Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, October 16, 1921, MAGAZINE, Image 36

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2 M
THE BEE: OMAHA, SUNDAY. OCTOBER Ifl. 1921.
MinilJIOIIIIIIM
The YELLOW STREAK By Valentine Williams
fBiiiiiiim
HI - I
Dl E3
srxorsis,
BTartVy PaiHaVs iwll si Nartlaft, bis reset r
to, InriutM Lady M rfr( Trmrt, bar daurhtrr
nr u4 m Hurrs. m4 Mubu Onr. Wba
trr. la ui la Rubta aropoaal, tall klia aba
nwl la Pmb mm! edoMle wratv na
tn, Orm laara la anr. Miry btm a that
aa4 Parrlab it found dd la abi library. "IU) aia
la alt bud. DiwaMea la dina-tad toward
fw m fento la lb appeml iulna b
Pan, la ballar. lalkj ef baarlac tniry toim.
lUitrta ami ail. sad volsae Iba MM Harrlab vas
aunJard. B tnd a aayalarloia amp ef blue
pavar tMtde la body, and I alar bullal mark aa
aa BprUbl la la to Itnirm. Ha let Harklnta
a4 Mary raetNal, tkh tbrtnifb bar brolbtr Ho
mrm. IHirrxnt kmri.flw, la rbm e( tba w
Sail Mary Ik vantl will ba sukM. but ah ra
aa a U KM tatlaSad wllfc thl. J km, ParrliV
mry. la 'arm Mary af a rranrb loau la l'r
rub's U(. Whll lby ara lalklnf a door U found
Mir. a lkoab Ibara bait brrn aa MTaxlroaprr.
Kubla la ylarM by Drur Wrlfht, formally am
ployad by HvrUb. aba loll ef in lalWr earner
ia aulb Africa -of en Vlrtor Marbraa. an taamy,
ft ef nrUla Mil lallrre thai rwiMd Fan-nil t
, ttoMa eMid Wrifbl lo Marklnat la tvt lb
bine Jxwr thai ar.lTJ Juat bofor Pan-lab dtalb.
W(rb I boul Man ParrUb' drab aaaai
pnaat eaa enur lb library, and b bloat. Pre.
tul, tn m U V Mary Trtrtrt. U confronts
. ' V.
BKYKSTH INSTALLMENT.
The Maxkf Silencer.
0'
ir cried tha girl, "you fright-
wM me! Tou frightened toe! What
do you want here ... in thie
horrible room?"
Bhe was trembling, one erim hand plucked
nervously at her dress. Her breath came
and went quickly.
"I eaw the curtain move. I thought it
was the wind at flret. But then I eaw the
utllne of your fingers. And I Imagined It
was him . , . come back . , ."
"Miss Trevert" eald the boy, abashed, "I
nuat have' frightened you terribly. I had
feo Idea, It waa you."
"But why are you hiding here? How did
you get In? What do you want In this
house?" .
She epoke quickly, nervously. Some pa
pera ihe held In her hand shook with her '
emotion. Bruce Wright stepped to the desk
and turned the bulb of the reading lamp
down into Its normal position.
"I must apologize most sincerely for the
fright I gave you," he said. "But, believe
me. Miss Trevert, I had no Idea that, any
body icould gain access to this room. I
climbed In through, the window. Bruce told
me that the police had taken away the
key ..."
The girl made an Impatient gesture.
" But why have you come here 7" she said.
What do you want?"
The boy measured her with a narrow
glance. He was young, but he was shrewd.
He saw her frank eyes, her candid, open
mien, and he took a rapid decision.
" I think I have come," he answered slow.
ly, "for the same purpose aa yourself!"
And he looked at the papers in her hand.
"I used to be Mr. Parrish's secretary, you
know," he said. . s
The- girl 'sighed- little fluttering sigh
and looked earnestly at him.
"I remember," she said. "Hartley liked'
you. Ht waa sorry that he sent you away.
He often spoke of you to me. But why have
you come back? What do you mean by say
' Ing you have come for the same purpose as
myself?"
Bruee Wright looked at the array of letter
trays. The. marble paperweight had been
displaced. The tray In which It had lain was
empty. He looked at the sheaf of papers in -,
the girl's hand.
"I wanted to see," he replied, "whether
there was anything hre . . . on his
desk . . . which would explain the mys
. tery of his death ..."
The girl spread out the papers In her
haad on the big blotter.
