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' THE BEE: OMAHA, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1921..
like YELLOWS STREAK By Valentine Williams
riiinniiiiiinniisiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
1
4
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mono.
Cartlar arriek, waa ku bad a iMn Ha k
Milk a mull al Ika war, baa aararai imm
at kM aaaalry keoae, Im tktei era Laav Te
art. kar Saofktar, Marr. aa4 bar aaa, Raraa, and
BaMs Otava, ba la la tore with Mary u4 Ifca vttk
Warn. Wbaa ka miuM aba tall tuai aba ka ka
aatt full ta f-afTtak. Ha accotaa kar a awe
fwaarv MiH wkk aka Mailt, aad laaraa kar as
aarar. A tow nowjaals I alar aha kaara aka aa4
laforaa kar kraibar aae etkan, wka braak rta
tha library. whK-k I tarkad Iran tba laaula. and
ad Ihatr boat t4 wllk a immr la kw kaao,
aoparaally a taut4. Oiave lealMa Mary aoaaacta
kia. aa4 (ran a ranark ta tha poiua b Ika batiar.
kaaa. Ibat Orrra ni aaar la library wkea tba
skat a trad, ika wapartar auMtioaa hla ataaal.
Mamas wua alary. '
THIRD ESSTAIXMENT.
THE swift tragedy of tba winter after
noon had eonvulaed tha welt-organized
repose of Hartley Parriah's household.
Nowhere had. hi master grssp of de
talJ baan aeaa to better advantage than to tha
management of hla country home. Over"
whelmed with work though ha constant!
was, accustomed to carry hla boiineaa and
often part of hla boalneaa staff to Harking
with htm for the week-ends, there ni sever
tha taut confusion about tha house. Tha
methodical calm of Markings waa that of a
convent.
But It was Into a houae tn turmoil that
Mary Trevert stepped when the left tha
drawing room and paaeed alone the corridor
, to go to "her room. Doora alammed and thero
waa tha heavy thud of footstepa on tha floor
above The glass door leading into tha gar "
dena was open, aa Mary paaaed it, twinging
ta tha guau of cold rain. In the gardena
without there waa a confused murmur of
voices and the flash of lanterns.
In the hail a knot of servants were goo
Iplng In frightened whispers with a couple
of large, rather bovine country constables,
who, bareheaded, without their helmets,
which they held under their arms, looked
curiously undressed.
When, about alx months before, Mary and
her mother had begun to be regular visitors '
at Barkings, Hartley-Parrish had Insisted on
giving Mary a boudoir to herself. This in
response to a chance remark of Mary's in ad
miration of a Chinese room she had seen at .
a friend's house, Parrish had had decorated
in the Chinese style, with black walls and .
black and gold lacquer furniture. The room
had been transformed from a rather prosaio
morning room with old oak and chints in tha
pace of three days as a surprise for Mary.
She remembered now how Parrish had left
her to make the discovery of thechange for
herself. She loved color and line, and the
contrast between this quaint and delightful
room with hex. rather shabby bedroom in
her mother's amall house in Brampton had
made this surprise one of the most delight- '
ful she had ever experienced.'
She rang the bell and sat down listlessly in
a charmingly lacquered armchair in front
of the log fire blazing brightly in the fire
place. She was conscious that a great dis
aster had overtaken her, but only dimly
conscious. For more poignantly than this
dull sense of tragedy she was aware of a "
great aching at her heart and her thoughts,
after hovering over the events of the after
Boon, settled down upon her talk that after
Boon . . . already how far off it aeenied
. . . with Robin Greve in the library.
Robin had always been her hero. , She
could see him now In the glow of the fire -as
he had been when in the holidays he had
eome and snatched her away from a homo
already drab and difficult for a matinee and
an orgle of cream cakes at Gunters after
wards. He was then, a long, slim, handsome
boy of irrepressible spirits and impulsive gen
erosity, which usually left1 him after tha
first few days of his holidays m a state of -
lamentable impecunioslty. All their Uvea, It
earned to her, they had been friends, but
with a stronger feeling between them until -,
Robin, having Joined the army on the out- '
break of the war. had come to say good-bye
en being ordered to France. ...
