THE PEE: OMAHA, SUNDAY, SEPTEMHEU 18. 1921.
piiniiiiiH
I FAe YELLOW 'STREAK. By Valentine Williamsl
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, 1 kraut k M mr TK gtae U.I Sunday
wkUthW Ik Iklr lntllaMHI ef Hki
Vita Slraak." ami I tin f the HMri install.
ai.nl. wank aentaiaa n alalatla hnaarunt
la Ik tfavatopmuit l Ik rial, tar lk
aaaalil al nur n'aars Inlareat' In Ika
alary ika awand laullnwnt la auall.h.a' hart,
ith tkv hirs ntllml wrist Ik
eaaaaite pas.
HORACB TREVEftT ran down tho tor
lift to reach the library door. )(
florat lo roach I ha library door. He
knocked sharply, then turned the
handle. Tha door u locked.
.. " Hartley!" he cried, and rapped again.
Haa artley! Open tho door! It's me,
Horace!" t
. Again he knocked and rattled the handle.
Not a eound came from the lucked room.
There waa an Inaiant'a alienee. Horace and
the doctor exchanged an Interrogatory look.
From behind the closed door came the ateady
ticking of a clock. The ellence was o abso
lute that both men heard It.
. Then the door at the end of the corridor
was flung open and Ilude appeared. He waa
running at a quick, ambling trot, hia heavy
tread shaking the passage.
" O, sir," he cried, " whatever la It? What
has happened?"
Horace spoke' quickly, Incisively. -'.."Something's
happened tor Mr. Tarrlab.
Bude." ho said. ' " The door'a locked and he
doesn't answer. V e ll have to break the door
down.". ;
Bude shook his head.
" It's solid oak, air," he began.
' Then he raised hia hand. . .
"Pardon me, gentlemen," he said,, aa
'though an Idea had struck him. " If we were
to ro out by the garden door here, we might
get In through the window. We could break
the glass If needa be!" . .
" That's it!" exclaimed Horace. " Come on,
doctor!"
He dashed down the corridor towards the
little passage. . The doctor laid a hand on
Budeaarm.
One' of us had better stay here," he said,
' Tt rth a meaning glance at the closed door.
' " The butler raised. an affrighted face to his.
"Go with Sir Horace, Bude," said the doc
1 tor. . " I'll etay." , .
' Outside In the gardens of Harklngs it was
a raw, damp evening, pitch black now, with
little gusts of wind which shook the naked
. bushes of the rosary. The garden door led by
a couple of shallow steps on to a gravel path
which Tat) all along the back of the house.
The path extended right up to the wall of the
house. On the. other aide it flanked the
rosary.'
'-. The glass door was banging to and fro In
the night wind as Bude, his coat collar turned
tip,' hurried out into the darkness. The
library, which formed the corner of the new,
wing, had two windows, the one immediately
- above the gravel path looking out over the
. rose garden, the other round the corner of
'tho house giving on the same path, beyond
which ran a high-hedge of clipped box sur
rounding the so-called Pleasure Ground,' a
plot of smooth grass with a sun dial in the
, center.. , .. . . " ,
A glow of light came from the library win
dow, and In its 'radiance Bude saw silhouetted
the tall, well knit figure of young Trevert
As the butler came up, the boy raised some
' thing in his hand and there was a crash of
broken glass. " ' "
The curtains were drawn',' but with- the
breaking of the window they" began to flap
' about". With the iron grating he bad picked
' iip from the drain below the window young
Trevert smashed the rest of the glass away.
then thrust an arm through' the empty win
dow frame, fumbling for the window catch.
S
' - The catch Is not fastened," he whispered,
v and with a resolute' thrust he pushed the win
' dow up. The curtains leaped up wildly, re
vealing a glimpse of the-pleasant, book lined
room. Both men from the darkness without
saw Parrlsh's desk, littered with his papers,
and hfs habitual chair, beyond it, "pushed
back, empty., " . ', ;,.
v Trevert turned an Instant, a hand on the
. window' sill. ,-. .'.
"Bude," lie said, "there's no one there!" '
' -'"Best look and see, sir," replied the butler
his coat tails flapping In the wind.
