Show THE THREE STRINGS By NATALINE NAT ALINE S SUMNER LINCOLN Author of The liThe Nameless Man I Copyright l U. l ld b br by D D. D Appleton Co Copyright Public Public Ledger lAllIer Co READ THIS FIRST Evelyn E Preston finds the bod body of or a t cr in In the tho library of or her homo hom In Washington ton An autopsy shows howe that death wa was duo due to prussic prussia Her mother and stepfather Peter Burnham arrive arrhe home but unable to throw I Inny any light lIht on tho the strangers stranger's r Identity or orthe ortho tho the manner of or his death Captain LaMontagne Ltv Ln I Montagne who lover love Evelyn finds his hie letters to her have been Intercepted and blames Burnham who favors Palmer as 03 suitor for Evelyn Pollen Police Investigate to rumors ru rumors rumors ru- ru mors that Burnham Is la pro German and question Palmer Palmer says lays he ho has hIlS never novel heard Burnham utter any sentiments TH THEN EN READ TI THIS IS CHAPTER 22 Ah Chief Connor c eyed d his hlo visitors visitors tors sharply Your statement t contradicts contradicts con con- letters received hero here In which It Is charged that Burnham Burham Is a pronounced pronounced pro pro- pacifist Palmer pushed back his chair lr and crossed his legs You said seditious utterances ho began besan Burnham has never made them before me but I have ha heard him state his pacifist views lows that was wa before this country went Into the lie war No ono paid any attention to him Ono On person did remarked Connor dryly Our correspondent And AntI who lio I Is he lie Chit f t Connor opened a 0 drawer and took look from a file a paper evidently a n. deposition as far tar as Maynard could mako out from where he sat and the angle at nt which Connor held the sheet The name namo signed here hen continued tho the chief chic of ot the secret service Is IsA A Adolphus olphus Jones Adolphus Jones repeated Palmer Who Is he lie 1 Tho Burnhams' Burnhams butler butler Jones Jones an answered answered answered an- an Detective Mitchell minutes later James Palmer and Dan Dnn Maynard stood on tho the steps of ot the treasur treasury department Its a rum go po the tho former re re- re marked have thought Jones as old nn and Rood good oo a n. servant senant as ns ho Is Is would tr try to get Burnham Into trouble by reporting him to tho the secret service servIce service ice It shows wo we aro all aU at tho the merc mercy Qt some fool Cool spy mad Maynards Maynard's eyes twinkled as ho adJusted adjusted ad- ad juste his tI tie which was slightly awry It was our G German rm n spy theor theory regarding the tho dea dead man which took us to g see e Chief Chic Connor Connor to But Dut wo we had some somo ground to go goon goon o on on Interrupted Palmer Whereas poor Burnham never uttered nn any se seditious seditious seditious se- se sentiments I am confident That ol old fool Jones h has hs s muddled things thinS's nicely The They had approached tho the corner of ot Pennsylvania avenue and Fifteenth as they talked cd and Palmer stopped stopp at the curb Aro you going to speak to Burnham about Jones' Jones beha behavior Certainly not Chief Chic Connor re requested requested requested re- re quested us to mention It to no one Maynard ra nard shot a questioning look at athis athis athis his companion who stood with ono one foot In the street and anel the other on tho the curbstone But it seems unfair to Burnham not to warn him that Jones is a a. meddlesome meddlesome meddlesome med med- untrustworthy ol old fool ob objected objected objected ob- ob Palmer After Alter all Burnham Is la our friend And wo we can prove our friendship b by holding our tongues replied Manard Maynard Maynard May May- nard warmly Burnham seems laborIng laborIng laboring labor labor- ing under a a. severe severo nervous strain It wont won't tal tako o much more excitement to break him down clown The secret service will weed out the the- lies Jones' Jones statements statements state state- ments about his employer will betaken be betaken taken for what they aro are worth so 50 dont don't worry Palmer frowned Crowned I HI dont don't like It ho said shaking a puzzled head however However However How ever while Ill I'll sa say nothing about the matter Ill I'll keep m my eye eo on Jones Joncs Are you coming comins over to tho the club Not now Maynard glanced up at atthe atthe atthe the clock tower of ot tho the building diagonally diagonally diago diago- nally across the tho street from Crom where the they stood I have havo Just time to do several errands before the shops close 1 Ill I'll stop at the tho club on tho the way home All right Bo sure and look me up and Palmer dodged an oncoming motor truck and hurried across tho street Maynard again consulted tho clock I in tho the tower lower and then crossed over overto overto overto to a n. drug store storo Entering a n. telephone booth he finally succeeded In getting bellins I tho the Burlington apartment tho the central there however informed him that I I Captain Reno Keno La no had not returned and ha had not left word when he would bo be in In A telephone call to the Frenchmans Frenchman's office elicited no nomore nomore more moro Information Where in the devils devil's name namo was La Montagne Maynard Manard left len tho the drug drus store storo in a 0 disgusted distrusted dis dis- trusted gusted frame of ot mind and with the tho question unanswered Ho He had spent the morning lr trying to find first Palmer Palmer Pal- Pal mer and then La In between attending tho the rehearsals for the Red RedCross RedCross RedCross Cross benefit at the Belasco theatre His offer r to take part in the tableaux