The evening world. Newspaper, August 3, 1915, Page 13

(Copyright, 1012, by Gtreet & Smith.) , SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAPTERS, ‘The steamship, Minerva starts for Ne earrying among her passengers Hamil! eS ale Piiatt mamnate, and Eliza i» man who walle mm ecane, watching the bride and, meer nd faints, 44 Gianeummons a etewardeas, 1° Courtiandt, imabeth, but who, "vania i wtock jugieting 41 ; reported . Forbes and Elisabeth quarrel, Vater a ‘note, is handed to Qourtiands, who it, Larking picks it up, It is in cipher, shows it to Forbes, who cries in terror: “Ii eres. m3 life is threatened! He's going to mull hae to-night U CHAPTER III. : (Continned, ) ae The Curious Cipher Code. 66 See HEER up, then, the worst is yet to com said Larkin fiippantly. vai “What if you do read ja this simple bunch of numerals? Don't you suppose you'll be properly safe- guarded on this ship? Somebody's just Mc throwing a scare into you, that’s all. a tragic warning . What idiot is going to deliberately Jeopardize his personal safety and lib- erty by assaulting you with murderous intent now that we're all wise? Brace Up and give me a few straight an- awers, and we'll see what we can do. toward nailing the villain of the piece. 4. Now, tell me, did you see the cipher on the bed an hour ago?” “No” 4 “Do you think you would have seen * tt Af it had been there?” “Yes, 1 am sure 1 would.” ‘Umph!” said Larkins, “Absolutely be N® ¢ertuin?” ‘Avsolutely.”” You were also absolutely certain ‘4. POrves Wus the last person in ig stateroom besides yourself be- ® you found the cipher?” ‘Yes!" impatiently. “Well,” returned Larkin, “who Drougut all these in?” He indicated the various empty glasses in both rooms. “Oh, only a steward”— te we take a slant at him,” u reporter. steward Sone ed Lach esd question to the lef steward, whom the captain had , @ammoned to the stateroom. "11 gee,” said the officer, hurrying Out and returning shortly with one of 1 his subordinates, the little steward “who eerved the first table at meal- ~ times. Like a good many others in dis particular line of employment, he ‘Was an Englishman. ~ “What's your name?” asked Lar- ‘! Sins, taking the little fellow in froin «! tread to foot. (9 The steward, just awakened from *© @ sound sleep, was bewildered and 1 frightened. iP “Thompson, sir,” he replied. * “When were you in this room last?" “A lide after seven bells, sir.” “Did you ever see this before?” » Larkins held up the cipher message. “No-o-o, sir.” “Sure? “Sure, sir.” “You didn't bring it into the room?” “No, sir.’ “How much of a tip did you get for \ bringing It in?” o “Nothing, sir! I didn’t, so ‘elp mo, ‘irl’ Mystified and dazed, he turned Prrom one to the other lke a little : terrified rabbit. “All right, you can go,” snapped i Larkins. To the captain he sald: “That eliminates him.” ~ “Of courso, assented Captain Loyd , . MEM’ Forbes," said the reporter, .« “now that we know how this slip of +» paper came in here, suppose you tell what it means.” ur “Well, how in thunder did it get in )) here?” the cuptain asked, voicing the .x, question for us all. vn. ,. “Some one from the deck dropped it .q, through the upper portion of that vn Window, of course—the part that is }] regulated by a screw from the insid ne process of elimination, as Friend ra jock would say, nothing was left -y- to suspect but that opening.” » , We all turned our eyes on the win- 1" dow indicated. The bed was directly yr) Peneath it, just where a note, or any nay @dsect for that matter, would fall if pa @ropped through the opening. a “.. “Bhat seems to be the answer,’ +) eonceded the captain, “Now we must #9 Gnd out who was on deck during the to tt hour.” Ho turned to Woodruff, e first officer. “I think I know pretty well,” Lar- Hins broke in, “There were Mr. Mar- ‘ajl, myself, Mrs. Forbes and the ting fellow listed as—Barthney, I sieve, Now, I pledge my word that idn't drop that cipher in here, nor Mr. Marshall, as I*was with him the time. Mrs, Forbes and— thney were both within fifteen feet f the window, seated in steamer chairs whenever we saw them, and I ! don't think there was another soul on the deck.” mi “E suggest that you tell us what is o? {mn that cipher, Mr. Forbes,” said the Ju" eaptain. bar We all concentrated our gaze on j1® Forbes. “I—I cannot—I