" Trevgrt hoisted himself easily on to the
window sill, knelt there for an instant, then
' thrust his legs over the sill and dropped into
the room. - As he did so he stumbled, cried
aloud.. .-I.- .'", -
Then the heavy gray curtains were flung
"back and the butler saw the boy's face, rather
white, at the open window. y -.,-. i
- "My1 God,"-ho said, slowly, "he's dead!"
A moment later Dr. Romain,.' waiting In
the corridor, heard the key turn in the lock
v of the library door. The door was flung open.
Horace Trevert stood there, silhouetted in
dull-glow -of light from-the-room. .- He was
pointing to the open-window beneath which
Hartley Parrish lay on hi back motionless.
' . . ',;.'"
v. Hartley Parrlsh's library was. a, splendid
i room, square in shape, lofty and well propor
tioned. It was lined with books arranged in
'shelves.' of dark brown oak running-round the
four walls, but sunk level with them and
reaching -up to- a broad' band of -perfectly
plain white plaster work. -
It;WaSi,a cheerful, comfortable, eminently
modern room, half library, half office. The
oak was solid, but uncompromisingly 'new.
-. .The massive oaken door stood opposite the
window oxerlooklng the rosary the window
. through which Horace Trevert: had entered.
-Parrlsh's desk was in. front of lthi window,
between.it and the door In" consequence. By
the other window, which, as has been stated,
looked out on the clipped hedge surrounding
the Pleasure Ground, was the little table with
-the Chelsea chaiiv the dictaphone, .and one -...
of the -easy, chairs. The center of the room
..-.was clear, so that nothing lay between the
door, and the carved. mahogany chair at the
desk. Here, as they aU knew. Parrish was
accustomed to sit when working, his back to :
. .the door. h"ia face tQ the .window overlooking
a.the rosary. . .
The desk stood about ten ' feet from the
window. On it was a large brass lamp which
. casCa brilliant cjircle. of light upon the broad
fiat top, pf the desk with its orderly array of
. '..letter, trays.. its handsome silver' edged blotter
v and. silver and tortoise, sheU leather writing
.appurtenances. Bjr the" light of this lamp
Dr. Romain, looking from the doorway, saw
that Hartley Parrish's chair was vacant,
pushed'back a little way from' the desk. The '
" rest of the room was wrapt in' unrevealing
, ." kalf tight. '' "." '.
'. '"He's thereby the window- " "
7 Horace was whispering to the doctor. ' Ro-
main strode over to the desk and picked up
' the lamp. As he did so his eyes felt upon
1 the pa's face" of Hartley Parrish. He lay on
'' Sis back to the space between the desk and
" ' ' the window. His head was flung back; his
"eyes, blutsh ray the narrow, rather expres
sionless eyes of the' successful business mut .
" ' were--widtf . open Tand' flxe In sightless
stare, his Tather fun mouth with its clean
haven litHs was rigid and stern.
From the fact his gate traveled, to tha
body. And then Romain could not repress
n Involuntary start, albeit he saw what be
had half expected to see. The fleshy right
hand of Hartley Parrish grasped convulsively
an automatic pistol. Ills clutching Index
finger was crooked about the trlnrer and the
barrel was pressed into the yielding pile of
the carpet.. His other . hand with clawing
fingers was flung out away from the body on
the other side. One leg was stretched out to
Its fullest extent and the foot Just touched
the hem of the gray window curtains. Tho
other h'g was slightly drawn up.
The doctor raised the lamp from the desk
and, dropping on one knee, placed It on tho
ground beside the body. With gentle fingers
he manipulated the eyes, opened the blue
serge coat and waistcoat which Parrish was
wearing. As he unbuttoned the waiatcoat ho
laid bare a dark red stain on the breast of
the fine silk shirt He opened shirt and
undervest, bent an ear to the still form, and
then, with a little helpless gesture, rose to
his feet.
" Dead?" queried Trevert. . ' ;
Romain nodded shortly.
" Phot through tho heart'" be said.
"He looked so ... so limp," the boy
said, shrinking back a little, " I thought ho
was dead. But I never thought old Hartley
would have done a thing like that . . ."
