The evening world. Newspaper, April 4, 1914, Page 9

(Wepertght, 1914. by ‘Mary Roberts Rinehart.) to we rT, / \ sald you outside the “You sald you Y © Phat is exactl: the 9th of July, Mi, did you have captain?” his authority.” “Do you recall , Beturall; f what did me in irons.” each oth ng at, Mr. Turner. “What were your were strained. We simply CHAPTER XXII. (Continued) Turner’s Story. PREVIOUS witness has that the Hansen woman, starting out of her room, saw you out- side and retreated. Were door at any time Guring that night?” “Only before midnight.” ‘might have been’ fm the chart-room at 2 o'clock.” “E havo sald I was Ill. have done almost anything.” I might y what we are get- when you were not any words with the “We had a few. He was exceeding what you sald?” “1 was indignant.” “Think again, Mr. Turner. cannot recall, some one else will.” “[ threatened to dismise bim and put the first mate in bis place. I was If you the captain reply?” relations after more questions, Mr. mot detain you. the axe of the questions, this hot! $ : 4 di epent 00 often Have you any recall going the murders were that y. It was finally al- admitted the key. carried on all the he bad euch « key on deck the ale men doing at thet I do not itke to 1 was ill that recollection of what you said to the men at that time “None.” refresh your memory from “fT recall being angry at the men— aot much else. ional enough, d we s wish, to read My position was ra- however. It waa mid- had @ long voyage something else to you. The witness Leslie teatified to in the storeroom at the r Ci Tong, ween Mr. Turner and the in. Hatever question he ony bad been framin mitted to use this The log was adi record on the spot, ‘and’ witnessed by all Mr. Goldstein miasable only a& @& made by a com- ff the actual occurrences My record of Mrs, Johna’s remark waa ruled out; Tur: ner was not on trial, Turner, pale an: atand at 2 o'clo was recalled. My earlier d shaking, left the and stimony ck that di had merely established the finding of the bodies \. two hours, net rol 1 had eard the v the main cabin ly # moment or so after the mur- Sere found the bodies, Val and had been with the a derer. I had till Living, cused mate when prostrate at the compant 1 was now to I was an important wit- bly the moet im; have abad riant. ream that had re- Jed the tragedy and had been in of the after house he saw the captain foot of the forward All of this, aided by skilful guess tions, I told as actly as possibl | told of the mate's strang finding the bodies ii breathless quiet, t i I related, to placing of the bodies in the jolly boat, and the read~ ing of the burial service over them 1 told of the littl 9 boat that follow jus, like somo avenging spirit, carry- ing by day a small American fag, Mon down, gnd_at night a white ight. I told of having to Increase he length of the towing !Ine as the t grew greater, ope would separate, or that the at the mysteri and of a fear I jous hand that was ‘author of the misfortunes would told of th long nights without p, while, with our few available » We tried to ind; of guard: a hundred fa uur nerves quly leaping. And L think, the horror each man sus feared and loa’ etayed close by bi danger is better work the Ella ing the after house; Ise alarms that set ng and our hearts nade them feel, I fa situation w ted his neighbor, ed him, yet im, because @ known than ap unknown } ticular interest. Th Going back to Lee’ I for you, ne terfere with acouracy. there in the margins of ere his note- book I find unflattering allusions to the prosecuting attorney; after ment of my on® question, an tm) moti to which exception, lac took violent no answer at all is re- corded, and in @ furious scrawl is written: snapper! betwoen the thumb and finger!” I found another curious record—a . leaf, torn out of the book, and evi- dently designed to be sent Ao me, but eu, failing ite destination, was ‘as fol- lows: “For beaven'’a eake, don't look at the girl so much! The newspaper me are on,” jul The first questions wei not it, to resume my examination. of par- “Did the prisoner know yeu had moved to the aft “I do not know, hands knew.” house?" Tho forecastic “Tell what you know of the quar- rel on July $1 between Capt. Rich- ardson and the prisoner.” “I maw It from a deck window.” I described it In detat “Why did you house?” “At the request of Mrs. Johns. 