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About The Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) 1916-19?? | View Entire Issue (July 25, 1930)
t THE a i MAZAROFF 3 MYSTERY: J. S. Fletcher Illustrations by Irwin Myers VT. N. V. Servlca (. by Alfred A. Knorf, Inc.) CHAPTER X 16 We Know That Man I I snatched at the newspaper eagerly enough: there was that In Maythorne g manner which showed me that here was news of Importance. I saw It at once there tt was, in big letters lu the stop-press space: "Abouthalf past four this after ooon Mr. Kilthwalte, grocer of C-3x Harrow road, having occasion to visit a yard at the back of his premises. Id search for some craws stored amongst a quantity of similar odds and ends, came across the dead body tt a man which had evidently been dragged across the yard through the rear entrance and partly concealed by loose timber. He at once summoned the police, and on examination it was found that the man had been mur dered by repeated blows on the head with some heavy Instrument. He is a man of presumably thirty years of age, small of stature, of slight build, wearing spectacles, the lens on the right being shattered; he Is respect ably dressed, and a new Trilby hat was found lying beneath the body. He had evidently been robbed after being struct down, as there was nothing on him in the way of money or valuables, nor were there any papers that could lend to Identification: everything. In fact, of this sort had been carefully re moved, and the only articles found In the clothing were a fountain pen and two recently pointed lead pencils. New Scotland Yard was at once com municated with and detectives are making a careful Investigation. Any one recognizing the dead man from the foregoing description should at once communicate with the police au thorities." I laid the paper down and stared Inquiringly at Maythorne. He slapped his hand heavily on the paragraph I had Just read. -Holt!' be exclaimed. "Tbafg the Chap who followed those three women away from Shorts hotel the other Dlght! A million fo one on It!" Yon think so?" I said. Incredulous ly. "Cut there are lots of men who'd correspond to tbnt description." "That'g the man! I'll lay any thing!" he declared. "And this thing's getting more of a mystery than ever. Look at It! Mrs. Eiphinstone. her daughter, and her maid, without a word to Eiphinstone, suddenly clear out of Short's late at night They are seen to be followed hy a man who bad previously Inquired If the Eiphln stones were staying at Short's. They never return, the women; from that moment to this all this time having Hasped seventy-two hours ! nothing whatever has been heard of them. And then this discovery Is made the tnan who whs seen to follow them is found murdered head battered to pieces and robbed! Now why?" "If he Is the man!" I exclaimed. "It'll surprise me more than I've been surprised, so far." he retorted, "if he Isn't the man. But we'll soon settle that. Come along I've got a taxi outside. We'll go round by Short's, get hold of that under hall porter, ant go up the Harrow road." "To see him?'" I asked. "What else?" he answered. Tome on! you don't know what depends on It. Nor where those women are. In tlanger, for anything we know." I went willingly enough, then. Somehow. It had tmt struck me up to that time that Sheila might he In real danger: I had fancied, rather, that she was probably assisting her mother In flying from Justice, or. at any rate, from distasteful Inquiries. We rode round to Short's, and after tome slight delay, carried on the un der hail porter. Once In the cab again, ilaythorne showed him the newspaper description of the murdered man. "I'oes that answer to the man you saw following Mrs. Eiphinstone three nights ago?" he asked. The under hull porter, a shurp-eyed fellow, nodded. "I should say It did, sir. myself," lie answered. "Yes. It's a good de scrlptlon.of him. taking It altogether. It doesn't mention that he'd a slight brown mustache, though. If this dead Mian has" "We shall soon see that," said May thorne grimly. "A few minutes" Mr. Kllthwalte's grocer's establish Dicnt was uwuy up at the poorer end of the Harrow road a very modest establishment, too, catering for a hum tie class of customers. But when we got out ot our cab ami walked towards It, we found that for once at any rate It was a center of vast Interest. If nol of trade. The pavement outside was thronged with people, and a posse of policemen was