. The doctor pursed up his lips as if to speak.
But he remained silent for a moment Then
, be said;
." Horace, the police must be Informed. We
can do that on the telephone. This room
must be left Just as it is until they come. I
can do nothing more for poor Hartley. And
we shall have to tell the others. I'd better do
' that mysejf. I wonder where Greve Is? I
haven't seen him all the afternoon. As a
barrister he should be able to advise us about
-er, the technicalities: the police and . all
that ..." i .
Rapid footsteps reverberated down the cor
' rldor. Robin Greve appeared at the door.
Tho fat and frightened face of Bude appeared
over his shoulder.
"Good God. doctor, he cried, "what's this
Bude tells me?"
The doctor cleared hrs throat. -
" Our poor friend is Aead, Greve," he said.
"But how? How?".
. - Greve stood opposite the doctor In the cen
ter, of the library. He had switched on. the
light at the door as he had come in, and the
room was flooded with soft light thrown by
concealed lamps set round the cornice of the
ceiling.
"Look!" responded the doctor by way of
answer, and stepped aside to let the young
man come up to the desk. " He has a pistol
in his hand!"
Robin Greeve took a step forward and
topped dead. He gazed for an Instant with
out speaking on the dead face of his host and
. rival.
, "Suicide!" '
It was an affirmation rather than a ques
tion, and the little doctor took It up. He was
not a young man and the shock and excite-
ment were beginning to tell on his nerves.
."I am not a police surgeon,"' he said with
. some asperity; "in fact, I may say I .have
not seen a dead body since my hospital days.
I I know nothing about these things. This
" is a matter for the police. They must be
' summoned at once.- Where's BUde?" ' '
Robin Greve turned quickly, .' ' , '
? "Geft'-on to the police station at Stevenlsh
' at once, Bude," he ordered. " Do you. know
"the inspector?" '' " ' ' .
" Tes, sir," the butler answered In a hol
low voice. His hands were trembling vio
lently and he seemed to control himself with '
difficulty. 14 Mr. Humphries, sir!" ,;
' " " Well, ring him up and tell him that Mr.
' Parrish'". . . Hullo, what do all these
people want?"
There was a commotion at the door. Fright
ened faces were framed in the doorway. Out
side there was the sound of a woman whim
pering. A tall, dark young man In a tail
coat came In quickly. He stopped short When
he saw the solemn faces of the group at the
-desk. " It was Parrlsh's man, Jay.
' He stepped forward to the desk and in a
frightened sort of way peered at the body as
it lay on the floor.
"O, sir!" he. said breathlessly, addressing
Greve, "whatever has happened to Mr. Par
rish? It can't be true. . . . "
Greve put his hand on the young man's
shoulder. ,
" I'm sorry to say it Is true, Jay," he an
"swered.' ..,''..-......':.,". i -
"He was very good to us all," the valet
replied in a broken voice. He remained by
the desk staring at the body in a dazed fash-
- ion. ',' ., ' - -
' " Who is that crying1 outside?" Greve- de- '
manded. " This is no place for women."
- " It's Mrs. Heever, the housekeeper," Bude
answered. , : .."'.'.-(;' ( ;'.
"Well, she must go back to her room. Send
. all those servants away. Jay, -will you see to
it? And take care that Lady Margaret and
- Miss Trevert don't come in here either." -
Sir Horace is with, them, sir, in - the
lounge' said Jay, and went -out.- ,.- -
- "I'll go to them. I think. I'd better,'! ex-J
claimed the doctor. " I shall be in the lounge .
when they want me. , A dreadful affair!
Dreadful?' , .1 -) L y. v . -
The little doctor bustled: out, leaving Greve
and the butler alone in the-room with the
mortal-remains of Hartley Parrish lying
where he had fallen on the soft gray carpet
"Now, Bude," said Greve incisively, "get
- on to the police at once. You'd better. tele
phone from the servants' hall. I'll, have a
look round here in the meantime!"
- -Bude stood for an instant irresolute. He
glanced shrewdly at the young man. . -
"Go on," said Robin quickly. "What are
. you waiting for, man? There's no time to
- lose." , . . - . , '. , ;B . . .