But by that time money troubles at horae
with which, as it seemed to bus she had been
surrounded all "her life, had grown so pres
sing that apart from Lady Mary's reiterated
counsels, she herself had. come to recognize
that a suitable marriage was the only way
out of their ever-increasing embarrassment.
8he and Robin, she recalled, with a feeling
ft relief, had never discussed the matter. He,
too, had understood and had sailed for
France without seeking to take advantage of
the circumstances.
And now she was rich.1' Hartley Parrish'o
Idea of " proper provision for her, she knew,
meant wealth for her beyond anything she
: had ever dreamed. The perpetual debasing
struggle with poverty which she and her
mother had carried on for years was a thing
of the past. Money meant freedom, freedom
to live . , . and to love. v
She stretched her hands out to the blase.
Was she free to love? . What had driven
Hartley Parrish to suicide? . Or who? She
went over In her mind her interview with
Robin Greve in the billiard room. He had
pokea, of other women in connection with
Hartley Parrish. Had he used that knowl
edge to threaten his rival?" What had Robin
done after he had left her that afternoon
With his final taunt? . ' . i .
A tap came at the door. Bude appeared.
"I think you rang, miss," he said; in his
quiet, deep voice. " I was with the inspector,
miss, and J couldn't come before. Was there
anything? . .-." . - . v
The girl turned la her chair.
" Come la and abut the door, Bude," ahe
amid. " I want to speak to you."
The butler obeyed and came over to where
be sat He seemed ill at ease and rather
apprehensive. T ' .j .
" Bude," said the girl, "I want yon to tell
me why you were certain that Mr. Greve
waa going to Mr. Parrish In the library when
he paaaed yon In tha hall this afternoon?"
The butler smoothed his hands down his
trousers in embarrassment
.'."I thought he Mr. Greve would be our
to be going to fetch Mr. Parrish in to tea, -miss
. . " he replied, eying the girl
anxiously. -.';.'.
Mary Trevert continued gazing inio the
Bra. -,... -7-- -
" Ton know It Jm a role tn this house.
Bade.' she said, .." that Mr. Parrish Is never
disturbed tn the library . . ." -
Slowly Mary Trevert turned and looked at
the man.
"Bude," her voice waa very calm. "I want
you to tell me the truth. Ton know that
Mr. Greve went in to Mr. Parriah. . . ." .
Bude looked uneasily about him.
"Oh. miss," be answered almost ta a
WhJaper, -whatever are you saytngr
"I want your answer, Bude," the girl said,
oldty. , V
Bode did not speak. Ha rubbed his hands
Bp and down his li onsets ta. desperation. -
" I wtah to know why Mr. Parrish did this
thing. Bade. I mean to know. And I think
you are keeping something baekr
- Uias Trevert ma'am.- the butler said ta
low votes, "I wouldn't take it upon me to
amy anything a would get anybody la this
boose a to tremble. ..."
Tea saw Mr. Grove go ta to Mr.
' " i
iM
At A came info, the oango
' As inttinetiotly nalixmd that
As A oaf nf erwf an uxJrimnJly
atnatonm.' ' s '
vp-ao
The . butler raised his hands in a quick
gesture of denial. ' .
" God forbid, Miss! " he ejaculated in hor
ror. ': .- ,: , . : ' ''
"What then, do you know that Is likely
to get anybody here into trouble? ".
The butler hesitated an instant . Then he
poke. ', ... . . .... . f. '
" That Inspector Humphries has been ask
ing mo questions. Miss, In a nasty, sus
picious sort o' way. I told him what I told
. him already that just after I'd done serving
the tea Mr. Greve crossed the hall and went
down the library corridor. ' . . . "
. " You didn't tell him everything, Bude?"
The butler took a step nearer. ' '
"O, Miss," he said,. lowering his voice, "if
youll pardon my (frankness, but I know as
how you and Mr.JGreve are old friends and
I wouldn't take Jc upon me to tell the police
anything as mjgiit . - . . " , v - - - .
Mary Trover stood up and faced the man.
"Bude," said she, "Mr. Parrish was your
master, a kind and generous master as he
was kind and generous to every one in this
house. We must clear up the mystery of his
. -. . . of his death. Neither you nor I nor
Mr. Greve nor anybody must stand in the
way., Now tell me the truth!" . .