dare not,” he ‘er almost sobbed. “Enough that I have “told you that it threatens my life— -el and to-night. But"—here he pulled ginhimself together, and spoke with quiet of deliberation—"nelther Mrs. Forbes oenor Mr. Courtlandt, who has chosen to assume the name of Barthney, had + anything to do with this affair, I—I « know that, My trouble with my wife cehas no bearing whatever"—— He stopped abruptly, his eyes staring fix- edly at the wall back of where the up of us stood. « evhere—th e it is again!" he “God save me!" and ch@ plunged forward on his face in the iaYruw confines of the room. ‘We all turned to the wall as one m, to see what he had pointed at, there, scrawled in lead pencil, waa or letter: Tho Greek of CHAPTER IV. if The Shot in the Night. ot HE purser and steward raised be the unconscious form of Forbes from the floor where he had fallen prostrate and laid him on the bed. “T don’t know but what it Is a case of plain drunk, after all," mused the are no marks A New York Mystery Story Wi ” you're right. Beside: 3 he's best left alone. The Even e Phantom S RTHUR Saha captain aloud. “Why, the man reads sinister meanings in the merest trifles —a bit of paper—a scratch on the wall!” Larkins looked thoughtful. “Maybe this unfortun- ate misunderstanding with his wife ‘he preying on his mind and combined Van With all the booze ‘he's been tucking tt Under his*belt is enough to make him see almost anything. In any case The chances are he'll sleep it off and wake up in his right mind and a taste in his mouth Uke a shoemaker's apron.” The captain saw that Forbes was made as comfortable as possible, then ‘we all passed out, leaving the broker apparently in @ drunken stupor, and breathing heavily. “There goes three bells,” said the purser; “time all sober men were abed.” So we all dispersed, laughing, Larkins flinging me a “good nigh over his shoulder as we simultane- ously entered our respective state- bells—four o'clock in the morning—were striking when [ an- swered to an excited hammering at door, “Marshall! Marshall! Come on cut, for the love of Mike!” Larkins's voice was shouting. “You're going to miss the first edition if you don't hurry! “What's happened?” I asked, stum- bling hurriedly from my bunk, and putting on my shoes before I un- locked the door. ' “Lord, man, what a sleeper you must be! Didn't you hear the shot?” “That's funny; 1 did hear it, | sup- pose, only I thought I was dreaming " “It was no idie dream, believe me; it was the real thing. Come on out— I don’t look any handsomer than you do—get a wigt ni Larkins's eyes were snapping with excitement, and his der nostrils quivered like a thoroughbred horse's. I grasped my cane, and followed in his wake, clad as he was in a bath robe and little else, meeting a num-; ber of our fellow passengers in the! broad social hall similarly attired. | The reporter headed toward the door of stateroom A, where a group of the ship’ of undress had gathered. The pt was making bungling efforts to open! the door, which was obviously locked on the inside, when Larkins broke through the crowd in his usual ag: gressive fashion, and threw his weight against the panels. “Come on, all you dopes, and lend @ shoulder!” he cried. “We've got to break in here! Don't you see, he may, be dying—dead! Great Scott!" he; added, under his breath, “What scoop for the Ledger!” When the combined efforts of Lar- kins, Woodruff and the burly chief engineer failed to budge the door an inch, Captain Loyd sent the engineer rushing aft for some sort of tools with which to batter it in, While we stood grouped about the doorway, everybody talking at once, in high-pitched, excited voices, young Courtlandt suddenly appeared on the scene, fully dressed, and no- tceably pale. “What's the row?" he asked, and even to the most casual observer it was plain that some stronger feeling than the contagion of excitement had him in its grip. “Matter enough, responded the skipper gruffly, “This man Forbes has elther committed suicide, or has been shot. You seem_to have had more time than the rest of us for a careful toilet, Mr. Courtlandt!" he added tartly, The whole Forbes af- fair was getting on his nerves. More than one of us had noticed and wondered at Courtlandt’s dress for that hour of the morning. The young man flushed darkly at the