.t " Why should he have done It?" he whia- ,
I pered to himself. " Why, my God, why,?'"
. With a little-hopeless gesture, the young -barrister
glanced, round the room. Hia. .eye -fell
upon the desk.) He saw a. neat array of .
letter, trays, costly silver and ..tortoise, shell
. writing appointments, a couple of heavy 'gold
-fountain pens, and an orderly collection of
" pencils. Lying flat on the great sirVeV edged
" plotter waa a long brown envelope which had
been opened. Propped up against the large
crystal ink well was a letter addressed simply
'"'"Miss Mary Trevert "in Hartley Parrlsh's
- big, vigorous, and sprawling handwriting.
The letter to Mary Trevert Robin' did not "
" touch. "But he picked up the long brown
envelope. On the back it bore a printed seaL
The envelope contained a document and a
letter. - At- the sight of it -the young' man -
started. It was Hartley Parrish's will. The
letter was merely a coveting note front Mr.
Bardy of the firm -of Jerrtagham, Bardy and
Company, wen known firm of solicitors,
dated the previous evening. Robin replaced
- letter and document In their envelope- with
out i-eading them. , v
""So that's it!" he murmured to Marasaat.
" Suicide! But why?"
All the letter trays save one were empty.
" ---' '"--' i ..
t X M
J LJmmim x
is m w a ; mh
1 , : -''''' tmm rK
- Ay '
Deipit her effort to remain calm,, tha
fiVr voice shook a little. She made a
little helplete gesture of her hanJt.
In this was a little heap of papers and letters.
Robin glanced through them. There were
two or three prospectuses, a notice of a golf
match, a couple of notes from West End
. tradesmen inclosing receipts, and an acknowl
edgment from the bank. " There was only one
personal "letter a business communication
from a Rotterdam firm. Robin glanced at
the letter.' It was typewritten on paper of a
'dark slatey-btue ; shade. It was headed
"ELIAS VAN DER SPTCK & CO. GEN
ERAL IMPORTERS. ROTTERDAM" and
dealt with steel shipments. '
Robin dropped the letter back into the tray
and turned to survey the room. It was in
.perfect order. , The room smelt smoky. Now
he remembered he had noticed it as"he came -lh.
He stood an InBtant gazing thoughtfully at
4 the blazing and leaping fire. He threw a
quick glance at the window, where the cur
tains tossed fitfully in the breeze coming
through the broken pane. Suddenly he
-stepped quickly across the room and, lifting
the reading lamp from the table, bore it over
to the window, which he scrutinized narrowly
by Its light. Then he dropped on one knee
beside the dead body, placing the lamp on
the floor beside him.
He lifted the dead . man's left hand and
narrowly examined the nails. Without touch
ing the right hand which clasped the re
volver, he studied its nails, too. He rose and
took the gold mounted reading glass from the
desk and scrutinized the nails of both hands
through the glass. I
Then he rose to his feet again and, having
replaced lamp and reading glass on the desk,
stood there thoughfully, his brown hands
clasped before him. His eyes wandered from
' the desk to the window and from the window
to the corpse. Then he noticed on the carpet
''between the dead body and the desk a little
' ball of alatey-blue paper; He bent down and
picked it up. He had begun to unroll it when -the'-
library door was flung open. Robin
thrust the scrap of paper in his pocket and
turned to face the door.
- The library door opened. A large, square
built, florid man in the braided uniform. of a
police inspector stood on the threshold of the
room. Beside him was Bude, who, with an
air of dignity and respectful mourning suit
ably blended, waved him into the roonf. .
"The ahem! the body Is in here, Mr.
Humphries, sir! "
He nodded shortly to Greve and with a
tread that shook the room strode across to
where Hartley Parrish was lying dead. In
the meantime a harassed looking man with
a short gray beard, wearing a shabby frock
coat, had slipped into the room behind the
Vinspeetor. He approached Greve. -i
-i" Dr. Romain? " he queried, peering through -his
gold spectacles. " The butler said . . ."
- ' " No, my name ia Greve," answered Robin.
"X am staying in the house. This is Dr.
Romain."
He motioned to the door. Dr. Romain
, came bustling into the room. .
