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? I
will show you one more and If thnt Is
not suitable 1 can do nothing fur you
Now, how about this one?
Client Yes, that Is Just the type
or lady I like.
Agent Then whnt about an inter
view with her?
Client Unfortunately she Is my ill
weed wife. Kasper, Stockholm.
Accountant Needed
"How many strokes have I taken at
this hole?" asked tho Indifferent golfui
of bis cuddle.
"I'e lost count"
"But It's your Job to remember,"
said the golfer, angrily.
"You don't wont a cuddle to go round
with you you want an accountant"
Al the Store
"I want to buy some gloves fur my
girl friend."
"Some kid?"
"You be! she Is-but I don't sea
that It's any business of yours,"
HE MIGHT
Aviator Want to go up In my
plane?
She I'm afraid voc'd te up to youi
old avla trlx.
Domcttie Product
In making world history,
far are muat roam,
A 11(1 murder mveiery
la found clou to borne.
Spelling Teat
"Are you In favor of spelling bees?"
"Very much," answered Senator
Sorghum. "If every one had to know
bow to spell all the words he uses
speeches wouldn't he nearly so long
Dor so frequent." Washington SUir
Exchanged Setrat
Dolly It's too bad of you You
said you wouldn't give away thai so
cret I told Jou.
Ooris I didn't give It away. 1 ex
changed It for another.
CAR ON A HILL
"Brown Is always botiHiIng ahoui
what his car can do on a hill."
"Yes; It's a great car going down.'
Pictorial Celebrity
tipscrl ft lorn have btrrrt ruiher tarn
A oftortd by biographer
I wnnrior how rrmn nmnngi-ri fnni
Before thir hud photoxraiihera.
Another Viewpoint
"A good deal of useless statistics
are being gathered, I take It."
''No statistics are useless."
iluh?" ' '
Somebody always gets a salary fo
checking them up."
Like Prohibition
Garrulous Old Woman I really do
not see what the Tea Commuiidmcnig
are for; they don't tell you what to
do. and only put , Ideas Into yout
head I
Cat Not Neadad
A dentist received a summons from
a patient who wished an extraction
made In her own home.
'There will be no need for you fo
bring your own gas tippuriilue," she
wrote. "We have It iald on In the
house." . '. -
Bast Regard , .
Mother Well, Jimmy,' do you thlna
your teacher likes. you?. ' ' 1
Jimmy 1 think so, mummy, because
she put Mg kiss on u 11 my sums.
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Next time a hearty men!, or too
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Ready for Food
Waller Haven't they given you a
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Hungry lUner Ves, but I llnlsbed
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suers. '
Easy ,
"I Just swallowed a v!hhotie nnd
now I won't be able to make a wlsli."
"Nonsense. Just wish you hadn't
swallowed it."
Say Nol
He I'm light on my feet.
She That won't do you uny good
If you light on your head.
"Love's young dream" dreams on
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on the young man's vanlly, though
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If you have a reputation better
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