captain's remark. “I was already dressed when [ heard the shot,” he explained stiffly. “I couldn't sleep—I was taking a turn on deck.” He was plainly ill at ease, but be- fore anything else could be said to add to his discomfort we were all e, struck dumb by Elizabeth Forbes's sudden appearence on the scene, She, ‘too, was fully dressed. “Oh, wi is it—what is the matter, captain?” she cried. “I heard a shot! Has—has Mr. Forbes done anything desperate? Oh, won't somebody an- ewer me?” She turned appealingly from one to the other. The captain was the first to recover ‘this voice, and laid a soothing hand on the arm of the girl. “There, there, child,” he said gently, “We don't know just what has happened here, but we are going to find out right away. Until we do won't you oblige me by returning to your stateroom? Mrs. Treemore Will go with you, and [ will see you presently, and tell you everything it is your right to know.” She began to sob quietly as the stewardess stepped forward, and with motherly tenderness drew her away. As they passed across the hall, the crowd making way in awed silence, [ could see that Larkins was scrutiniz- ing Mrs, Forbes with undue intere: and it came upon me that he was speculating, I had been, why Elizabeth was ao fully dressed at four in the morning, McDonald and two of his assistants came hurring back at this instant, and the work of battering in the door required but few moments, Capt. Loyd turned on the threshold as he and the purser were about to enter and waved back the curious crowd pressing close. ‘Everybody remain outside, please, Mr, Larkins, will you come in with me—and you, too, Mr. Marshall? I will want some witnesses to this thing, I suppose.’ I will never forget nor ever describe how the sight of Forbes, lying in a #} pool of blood which poured from wounds in both his head and chest, sickened and unnerved me. He was lying just where we had left him eariier in the evening, and as the captein bent over the: prostrate form he exclaimed, in horror: “The man is dead!" Larkins had been taking a rapid in- ventory of everything. “And furthermore, captain,” newspaper man spoke with quiet con- viction, “the man has been mur- dered . “Murdered! How do you know?" the captain's voice rose above the startled cries of every one who heard Larkins'’s charge. “He has been killed by a shotgun,” replied the reporter. “It is plain that he didn't hold the weapon himself, as the shots are too scattered, there of powder burn; but ing World Daily Magazine, Tuesday AUWRIGHT, I KNOW WHAT You WANT. | LU Do AY BEST T GET You A HUSBAND | HAVE FOUND ONE WHO ANSWERS Your REQUIREMENTS EXcEPT HE IS A LITTLE Silty, * Do You WANT HIM > \\ i AK Kali of the leaden pellets and examined it thoughtfully. “I guess a sixteen-gauge would hold about that number of shots, all right. From the way they sc; it wasn't a chokebore.” He surveyed the room again long and carefully, then if further proof is needed, I cali at- tention to the fact that a cursory glance about the room does not re- veal a shotgun anywhere! Will you let me search the place thoroughly, captain, with the assistance of Everett?" “I wiil be grateful, indeed, my dear boy, and I will appreciate it if you will let me depend on your larger ex~ Ferlence to discover whatever you can about this fearful affair. Why, sir, it's got me on edge!” and the captain mopped his brow and stamped irri- tably toward the door where he and I stood while Larkins and the purser searched stateroom A. . The parlor, the little hallway lead- ing into the private bathroom and the Humph, I give it up!” Well, we know ono thing for cer- tain,” ptain, “Mr. Forbes was murdered. “We know two things, you mean, said I, though I am by rule a difident man, and rarely offer an opinion unless I am pressed. “Mr. Forbes has been murdered, and a shotgun was the weapon used, It strikes me that by finding the shotgun we shall thus find the murderer.” bathroom itself were explored without “Good boy!” exclaimed Larkins, gi result; this was to be expeeted, be- ing me a resounding whack across th cause the door leading into the bath- shoulder, and embarrassing me consi¢ room and the parlor was found to be erably, “Here we have him—the ma locked from the inside of the room where Forbes met his death, as was the door leading out in