engaged In getting them to move away or move along, not over successfully: two policemen stood ui the shop door, evidently with orders to admit none but bona fide customers A word from Miijihoriie procured us Instant admission, however, and we entered to tlnd Manners and Corker dale standing Inside, In conversation with the grocer, an excited and volu bio person who was obviously retell ing his story for the xth time. Tor kerdale nodded slgnlilcnntly as May thorne advanced ou thorn. "Have you seen the man?" asked Maythorne., "We ha vent, yet," replied Corker dale. "He's at the mortuary, of course. We'll go round there. Well," he con tinued, turning to the grocer, "we'll look In again when we've been to the mortuary, and perhaps you'll show us the premises where you found him?" "Anything you please, Mr, Corker dale." replied the grocer, rubbing his hands. "Always glad to assist the police, sir. These gentlemen, I siqv pose, are In your line, too?"' "Bit that way," answered Corker dale, with a smile at Maythorne. "Well," he went on, motioning us to follow, "we'll Just step round It's not far." He led us along the dismal road to a still more dismal, If more spick-and-span building, the gloom and somber ness of which was accentuated by Its air of officialism and formality. We trooped one after the other, under the guidance of a polite constable, Into a whitewashed chamber. There, on a center table or slab, was laid out, stiffly evident under a white covering, what we had come to see. The police constable began to turn back the sheet: Maythorne motioned the un der hull porter to go nearer. "Look well! see If you can Identity him," whispered Maythorne. But the Identification did not come from the under hall porter. We had all crowded close to the still figure; we alt looked steadily at the dead man's face. Anil In that In stant Manners and I, after a single glance at it. turned shnrply on each other; a look of mutual understanding Hashed between us, a ft J we let out the same simultaneous exclamation. "We know that man!" The others turned on ns, then, ques tlonlngly. "You know him both of you!" ex claimed Maythorne. "Then, who Is he?" "Newspaper reporter from np our way," answered Manners. "Name of Bownas, I don't suppose you ever suw him when you went up there his work was more to the other side of Oilchester. But Mr. Holt here knew him. That's Bownas. right enough!" "He came to see me. at the Woi Mi- cock, with Manners, after Mazaroffs disappearance," I said. "I saw him. Just once, afterwards In Glkhester. But that Is Bownas, without doubt!" "And murdered here In Loudon !" muttered Manners. "Good Lord! what's It mean! There's more In this" "A moment !" Interrupted Maythorne. He turned on the under hall porter. "Don't make any mistake!" he said. "Is that the man who came to Short's hotel, and whom you afterward saw following Mrs Eiphinstone and her daughter and the mnld? Look well at him. now! be sure!" But the hall porter shook his bend as much as to Imply that all the look ing Ir the world wouldn't make him surer. "Oh. that's the man!" he exclaimed. I knew him at once. There's no doubt I Saw It at Once There It Was, In Big Letters In the stop Press Spaet. ubout It! Recognized him ns soon ns I set eyes on him. Of course, he's lost his color, but" We went out of the mortuary, and Into an ollice where there were more oirieluls. They evidently knew Cor- kerdale, and after a few minutes' whispered conversation with him they produced some clothing. Corkerdule Immediately placed his finger on a label with In the Trilby hat. "Thut wasn't mentioned In the news paper account," be said. "See Bor der Clothing company, Carlisle. New, too. Let me have a look at his other things." I stood by, watching curi ously while Corkerdule and Manners and Maythorne went through the dead man's garments. They found but one thing of any note a tailor's label sewn within the Inside breast pocket of the coat, showing that the suit had lieen made In Newcastle. It had n dute und a number on It, and Corker lule remarked that there was a clew ' Identification, If necessary. "It's not necessary," remarked Man ners. "I know the man well enough. Bownas reporter of the Tweed & llorder Gazette at (Jllcliester. And I'd l;e to know what he was doing here!'' What was be doing at Short's JStiM M 1 m pat Sip hotel?" suggested Maythorne, 'That's more like It Manners! But thnt'a oh. vious he was after Mrs. Eiphinstone. He followed her, too. when