8) eald sho was nervous.’ “What reason did e to the after ie giver” “That Mr. Turner was {i \~ gerous mood; he had quarrelied wats the captain and was quarrelling with Mr. Vail.” “Did you know the rrangement of rooms in the after house? How the people slept?” “In @ general way.” “What do t Kpew lu mean by that?” ir, Vall's room and Mies 8. “Did you know stent” y where the maids “You have testified that you were locked in. lock?” “Yee.” “Would whoever locked had only to move the Key from: side of the door to the other? Was the key kept in the “Waa the key left Jn the lock when mh ‘you were fastened 1 tell us what ‘ow, Dr, Leslie, we want t the you to did that prisoner night ae you told him what had c “ reat to put happened.’ "He made‘an absurd thi pr WP oalled to him to God's sake. He seemed dazed Firs @ loss to know what to do, him to get his revolver and call the captain. He went into the I told forward house Go at hia revolver, but he did not the captain, ‘We went [oth stumbled over the captain's We ‘hat was the mate's condition? “When we found the body?" ‘His generad condition.” wes intoxicated. He collapsed Cg codes we found the cap. oo! “What was his mental comattion f° “If you mean, was he frightened, we th were.” ‘aa he “I did not notice then. Ife was pale and looked til later, when the crew thered.” had ga! “About this key: was it av to the storeroom?" The k “You “When?” “That same morning.” “Where? And by whom?" “Miss Lee found it on the floor in Mr. Turper’s room." ‘or found? ‘The prosecution was totally unpre- pared Le for this reply, and were delayed for a ings moment while the attorneys consulted. On the resump- tion of my examination, they made a desperate attempt to impeach my ter as a witness, trying to show charact that I had sail tenses; that lod under false pre- I was so feared in the after house that the women refused to allow me below, or to administer Turner the remedies I pre- pared; and, finally, that I had sur- rendered myself to the crew as @ sus- pect, of my own accord, Against this the cross-examination threw all its weight. The lakers tion of the k bah yA for the defense followed it up. “This key, Dr. Leslie, do you know it is now?’ T have it “will you your possession? “Certainly. tell how it came into I picked it up on the deck, a night or so after the murders. Miss Lee jad—dropped it.” T caught Elsa Lee's eye, and she gave me a warm glance of “Have you the “You.” I produced it. was.” titude, ey with you?” “Are you @ football player, Doc- “I thought I recalled you. I have seen you play several times. In apite of our friend the attorney for the commonwealth, I do not believe we will need to call character witnesses up the key to the Turner's room?" “Yor Did you see Miss Lee pick morercom tp Mr. “Did it occur to you at the time that the key bad any significance?” “I wondered how it got there.” “You say you listened inside the locked door, and heard no sound, but j1 felt a board rise up under your knee. A moment or two later, when you er, tell us that he waa intoxi- Do you mean to drunken man could have made his way in the darkness, through @ cabin filled with chairs, tables and @ piano in absolute el- fi ‘fhe prosecuting attorney was on his feet in an instant, and the ob- 1 was next shown the keys, club and file taken jection was sustained, from Singleton’s mattress, “You have Identined these objects as hav- ing been found concealed in the Do any of oner's mattress, ris- ene Keys fit the captain's cabin?" "No. Who saw the prisoner during the days he was locked in bis cabin?" “I eaw bim cocasionally. saw him when he meals.” “Did you ever tell ik Where the axo was kept?” the prisoner act the key to the captain's cabin a mate ter of general knowledge?’ cae each thay AFTER HOUSE & fea chews faulty, McWhirter hav- allowed personal feeling P PT _ MARY Ros “Go on, please} “If any one had seen Burns take Mrs. John forward and show her the axe, he would have known.” “Who were on deck at that time?” “All the crew were on deck, the forecantie being closed. In the crow’s- nest was McNamara; Jones was at the wheel.” “From the crow’s-nest could the seen Burns and Mrs, forward?” two houses were con- whing.” nected by an “What could the helmaman see?” “Nothing forward of the after house.” The prosecution closed ite case with me. The defense, having vir- tually conducted its case by cross- examination of the witnesses already called, contented itself with producin; a few character witnesses, an “rested.” Goldstein made an eloquent plea of “no case,” and asked the judge @o to instruct the jury. ‘This was refused, and the case went to the jury on the seventh day —a surprisingly short trial, consider- ing the magnitude of the crimes. The jury disagreed. But, while they wrangled, McWhirter and I were already on the right track. At the being discharged and eteps taken for a retrial, we had the murderer locked in my room in a cheap lodging-house off Chestnut atreet, CHAPTER XXIII. ITH the submission of the case to the jury the wit- nemes were given their freedom. McWhirter bad taken @ room for me for @ about; and, his own leave of absence from hin hospital being ten days, we had some time together. My aituation was better than it had been in the summer, I had my confinement had told on me, But my position was precarious enough. I bad my pay from the Ella, and noth- ing else. And MoWbirter, with @ monthly stipend from his hospital of My first evening of freedom we spent at the theatre, We bought the best seats in the house, and we dressed for the occasion—deing in the position of having nothing to and evening clothes, “It is by way, of celebration, said, as he put @ dab of sho ing over @ hole in his soc having been restored to life, Tha the game, Leslie—the pursuit of hap- piness.” I was busy with a dress tie that I had washed and dried by pasting it on @ mirror, an old trick of mine enter into Mac’a festive humor, but I had not reacted yet from the hor- rors of the past few months. “Happinesa!” I gaid ecornfully, ‘Do you call this happiness?” very hour that the jurymen were Free Again. day or two to give me time to look @trength again, although the long $25, was not much better off. wear between shabby everyday wear and the pursuit of happiness. when funds ran low. I was trying to He put up the blacking, and, com- ing to me, stood eyeing me in the mirror as I arranged my necktle. “Don't be bitter," he said, "! ness was my word. lappi- The Good Man he made you. urce of satis- for the girl"—— “If she could only see you now. Why in thunder didn't you take those clothes on board? I wanted you to. Couldn't a captain woar a dress sult on special occasions?” “Mac,” I said gravely, “if you will think a moment, you will remember that the only special occasions on the after I took charge, were Have you sat through n days of horrors without realiz- ing that?" © had once gone to Europe on exhausted hia captains I ever knew,” paid largely, “were a fussy lot— Greased to kill, and navigating the boat from the head of a dinner table. But I suppose you know. I was only Tegretting that she hadn't seen you the way you're looking now, That's all, I suppose I may regret, without oie Opps we tien of Nisa ment otter, @ long time, But I Reape a aes a re TS RINEHA! We enjoyed the theatre after all, with the pent-up enthusiasm of long months of work and strain. We laughed at the puerile fun, encored the prettiest of the girls and swag- gered in the lobby between acts with cigarettes. There we ran across the one man I knew in Philadelphia and had sup- per after the play with three or four fellows who, on hearing my story, persisted in believing that I had galled on the Ella as a lark or to follow a girl, My simple statement that I had done it out of necessity met with roars of laughter, and finally I let it go at that. It was after one when we got back to the lodging-house, being escorted there in a racing car by a riotous crowd that stood outside the doo: as I fumbled for my key, an acreeched in untson: “Lealie! Leslie! Leslie! Sic ‘em!” before they drove away. The ight in the dingy lodging- house parlor was burning full, but the hall was dark. I stepped aside and lighted a cigarette. “Life, Uberty and the pursuit of happiness, Mac!" I