the compan- jonway, In the bedroom Larkins crawled under the bed, peered into the ward- robe and closely scrutinized the floor in every direction, ‘I'm stumped!" he muttered. “Here'a a mystery that I'd like to flood with the torrents of my pene- tration, aubmerge in the depths of my superior enlightenment, bathe in the overflow of my vast powers of intui- with the idea! Well, me for the hay As I turned to énter my room, I heard Capt. Loyd’s voice giving ‘an order to the first officer; “Mr. Woodruff, assemble the watch, and search every part of this ship from bow to stern, and from deck to keelson, Passengers’ rooms and effects, but find that shotgun!” CHAPTER V. The Captain’s Inquiry. U'VE tion, and I'm stumped—that's all.” 6 6 se AAN spileeed “As far as I can see, the shot was & OE SN fired through the window,” said the marked, as Larkins purser. sauntered into the din- “Which showa that, the window te ing room saloon short- as as youcan see,” return r= “ £4 Of yermcan wee” returned Lar, 1y before 9. “You should have risen your eyes, and you will notice that the body is lying directly below the window, and both the wall and the window bear indentations of the bul- lets, That weapon was fired from the door by which we entered this room!"" “Impossible!” cried several of us, in unison, “Impossible nothing!" snapped the reporter, “The bullet holes in the wall opposite and those which are in the mattress prove it beyond a doubt.” He strode over to the bed and heaved the body aside with the utmost com- posure, A cry of horror and amazement went up from all of us. Where the body had lain a nickel plated thirty- two calibre revolver reflected the brilliant electric light that flooded the “Earlier!” he laughed, “Go up and tell that to ‘Sparks,"’ using the wire- less operator's nickname, Sure enough, the tearing, rasping “Cra-s-s-sh, cra-s-8-sh" of the wire- less Was grinding away incessanuy, and I realized that Larking had in- deed been up betimes, and the story of last night's tragedy was flying over space to the hungry presses of bis paper. “I suppose they'll be swamping New York with luridly headlined editions all day. Lucky for your paper you Were aboard, wasn't it?" “Lucky's my middle name,” said the reporter, sampling his grapefruit with evident relish, hantiy: "Nou are away off Mr, ,,When he had finished breakfast we Jewspaper Man Detective, He shot left the dining saloon together, and himself with his own pistol!” as we proceeded to the upper deck “Really?” drawled Larkins, picking {8 crash of the wireless instrument up the revolver and twirling the hd {ato the stillness of the rest of b, ev. the ship. ooting himself, the room and the @%ked. “Just to think that the little bed full of hoies to clean the ‘gat’ and 80unds that are flying from those and I pointed to the four thin threads of copper strung from the forward mast back to the big, black reload! My word, Mr, Purser Man, he was almost as clever a corpse as you are a live one!" Larking passed the revolver into smokestack, “can be heard in Now Capt. Loyd's keeping. “Poor devil,” York! és he sald. “Hadn't any more chance "You think again,” Larkins ad- than a rabbit. Let me see,” he went Vited. “Come here,"* and he led mo around to the starboard side of the vessel, “See that boat?” Out on the swelling bosom of the Atlantle, dipping and curtaying as tho Minerva approached, was a vessel with peculiar masts “That's a lightship,” I said “Right—Diamond Shoals. At pres- ent our wireless operator is still in communication with Norfolk, Virgin- on thoughtfully, “Four bullet holes In his head, three in his body, one, two, three, four in the wall, count- ing the one through the window, and five through the bed — sixteen in all!" He placed the body back in its original position, and, going to the washstand beside the bed, coolly washed his ds. “Who knows anything about shot- guns?” he queried, raising his voice to ia, He picked it up early this morn- gain attention from those in the door- ing, but we are steadily going south, way who were talking at the top of and getting out of the radius of our their voices. Nobody answering him, sending power. Therefore, in a little he arty to the bullet holes in the while Sparke will send to the light- wall, with his knife dug out one ship, and the government operator