She laid the papers oat in a row and
leaned forward, her white arms resting on
the desk. From the other side of the desk
the boy leaded eagerly forward-and scanned
the line of papers.
At the first glimpse his face felL The
girl, eyeing him closely, marked the change
whloh came over his features.
There were seven papers of various kinds,
both printed and written, and they were all, .
on white paper. ,
The boy shook his head and swept the
papers together Into a heap. .
it's not there?" queried the girl eagerly.
"No!" said Bruce, absent-mindedly, gtaao
tng round the desk. - ,
" What isn't?" flashed back the girt .
Bruce Wright felt his face redden with vex
ation. What sort of a confidential emissary '
was he to fall into a simple trap like this?
The girl smiled rather wanly.
"Now 1 know what j you meant by saying
foil had come for the same purpose as my- -.
awlf ," eh said. " 1 suppose we both thought
we might find something, a letter, perhaps,
whloh would explain why Mr. Parrlan did'
this dreadful thing, something to relieve the'
awfu) uncertainty about . . . about bis mo- '
five. Well, I've searched the desk a .
and there's nothlngl Nothing but Just these
prospectuses and receipts whloh were In the
letter tray here. They must have come by
tha post yesterday morning. And there's
nothing of any Importance la the drawers
t . only household receipts and the wages .
book "and a tew odd things Tike that. Tou .
an see tor yourself . . " v
The lower part of the desk consisted of
three drawers flanked on either side by cup
boards. Mary Trevert pulled out the drawers "
smd opened the cupboards. Two of the draw- '
era were entirely empty and one of the cub
' boards contained nothing but a stack of cigar '
boxes. One drawer held various papers ap
pertaining to the house. There was no sign
of any letter written on the slatey-blue paper.
The boy looked very hard at Mary.
" Tou say there waa nothing in the letter -tray
but these papers here?" he asked.
" Nothing but these." replied the girL
"You didn't notice any offloial looking let
tar oh blueiah paper?" be ventured to ask.
"No," answered the girL "I found nothing
but these."
The boy thought for a moment '
"Do you know." he asked, "whether the
police or anybody have been through, the
desk?"
"I don't know at all," said Mary, smooth-
Ing back a lock of hair from her temple. " I
daresay Mr. Jeekes had a look round, aa he
had a meeting with Mr. Parrish's lawyer in
town this afternoon! "
She had lost all trace of her fright and
was now quite calm and collected,
"Do you know for certain whether Mr. .
Jeekes was In here? " asked Bruce.
"O, yes. The first thing he did on arrlw
. tag last night was to go to the library."
"I suppose Jeekes Is coming back hers
tonight?"
No, she told him. Mr. Jeekes did not ex
pect to return to Har kings until the Inquest
oa Tuesday.
r Bruce Wright picked up his hat.
"I must apologize again. Miss Trevert,"
he said, " for making such an unconventional
entrance and giving you uch a fright. But
X felt I could not rest until I bad lnvestl
sjated matters for coyseif. I would have pre-
Bruf Wright JwM Ma Aewtf in
ented myself In the ordinary Way, but as
X told you, Bude told me the polloe had locked
up the room and taken away the key. ."
Mary Trevert smiled forgivingly.
. "So they did," she said. "But Jay, Mr.
Parrish's man, you know, had another key.
He brought It to me.'?
. She looked at Bruce with a whimsical little
smile. ;
" Tou must have been very uncomfortable
- behind those curtains," she said. I believe
you were just as frightened as I was."
She walked around the desk to the window.
"It was a good hiding place," she re
marked, "but not' much good as an obser
vation post. Why! you could see nothing of
the room. The curtains are much too thick! "
" Not a thing," Bruce agreed rather rue
fully. " I thought you were the detective! "
He held out bis hand to take his leave with ,
a smile. He was ft charming looking boy,
with a remarkably serene expression, whloh
went well with his close cropped golden hair.
Mary Trevert did not take his hand for an
Instant Looking down at the point of her
small black suede shoe she said shyly:
" Mr. Wright you are a friend of Mr.
Oreve, aren't you? " -
. " Bather! " was the enthusiastic answer.
"Do you see him often? "
The boy's eyes narrowed suddenly. Was
this a cross-examination?
O, yes," he replied, . every now and
-then." ' ,
i Mary Trevert raised her eyes to his.