" Glad to see you .here sq promptly, in
spector," he said. .. "A shocking business,
. very; Is this the doctor? I ani Dr. Romain
a - -
: .. .. ... -.
I'-.- Dr. Redstone bowed. with alacrity.
'.--. ,j "A great privilege, sir," he said staidly.
I have followed your, work ". " '
' But the other did hot let him finish.
" Shot through the heart . . .. instantane
ous death . . severe hemorrhage'. . .
the pistol is there .. in his hand. A man
with everything he wanted in the world . . .
' I can't understand It. 'Port my soul, I can t!"
:' The inspector, who had been kneeling by
- the corpse, motioned with his head to the vil
lage doctor.' Dr. Redstone went to him and
'began a cursory examination of the body.
' The Inspector- rose. - ? .
I understand from the butler, gentlemen,"
he said, "that it was Miss Trevert, a lady
staying in the house, who heard the shot
v fired. -I should like to see . her, please. And
.-you. air, are you a' relation of . . . " --
-Greve, thus addressed, hastily replied.
" Only a friend, inspector. I am staying In .
the house. I am a barrister. Perhaps I may
be able to assist you , . ." ,
. Humphries shot a. slow, shrewd glance at
.him. tram, beneath hia shaggy eyebrows.
"Thank you, sir; much obliged, I'm sure.
Now" he thruat a hand into hia tunic and
produced a large U-ather bound note book
"do you know anything would throw a
light on thin ItUHiiteiMi?"
tireve shook his head. . .
" Ho smel iierfiflty cheerful at lunch.
Ila left the dining room directly after he hjd
taken bis co(Te."
" Where did he go?"
"He cume here to work. He told us at
I M H. V: ..i.l IV " J
lunch that he was going to shut himself up
In the library for the whole afternoon, as he
had a lot of work to get through." ,
The inspector made a note or two In his
book. Then he paused, thoughtfully tapping
, the end of his pencil against his teeth. ' '
."jt waa Miss. Trevert, you say; who 'found
the body?" ' ' -;' -:-
"No' Greve repliei" "Her. brother, Sir
' Horace Trevert' It was Miss Trevert who
heard the shot flred." ' ", .
- The door Was locked, I think?" ' ;.
" On the inside. But here is Sir. Horace
Trevert He will tell you how he got through
the window and. discovered the body.",
Horace Trevert gave a brief account of his
entry Into the library. Again the Inspector
scribbled in hia note book. . '
"One or two more questions, gentlemen,
please," he said, " and then I should wisn to
see Miss Trevert. Firstly, who saw Mr.
Hartley last, and at what timer :-
Horace Trevert looked at Greve. ?
" It would be when he left us after lunch,
, wouldn't it?" he said. .-
''Certainly, certainly," Dr. Romain broke
In. "He left us all together In the dining
room you, Horace, and Robin and Lady
Margaret and Mary .- . . Miss Trevert
and her mother, you know," he added by way
of explanation to the inspector
" And he went straight to the library?".
- " Straight away, Mr. Humphries,, sir,"
broke in Bude. -" Mr. Parrish crossed me in
the hall and gave me particular instructions
that he was not to be disturbed.' -
" That was at what time?" , v. " T
"About two-thirty, sir." . : - .
" Then you were the last person to see
him before .. . .' : , " ' . ' .
" Why, no . .. . ' that' is, unless V . ."
The butler hesitated,' casting a quick
glance round his audience. '" '.' '
"What do you mean?" rapped' out the in- .
spector, looking up from his note book, f Did
anybody else see Mr. Parrish hi spite of his
orders?" '. ' v . - , .T .-.....,
Bude was silent. He was looking at Greve.
" "Come on,", said Humphries . sternly.
"Tou heard my-question? What makes' you
think'anybody else had access to Mr. ;Par-.
rish before the shot was heard?"
Bude made a little resigned gesture of the
hands. ' '-" : . !. :-.'
" Well, sir, I thought-. ; . .. . I made sure
that Mr. Greve . . ."...: :..; i
There was a moment's tense sllenoe.; ,
, "Well?" snapped Humphries. -. i:"; ,.