The eRe Tr anon REMEMBER — HE Must NOT SMOKE, DRINK, SWEAR on, BELONG To CLUBS ~ HE Must INTERCOM ot BL ‘ , LOV OBEDIENT, PHYSICALLY” PERFECT AND AN ORNAME To THE HOUSE. waeeitapel HURRY UP, I'LL WAIT HERE NO! He must BE PERFECT _ TRY AGAIN NLU WAIT HERE “THERE AINT No SucH Ht K4 GA | \ N x aboard will relay our mesages on to n the navy yard station, The aerials ¢ are not high enough to send over two hundred mile: He drew m operator's of conducting the inquiry, man was in hie glo around to where the nm could be seen fron the deck, parks is getting some thing w," Larkins said, as there sation of crashes from the who welt. The purser, Mr. Cr-a-8-8-a88h, cran-sh, sputtered the” instrument suddenly lighting the room again, with a ghastly greenish blue glare; and then silence followed once more. “What is being said?” I asked. “You can’t hear that from here,” the dim light, room A. His first explained Larkins, “You catch the unds from receivers the same as ou do over a telephone—maybe he'll repeat, and then I'll know what the ri hi" ¢ the instrument thundered, springing into life with a suddenness that made me jump. For some time the din kept up, making, as Larkins put It, as much noise as a cook stove falling downstairs, then subsided into com- Plete silence save for the whine of the motor as it came to @ gradual weapon in the social hall; remembered the scene he had midnig! and it fore hh fact Larkins began to 4 nee ‘oom if he or she had atop. “Humpht!” ejaculated the reporter. t the de Mr. Forbe: “We Bo on to New Orleans without j, Ce oF BAWRDa Te stop, Ho repeated the message to hy 4 y Norfolk, ‘Tuckily 1 can read Morse,” ,OF bad suMicient time, the guilty person time you entered the hall? “Do they use the Morse code on the wireless?” I asked, He nodded affirmatively, “The Federal courts will have to handle the Forbes case. You see, we were beyond the three-mile limit—in fact, fifty miles offshore when the crime was committed, Captain Loyd wired to his company for orders, and they directed him to make no chi of his room that he opened the door of his atate- tre armed ule OF Gle boat. | Tho au. room almost Immediately on hearing ah Cte cape whore we reach the shot, and peered out. He, too, saw Cnarge of the case when we -reach no ope, and swore tothe fact that no “But what Is Captain Loyd going to do in the mean time?" asked, "Here is & murder committed on his boat, and he has only gone into the matter superficially, Surely he"—— “Oh, the captain's on the job, all right,” Larkins interrupted, “A’ full by hin Mr. Trui derly gentl in Missisei ppl He t he port side, and thorough investigation has been 9, ‘ 4 " “ the’ weap into the dining saloon to act as sort Vouy temperament, he at once sprang of coroner's jurors, I believe.” The newspaper man was right, and jonway, and while he could not see at half-past ten we were all auimmoned the door of stateroom A or the social below—ant what a imorbid lot we hall he would make affidavit to the were! All of the eighty-odd passen- fact that no one fled down the port gers aboard took thelr places at dif- ferent tables near the one where the captain sat with his first officer, Lar- companionway. ; believing that the murd King [and @ passenger who, having the staira to the deck above, out on confesned to a smattering knowledge {ho stale to, the dee of shorthand, was to act as stenog- Brapher, below to this, the dining ‘saloon,” Captain Loyd, in announcing the in- summed up Larkins, “And now, cap- Quiry about to be held, explained that tain, perhaps the stewardess,’ Mrs, while it Was not exactly according to the jaw, |t was well within his rights of the staira, can offer some testi- as commander of the vessel upon which the criine had been committed, ‘The stewardess left Mra, Forbes's and that he was taking this course as & means of possibly fastening the guilt where It belonged. Some one on board was guilty of the murder of Hamilton Forbes, he continued, and it was his duty to find such person and place him or her in close until land and the law were r tain's table, time to s¢ the handl |. was quite positive that she could have “I think it would be a good plan to seen any one coming up the stairs had appoint a committee of gentlemen to the murderer chosen that avenue of act aa a kind of Jury." the captain