"Will you do. something for me?" she
said. "Tell Mr. Greve not to trust Mander
ton. He Will know whom I mean. Tell him
to be on his guard against that man. Say
ba meant, mischief. Tell him, above ail
things, to be careful. Make him go away
. . . go abroad until this thing has blown
over, . . ." .,
She spoke with Intense earnestness, hei
dark eyes fixed on Bruce Wright's face.
" But promise mo you won't say this comes
from mel Do you understand? There are
reasons, very strong reasons, for this. Will
you promise?" '
"Of course" .,- 4.
She took Brace's Outstretched hand.
"1 promised," he said.
"Tou mustn't go without tea," said the
girl " Besides," she glanced at a little plat
inum watch on her wrist " there's , not an
other train until six- There Is no need -for
you to start yet Besides, I don't like being
left alone. Mother has one of her headaches
and Horace and Dr. Romain have gone to
Stevenlsh. Come up to my sitting room! "
Bhe led the way out of the library, locking
the- door behind them, and together they
went up to the Chinese boudoir, where tea
was laid en a low table before a bright fire.
In the dainty room with Its bright colors
they seemed far removed from the tragedy
which had darkened Harklngs.
They bad finished tea when a tap came at
tha door. Buds appeared. He oast a re
proachful look at Bruce.
" jay would be glad to have a word with
you. Miss," he said.
The girl excused herself and left the room. -She
was absent for about ten minutes. When
she returned she had a little furrow of per
plexity between her brows. She walked over
to the open fireplace and stood silent for an
Instant her foot tapping the hearthrug4.
"Mr. Wright" she said presently, Tm
going to tell you something that Jay has just
told me. I want your advice. . . . " -
The boy looked at her interrogatively. But
he did not speak.- ,
I think this la rather Important," the jirl
went oa, "but X don't quits understand in -what
way It is. Jay tells me that Mr. Par-
cA ilrttUn of rA soorfyaraf. " f nr or (Ares of f horn now," ho mid. . ' Something1
; to mind youriolf, if it'i not toolato alroady.". .
rlsh had on his pistol a sort of steel fitting at
tached to the end . . . you know, the .
part you shoot out of. ; Mr. Parrish used to
keep his automatto in a drawer In his dress
ing room and Jay has often seen it there with
this attachment fitted on. Well, when Mr.
. Parrish was discovered In, the library yester
day this thing was no longer on the pistol.
And Jay says it's not to be found! . . ."
"That's rather strange!" commented
Bruce.' "But what was this steel contrap
tion for, do you. know? Was it a patent
sight or something? "
. "Jay doesn't know," answered the girL
"Would you mind if I spoke to Jay my
self? " asked the young man.
In reply the girl touched the bell beside the
fireplace. Bude answered the summons and
was dispatched to find Jay. He appeared in
du course, a toll, dark, sleek young man
wearing a swallow-tail coat and striped trou
sers. -:- i .
"How are you, Jay?" said Bruoe affably.
"Very well, thank you, sir," replied the
valet. , . ' - .v
"Miss Trevert was telling me about this
appliance which yoji say Mr. Parrish had on
his automatic - Cbuld you describe it to
mer-
- well, air," answa
swot-ed the man rather halt
lngly, "it was a
lifis Ot of eup made of
steel or gun-metal Wttlr closely over the
Barrel. , ,
"And you don't kiow what it was for?"
V No, sir!"
i "Waa it a sight, dd
lyou think?"
"I can't say, I'm e
, sir!" - -
" Tou know what i
.pose. Was there a,
like that?"
right looks like, X rap-
on, it or anything
-. "I can't say I'm sd
re, sir. I never gave
It I used to see the
; any particular heed td
automatic lying In
drawer of the ward-
. robe In Mr. Parrish's i
om in a wash-leather
case. I noticed, this j
leel appliance, sir, be-
cause the case would
s't shut over the pistol
with it on, and the btj
! used to stick out"
"When did you
automatic?"
notice Mr. Parrish's
"It would be Thur
ay or Friday, sir. I
went to that drawer 1
old stock to go.rtdid
lo get Mr, Parrish an
fgr, as some new ones
hs had bought wars :
iiff and hurt him,"
And this steal
then? "
"O, yes, sh-l"
bp Was on the pistol '
"And you say itiwas not on the ntstol
when Mr. Parrish's body was found?"
"No, sir!". ...
"Are you sura offthi?" -
"Tea, sir. I was one of the first in the
room and I saw trje pistol la Mr. Parrish's
. hand and theretwaSjno sign of the cup, sir.
