Show The TheM Thern- Thern S By E. E Phillips Oppenheim M Mystery t R Road d Copyright 1923 by Little Brown Co L ys ery oa Continued from yesterday I I 1 feel a great deal of ot sympathy for our neighbors Lord Hinter Hinter- leys remarked Old Colonel Huskinson Hus- Hus kinson kineon whom I 1 met on the Terrace this mornIng told me that the man was bringing them money for some estates he ho had sold which were practically their only means of subsistence Gerald looked up from the sofa where he was lying lie He had complaIned complained com corn of ot a bad headache earlier In the evening I 1 suppose sometime or other he said the true story of or that man will be known everywhere and his hit actual connection with the theDe theDe De Dc The magistrate or or I coroner or whatever he was knew It this morning but he lie wasn't giving giving giving ing anythIng away There seems to be a great deal of needless secrecy about the matter matter matter mat mat- ter his father observed You were present In itt court I 1 suppose Gerald 7 I was fetched by a l small army of f gendarmes Ger Gerald ld t told ld them theta I They The escorted B me thre m there in a carriage carriage car car- r although the courthouse was only about half halt a mile away It was t the quaintest ai scene They were e simply I out for hushing the whole thing up in the most extraordinary extraordinary ex ex- manner They summoned summoned summoned sum sum- us there but they apparently apparently apparently didn't want anything from us in the shape of ot evidence All th that t they were anxious about was to get rid of ot us as eoon as they could Lord had paused in his game This is really a l most extraordInary extraordinary extraordinary nary procedure he declared Do you mean to say Gerald that no witnesses at all were called Not a soul Gerald replied The whole affair from our point of view was a farce One was led to believe that he committed suicide suicide sui sui- sui- sui cide for family reasons or because he had an incurable complaint I 1 saw the manager of ot the hotel Just as I 1 was coming oU out this evening and aid I asked him poIntblank point pointblank pointblank blank who the man really was and whether the story he had told me himself were true I was interested interested interested inter inter- ested In knowing knowIn because it was wasI I who had fetched him away from the Casino at the request of ot the lady whose steward he was supposed supposed sup sup- posed to be answered me meas meas meas as I have never been answered by bya a 11 hotel manager in my life He lie drew himself up and looked like lilt an archbishop It Is one of those things milord into which one loes oes not inquire h ho he said So Sp that was air arr end of me mc Lord picked up his hand Mary came In from the terrace terrace terrace ter ter- race and seated herself by Geralde Gerald's Geralds Geralds Gerald's Ger Ger- ald's alde side The quietness of the evening however was almost immediately Immediately immedIately Im im- im- im mediately disturbed The butler threw open the door announcing guests The Ladies Victoria and Millicent Mull Mull- cent Cromwell Mr James Crone Cronw Cromwell Cromwell Crom Cron- w well Lady a n They e all r t trooped In in Intimates of ot the young people of ot the house We want you to come down to the club for an hour or two Lady Victoria who was was always the leading spirit suggested Dads Just paid my dress allowance and Im I'm dying to lose It it and Jimmys Jimmy's going to give us supper and take us to dance somewhere afterwards after after- wards Added to which her sister Lady Millicent wont went on on we have brought you news They were aJl VI suddenly attentive Gerald who had risen to his feet leaned a little forward News Christopher repeated From England Victoria No you Idiot Lady declared What news should there be from England 7 Theres There's no polo or cricket or tennis tenni yet and most of ot the people we know have al already already already al- al ready run away with someone so RO o othere's theres there's not even scandal left We Ve O know all about th the man who committed com corn suicide tho the other night There was a dead silence a most effective background for Lady Victorias Victoria's Victorias Victorias Victoria's Vic Vic- toria's announcement They tried hard to keep Jeep It se secret secret secret se- se cret she said aid but an English journalist discovered the truth The mans man's name was Zubin and he was the steward of two unfortunate ladles ladies who live near you vou He ha had 1 Just arI arrived arrived ar ar- ar- ar I rived from Russia with a large sum of ot money for them went into the tho rooms gambled with it and lost the lot They say that it was I nearl nearly three million francs and that It was every penny thos those poor women had in the world I CHAPTER XVI onT Christopher and Gerald were werA taking taking taking tak tak- ing an early morning stroll and displaying an almost feminine partiality partiality partiality par par- for the shop windows when the former suddenly felt fett his friends friend's hand tighten upon his arm They I had paused to look through th the plate glass window of at a Jewellers Jeweller's s 's shon in the Rue Hue de Paris ParI What is it it old chap Christopher Christopher Christo Christo- pher asked asted Gerald pointed d to a pearl necklace necklace neck