' "I was going to say I made certain. that
Mr. Greve was going to Mr. Parrish in the
library to tell him tea was ready.-Mr.. Greve
passed me. in the hall and went down the
library corridor just after I, had served the
' tea."- ; - . . - . 'V' " '
All eyes turned to Robin,, ' ' . '
" It's perfectly true,'' he said. " I went out .
into the gardens for a mouthful of. fresh air
Just before tea. I left the house by, the. fide
door, off the corridor here. , I didn't gt) to the
library, though. It-is an. understood thing
in this house -that no one ever disturbs Mr.
Parrish when he " ,; , ; , ' .. ;. .
"My God, Mary," he cried, .".you mustn't
come-in here! " . . . - -' ' ":. ' ..... ".
All turned round at hia loud, exclamation.
Mary Trevert stood in. the. doorway v; . Dr.
Romaine darted, forward. . , . . ... ;
" My dear," he said soothingly, ." you
mustn't be here . .,.'.'... "
Passively she let him lead her into the cor
ridor. The inspector contintjfld his'examina-
tion. .. : , y ".. . . '' . -
, "-At what time did yoo come along this
corridor, sir? " . he 'asked 'Roblnr'" ;
., " It was not long after the tea gong went,"
answered Robin; "about ten minutes 'past
Ave, I should say . ". '"."' ' " ' -
"And you heard ;nothing?" ;
Robin shook his head. ., u
"Absolutely nothing," he replied. -ti"Ths
corridor was perfectly quiet I stepped out
into the grounds, went for a turn round the
house, but it waa raining, so I came In almost
at once." ' " V : - '
" At what time was that? " - .' -"When
I came In? V . :. O, about" two or
three minutes later, say about a quarter past
Ave." .' ' ;v " " ' : '; .
Humphries turned lo Horace Trevert.
"What time was it when Mis Trevert
heard the shot?"
llnrace puckered up his brow.
' "Well." he ld, "1 don't quite know. We
were-havlng tea. It wann't much after Ave
t 1 should say about a iruartvr past."
".TUivu the shot that Miss Trevert heard
would ho,va been tired just about the time
Ihat feu, lr" he turned lo Kobln "were
' coming In from your stroll."
, " tUmewhtre about that time, I should
feiy," Jtobln answered rather thoughtfully.
"Did you hear it?" queried the Inspector.
No." tal Robin.
" Hut surely you must have been at or near
the aide door at the time, as you were coming
'lo '. . ."
"J came In by the front door," said Robin,
"on tho other ldo of the house . . ."
'' Very carefully the in
spector closed his note
book, thrust the pencil
'back In Its place along the
bark, fastened the elastlo
about the book, and turned
to Horace Trevert
"And now, sir. If I
might sneak to Miss Tre
vort alone for a minute."
at
r 'j"l 'say, though," expostulated Horace,
'"'"my sister's, awfully upset, you know. Is 't
absolutely necessary? " ' '
. " Aye, sir, it Is! " said the Inspeotor. " But
..there's" no need for me to see her in-here.
Perhaps in some other room."
" " Ttie drawing' rdom 'is next to this," the
butler put In. . "They'd be nice and quiet in
there. Sir Horace!"
The inspector acquiesced. Dr. Redstone
r drew liim aside for a Whispered colloquy.
The inspector came, back , to 'Robin and
. Horace. . . '. ,. '.' ' ;
" The doctor would like to have the' body
taken upstairs to Mr. Parrish's room," he
said, He wishes to make a more 'detailed
"'examination if Dr. Romain would h'eip him.
.If one of you gentlemen could give orders
about this. -. . . I have two officers outside
who would lend a hand. And this room must
then be shut and locked. Sergeant' Harris!"
he called.
"Sir!" ' V '
A stout sergeant appeared at the library
"As soon as the body has been. removed, '
you' will lock the room and bring the. key to
me. And you will return here and see that
no one attempts to get into the room. Under-
' stand?" ; ...
- "Tes, sir!"- '....'. . - '.. ; ,! .:'
" Inspector! " '. - - . ,:
Robin Greve called. Inspector Humphries
as the latter was preparing to .follow Bude
to the drawing room.