she went out Where'. Now, then, did she, and her two companions, come to this quarter of the town? if they did why? And where are they?" ' "Let's go back to the grocer's," said Corkerdule. We went out again Into the gloomy road. The under hall porter, having done what was required of him was anxious to go back to the hotel. May thorne sent him off tn a tuxlcab: the rest of us returned to Kllthwalte's shop. Maythorne and 1 walked side by side at tlrst In silence, "What do you make of this, May thorne?" I asked at last. "God knows!" he answered. "It seems evident that the poor fellow we've Just seen followed the Elphln stonesMrs. Eiphinstone, of course! to London, tracked them to the hotel, went after Mrs. Eiphinstone when she went out that night, but ns to the rest-" "Vo you think he followed them here?" I suggested. "If si, what could they want In this neighborhood?" "Shabby and sordid enough for any thing, hereabouts. Isn't It J" be an swered, with a shrug of his shoul ders. "Again I say who knows? who knows anything? Let's have a look at the place where he was found, however we may get some Idea of something." The grocer took us through his shop Into his back yard. It was a dismal place, all the more dismal because thnt was an unusually flue spring eve ning. It seemed to be a sort of dump ing ground for boxes. barn-Is, chests, old tins, crates, nil the refuse of t chandlery shop; and It was of some extent, runulng from the buck of the premises to a high wall In which there was a crazy door. "Here's where I found him!" whis pered Kilthwalte In a half-awestruck whisper. "I wanted some planking out of this pile of old wood: I pulled some aside, and there was a man's arm! And then will, then I found the rct. I saw signs of a struggle'. But." he added, "some of your people that have been here already, Mr. Cor kerdule; they say that there are clear Indications that he'd been dragged In here, across the yard, from the door there." "What's outside that door and the wall?" asked Corkerdule. We all went to look. There was a narrow, stone-paved lane there, run ning from a side street between the backs of the Harrow road houses and those of some sire-f or terrace set, further back. It was fenced In by high wails for all Its length: there were only two feeble gas lamps to light It ; It was dark, silent. "One of your men says' there are bloodstains on the stoned Just there!" whispered the grocer "Of course you snow, I never htnrd anything and I'v not heard, either, of any body v. ho did so far." We went hack to '.he shop and stood discussing the matter and Its proba bilities for some Utile time. Then the grocer's telephone bell rung. He went to answer it, and looked round at us. "If one of you gen'lemen's Mr. May thorne,' be said. "He's wanted." Maythorne crossed over and took up It-1 receiver. A moment later, he, too. turned on us. "From the under bnll porter!" he exclaimed. "Mrs. Eiphinstone and Miss Merch.son are back!" CHAPTER XI Accused! I bud been pretty much of a pas sive spectator and observer up to thut point, but as soon as Maythorne made his startling announcement I leaped Into action. I was half way to the shop door before bis last word had left his dps; be himself was scarcely less rapid of movement and bis hand was on my arm as 1 crossed the threshold. "Where are you going?" he ex claimed. "Where? Short's, ol course!" 1 an swered. "Aren't you?" "To be sure!" be raid. "But a mo ment These other two had better come, as well. And a word with this grocer chap." I waited impatiently outside the shop until the three men J dried me. We had some little difficulty- in finding n tuxlcab; they were not plentiful In that dreary quarter; when at last we hud packed ourselves Into one I chafed all the time Its driver was running down to a more- palatable neighbor hood. My three companions had re lapsed Into silence: each seemed to be following some train of thought of his own. Nobody spoke, Indeed, jntll we were close tt Short's hotel: then Man ners suddenly gave voice to what he evidently was thinking. "That poor fellow Bownas must have come up to Lonoon by the. same train that the Elphlnstones enme in!" be said, In the tone of a man who thinks that he bus made a startling discovery. "Evidently!" remarked Maythorna. In his direct manner. "Evidently I since he presented himself at their hotel very goon after they got there." "What I meant," said Manners, was this if he did. as he must have done, he