She dropped back Into her. chair..! She gave
the order imperiously like' the mistress of
the hoqse. ' The batler,- trained through life
to receive orders, surrendered. :" .': i
" There's nothing much to tell, Miss. When
Mr. Humphries asked me If I were the last
person to see Mr. Parrish alive I made sure
that Mr. Greve would. eay he had been in to
tell him tea was read. But Mr. Greve, who
heard the Inspector's queation and my an
swer, said nothing. So I thought maybe,' he
had his reasons and I did not feel exactly as
how It was my place. .-..""'
Mary Trevert tapped with her foot Impa
tiently. " ' .
, "But what grounds have you for saying
that Mr. Greve went In to Mr. Parrish? Mr.
Greve declared quite positively that he went
out by the side door and did not go into the
library at all."
"But Miss,' I heard him speaking to Mr.
Parrish. . . ."
The girl turned round and the man saw
fear in her wide open eyes. '
The butler put his hand on the back of her
; chair and leaned forward.
-Better leave things where they are
Miss," he said in a low voice. " Mr; Parrish,
I daresay, had his reasons. He's gone to his
last account now. - What does It matter why
he done It? . . . " s ' i -
The man was agitatedand In his emotion
' Ills carefully studied English was forsaking
him. ; -V- ' .-' v. .
But the girl broke In Incisively. V
"Please explain what you mean!" she
commanded. v ,
"Why, Miss." replied the butler, "we
knowvthat Mr. Greve had no call to like
Mr. Parrlab, seeing how things were between ,
you and the master. ...':
"Ton mean the servants know that Mr.
Parrish and I were engaged. ..."
Bude made deprecatory gesture.
" Know, Miss? I wouldn't go so far as to
say ' know. But thero has been some talk
In the servants "all. Miss. You know what
young female servants are. Miss. ..."
"And you think that Mr. Greve went to
Mr. Parriah to talk about . . . me?"
Mary Trevert's voice faltered a little. She
looked eagerly at the other'a fat smooth
' face. . ' ' " ..-
" I presoemed as much. Miss, I must coa
fese" "But what did you hear Mr. Greve say?"
"i. heard nothing. Miss, except Just only
the sound of voice. " After Mr. Grove had
crossed mo la the han I took the salver I
was carrying into the butler's pantry. I
stayed therm a minute or two and then I
X had not collected the letters
ra-T . . . ... ,
from the box In the hall for, the chauffeur to
take to the post the aame as he does every
evening. I went back to the hall and Just
as I opened the green baize' door I heard
voices from the library. . . . "
" Was it Mr. Grove's voice?"
" j "I cannot say, Mtes. It was Just the sound
of voices, rather loud like I caught the
: sound because the door leading from the hall
to the library corridor was ajar. Mr. Greve
must have forgotten to shut it"
"What did you do?"
"Well, Miss, I closed the . corridor
door. . : . . " i -, ;
"Why did you do that?"; ,
"Well,' Miss, seeing the voices sounded
angry-like, I thought perhaps it would be bet
' for not to let any one else hear. ... And
Mr. Greve looked upaet-like when he passed
, me. He gave ine quite a turn, he did, when
, I saw his face under the hall lamp. ... ."
"Did you stay there '. . . and listen?"
Bude drew himself up.
" That is not my 'ablt Miss, not 'ere nor
in hany of the 'ouses where I 'ave seen eerv
"' Ice. . . ."
The butler broke off. The " h's " were too
much for him in his indignation.
"I didn't mean to suggest anything under
hand," the girl said quickly. "I mean, did
' . you hear any more? " '.
- "No, Miss. I emptied the letterbox and
f took the, letters to. the servants' hall."
" But," said Mary In a puzzled way, " why
do you say it was Mr. Greve If you dldnt
hear his vofce? "
Bude spread, out his hands in bewilder-
ment -' ., . .
"Who else should it have been. Miss? Sir
Horace and. the doctor were in the lounge at
tea. Jay and pobert were In the servants'
hall. It could have been nobody else. . . "
The girl's head sank slowly on her breast
She was silent The butler shifted his posi
tion. ' - ' '.'V , V ,
. "Was there anything more. Miss?" ho
asked after a little while.'