said. “I've got the firat two, and the other can be had—for the pursuit.” Mac did not reply: he was staring into the parlor, Elsa Lee was stand- ing by a table, looking at me. She was very nervous, and tried to explain her presence in a breath— with the result that ahe broke down utterly and had to stop. Mac, fovial face rather startled, was mak: ing for the stairs; but I aternly brought him back and presented him. Whereon, being utterly confounded, he made the tactful remark that he would have to go and put out the mAlk-bottles: it was almost morning! She waiting since 10 o'clock, ahe said. A taxicab, with her maid, wan at the door. They were going back to New York in the morn- ing, and things were terribly wrong. “Wrong? You need not mind Mr. McWhirter. He is as anxious as am to be helpful.” “There are detectives watching Marshall; we saw one to-day at the hotel. If the jury disagrees—and lawyers think they will—they will ar- reat him.” I thought it probable. There was nothing | could say. McWhirter made an effort to reassure her. “It wouldn't be @ hanging matter, anyhow,” he said, “There's a lot against him, but hardly a jury in the country would hang @ man for something he did, if he could prove he was delirious the next day.” She aled at this dubious comfort, but jt struck her sense of humor, too, for she threw mo a ficeting smile. “I was to ask you to do something,” she said. “None of us can, for we are being watched. J was probably followed here, The Hila is still in the river, with only a watchman on board, We want you to go there to- night, If you can.” “To the Ella?” She was feeling in her pocketbook and now she held out to me an en- velope addressed in a sprawling hand to Mr. Turner at hotel. "Am I to open it?’ z “Please. I unfolded @ eheet of ruled note- paper of the most ordinary variety, It had been opened and laid fat, and on ft, In black ink, was a crude draw- ing of the deck of the Ella, as one would look down on It from aloft. Here and there were ail crosses in red ink, and, overlying It all from bow to stern, a red axe. Around the border, not written, but printed in childish letters, were the words: “Not yet. In @ corner wan a drawing of a gallows, or w! Ppansee in the everyday mind for a gallows, pag ip the opposite corner an open “You see,” she sald, “It was mailed downtown late this afternoon, The hotel got it at 7 o'clock, Marshall wanted to got a detective, but I thought of you, I knew--you knew the boat, and then—you had sald"-—~ “Anything In all the world that I can do to holp you, I will do," I said, looking at her, And the thing that I could not keep out of my cyes made her drop hers. “Bweet little document!" aad Mo- Whirter, looking over my shoulder, ~ ! "Sent by eomo one with a 1 Se nt aera diel ete panier What do ti Crosses pomathing duck around the corner of mar that bullding; but 1 think IL was « ‘Tho location of the bodies when ray from searchlight on one of found,” I explained. those boate,’ This ar) like the here is) Watahmnan, probably,” 1 pee Burne juletly, But my heart beat @ little Bear the rail t owt know about, “The watchinan fe T again: overlooked. ‘T! document is a sour soon. on the Ella, won't and it looks like it “We thought If you would go early in the morning, before any of them make an excuse to go back on right awa; ase—don't build too much on this, ‘se & good possibility, that al ill the watchman let us on board?” “We thought of that. note to him from Marshall, will you do us one more kindness?’ We will go “Er wil.” “Then—it you should find anything, bring it to us; to the police, later, if you must, but to us first.” “When?” Can Solve |\=— sald McWhirter ercape of gleo y Who's laughing too One-thirty—it will svon be the proper Boug for something to happen + ? If that wae sent by some member of the crew— they are loose to-day--the quicker we follow {it up the better, if there's anything to fol- low Here “In the morning. We will leave until we hear from you.” She held out her hand, first to Mc- Whirter, then to me. I kept it a lit- tle longer than I should have, per- haps, and she did not taki o “it is such @ comfort,” she sald, "to have you with us and not For Marshall didn't like it, Leslio— for