harley. ‘unless we can difficuitics which 1 have observed. For instance”—he tapped the pro- prietor on the shoulder confidential- ly-——"have you any idea, any hazy idea. of the identity of the woman who was dining here with Mr. De Lana on Wednesday night?” The effect of this simple inquiry upon the proprietor was phenomenal. [ His fat, yellow face assumed g sort of leaden hue, and his already prem. inent eyes protruded abnormally. He licked his lips. “I tell you—already I tell you,” he muttered, “that Mr. De Lana he engage this room every Wednesday and sometimes also Friday, and dine here by himself. “And ] tell yvou” said Harley, sweetly. “that you are an inspired liar. You smuggled her out by the side_entrance after the accident.” ‘The side entrance muttered Mever. “The side entrance?" “Exactly: the side entrance. There s something else which T must ask you to tell me. Who had engaged this room on Tuesday night, the night before the accident?” * ok k¥ HE proprietor's expression re- mained uncomprehending. “A gentleman,” he said. “I never see him before.” “Another selitary diner?’ suggested Harley, “Yes, he is alone all the evening waiting fer a friend who does not come. mused Harley—"alone all the evening, was he? And his friend dis- appointed him. May 1 suggest that he was a dark man? Gray at the temples. having a dark heard and mustache, and a very tanned facel” “Yes! y cried Meyer, and his astonishment was patently unfeigned. “It is a friend of yours?' “A triend of mine. yes' said Har- ley absently. but his expression was very grim. “What time did he finally leave™ “He waited until The dinner is spoiled. after 11 o'clock He pays, but ring—"something which was extorted from you by the fellow, Meve Without touching her recovered property, Lady Ireton stood beside the chair from which she had arisen. her gaze fixed as if hypnotically upon the speaker. "My friend. Mr. Knox. is aware of all the circumstances.” continued the latter. “but he is as anxious as I am to terminate this painful interview 1 surmise that what occurred on Wed nesday night was this—correct me if [ am wrong: While dining with Mr. De Lana you heard sounds of a quarrel in the street below. May 1 suggest that you recognized one of the voices™ e % o [LADY IRETON. still staring straight does not coemplain.” : 1T Ror antd “Hasley musingly, “he before her at Harley. inclined har [had nething to complain about. One!head in assent. “1 heard my father's mere questisn. my friend. When the | voico che sai e (lady eseaped hurriedly on Wednes- | ) e Al hokrsely. 4 {day might. what was it that she left] "Quite so" he continued. “I am behind and what price are you try- | aware that Maj. Ragsiaff is your fa- Ing 1o extort from her for returning ther” He turned to me: “Do you rec- i At that the man collapsed entire- | O8Mize the touch of genius at last™’ iy Then, again, addressing Lady Ireton: “Ach. Gott!" he cried, and raised his | «you naturaily sugges {hand to his clammy forehead. ‘You| Surslly FsLeseatsd gro) s LSiN ruin me." 1am a ruined maf. 1| COmPanion that he should look out of |don't try to extort anything. 1 Tun|the window in order to learn what {an honest business——" was tak S . “And_a profitable one” added Har- exinkiplane. /e mexe thingvoi “Even at Bond Street rentals I|Knew that he had fallen into the Tey. assume that this house enterprise.” ! “AR!" groaned Meyer. am ruined, so what does it matter. 1 tell vou everything. I know Mr. De Lana, whe engages my room regularly, but is a golden T den't know who the lady is who meets him here. No' 1 swear it! But alwavs it is the same lady. When{ | he falls T am downstairs in my office | {and 1 hear him cry out. The lady i comes running from the room and begs ! f me to get her away without being | seen and to keep all mention of her ! out of the matter.” “What did she pay | Harley. H | “Pay me?" muttered Meyer, pulling | | up shortly in the midst of his state- | 1 ment. { i i ! you? asked | ! “Pay you. Exactiy. Don't argue;! | answer.” ! ‘She promised me one hundred ! { pounds.” he confessed hoarsely. “But you surely did not mere promise? Out with it. she give you?" ‘A’ ring" came the confession at last. “A ring. T see. 1 will take it with! me if you don’t mind. And now finaliy | What did | what wasg it that she left behind? “Ach, Gott!” moaned the man, drop- . ping inte a chair and resting his arms upon the table. “It is all a grea panic, you see. I hurry herout by the back stair from the landing and shc| forgets her bag.” i “Her bug? Good.” “Then 1 clear away the remains of dinner s6 1 can say Mr. De Lana is dining alone. It is as much my inter- est as the lady's.” “Of course! T quite understand. I iwill trouble you no more, Mr. Meyer, {except to step into your office and to relieve you of that incriminating e idenee, the lady's bag and her ring. H i “Do’ you understznd, Knex?' said, {Harley” as the cab bore us toward | Hamilten place. “Do you grasp the i details of this scheme?" | “On the contrary, 1 replied. “I am abselutely at sea. Nevertheless 1 had forgetten that I huyngry, in the excitement which now claimed me. For. although the thread upem which these seemingi disconnected things hung was invisi- ble to me. I recognized that Bamplon. the city iclerk, the bearded stranxer, who had made so singular a proposi- | ®ion te him, the white-hatted major. | the dead stockbroker, and the mys-! terious woman whose presence in the | case the clear sight of Harley had: promptly detect@®d, all were linked together by seme subtle chain. 