"There is nothing, further, thank you,"
i Bude," replied Mary. ' " About Mr. Greve
I am sure there must be some mistake. . .
he cannot have understood Mr. Humphries'
. question. .Til ask him about it when I see
him: I don't think I should say anything to
the inspector about It at any rata not until
I've seen Mr. Greve. Hell probably speak to
, you about it himself. ' . . " "
Bude made a motion as though he were '
going to say something. Then apparently
he thought better of it for ho made a little
J formal bow and in his usual slow and digni
fied manner made his exit from the room.
The house telephone, standing on the long
ana gracefully designed desk with its elab
orately lacquered top, whirred. Mary started
from her reverie in her chair by the fire. By
. ' the clock on the mantel ahelf she saw that
It was a quarter past eight- She remembered
that once her mother had knocked at her
door and bidden her come down to dinner.
She had refused the invitation, declined to
unlock the door. 1 . .
"That you, Mary?"
Robin was speaking. '
" May I come up and see you? Or would
you rather be left alone? "
His firm, pleasant voice greatly comforted ' .
her. Only then she realized how greatly she
craved sympathy. But the recollection of
Bude's' story suddenly taterposed itself like .
a barrier between them.
"Yea, come up,"- she said. "I want to
speak to you! "
Her voice was dispirited,
"I' don't want to see him,' she told her
self as ahe replaced the receiver, got up and
' unlocked the 0oor, " but I must know! "
-. A gentle tap earr- at the door. Robin earae
la quickly and crossed to where she stood by
the flra, --- - - .- -
"My dear!" he amid, and put out his two
.hands.. . ..- , - ,
Her hands were behind her back, the
Angers nervously ' Intertwining-'. She kept
them thereabd infcde no sign. that, she had
observed his gesture. v
He looked at her in sarprlso. -; .
" This has been terrible for you, Mary," he
aid. ' " I wish to God I could make you real
Mze how very, very much I feel for you in
..what you must be going through. . . "
The phrase was formal, and he brought It
out irresolutely, chilled as he was by her re-
ceptlon. She was looking at him dlspasslon- :
ately, her forehead a little puckered, her eyes
a trifle hard. -
"Won't you sit down?" she said. "Thero
Is som thing I wanted to say! " ,
He was looking at her now In a puzzled
fashion. With rather feigned deliberation he
chose a chair and sat down facing the fire.
: A lamp on the mantelpiece the only light
In the room threw its rays on his face. Hla
chin was set rather more squarely than his
., wont and his eyes were shining. .
" Mary," he leaned forward towards her -"please
forget what I said this afternoon.
It was beastly of me, but I hardly knew what
I was doing. . . "
, She made a little gesture as If to wave his
apology aside. Then with her hands clasped
in. front of her, scanning the nails, she
asked, almost casually:
" What did you say to Hartley Parrish In
. the library this afternoon? " '
' Robin stared at her in amazement
"But I was not in the library?" he an
swered. .
The girl dropped her hands sharply to
her side.
"Don't quibble with me, Robin," she said.
" What did you say to Hartley Parrish after
you left me this afternoon in the billiard .
room?"
He was still staring at her, but now thero
was a deep furrow between his brows. He
was breathing rather hard.
" I did not speak to- Parrish at all after I
left you."
His answer was curt and Incisive.
- " Do you mean to, tell me," Mary said,
" that after you left me and went down the '
corridor toward the library you neither wont
In to Hartley nor spoke to blm?"
"I do!"
" Then how do you account for the fact
that almost Immediately after- you had ;
crossed Bude in the hall he heard the sound
' of voices in the library? "
Robin Greve stood up abruptly.
' " Bude, you say, makes this statement? "
"Certainly!" .
" To whom, may I ask? "
He spoke, sharply and there was a chal
lenging ring In his voice. It nettled the girl.
- " Only to tr.," she said quickly, and added:
" You needn't think he has told the police!"
; "Very deliberately Robin plucked bis hand
kerchief from his sleeve, wiped his lips, and
replaced it The girl saw that his hands
were trembling. . ,
. " Why do you say that to me? " he de
manded rather fiercely. -
Mary Trevert ahrugged her shoulders.