me to think He didn't do 1 mean—it is hard of you as Dr. Leslie! it, At first, we thought he might have, and he was delirious and could He swears he did I think, just at first, he was afraid he had done it; but he did not. not reassure us. not. e it a I believe that, and you must.” I believed her—I believed anything I think that if she had chosen to say that I had wielded the murderer’s axe on the Ella, I should have gone to the gallows rather than gainsay her. From that night I w: the devil's advocate, if you like. was determined to save Marshall Tur- she sald. ner. She wished us to take her taxicab, dropping her at her hotel; and, reck- less now of everything but being with her, I would have done so. Whirter’s discreet cough reminded me of the street-car level of our finances, and I made the excuse of putting on more suitable clothing. I stood in the street, bareheaded, atching her taxicab as it rattled McWhirter touched “We have down the street. me on the arm, “Wake up!” he sald, work to do, my friend.” ‘We went upstairs together, cau- tlously, not to rouse the house. the top, Mac turned and patted me on the elbow, my shoulder being « foot or so above him. “Good boy!" he sald. shirtfront and tle didn't knock into ernal oblivion the deck-washing on the Ella, I'll eat them!” “And if that CHAPTER XXIV. The Thing. DESERVE no credit for the solution of the Ella's mys- I have a certain qual- ity of force, perhaps, and I fam not lacking in physical courage; but I have no finesse of in- shorter than I, round of face, jovial and stocky, has as much subtlety in his Uttle finger as I have in my six feet and a@ fraction of body. All the way to the river, therefore, he was poring over the drawing. He tery. tellect. MoWhirter, @ foot named the paper at once, “Ought to know it,” he said, In re- “Sold enough paper at the drugstore to qualify asa He writhed as was his habit over his jokes, and then fell to wprk at the drawing he said, axe, and @ gibbet or gallows. B-a-¢ that makes ‘bag.’ Doesn't go far, Humorous duck, isn't he? Any one who can write ‘ha! ha!’ un- der @ gallows has real humor. G-a-b, ply to my surprise, stationery engineer.” “A book,” does it? b-a-g!" The Ella still lay in the Dolaware half a mile or eo from her orijinal moorings, She carried the usual rid- ing lighta—a white one in the bow, another at the stern, and the two vertical red lights which sliowed her In reply to re- peated sienals wo were unable to 1 had brought an electric fash with me, and by its aid we found # rope ladder over the side, with a smail boat ut its foot, the boat indicated presence of the Watchman on board, we mado our way to the deck with- Hore McWhirter aug- gested that the situation might be disagreeable were the men to wakon not under command, rouse the watchnan, Although out challenge. and get at us with a gun, ‘We stood by the top of the ladder, therefore, and made another effort to watohman!” bens, sang | Aly. of the nigh Nt tr + “Watchman, wat Noither of us mado any perceptible impreasion on the #!- lence and gloom of the Hills. MoWhirter grow less guy, sorted decks of the ship, her traxio her isolation, the durknedss, which my small flash seamed only to effect on him, he admitted. history, ity, wll had the! i's got my gow! “It smells ike & tomb,” see if we fustened that hoat, We want to be ieft here in- Mac," I oa! watohman's boat don't init "That'e fol! obeyed him, is (here, #0 we——' 2 Hut he caught me euddeniy by the arm and shook me, "My God!" he gald, over thor It Was a moment befora my eyes, disvern after the fushligit, olnting forward, & loola at us vin could anything in the darkness, Mac wi When I could ges, lao wus ready to laugh himuelt, “What Is that or againet uel! But Mo- ‘and an The de- but I Bor the Tad hes i Mt Ma bed The Evening World Daily Magazine, Saturday, Aprfi! 4, N THE EVEN ==]| A Sea Story With a Myst =<" That No ‘Reader Can Solve 6 B seen anything, 1 did not believe it was the watchman, ut there should be a watchman on board—in the for- want house, probably. I gave Mac my revolver and put the light in my pocket. 1 might want both hands that night. 