escape. She told of Joining the group concluded. “I am going to ask Mr. at the door of stateroom A and Marshall to act as foreman of jury afterward accompanying Mrs, Forbes or committee,” to her stateroom, which was C, op- I therefore moved up to the cap- tain’s table, presently being joined by the others wham the captain named to serve, # It didn't surprise me when the cap- tain turned over to Larkins the busi. gathered tryin, “How was asked Larkins, rs. Forbes di had worn all evening—I had - August 3; 1915 By Maurice Ketten without saying that that young , and was por- sibly the only person in the big room was thoroughly enjoying him- verett, was the first to be examined. He told briefly of hearing the loud report of the gun that awakened him, how he lay won- dering for a short interval, then, after practically dressing, how he stepped out into the compantonway to see, in smoke curling under the low ceiling near the door of state- impression was that some one had fired a gunpowder then he nessed In the stateroom itself just be~ flashed upon that Forbes had committed sul- He rushed over and began pound- ing on the door, receiving no answer, By that time the hall had filled with others who had heard the shot. When he had finished his plain statement of stion him. “Do you think that you could have any ono in the hall from your ed a shotgun "8 state- lapsed for by the Mr. Everett thought that It would have been possible for such a person to escape to other parts of the ship by the time he, Everett, looked out The captain next called the ebiet steward, Whose testimony was almost identical with that of the purser, save one could have gone down the star- board companionway without belng ale,” called the captain, Mr. Truesdale proved to be an el- nan returning to his home whose stateroom wes from his bunk and Into the compan- “This leaves us the alternative of rer went up panlonway, either the port or starboard, or ran Treemore, whose room is at the top side and gat at the foot of the cap- She told how the shot had awakened her, how she had stood In the doorway of her stateroom, then walked to the head of the stairway in the purser violently shake f Mr, Forbes's door, She posite the one where the men were to effect an entrance, ressod “She had on the same clothes sho given her some headache powders earlier ‘in the night,” Mra. Treemore replied. “Did she say anything to you when you accompanied her to her state- room—I refer to the time when effor wero being made to break into Mi Forbes's room?" The stewardess hesitated, glancing appealingly at Mrs, Wie 5 & a es, sir, IT remarked that I hoped nothing dreadful had happened to Mr. Forbes, and she said, poor dear, in a dreadful- ly tired voice: ‘Well, it would be the Judgment of a just God!’ and added that she had had @ premonition that something would pen, and that to sleep. So T mo help her off “Did you see a weapon of any kind in Mra. Forbes's room?" “L certainly did not,” Mts, Treemore answered indignantly, “Mrs. Forbes never killed her husband, and you know it!" “I simply want to establish that fact beyond a doubt,” replied the reporter gently, “and perhaps you can help me. Did you make a thorough searca of Mrs, Forbes's suite afterward?’ “Yes, sir. Mr. Woodruff, the first | officer, ordered it a short time later, but I found nothin, “Thank you, Mrs. Treomore. Oh, one question more, please. Did you and the assistant stewardess sea the staterooms of all the women p: pursuant to Mr. druff's orders?” Yos, sir; but found nothing tn the nature of a weapon—that is, nothing but hatpins,” she added ort er seat The stewardess resume bo@ide Mra. Forbes. Woodruff was © next witness. told of hearing the sound of the shot from the bridge where wason duty, and of how, after first awaken- ing the captain, he had made his way below and found an excited throng at the door of Mr, Forbens's atateroom. Under orders from the ;captain he had taken a number of | the stewards and made a thorough i} ! search of the ship, passengers’ rooms d crew's quarters, all of which had sly examined for a weap- put success, o you think this murder committed?” queried the re- porter. “Well, I've figured tt out,” anid the firat officer, “that the person who fired the shot was aware of the poni- tion of the bed, and, taking a shot- gun, stood in front ‘of Mr. Forbes's stateroom door, put the mu through the narrow space where partition just escapes reaching the celling and fired In the direction of the bed. I think the presence of fone in the compantonway proves this was “There is such @ space, then?