. " This afternoon," she said, " when I told
you of my engagement to Hartley you began
by abusing him to me. you rushed from the
room, making straight for the library, where
we all know that Hartley was working, and a
few minutes after .Bude hears voices raised
in anger proceeding from there. The next
thing we know is that Hartley has . -. ."
' 8be broke off and looked away.
" Mary "Robin's voice was grave and he
had mastered an signs of irritation, "you .
and I have known one another all our lives.
- Ton ought to know me well enough by now
to oitderstand that I don't tell yon lies. When
I say I haven't seen or spoken to Hartley
Parrish since lunch this afternoon, that Is
the truth!" 6
: "How can It be tha truth?" the girl in
sisted. " Horace and Dr. Remain were both
In the lounge. Bude was la the hall, the
Other mea servants were In the servants'
haU. Ton are the only man la tha house
not accounted for aad a minute before Bude
heard these voices yon go down the cor
ridor towards the library. I eaa understand
yen wanting to keep It from the police, bat
why do you want to deceive me? " ,
" Mary," answered the young man sternly,
I know you're upset but that's no Justin
cation for persisting la this stupid charge
gainst me, I tell you I never aaw Parriah
or spoke to him, either, between lunch and
when I saw him lying dead la the library. I
am not going to repeat the denial. But you
may as well understand now that I am not
In the habit of allowing my friends to doubt
my word!"
Mary named up at his tone. .
"If you ro my friend," she cried, "why
ean't you trust me? Why should I find this
out from Bude? Why should I be humllUUed '
by hearing from the butler that he kept this
. evidence from the police in order to plana
me because you and I are friends? I sm
only trying to help you, to shield you , . ."
" That will do, Mary." he said. " No, you
muat hear what I have to aay. ' If you Insist
on disbelieving me, you must . But I don't
want you to help me. I don't want you to
shield me. I ahall make it my business to
' see that Bude's evidence is brought before
the detective Inspector from Scotland Tard
'who is being brought down hero to handle
the case .,,"
"A detective from Scotland Tard?" the
girl repeated. .
" Tea, a detective. Humphries is puzzled
by several points about this case and has
asked for assistance from London. He Is
right Neither the circumstances of Psnisb's
death nor the motive of his act are clear.
Bude's evidence is sufficient proof that some
body did gain access to the library this after
Boon. In that caso. .
" In that case,? said Greve slowly, " It may
not be sulcldo -. . ."
Mary put one hand suddenly to her face
aa women do when they are frightened. She
shrank back. . ' -."You
mean 'a
He nodded.
"Murder!"
'. The girl gave a little gasp. Then she
' stretched out her hand and touched bis arm.
"But Robin," she spoke in quick gasps,
you can't give the police this evidence of '
Bude's. Don't you see it incriminates you?
Dont you realize that every scrap of evi
dence points to you as being the man that
visited Mr. Parrish In the library this after- .
noon? Tou're a lawyer, Robin.1 You under
stand these things, don't you- see what I
mean?" : t
He nodded curtly.
" Perfectly," he replied coldly.
' " Bude will do what I tell him," the girl
hurried on. " There is no need for the police
to know . . ."
." On the contrary," said the other lmper
turbably, " It is essential they should be told
at once." ' '
The girl grasped the lapels of his coat in
her two hands. Her breath came quickly
and ahe. trembled all over."
" Are you mad, Robin ? " ehe cried. " Who
should have, wanted 'to kill poor Hartley?
Why should you put these Ideas into the
heads of the police? Bude may have imagined
everything. Now. youH be sensible and
promise me ;
,' Very gently he detaehed the two slim hands . j
that held his coat.-" . His mouth was set In a
firm line.
"We are going to sift this thing to the
bottom, Mary," he said, " no matter what are
- the consequences. . You owe it to Parrish and
you owe it to me . ."
The telephone trilled suddenly.
Robin picked up the receiver. - ,
"Yes, Bude," he said.
There was a moment's silence In the room
broken as the clock on the mantelpiece ,
chimed nine times.! Then Robin said into
the telephone: . '
' "Right! Tell him IT1 be down imme
diately!" . He put down the receiver and turned to
Mary. ' " l.