" Mr. Parrish seems to have written a note
, for Miss Tr.evert," he said, pointing at the
desk. "And lrf that envelope you will find
,Mr. Parrlsh's will. I. discovered it there. on
the desk Just before you arrived! " 1
, , .Again the inspector shot one of his swift
glances at the young man. He went over to
j the desk, shook the document and letter from
their envelope, glanced at them;' and replaced
; them. .,.'., " '
j "I don't rightly know that this concerns '
, me,. gentlemen," he said slowly. "I- think I'll
just take charge of it. And TU give Miss
Trevert her letter." -'-"' ''
.. Taking the two envelopes, he tramped,
heavily ' out of the room. ; .
The phrases he had been laboriously pre-
'paring" This has been a bad shock for you,
ma'am"; "You will forgive me, I'm sure,
ma'am, for calling upon you? at a- moment
1 bucTi as this died away on his lips as Mary
Trevert said: ' . ' - ," . ''''
"Ask me?any questions you. wish,' lnspec-
. tor.' I will tell you everything I can." .
""That's very good-of you, ma'am, I'm
sure," answered, the inspector, unstrapping
his note book,, " and I'll try and not detain
you long. Now then, tell me what you know
,of this sad affair." " . '
. , Mary Trevert plucked an.iristant nervously
, at her little . cambric handkerchief 'in her lap.
Theri she said: ' v " " -- ' .-'
" I went to the library from the billiard
room. .. .." - .
"'A' moment,"' . interposed' " the' Inspector. ,
" "What time was that??- '-
"A little after five. The tea gong had gone
some time. I was going to the library to tell
Mr. Parrish that tea was ready v ."
Mr. Humphries made a note. - He nodded
' 'lo show he was listening. i. '-'.'
-" I crossed' the hall and went down to the
library corridor. I knocked on :the -library
door. There was no reply.;. Then I heard a
shot and a sort of thud."- v-
Despite her effort to remain calm, the girl's
voice shook a-little: ,-'.
r ..." Then I got frightened. I ran back along
the corridor, to the lounge, where .the others
: wereand told them."
"When you knocked at the door, you-say
there was no reply. I suppose, now, you tried
the handle first? " .
, "Oh, yes . . .." r
,".' "Then Mr. Parrish would have heard the
two sounds? The turning of the 'handle and
then the knocking on the door? That's so,
isn't it? " " !- ,
" Tes, I suppose so ! . . ."
" " Tet you say there was no reply? "
- '"No. None at aU." - -
' Tte inspector jotted a word or two In his
note book as it lay open flat upon the table.
" the' shot, their, was flred Immediately
- - ' "- '" . .-'.- . .". -?" '
after you had knocked? Not while you were
knocking?"
" No. I knocked and waited, expecting Mr.
rarrUh to answer. Instead of his answer,
there cma this shot . . ."
" I see. And after the shot was flred there
was a cmnh? "
"A sort of thud like something heavy
failing down."
"And you heard no groan or cry?" (
The girl knit her brows for a moment. '
" I I was frightened by the shot. I 1
don't seem able to remember what happened
afterwards. Let me think ... let me
think. . . ."
"There, there," said the Inspector pater
nally. " Don't upset yourself like this. Just
try and think what happened after you heard
the ahot fired. . . ."
Mary Trevert shuddered, one slim white
' hand pressed against her cheek.
" I do remember now," she said. "There
iro a cry. It was more like a sharp ex
clamation. , , ,"
' " And then you heard this crash? "
"yos, . . ."
The girl bad somewhat regained her self-
possnssion. ' She dabbed her eyes with her
handkerchief quickly, as though ashamed
of her weakness.'
"Now," said Humphries,, clearing hit
throat, as though to Indicate that the con
versation had changed. " Tou and Lady
Margaret Trevert knew Mr. Parrish pretty
well, I bellove, Miss Trevert Have you any
idea why he should have done this thing? "
Mary Trevert shook her dark head rather
wearily.
"It Is Inconceivable to me . . to aO
of us," she answered.
"Do you happen to know whether Mr,
Tarrlsh had any business worries?"
"He always had a great deal of buslnen
on hand and he has had a great deal to d
lately over some big deal."