vas tracking them or some one of them." "That, too, seems evident," rejoined Maythorne. "I should say he was! Especially as he followed the three women when they went out I" "Why?" asked Manners. "Why? That's what licks me!" There wus a brief silence on that I'lien Corkerdale spoke. "Newspaper man, you say he was," tie remarked. "Reporter. Those chaps have a trick of poking their noses Into places and things where they've no right to be. Bouchers, ns It were. I've had more than one game of mine spoiled by that sort? Get It Into their heads that It's a Hue thing to do a hit of detective work for their papers. Gets 'em credit with the editors, I should say this chnp's been going on a lino of his own since, that murder mid you see w hat It's brought him to I Murdered, himself!" "Ah!" said Maythorne, with n touch of sarcasm thnt was lost ou our com panions. "I shouldn't wonder If you're right, Corkerdule, But what a pity we didn't got on his line, too I For, If he wits murdered to silence him, you may bet your life he was on the right line! But here we are." The under hull porter hurried down the steps at Short's and opened the door of our cab, glancing knowingly at Maythorne. "Came In Just as I got back, sir," he announced In an undertone. "Both "I Pulled Some Aside, and There Was a Man's Arm!" of 'em! In a taxi. So I telephoned up there ;o you. at once." "Good!" answered Maythorne. "But only Mrs. Elphlnstoi.e and Miss Mer chlson? Not the maid?" "No, sir. Only the lady and hot daughter. I think Mrs. Elphinstone's III, sir. There's a doctor gone up." Maythorne turned to the two police men. But before lie Could say any thing, a woman In the uniform of a professional nurse came hurrying round the corner and sped up the steps into the hotel. "The doctor's evidently telephoned for a nurse," observed Maythorne. "I'm! we can't very well break la on Illness." But Corkerdale shook his bead and his face grew Indexible. "Illness or no Illness, Mr. May thorne." he said. "I'm going up I Things are a bit too thick, too seri ous. And there's the young lady. She'll know where her mother's been nnd where they've come from. And where that other woman, the muldl We'll go up. Manners." Maythorne mid I followed them. We went up to the floor on which the Elphlnstones' suite of rooms wus situ ated. At the dor Corkerdale paused and turned to me. "Mr. Holt knows the family," he said In a suggestive whisper. "(!t In. Mr. Holt, and Just see how the land Hest We don't want to Intrude, you know, nor to make any bother, but we must iuve some ex planation. Get the young lady to yourself and" He broke off with a meaning nod at the door, mid. anxious enough to see Sheila and to make sere that she was safe, I tapped at the panels and walked into the room. I suw Sheila at once; she was standing on one side of the hearth; Mr. Eiphinstone, In his usual semi-distressed, semi perplexed state, stood at the other; between them, his hut la his hand, stood a tall, professional looking man whom I at once set down as the doctor we had Just heard of. He wus speaklug as I entered, and with a mere glance at me, be went on: "after a good night's rest, quite all right, I think. But 1 will call again, Mr. Eiphinstone, In a couple ot hours, and perhaps give Mrs. Eiphin stone a sleeping draught. Keep tin nurse all night she'll save you a lot of trouble. I think that's all ot present." He turned and made for the door, and as I was still close by It. I opened It for him. let him out, and shut It on him, at the same time slipping the latch those three outside were not coming In until I was sure of some thing. I turned:. Sheila wus already advancing towards me. (TO DE CONTINUED.) Too Careful A government ollblul who wished to keep bis wife In Ignorance of the amount of money he had. hit upon a bright Idea. He put his wad In an ofllclal envelope, addressed to a matt higher up, If his wife should find the envelope In his pocket, she would never think of opening It. One day he missed the envelope and asked his wife If she had seen It "Yes, dear," she replied, "I came across If In your old emit. I've Jn mulled It." Colochrs Charles Richard, age four and om half years, was watching his mother dress a turkey. When she removed the skin from the feet he asked i "What are you doing, tuLlng the tur key's goloshes off?" bells y imSm CO BACK, LAD Alutrlmonlul Agent You don't Hue the photographs of any of these? 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