"A detectlvo Inspector has arrived from
London. He la asking to see me. I must go
downstairs." ;
Mary, her elbows on the mantelpiece, was
taring Into the fire. At the sound of his
voice she swung round quickly.
"Robin!" she cried. .
But she spoke too late.
: Robin Greve had left the room.'
. A quality which had gone far to lay the
foundations of the name which Robin Greve
was rapidly making at the bar was his strong
Intuitive sense. ' He had the rare ability (of
correctly " sensing " an atmosphere, an un
canny flair for driving Instantly at the heart
of a situation, which rendered him in the
courts a dexterous advocate and a redoubt
able opponent. . '
Now as he came into the lounge from the
big oak staircase he Instantly realised that '
he had entered an unfriendly atmosphere. '
Greve's attention was immediately . at
tracted toward, the stranger, whom he sur
mised to be. the detective from Scotland
Yard. He was a big, burly man with a heavy
dark . mustache, straight and rather thin
hair, and coarse features. '
. "This Mr. Greve?"
The detective had a trick of dropping his
eyes to his boots. When he raised them the
effect waa to alter his whole expression. His
eyes, well open, keenly observant in perpet
ual motion, lent an air of alertness, of shrewd
' ness to his heavy, florid countenance.
" That is my name," said Robin, answering
his question. "I am a barrister. I have
met some of your people at the Yard, but I -don't
think .: . . "
" Detective - Inspector Manderton," inter
jected the big man, and paused as though to
say, " Let that sink tar .
Robin knew him well by repute. His
qualities were those of the bulldog, slow
moving, obstinately brave, and desperately -tenacious.
His was a name to conjure with
among the criminal classes, and his career
was starred with various sensational tussles
with desperate criminals, for Detective-Inspector
Manderton, when engaged on a case,
invariably "took a hand himself," as he
phrased it when an arrest waa to ba made.
A bullethole in his right thigh and an im
perfectly knitted right collarbone remained to
remind him of this propensity of his.
His motto, as he was fond of saying, was
" What I have I hold! " '
" Well, Mr. Greve," said the detectlvo In
a loud, hectoring voice, "perhaps yon win
be good enough to tell mo what you know of
this affair?"
Robin flushed angrily at the man's manner.
But thero was no trace of resentment in his
voice as he replied. He told Manderton what
he had already told Humphries, how he had
gone from the billiard room across the hall v
and down ths library corridor to the side door
Into the grounds Intending to- have a stroll
before tea, but finding that ft was threaten
ing rata, had returned. to the house by the
front door. "
Tho detectlvo scanned the young mam's
face closely ss ho spoke. When Robin had
finished the ether dropped his syei fcnd
emed to ba examining the brilliant poll ah
of his boots. He said nothing, aad again
Robin became aware of the atmosphere of
hostility toward hlra which this man radi
ated. "It Is dark at five o'elock."
Mandrrton turned to Bude.
"Getting oa that way. air," the butler
greed.
" Are you In the habit, sir," the detective
turned to Robin now, " of gol"f out tor walks
In the dark?'
Grave shrugged hla shoulders.
"I had been sitting In the billiard room.
It was rather stuffy, so I thought I'd Uka
some air before tear.
You left Miss Trevert ta the billiard
room?" '
" Yea" '
Why?" '
Crvt put hand to his throat and eased
his collar.
"The gong had sounded for tea," the de
tective went on lroperturbably; "surely It
would have been more natural for you to
have brought Ml Trevert with your
" I didn't wish tor ' r
Mr. Manderton cleared his throat
"Ah!"Jie grunted. "You didn't wish to. .
I should like you to bo frank with ma, Mr.
Greve. please. Was it not a fact that you
and Mlas'Trevert had words?"1 N
He looked up sharply at him with eon- .
traded pupils.
" Ton took a certain Interest la this young
Jadyr I
"Mr. Manderton "Robin spoke with a
certain hauteur" don't you think we might
leave Miss Trevert's name out of this?"
" Mr. Greve," replied the detective bluntly,
I don't!"
Robin made a little gesture of resignation.
" Before the servants ...".