So I've had n good rrk among his things and
X can't find it anywhere!"
Bruoe Wr.ght pogVJered a minute.
"Try and think. Jay," he said, "If you
can't remember anything more about this
steel cup, as you cfll it Where did Mr. Par
rish buy it?" . i
"Can't Say, I'm J sure, air. He had it bo
fore ever I took service with him!"
Jay put his hand to his forehead for an
instant . ,
"Now I come to think of It" he said,
"there was the name of the shop or the
maker on It, stamped on the steel. ' Maxim
. that was the name, now I put my mind back,
with a number. ..."
"Maxim?" echoed Bruce Wright "Did
you say Maxim?"
"Tes, sir! That was the name!" replied
the valet impassively.
"By Jove!" said the boy half to himself.
Then he said aloud to Jay:
" Did you toll tha police about this? "
Jay looked somewhat uncomfortable.
"No, sir!" - - ,J-
" Why not? " r
Jay looked at Mary Trevert '
"Well, sir, I thought perhaps Td better
tell Miss Trevert first Bude thought so, too.
That there Manderton has made so much
unpleasantness in the house with his prying: -ways
that I said to myself, sir. . . ."
Bruce Wright looked at Mary.
"Would you mind If I asked Jay not to
say anything about this to anybody just for
the present? " he asked. .
" " Tou hear what Mr. Wrlht says, Jay,"
said Mary. -1 don't want you to say any
thing about this matter just yet. Do you
understand?"
Tes, M!s.l Witt that be all, Miss?",
" Tes, thank you, Jay."
"Thanks very much, Jay," said tha boy.
" This may be important Mum's the word,
' though!"
"I quite understand, sir, answered the ;
valet and left the room.
Hardly had the door closed on him than
the girl turned eagerly to Bruce.
"It Is important?" she asked. ,
- "It may be," was the guarded reply.
"Don't leave me in the dark like this,"
the girl pleaded. " This horrible affair goes
on growing and growing and at every step it
seems more bewildering . . . more ghastly.
, Tell me where It Is leading, Mr. Wright! X
can't stand the suspense much more! " V
He voice broke and she turned her face -w.v.
- ' . ..
"Tou must be brave, Miss, Trevert," said
the boy, putting hit hand on her shoulder. '
"Don't ask me to tell you more now. Tour
friends are working to get at the truth. . . ."
"The truth! " cried the girL " God knows
where the truth will lead us! " T
Bruce Wright hesitatsd a moment.
I don't think you have any need to fear
the truth!" he said presently.
C The girl took her handkerchief from her
face and looked at him with brimming eyes.
"Tou know more than you let me think
you did,"' she said brokenly. "But you are
a friend of mine, aren't you? " ,
"Tes, said Bruce, and added boldly:
"And of this, too!"
She did not speak again, but gave him her ,
hand. He clasped it and went out hurriedly
to catch his train back to London.
That faithful servitor of Fleet Street, the
Law Courts clock, had just finished striking
seven. It boomed out the hour, stroke by ,
stroke, solemnly, inexorably, like a grim old
judge summing up and driving home, point
by point ah Irrefutable charge. The heavy
strokes broke in upon the fitful doze Into .
which Robin Greve, stretched out in an arm
chair In his living; room, had dropped.
' He roused up with a start There waa the
click of a key In the lock of his front door.
Bruce Wright burst into the room.
The boy shut the door quickly and locked
it. He was rather pale and seemed per
turbed. On seeing Robin he Jerked his head
in the direction of the courtyard.
"I suppose you know they're still out
aide?" be said.
Robin nodded nonchalantly.
"There are three of them now," the boy
went on. "Robin, I don't like it Some
thing's going to happen. Tou'U want to mind
yourself ... If it's not too late already!"
He stepped across to the window and, bend
ing down, peered cautiously round the cur
tain. Robin Greve laughed. . "
Bahl" he said. "They cant touch me!"
"Tou're wrong," Bruce retorted without
changing his position. "They can s.n-1 fhey
will. Don't think Manderton is a fool, Robin.
Hs means mischief. j '
Robin raised his eyebrows. ' '
v
1 going to happin.
You'll wont
. " Does he? " he said. " Now I wonder who
told you that ..." v v
" Friends of yours at Harklngs asked me
to warn you ..." began Bruoe awk
wardly. . ..