* arked Larkins, “Yes,” asnerted the first officer, “After you pointed out this fact to me early this morning I took the iron bar hat we used in breaking open the door and demonstrated to you and the captain how such @ thing was por- sible.” “Why Mr. is there mich a space, and it Woodruff, and have all the cabins on the ship such openings?” “Yes. They allow vontilation for the rooms, and are only on the Inside of the ship.” “Then this accounts for the fact that the doors could be locked on the Inside, id still Mr. Forbes could be shot without a person being In the room?” “T believe so.” “Did you figure that it would be quite a difficult thing to depress the muzzle of a shoteun sufficiently to have {t hit a mark so close to the floor as Mr, Forbea's bed?" “Only after you suggested it. Not having a shotgun on board, I could not make a practical demonstration of it. T have ered a rifle out of the ship's arsenal, and I have it ready to try now. At the captain's suggestion the com- mittee, together with the comman- der, Larkins, and the first office went to stateroom A. The majority of us stood outside while Mr. Wood- ruff, taking his Remingtoi ood in the companionway and from that spot put the muzzle of the rifle in the narrow slit on t top of the parti- tion and endeavored to point it at the ged, now cleared of its ghastly bur- jen. ‘The experiment failed to dispel the mystery, for it Was apparent to all that the ventilation #lit was too nar- row and too near the ceiling to allow the gun w be pointed sufficiently downward, the stock striking the top t the companionway ceiling. With he mystery only deepened, we re- turned to the dining saloon, where Larkins announced the failure to the remaining passengers, Questioning the first officer again, Larkins made it plain from the shot dug from the wall and the mattress that the death-dealing missiles came downward, and from the direction of the doer, which, according to all testimony, Was securely locked from the inside. “Now, Mr, Woodruff, since the shot- gun theory has failed—uniess when we find the weapon we discover it to j be like the Irishman's gun, that could be fired round a corner—have you any other to advance pe m etill of the opinion, Mr, Lar- kins,” said the offi “that a shot+ #un was the weapon used. The scat- tered shots in the room, together with the faet that only one report, and that an extremely loud one, was heard, Prove this beyond a doubt, There ts not a revolver made that could do such execution or carry lange shot in such numbers, After firing the shot into the room in some mysterious manner, the murderer fled upon deck, threw the weapon o and escaped into his stateroom, secure in the fact that he left no elue.” “Could he have fled into the Ifbrary, and then out on deck?” “No; the library is locked for the night at six belis, Anyway, it was thoroughly searched iminediately after the discovery of the murder.” “Then, seeing that we have wit- nesses that the murderer did not fleo down either companionway, toward the aft part of the ship, or up the stairs, as the stewardess's teatimony shows, you think that this person ‘ent out one or other of the doors that lead to the deck?" “That seems to be the only infer- ence, Had he run below we would have found him im our search, for both doors leading into the pantries were locked securely.” When the first I was intareted in atud: of the ho By CHARLES WADSWORTH CAMP © here was shakin’ and breat in the saloon. Bewilderment was set on every face, and as the testimony was heard, each witness making the mystery the more mysterious, an ob. vious uneasiness began to spread, f could see that the most of those ered there felt that there was tine aupernatural about the affair, next to tell of his part in the ts happenings. He had come on Bd from below to get a breath of alr be~ fore the change of watch at eight bells, He distinctly heard the noise of the shot, and hurried forward the starboard deck. When he the room he found the purser, the ard and Mr. Larkins there. “Yea, air’ Here was a new phase