" Come, come, sir! " the detective broke tn,
"with all respect to the young lady and
yourself, It was a matter of common knowl
edge in the house that she and you wero
. . . well, old friends. It was remarked,
Mr. Greve,' I may remind you, that yoa
looked very upaet like when you left tho
billiard room to," he paused perceptibly, " to
go for your stroll In the dark! "
Robin glanced quickly round the
Jay averted his eyes. As for Bude, he
the picture of embarrassment
" You seem to be singularly well posted tn
the gossip of the servants' ball. Mr.
Manderton," said Robin hotly.
It waa a foolish remark, and Robin re
gretted it the moment the words had left
his mouth. .
"Well, yes," commented the detectlvo
slowly, " I am. I shall be well posted on tho
whole of this ease presently, I hope, sir! "
His manner was perfectly respectful, but
reserved almost to a tone of menace.
" In that case," said Robin, " 111 ten yon
something you don't know, Mr. Manderton.
Has Bude told you what he heard after I
had passed blm in the hall? "
'. Interest flashed at once into the detec
tive's face. He turned quickly to the butler.
Robin felt he had scored. v-. .; . ... v
What did youhear?" he said sharply." '"'
Bude looked found wildly. His large, fish-'
k, like mouth twitched and he made a tew
feeble gestures with his hands. '.
"It was only, perhaps, an Idea of mine,,
sir," he stammered. " Just a sort of
idea. ., . . I daresay I was mistaken.
My hearing ain't what it was, sir. ..."
"Don't you try to hoodwink me," said
Manderton, with sudden ferocity, knitting
his brows and frowning at the unfortunate
butler. " Come on and tell us what you
heard. Mr. Greve knows, and I mean to.
Out with It! "
Bude cast a reproachful glance at Mr.
Robin. Then he said:
".Well, sir, a minute or ' two after Mr.
Greve had passed me I went back to the hall,
and through the open door of the corridor
leading to the library I heard voices! " '
"Voice?, ch? Did you recognize them?"
"No, sir. It was just the sound of talk
. tag!"
"You told Miss Trevert they were loud
voices, Bude! " Robin Interrupted.
. " Yes, sir," replied the butler, " they were
loudish -In a manner o' speaking, else I
shoaldn't have heard them!"
"Why not?" ' , .
The detective rapped "the question out '
aharply. .
" Why, because the library door was
locked, sir!"
" How do you know that? "
"Because Miss Trevertr and Dr. Remain
both tried the handle and couldn't get In!"
, "Ah!" said Manderton, "you mean tho
door was locked when the body wsa found.
Now as to these voices. Were they , men's
voices?" -
"Yes, sir. I should say so." '
" ' "Why?"
s "Because they were deep like!"
' "Was Mr. Hartley Parrish's voice one of
them?"
The butler spread out his hands.
"That I couldn't say! I Just heard th
murmur like, then shut the passage door
quickly. . . ." .
"Why?"
" Well, sir, I thought . . , I.) dldnt
want to listen. ..." -
" You thought one of the voices was Mr.
Greve's, eh? Having a row with Mr. Parriah,
eh? About the lady. Isn't that right? "
"Aren't you going rather too fast?" said ,
Robin quietly. . -
But the detective ignored blm.
" Come on and answer my question, my
man," he said harshly. . "Didn't you think '
it was Mr. Hartley Parrish and Mr. Grew
here having a bit pf a dust-up about ths
young lady being engaged to Mr. Parrish? "
" Well, perhaps I did, but ..."
Like sr-fiash the detective turned on Robin.
"What do you know about thia?" he de
manded fiercely. X 1 -'
"Nothing," aaid Greve. "As I have told
you already, I did not see Mr. Parrish alive
again after lunch, nor did I speak to him.
What I would suggest to you now is that
upon this evidence of Bude's depends the
vitally important question of how Mr. Par
rish met his death. Though he was found
with a revolver in his hand, none of us la
this house know of any good motive for his
suicide. I put K to you that the man who
ean furnish us with this motive la tho owner .
of the voice heard by Bude In conversation
with Mr. Parrish, since obviously nobody
other than Mr. Parriah, and possibly this
unknown person, was In the library block
at the time. And I would further remark.
Mr. Manderton, that until the bullet has
been extracted we do not know that Mr.
Parrish killed huneelf. ..."
" No," said the detective significantly. " w
don't" '
tuiprrislit. It!!, by Arthur Samara Rock)
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