1 was convinced, too, that my friend held at least one end of that chain in his grasp. “In order to prepare your mind for the interview which I hope to obtain this evening,” continued Harley, “let me clear up one or two points which may seem obscure. In the first place, you recognize that any one leaning ! out of that window on the second floor would almost automatically rest his weight upen the iron bar which; laced there for that very pur- since the ledge is unusually i uite,” 1 replied, “and it also fol- lows that if the bar gEave way any one thys leaning on it would be pitched into the street.” *“Correct.” “But, my dear fellow.” said 1 “how could such an accident have been foreseen " *“You speak of an accident. This was no accident! One end of the bar had been filed completely through, al- though the file marks had been care- fully concealed with rust and dirt, and the other end had been wrench- ed out from its socket and then re- placed in such a way that any one leaning upon the bar could not fall i 1o be precipitated into the street. ' Good heavens! Then you mean T mean Knox. that the man who! occupied the supper room on the night before the tragedv—the dark man. tanned and beared—spent his time in filing through that bar-—in short. inj preparing a death trap! was almost dumfounded. “But, 1 said, “assuming that ne victim would be the next hej i * % ¥ % ] STOPPED. Suddenly, as it a cur- tain had been raised, the details of what T now perceived to be a fiend- ishly cunning murder were revealed to me. “According to his own account.! Krex.” said Harley. “Maj. Ragstaff| regularly passed along that streeti with military punctuaiity at the same! hour every night. You may take if{ for granted that the murderer was! well aware of this. As u matter of | fact, T happen to know that he was.| We must alse take it for granted| murderer knew of these lit- tie dinners for two which took place in the private roem above the Cafe Dame cvery Wednesday—and some- times on Friday. Around the figure: of the methodical major—with his! conspicuous white hat as a sort of focus--was built up one of the most | ingenious schemes of murder with which | nave ever come in contact. The victim literally killed himself” “But. Harley, the victim might have ignored the disturbance.” “That is where 1 first detected the | touch of genius, Knox. He recognized the voice of one of the combatants— or his companion did. Here we are.” The cab drew up before the house in Hamilton place. We alighted and Harley pressed the bell. The same footman whom I had seen admit the woman opened the door. “Is Lady Ireton at home?" asked Harley. As he uttered the mame I literally held my breath. We had come to the house of Maj. Ragstaft's daughter, the Marchioness of Ireton. one of soclety's most celebrated and beauti- ful hostesses—the wife of a peer famed alike as sportsman, soldier and schelar. “I believe she 1 i dining at home, sir,” said the man. “Shall T inquir “Be good enough te do so, eplied Harley, and gave him a card, “In-; form her that I wish to return to her a handbag which she lost a few days | age.” 8 he man ushered us into an ante-| room off the lofty and rather gloomy Lall and closed the door. “Harley,” I 8aid in e stage whisper, “am I to believe——" . “Can yoeu deybt {t?” returned Har- ley, with a grim smile. ‘A few moments later we were shown into a charmin; intimate lit- tle boudoir, in which waiting te reeeivé u strikingly handsome brunette, but tonight her face, which normally, I think, possessed rich coloring, was al- most pallid, and there was a hunted look in her dark eyes which made me wish to be anywhere rather than where T found myself. 1 fail to understand your message, |sir.” she said, and I admired the im- perious courage with which she faced him. “You say ¥ have recovered a handbag ‘which I had lost?” Harley bowed, and from the pocket of his greatesat took eut a silken tas- seled bag. “The one which you left in the Cafe Dame, Lady Ireton” he re- piied. “Here also I have™—from an- other pocket he drew out a diamond ' { proud woman's humiliation. jin a i Harley tersely | could secure a conviction. street” Lady lIreson shuddered and ra:ssd her hands to her face. “It is retribu tion.” she whispered. “I have brought this on myself. But he does not de serve— Her voice faded into ience : You refer to vour husband, Lerd Ireton™ said Harley Lady Ireton nodded and, again re covering power of specch: “It was to have been our last mecting,” she said looking up at Harley. She shuddered and her cyes blazed into sudden fierce- ness. Then, clenching her hands, she looked aside. “Oh. tha shame of this hour:” she whispered And 1 would have given much fo have been spared the spectacle of this But Paul Ha was scientifically remorseless riey { 1 could detect no pity in his giance A spare what would give my my