neck- lace which hung in the window I You se see se that he exclaimed 11 tragically That belonged to Pau Pau- line line to to Mademoiselle de And that marquise ring below below I I Iam am perfectly certain her aunt was wearing it ft Walt Wait a a. moment old fellow Gerald entered the shop hastily A very suave Frenchman came forward for for- forWard ward to meet him Can you tell me anything about that pearl necklace and the rings below Gerald inquired But certainly sir air the man re re- re I plied One moment He lie unfastened the window and brought out the stand on which the necklace rested The color of the tha pearls was wonderful They were sere not large but they had an al almost al- al most pink glow I have no doubt monsieur is a Judge and I need say little about these pears pearls the began I r would point out to you however that they were matched for royalty itself and the quality of ot each one Is superlative Ir If monsieur is a purchaser I 1 could quote him seven f thousand d pounds ei and f for there there-f a. a Mt ch or that sum l I there there-f a. a Mt ch or sum l there Is not ot suck another o r necklace ki lIn in the world I 1 recognize th the necklace Ger Ocr Gerald ald aId admitted I might under certain circumstances be induced to buy bly it lt- I T came in how however ver to ask how vou you obtained possession of or It It and the rings below The mans man's manner changed Monsieur he said I J 1 am not able to explain exactly how thi this Jewelry came into our hands There are certain confidences which In the Interests of our clients we are forced to respect II Quite so so Gerald agreed but I 1 L can assure OU that I am not an Imp Impertinent Inquirer This is my name he name he handed the man a card and i I Was an acquaintance of Mademoiselle de tie from whom yoU mUst have obtained this necklace I last saw Madame and Mademoiselle de under very circumstances and I 1 understand understand un- un ano that at they have now w left ft M Mon Monte Carlo arl I J am most anxious ls Kt to obtain word ot of theIr whereabouts where where- As regards regards' that tha-t. milord the eweler said Sald with ith a measure of or increased in increased in- in creased respect but with no S1 signs ns ot of yielding I regret that I am unable unable un- un able to help you The Tho transaction in inI ft such I s as I it with IT was sn no is s a address finished J. J i f I was wasi i You would not buy jewelry v of such C value Persist less Gerald persisted unless unless un yoU knew something of your clIents You U can an probably P bably tell me whether iD D De Is their real name and d y yOU U can at least fan give lve me hint l a. as to where ere they found are to be I regret deeply that I am enI entirely en- en n- n I lord lorri powerless the man replied In the matter milord mI- mI I Gerald held up the tile pearls and let Jet them n I slip through his fIngers He remembered something which PaUline Pauline Pau- Pau line had once saId to are pearls him Pearls the maidens' maidens love lovo children They loyo and care for them as such I I J have reason to surmise aId ii GeraId GeraId Ger- Ger went on that a misfortune tha has I befallen these hese Ia ladies ladils s 11 If they had conf w confided Confided In me it would have given giVen en me the Greatest pleasure to have of nf Offered fed them assistance Th Tb Jeweller smiled inscrutably I J fear ear that hat I It would have havo been iJ had n useless eS' eS the milord he said I have privilege of knowing the elder of these ladies for some thirty years jears and I l supplied the f first t string of pearls which the younger n J-n lady y ever wore at the time of her confirmation I Would willingly have art undertaken the Payment of ot such debts as Were owing In ln Monte 1 af Carlo vario Without security but I should never have had tho the courage to suggest it You will see an an announcement announcement an- an In the evening paper aper milord ladies that all aU claims against the will mand be Settled by me on demand de- de It If I 1 buy the necklace Gerald proposed bluntly will how you tell me and where to fInd sell ache de Th The fri frigid aid jewelers jeweler's bow was almost two MT word Js is pass passed d to these formation ladles ladies milord I have no Information In In- You whatever to give you ou cannot even tell teU me what relation l they ey were to bin Monsieur Zubin Zu Zu- Monsieur Zubin the jeweller repeated a Utile little vaguely Theman Who committed suicide a few ing club ni nights ago outside the Sporting Sport Sport- n Tho Tho-j Tho 1 Jeweller weller u I I n Tho Tho-j Tho 1 Jeweller weller u shrugged his shout shout- 1 ders There Is no Question of ot relationship relation relation- ship milord Monsieur Zubin was I 1 trusted understand th the steward In In- In of certain with the relaxation properties be belonging be- be longing lons-Ing know to Mademoiselle I do not I be-I whether I have hare to to a right even after atter say so much he he- continued led a moments moment's hesitation but It SU suggests s-ests s Itself Itsel that It ing to was owIng ow ow- ments Monsieur Rubin's Zubin's embezzle embezzle- le- le ments Pe he Is several reported to have lost million millions at the tables here that that the ladies whom been we have discussing found themselves temporarily embarrassed Gerald laid down the pearls Continued tomorrow |