of the ca, ‘There was quite 4 stir in the room as everybody tried to get a better view ne of the engineer. “Did you recognize who it wast asked the reporter . ‘The engineer turned in the revoly. ing ir he occupied, and out Van Buren Courtlandt, “It was that gentleman over there,” he said, ‘ Here was @ sensation, indeed! Al- & most avery Fd rose, uttering excla~ mations of dismay. “Order, order, please!” yee Capt. Loyd, pounding his fist on table. Larkins never blinked an eyelash or displayed the least astonishment, and I wondered how much of @ surprise this was to him. ‘Mr. Courtlandt, will you please come forward?" he Courtlandt, his face singularly pale, rose and walked to the "a table and took @ seat beside the re- ter. PotNow, Mr. McDonald, please tell ua what Mr. Courtlandt was doing?” Larkins asked, “Tell us just where you saw him and what actions were.” McDonald cleared his throat nolafly, One could see that the burly Scot not relish the thought of what he was about to say. “I was comin’ up the starboard deck at a pretty lively sj “he said. ‘This wae after hearin’ the \ shot, ye mind. Some one was leanin’ a, over the rall fost copay } Ce at jonway ami ps, an’ raver What was you sncottn' The jad here says: ‘I dinna ken.’ There wan a sickly licht on the dewk here, comin’ from one licht In the com- r panionwa | ee eee in’ made it muckle clea deck than insides the ship. The lad it seen & eo I saya: ‘Lad, i. must ‘a’ * ghost!’ but he didna say annythin’ to that, an’ I goes fied y?.! where we finds the poor mon |. Larkins turned to Courtlandt, end said sete oe something you should explain, Van!" 'Yos, cried Capt. Loyd. ‘Come, come! Explain why you were on Foo four in the morning, fully dre: , and"—— “Onp moment, captain,” broke in * © Larkins, and, turning to the young on fellow, he said: “Remember that an: ‘ statement you make may be against you, and that your refusal to answer any or all questions can in no wey be accepted as a con! ot guilt.” ? “T have nothing to conceal, Mr, i Larkins,” said Courtlandt, very quiet- ly. “IT killed Hamilton Forbes!” ‘There was a et dining saloon dumfounding a For perhaps a moment not a y stirred a muscle, then the sudden rustle of a woman's skirt broke the tens silence as the murdered man’s. wife sprang to her feet and almost ran towact the captain In her excite- ment and agitation, “Mr, Courtlandt lied to you, Capt. Loyd. He sald that to shield oy It was T who so deliberately shot Mr. Forbes!" CHAPTER VI. The Love ofa Man foraWoman IN an instant all wae wildest confusion, Women fainted and men swore. Courtlandt, violent in his excitement, raved and stormed at the captain mot to believe anything Mra. Forbes said, He repeated again and again that he was the guilty one, and that Mrs. Forbes, in beautiful but mistaken +4 generosity, was endeavoring to shield him, Larking wae almost excited. I say almost, for as long as I was assocl- ated with him on that steamer I ni er knew him to come nearer losing that remarkable grip on bis self- possession, Twice—three timea—be flung Van Buren Courtlandt into the chair beside him and curtly bade Mrs, Forbes to return to her seat, Capt. Loyd, while not bewildered, was plainly angry, and his deep bass boomed out in repea: for order, Gradually quiet of @ sort was restored, and he took charge of mat- ters. “It is quite evident that one of you 4@ not telling the truth,” the vaptain gaid, “Ll aim going to get to che bot- tom of this affair right now, Mra, Treemore, please go with Mrs, Forbes to her stateroom and stay there with her until [ send for you.” The stewardess accompanied Mra, Forbes from the room and up the stairs, The protecting arm she of- fered the murdered man's bride was declined prettily and with a perfectly if-possessed smile, Never have [ seen like composure under such try- ing ciroumstances, [| loved her from that moment, and let me add here that Elizabeth Kennedy Forbes was the first and only woman I ever loved in all my life. “You say that you killed Hamilton Forbes," said the captain, addressing B young Courtlandt, “and Mrs. Forbes contradicts you, maintaining that she is responsible for her husband's death, Which, if either, t# guilty?” “Lam,” replied Courtiandt seadily, . “Explain,” (To Be Continued.) 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