husband life willingly 1o the knowledge of has happened.” said lLady Ireton low. monotonous voice. “Three times 1 sent my maid to Meyer to re- cover my bagz. but he demanded a price which even 1 could not pay all discovered, and Harry will “That. 1 r, is unavoidable, Lady Ireton,” declared Hariey. “May 1 ask i where Lord Ireton is at present®” He is in Africa after big game.” “H'm," said Harley, “in Africa, and after big game? 1 can offer you one consolation, lLady Iretor In his own Interests Mever will stick to his first assertion that Mr. De Lana was dining alone. A strange. horribly pathetic look came into the woman's haunted eves. “You—you—are not acting for>' she began for no one’ replied “Upon my friend’s dis- cretion you max rely as upon my own “Then why should he ever know" ispered Why, indecd.” am acting murmured Harley, we descended the stair to the hall my friend paused and pointed London's ter. It A to a life-size oil painting by most fashionable portrait pa; was that of a man in the uniform of a guards officer, a dark man, slight gray at the temples, his face very tarined as if by exposure to the sun. “Having had no occasion for disguise when the portrait was painted,” said Harley, “Lord Ireton appears here with- out the beard; and as he is not repre- sented smiiing one cannot see the gold tooth " ut, Harley—it was murder:" ot within the meaning of the law. Knox. Lord Ireton is officially in Africa—and he went actually after ‘big game.’ The counsel is not born who We are some- what late, but shall have less difficuity in finding a table at Princes’” (Copyright, 1821. Printed by special Fangem with Metropolitan Service and The Washington Star.) Indian Names of Rivers and Creeks PERSO.\'S living io the Potomac valley, or for that matter in the valleys of most American rivers, have become so familiar with Indian names that they never stop to consider the charm and oddity of those names. In the Potomac region, some of these names have a jerky and disordered look in print, but if spoken by & per- sen who pronounces his English well, the old words have a tunefui sound There is a note, perhiaps severai notes. of wild music in them. In (he names of Maryland and Virginia rivers aud creeks. the memory of Indiau times in this part of the country is preserved The spelling of these names by the whites has been various, but it is clear that the names of these places. as spoken by the Indian sounded to the European settlers very like those expressed by the letters with which we have come to spell them. cear Washington is Degue creek, which runs through the Mount Ver- n lands and on which creek George Washington's_mill and his miller's heuse stood. There is Aecotink creek, which also flows through the Mount Vernon iands, especia through that part of tme Mount Vermon esia Which was soid by Lorento Lewis. Son of Nelite Custis Lewis. and which about 1850 came to be settied by mem- "'of the Society of Friends {rom y. Then, there is Accotink is the wide mouth of the b {crenk at its junction with the Fo! mac. Close by Accotink are Poh creek, Pokick bay and Pohick Church which w the chureh of the Wasb tons of Mount Vernon. the Far- faxes of Belvoir. the Masons of Gun ston Hall, and many other good. or ordinary. proud or plain peopls of that historic neighborhood. A little below Pohick bay. which helps to form Gunston cove, is &'&3~ quan creek and its bay. which is call- ed Occoquan bay. Somewhere on Lhe shores of this ba: it is believed, if indeed it has not been proved to the scholars. satisfaction of histerical there was a Jesuit mi century before the comii peans {o the Chesapeake bay and the James river and the founding of Jamestown. Into Occoquan creek, Bull run. a stream made memorabie in the American civil war, flows. Below Occoquan and flowing through Prince William and Stafford eounties into the Potomac river are the creeks Marumseo, Neabsco, Quantico—on lwhich ruins of the early city of Dum- fries lie—and Chappawamsie. Chap- pawamsic iS_also the name of th farge and_difcult swamps in the vi- cinity of Washington, and not so far Sway, on the other side of the river }in Maryland, is the extensive swamp alled Zakiah, also an Indian name. Aquis creek Is another of the In- dian-named waterways, and so Ac- cokeek creek, Vi which flo! into Potomac creek, which flows into the Potomac river, and at the junctien of Potomac creek and Potomac river is the site of “the town of the Potow- macks,” which John Smith and his fellow explorers of the Potomac coun- try marked down en their map in 18t Below Washington, in King George county, is Pass: ansy creek and another creek called Dogue, which empties into the Rappanhamnock river. There is Motomkin point. which is above Mathias point, and clese by is Machodoc creek. Not far away are Occupacia creek. the Mar- riccossick and the Mattapony rivers. Further down ihe I'otomc on the Virginia side are the Pedee. Currio- men. Nomini and Yeocomico creeks or rivers and King Copsico point. Flowing into the Potomac from the lands of Maryland are the creeks. wide as rivers, and sometimes call rivers, Accokeek, Pamunkey. Maita- woman, Chickomuxen, the Nanjemoy and the river Wicomice. e {