1 saw better without the flash, and, guided partly by the bow Keht, partly by my knowledge of the yacht, I led the way across the deck. ‘The forward house was closed and locked, and no knockin produced any indication of life. The after house we found not only locked, but burred actoms with strips of wood 4 nailed Into place, The forecastle was likowiae closed. It was 4 dead ship. No figure reappearing to alarm him, Mac took the drawing out of his sepa and focused the fashlight on “This cross by the matnmast,” be sald—"that would be where?” “Right behind you, there.” He walked to the mast, and ex- amined carefully around ita base. There was nothing there, and even now I do not know to what that cross alluded, unless poor Schwartz “Then this other one—forward, you call it, do: you? Buppose we lo- cate that All expectation of the watchman having now died, we went forward on the port side to the approximate location of the cross. ‘Mhis belt in the neighborhood where Mac thought he saw something m we approached with extreme caution, But nothing more ominous was dis- covered than the jo) lifeboat, noth- ing more ghostly than the oo- casional creak with which it rocked in ite davits, The lifeboat seemed to be indicated by the cross. It swung almost shoulder high on McWhirter. We looked under and around it, with a growing feeling that we had misread the significance of the crosses, or that the ainistor record extended to a time before the “abe devil” of the Turner line was dreased in white and turned into @ lady. I was feeling underneath the boat, with a sense of absurdity that Mo- Whirter put into words. “I only hope,” ho said, “that the watchman docs not wake up now and see us. He'd be justified in filling us with lead, or putting us In straitjackets.” Kut | had discovered something. “Mac,” I aaid, “some one has at thia boat within the last few min- tites.”" hy?" “Take your revolver and watch the ck. One of the barecas” —— "What's that?" “One of the water-barrela has been upset, and the plug is out. It is leak- ing into the boat. It ts leaking fast, and there's only @ gallon or #o in the bottom! Give mio the light.” The contents of the boat revealed the truth of what I had eaid. The boat was in confuston. Its cover had been thrown back, and tina of biscuit, bailera, boat-hooks and extra row- locks were jumbled together in con- furion. ‘The barecaa on ite aide, and its plug bad been either knocked or drawn out. McWhirter was for turning to in- epect the boat; but I ordered him gternly to watch the deck. He was inclined to laugh at my caution, which he claimed was a quality in me he had not suspected. He lounged against the rail near me, and, in spite of his chaff, kept a keen enough iookout. ‘The borecas of water were lashed amidships. In the bow and stern wore small air-tight compartments, and in the stern was also @ amall locker from which the biscuit tins bad been taken. I was about to @bandon my search, eomething gleaming in the locker and reached in and drew it out. |. ap- to be an ordinary white sheet, ut ita presence there was curious. I ), turned the light on it. It was cov- ered with dark-brown stains. Even now the memory of that sheet turns me iil, I shook it out, and Mac, at my exclamation, came to me, It was not a ahect at all, that ts, not a Me it was a circular plece of ite cloth, on which, tn Diack, were curtous marka—a_ six- pointed star predominating. ‘There were othere—a crescent, a crude at- tempt to draw what might be olther @ dog or 4 lamb, and a cross, From edge to edge it was smeared with blood, Of what followed Just after, both McWhirter and I are vague. There seemed to be, simultaneously, a yell of fury from the rigging overhead and the crash of @ failing body on the deak near us, Then we were closing with a kicking, biting, screaming thing, that bore me to the deck, extinguishing the little atec- trio fash and that, rising suddenly from under me, had MeWhirter tn the atr and alinost overboard before I caught him, So dazed were we by the onalaught that the thing--whatever it was could have excaped and left us none the winer, Hut, although it eluded us in the davknem, it did not leave, It was there, whimpering to itself, wearching for something -the sheet, ‘Aw L steadied Mao, it passed mo, f