" What was It, do you know?"
' " He was raising fresh capital for Horn
way's that is the big engineering Arm hi
controls."
' "Do you know If he was pleased with tlx
way things were shaping?"'
"Oh, yes.' He told me last night thai
everything would be finished this week. H
- seemed quite satisfied."
The inspector paused to make a note.
Then he thrust a hand Into the side pocket
of his tunic and produced Hartley Parrish'i
letter.
"This," he said, eying the girl as h
handed her the letter, "may throw somi
light on the affair!"
Open-eyed, a little surprised, she took the
plain white envelope from his hand and
gazed an instant without speaking on the -bold,
sprawling address:
" Miss Mary Trevert"
"Open it, please," said the lnspectoi
gently.
. The girl tore open the envelope. Hum
phrles saw her eyes All, watched the emo
tion grip her and shake her In her self-control
so that she could not speak when, her
reading done, she gave him back the letter.
Without asking her permission lie took
the sheet of fine, expensive paper with its
neat- engraved heading and postal directions
and read Hartley Parrish's last message. .
"My dear," it ran. "I signed my will at
. Bardy '8 office yesterday and he sent It back
. to me today, Just this line to let you know
you are properly provided for should any
. thing happen to me. I wanted to fix things
so that you and Lady Margaret would not
have to worry any more.. I Just had to
write. . I guess you understand why. H."
There was a long and impressive silence
while , the Inspector deliberately read the
' note. Then he looked interrogatively at the .
girl. -
" We were engaged, Inspector," she said.
" We were to have been married very soon."
A deep flush crept slowly : over Mr.
Humphries' florid face and spread into the
roots-of his tawny fair hair.
. "But what does he mean by 'having me
write '?" he asked. '
The girl replied hastily, her eyes on the -ground.
'
"Mr. Parrish was under the impression
that . . . that . . . without his money
I should not have cared for him. (That la
what he means.
" Tou knew he had provided for you In his
will?"
"He told me several ' times that he In- -tended
to leave me everything. Tou see, he
has no relatives."
' "I see!" said the inspector in a reflective
voice.
u Had he any enemies, do you know? Any
body who would drive him to a thing like
this?" ' -'
The girl shook her head vehemently.
"No!"
' The monosyllables came out emphatically.
Again the inspector darted one of his quick,
shrewd glances at the girl. She met his
scrutiny with her habitual serene and can
did gaze. The inspector dropped his eyes
, and scribbled in his book.
" Was his health good?"
" He smoked far too much, the girl said,
"and it made him rather nervous. But oth
erwise he never had a day's illness in his
life."
" Humphries ran his eye over the notes be
had made. ' ' - -
' " There Is Just one more question I should
like to ask you, Miss Trevert," he said,
" rather a personal question."
Mary Trevert's hands twisted the cambrio
handkerchief, into a little ball and slowly
Unwound it again. But her face remained
" quite calm.
"About your engagement to Mr. Parrish
. . . when did it take place?"
- " Some days ago. It has not yet been
announced."
The inspector coughed.
" I was wondering whether, perhaps; Mr.
Parrish was not quite . . " . whether he
was maybe, a little disturbed In his mind
about the engagement .'.."'
The girl' hesitated. Then she said firmly:
"Mr, Parrish was perfectly happy about
:lt.' He was looking forward to our being
married in the spring."
Mr. Humphries shut his notebook with a
'snap and rose to his feet
' " Thank you very much; ma'am," he said
with a little formal bow. " If you will ex
cuse me now. I have the doctor to see
again and there's the coroner to be
warned ...-.. ' " " '
He bowed again and tramped toward the
door with a tread that made the chandelier r
tinkle melodiously. ' -
The door closed behind him and his heavy
footsteps died away along the corridor. Mary
Trevert had risen to her feet calm and Im
passive. But when he had gone her bosom
began to heave and a spasm of pain shot
across her face. Again the tears welled up
In- her eyes, brimmed over and stole down her
cheeks.
" If I only knew!" she sobbed, "If I only
knew!"
,wi.fnt. 12I. by Arthur Homer Roche)
t continued Next Sunday