" My friends are scarcely in the majority
there," retorted Robin. " Whom do you mean
.exactly?"
But the boy ignored the question.
"Three men watching the housel" he ex
claimed. "Don't you think this looks as
though Manderton meant business?"
He returned to his post of observation at
the curtain.
Robin laughed cynically, ,
"Manderton doesn't worry me any," be
said cheerfully. "The man's the vlotim of
an idle fixe. He believes Parrish killed him
self just as firmly as he believes that 1
frightened or bullied Parrish .Into doing
it . . ."
" Don't be too sure about that, Robin," said
the boy, dropping the curtain and coming
back to Robin's chair. He may want you
to think that. But how can we tell how
much he knows? " '
Robin flicked the ash oft his cigarette fils
dainfully. " These ' promoted policemen make me
tired," he said.
Bruce Wright shook his head quickly with
a little gesture of exasperation.
" Tou don't understand," he said. "There's
fresh evidence. . . ' ." '
i Robin Greve looked up with real interest
In his eyes. His bantering manner had van
ished. '
" Tou've got that letter?" he asked eagerly.
Bruce shook his head.
? "No, not that," he said. Then, leaning (
forward, he added In a low voice: , '
"Have you ever heard of the Maxim si
lencer?" "I believe I have, vaguely," replied Robin.
" Isn't it something to do with a motor en
gine?" " No," said Bruce. " It's an extraordinary
Invention which absolutely suppresses the
noise of the discharge of a gun."
' Robin shot a quick glance at the speaker.
"Go on," he said.
" It's a marvelous thing, really," the boy
continued, warming to his theme. "A man
at Havre had one when I was at the bass
there, during the war. It's a little cup-ehaped
steel fitting that goes over the barrel. Tou
can fire a rifle fitted with one of these si
lencers In- a small room and it makes no
more noise than a fairly loud sneeze. ..."
"Ah!"
Robin was listening Intently now.
"Parrish had a Maxim silencer," Bruce
went on, impressively.
'PatrUh had?"
" It was fitted on his automatic pistol, the
one he bad in his hand when they found
him. . ."
"There was no attachment of any kind
on the gun Parrish was holding when he was
discovered yesterday afternoon," declared
Robin, positively. " I can vouch for that I
waa there almost immediately after they
found him. And if there had been anything
of the kind Horace Trevert would certainly
have mentioned it. . . ."
"I know. Jay, who came in soon after
you, was surprised to see that the silencer
was not on the pistol. ,And he made A point
of looking for It . .' ."
" But how do you know that Parrish had It
on the pistol?"
"Well, we don't know for certain. But
we do know that It was permanently fitted
to his automatic. Jay has often seen it And
it Parrish did remove it he didn't leave 'it
lying about anywhere. Jay has looked all
through his things without finding it . , .
"Whan did Jay see It last?
On Thursday!"
" Out are you sura that this Is the same
pistol as the one which Jay has been In tho
habit of sating?"
"Jay Is absoluloly sure. He says that rar
rlsh only bad the ono automaUo, whlct ho
always ktpt in Ihe same drawer in his dress.
Ing room. ..."
Kobln was silent for a moment
Very dillberately he filled his pipe, lit it,
and drew until it burned comfortably. Then
be said slowly:
"This means thst Hartley rarrish waa
murdered, Bruce, old man. All through I'vo
been pusillng my mind to reconcile Ihe un
questionable circumstance that two bullet
were fired I told you of the bullet mark I
found on the upright In the rosary with
the undoubted fuel that only one report was
beard. We can therefore presume either that
Hartley Parrish first fired one shot from his
pistol with the silencer fitted and then re
moved the silencer and fired another shot
without it thereby killing himself, or that
the second shot was fired by the person
whose Interest it was to get rid of tho
silenoer. There is no possible or plausible
reason why Iarr!sh should have fired first
ons shot with the silencer and then one with
out Therefore, X find myself Irresistibly
compelled to IBs conclusion that the shot
heard by Mary Trevert was fired by the per
son who killed Parrish. Do I make myself
clear? "
" Perfectly," answered! Bruce.
"Now, then," tho barrister proceeded,
thoughtfully puffing at his pipe, "one weak
point about my deductions Is that they all
liang on the question as to whother, at the
time of the tragedy, Parrish actually had tho
silencer on his pistol or not That Is really
the add test of Manderton's suicide theory.
Tou said, I think, that a rifle fired with tho
silencer attachments makes no more noise
than the sound or a loud sneese."