caught at it, Immodiately the etrug- gle began all over again, But thie time we had the advan- tage and kept it. After @ battle that seemed to last all night and that was actually fought all over that part ofthe preature #ub- dued al 4 free hand, Mac, gettl truck & matel Jt was Chariie Jones. That, aft . to the atory. Jones & homicidal mantac Alwaya @ mad. 1 element of hie t und of a curt- oun nature. ought himwolf priest of heaven, appointed to make hastly sacrifices at certain algnals from on high. ‘The eignais | am not gure of; he turned tactturn after his capture and would not talk, I ain inclined to think that a shooting star, perhaps in @ particular quarter of the heavens, was his signal, Thia fe distinctly possible, and is made probable by the atars which he ha painted with tar on his sucrific robe, ‘The atory of tha early morning of Aug, 12 will never be fully known; but much of it, in view of our know! ye, we were able to reconstru: Thus-—Jones ate his supper that night, @ mild and well-disposed | vidual, During the afternoon before ho bad read prayers for the woul of Hohwarta, in whose departure he y or may not have had a part—L inclined te think not, Jones con- etruing his mission as being one te yemoye the wicked and the oppressor a hardly wi and Hohwarts pore Ceming uader oo et tad tesco ni: one night of the murders, At certain hours we believe that be went for- head and per- y robe, such ward to the fore formed, clad in his pr devotions as his disurde tated. T1914 “*obr BNW VAIS, «i mind die. It ia my idea that he looked @* these Uines for a heaventy signal, either @ moteor or some strange ay- pourance of the beavens. kuown that he was @ poor sleeper, and spent much time et night dering around On the night of the crimes it te bable that he performed his devo- early, and then got the ei evidenced by Aingleton st the captain's door He had ev! y@ believe vaptain and Mr, but made a mistake in the He clearly intended to hill Several passages la @ red cross, inp the axe ag before midnight, been dist intended Tur re the Daoiab girl. his Bible, wen to be of t He locked mi from the wheel to do #0, ‘The night was fairly quiet. He could lash the wheel safe- ly, and he had in his favor the tact that Oleson, the lookout, was a slow- thinking Swede who notoriously slept He found the axe, not had left it, but back in the a But the case was only closed, 4 not locked—Hingleton’s error. Armed with the axe, Joi ing the key. on his watch, whe cane. jurbed. W to kill the ¢ marked, with showed his inflamed hatred of loose women; and he believed Karen Han- type. in, slipping down nd pocket- back to the wheel and had plenty of time, his robe from ita hiding-place ia the boat, and had it concealed near him with the axe. He wae ready, but was waiting for another signal. got it at half-past 2, He admitted the signal and the time, but concealed think it waa a shooting star. killed Vail first, bellevi and making wit! Turner, ite nature—f it to be the four signs of the cross, went to the Hansen girl's door. did not know about the bell, probably rang it by accident as he Haten if Vail etill leaned over to breathed. ‘The captain, in the mean time, been watching Singleton, hie entering house; if he caught him disobeyt he meant to put him in trons. ‘was without shoes or coat, and he sat ‘waiting on the after companion forbidden for developments. It was the captain, probably, whem ‘Turner. the Karen Hansen mistook for Later he went back to the forward companionway, either on his way back to his cabin, or still with an eye to Singleton’s movements. ‘To the captain there must Rave ap- figure in flows tain was o apparition, gleaming In the complete darkness, bad before he could do up his hands. back to the chart room and poasibl even went on deck and took a at the wheel. Then he wen again and killed the Hansen woman. He was excecdingly cunning, He flung the axe into up ®@ few seconds. up the aheet, to hide it under n to atrike the ship's bell Pipe—all this was a matter of two or three minutes. time to look at Vail. cordage, light his to the wheel, quietly. I believe he tried to jd. vis when he took it off, It wan Jones, of course, whe at- and secured the key to the captain's cabin; Jones who threw the axa overboard after hearing the crew tell that on its handle wi finger prints to identify the murde: while on tacked Bu Jones who, I had ealy When I got up Jones was smoking me, when clad tn bis robe, invistl guard e keys and by an extra bolt I by their failure to emugsie nen of the abip. pected Turner, and, with the and not overscrupulous aid lawyer, had aucceeded in Mrs. Sloane's trunk the Dleces. eo keys, Aa to the meaning of thi and club in Bing mattress, } ial * enough. He saw ry wi doce aoe window. Le .. e mu wala "wore id the achooner-yaehd irter went bac! bee- pital, the day after me wearing a strip of bridge of his nose and after, alone, I tried to put of my thoughts, as she hi of my life, and, receiving fre pospital appointment at that make up by hard wo! @ happiness that I had cause it had never been A curtous me, Thad’ thought thie s lehed, but perhape— Turner's health is bad, He wife and Miss Lee are going te, ope, He has asked me co him in my professional ti than a year wren her. bare The year changes. ber of the @igned a contract In'a ‘Hospital for te 14 [ the daytime he is Ay 5, now couch about nin renee a in the little room that | tondant watches outside his deet, t CHAPTER XXV. The Ses Again. CH mere the swish of spray against the aide of a chip, the tang of call, the’ Mf ama fa ef the Pail, against the sva-itne ea the Dertece. And@ ence more a girl, in from meok to heel, facing into wind ap efter house below, Pad pushed the guck key to the storeroom under Turners door; Jones who hung the mariine- apike over the side, walting perhaps chance at Jones, in his devotional attire, who had frightened the crew into hysteria, and who, discovered by Mrs, Johns in the captain's cabin, had rushed by for another Bin; ber, and out, with the axe. Tt is noticeable that he made no He killed onty attempt to attack her, in obedience to hin algnal, had had no ntgnal. Perhaps tho most curtous thing, af- ter the murderer was known, was the story of the poople in the after house. Tt waa monthy be fall, ‘The bellef among the women was that Turner, maddened by drink and unreasoning jealously, had killed Vail, and then, running a ered by the other victins, had killed them. This was borne out by ‘Tur- Tits hands and parte clothing were blood-stained, Their condition was pitiable, able to speak for himself, he la: ing tn his room, talking to Vi complaining of a ner’a condition, of h bothered him, foiled them axe, courage. wean tt. The failure of their attempt to get rid of the atoreroom key was matohed ry Bho Mra pre Ef get that tn white figure that ‘The key that Elna Lee picked up was another clue, and th thelr attempt to get rid of it T had Johns, friend and, aa T have sald, an ardent partisan, undertook to get rid of the with the result that we know. Even Turnor's recovery brought little Ite could only recall that he had gone into Valls room and tried to wake bim, without result; that he aid not know of the lood until tho next day, or that Vall waa dead; and that he had a vague recollection of something white and ghost) night—lie was not sure where k oF discoy- | Next Week’s Complete Novel PARROT & C0. By Harold McGrath is 4 oulky, I alide ' the ‘rug her lags “Now,” I say “we : And Per pion Bvery one thinks you ares oy Sam: She beings her bat rear i “Kor the told eects was not cleane be one \ att wasnt clean.” “I think I am got wie ' “alba going to you" ia coming on. Abent the time that the bisho; ue I ehall lean, over and P gets heve, I eyea me, and seco determina tion in my face, fhe changes calen, “You woukin't!” “Wouldn't [1° She rises hastily, and stands lech. ing down at me, 1 am quite sure at that moment that she detests ma, and I rather like it, There are always tines when we detest the people we ve, “If you are going to trary Just beenuee yeu cane” ae by “You? “Marsh and the reat are in the smoking-room, Th je room onpty ety aitting je juite calmly, as if we woing ¢ below for a clean handkerchief ora’: yell or a EATEN, 8 troll down the ‘reat atnircase of the liver to the } 5 rners’ aitting room, amd close the joor. * The tale of a self} exiled American's strange adventures | on the other side of