"That's right" agreed Bruce, "a sort ot
harsh, spluttering noire. Not so loud, either,
Kobln. Ph t-t-t! Like thatl"
" Loud enough to be heard through a door,
would you say? "
"O, I think so"
Robin thought intently for a moment
" Then Mary is the only one who can put
us right on that point Assuming that two
shots wore fired and that bullet mark in
the rosary is, I think, conclusive on that
head and' knowing that she heard the loud
report of the one, presumably, if Parrish had
the silencer on his automaUo Mary must
have heard the muffled report ot the other.
What It comes to Is this, Mary heard tho
shot fired that killed Parrish. Did she hear
the shot he fired at bis murderer? "
"By Gad!" exclaimed Bruce Wright im
pressively, "X believe you've got it, Robin!
Parrish fired at somebody at the widow s
silent shot and the other follow fired back
the shot that Mary Trevert heard, the shot
that killed Parrish, Isn't that the way you
figure it out? "
"Not so fast young man," remarked
Robin. " Let's first find out whether Mary
actually heard the muffled shot and. If so,
when . , . before or after the loud re
port" He glanced across at the window and then
at Bruce.
" I suppose this discovery about tho
silencer is responsible for the deputation
waiting in the courtyard,'! he said, drily.
" The police don't know about it yet" re
plied Bruce. "At least, they didn't when I
loft" , '
Robin shook his head dubiously.
" If the servants know it Manderton will ;
worm It out of them. Hasn't he cross-examined
Jay?"
" Tes," said Bruce. " But he got nothing
out of him about this. Manderton seems to
have put everybody's back up. He gets
nothing out of the servants. ..."
" If Parrish had had this silencer for soma
time, you may be euro that other people
know about It. These silencers must b
pretty rare in England. Tou see, an average
' person like myself didn't know what it was.
By the way, another point which we haven't
yet cleared up is this. Supposing we aro
. right In believing Parrish to have been mur
dered, how do you explain the fact that tho
bullet removed from his body fitted bis
pistol?"' ...
" That's a pussier, I must say! " said Bruce.
There's only one possible explanation, X
think." Robin went on, " and that Is that ,
Parrish was shot by a pistol of exactly tba
same caliber as his own. For the murderer
to have killed Parrish with his own weapon
would have been difficult without a struggle.
But Miss Trevert heard no struggle. For
murderer and his victim to have pistols of -
the same caliber argues a rather remarkable
coincidence, I grant you. But then life la
full of coincidences! We meet them every
day In the law. Though, I admit this is a
coincidence which requires some explain
ing. . . "
He fell Into a brown study which Brace in
terrupted by suddenly remembering that ho
had had no lunch.
, For answer Robin pointed at tho side
board. "There's a cloth In there," be said, "also
the whisky, If my laundress has left any,
and a siphon, and there should be soma
claret Mrs. Bragg doesn't care about red
wine. Set the table and I'll take a root
round In the kitchen and dig up some tinned
stuff."
They supped oft a tinned tongue and soma
pat6 de foie gras. Over their meal Bruoe
told Robin of his adventure In the library at
Harkirtgs.
"Jeekes must have collected that letter,"
Bruce said. " Before I came to you I went to
Lincoln's Inn Fields to ses If he was still at
Bardy's Parrish's solicitor, you know. But
the office was closed and the place in dark
ness. I went on to the Junior Pantheon
that's Jeekes' club but he wasn't In. Ho
hadn't been there all day. the porter told ma
So I left a note asking him to ring you up
here. ..."
" The case reeks of blackmail," said Robin
thoughtfully, "but I am wondering how
much we shall glean from this precious let
ter when we do see It I am glad you asked
Jeekes to ring me up, though. He should
be able to tell us something about these mys
terious letters on the blue paper that used
- to put Parrish in such a stew. ... Hullo,
who can that be? "
. An electric bell thrilled through the flat.
It rang once ... twice . . . and then
third time, a long. Insistent peal
"See who's there, will you, Bruce?" said
Robin.
"Suppose It's the police .?" began
the boy.
Robin shrugged his shoulders.
" Tou can say I'm at home and ask then)
in," he saldC
He heard the heavy oaken door swing open,
a murmur of voices in the halL The next
moment Detective Inspector Manderton en
tered the sitting room.
(Continual N.it Sunday.)
(Copyritht. by Arthur Somen Rocha)
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