had been eagerly accepted and a telephone telo- telo phone call can before he left leCt tho the Burnhams' Burnhams Burnhams' Burnhams Burn Burn- hams' hams had apprised him that his presence presence presence pres pres- ence way was el very much needed at the theatre Ho had hall hoped to find Evelyn and Marian rehearsing their roles but I neither had turned up although he waited long Ions after his tableau had been tried out and thereby missed his luncheon at tho the Burnhams' Burnhams The Tho thought of or luncheon reminded him that ho he had been exceedingly rude to Mrs Burnham having In to his absentmindedness absentmindedness absent absent- mindedness forgotten to telephone her that ho would not be bo there for that meal Turning on his heel he ho walked up the street until ho came to a florist after aCter his errand there was completed ho walked up II street In Intending intending In- In tending to go SO to tho the club but on reaching Connecticut avenue bo re decided de decIded decided de- de to return home and started briskly ort oft up tho avenue As he crossed crosse Farragut Square ho he heard his liis name called and glancing around saw Evelyn Eveln Preston sitting on one of ot the park b benches lIe He quickened his steps and sat down by her You are aro Just the person I 1 want ant to see ho announced Tell mo where I can find Reno Heno La Montagne I have havo tried both his office and his apartment apartment apart apart- ment without success Then I am nm afraid I 1 cannot help you ou she said Rene nene told mo me last lost night that ho might bo be c culled called lIed out of DC town for tor a 0 short time limo ho ha said that he could not be more explicit OhI Ohl Ohl Maynard Innar drew h cane up and down tho the gravel path in deep thought Aa As the tho silence lengthened Evelyn Eveln stole a no glance at t him ho was certainly one of 01 the handsomest men who had e ever been a n. matinee Idol idol I I 1 want to ask aak you ou a n question she began and Maynard awoke from his abstraction Why did you ou and James Palmer come como Into Marians Marian's apartment last night To call on Mrs Irs Van Ne Ness Nesa 9 That Is tho the obvious answer Evelyn's Evelyns Evelyns Evelyn's Eve Eve- lyns lyn's color rose Now No dont don't be bo angry o. In laying an nn appealing hand on his coat cont sleeve James Palmer come up there thero Just to spy on mo me moT Maynard smiled No Frankly we did not know you were there thera Oh ejaculated Evelyn Eveln Marian and I 1 thought perhaps Mr Burnham had suggested Bus your our calling caning not you personally coloring warmly as aa she ho remembered her use uso of ot the word spy spy hut but James Palmer So you think James JameR Palmer wouldn't be bo above spying Maynard twisted about on the tho bench and faced her Evelyn no nodded ed I t I dont don't like him sho she admitted honestly Il II admit Im I'm prejudiced but I couldn't think no matter what happened an any worse of ot him than I 1 do He's Hes tics lIes he's hes always under my feet Maynard a laughed outright And that's what a man gets ets for being devoted to a R. girl Irl he said I de declare declare de- de clare Evelyn Eveln you ou are arc a trifle dis dis- Dont make fun of ot me Evelyn elyn looked downcast You dont don't know how I have had James Palmer preached at mo me b by my stepfather she halt half shu shuddered d red wh why I didn't spen spend the summer flummer at home Were Yero you OU with them all the evening evening evening eve eve- ning With Uh th them with them m with whom Mr III Burnham and James Palmer No I 1 only Joined them at Palmers Palmer's apartment about 9 o'clock or a little later Then you OU can cOon depend upon it tha that Mr Burnham asked James to call on Marian last night Just to find out It if Rene onta ne and I 1 were there Evelyn ehn nodded her head wisely Marlon and I 1 were right in our conclusions con con- clu I 1 am Bure sure Sorry bu but t you OU nr are aro wrong ronS stated ted Maynard l Wo We called on her on impulso Impulse Impulse Im Im- pulse so 80 to speak he hesitated no mentton had been made mado to Evelyn Eveln of ot the occurrences In Palmers Palmer's apartment the tho night before and ho could not bemore bo be more moro explicit regarding the rea reason on for their visit to Marians Marian's apartment What harm was done b by Palmer fleeing seeing see flee ing Rene calling on you ou and Mrs Van VanNess VanNess VanNess Ness lIe He told mother and she ehe ha has forbidden forbidden forbidden for for- bidden m my visiting Marian Evelyn stamped her pretty foot It it was perfectly horrid o of James Palmer to togo togo go 10 and mal make mako e trouble Her e eyes es filled with tears I 1 am sitting here now hoping to see Bce Marian 1 on her wa way from tho tiro state department and tell her of ot mothers mother's edict Its Irs n shame shamo There was honest indignation in Maynards Maynard's voice Suppose Suppose Suppose Sup pose I try to persuade your our mother to reconsider reconsider- Would you you could could you ou 7 Evelyn E was a n trifle incoherent Oh but you youcan youcan ou can n do any anything thinS thinS' Do say a good word for Rene I 1 will Indeed and Maynard Maynar touched by her emotion took h her r hand in a R. firm clasp cl I 1 will aid you OU in eel every possible way Evelyn smiled through her tears tear Then will you ou see that this letter reaches Rene Reno I will tonight It if possible Maynard Maynard laynard May May- nard placed the envelope in an nn inside pocket Tell me mo Evelyn did Rene appear agitated when he reached Mrs Van Yan Ness Ness' apartment last night Agitated no Agitated no Evelyn laughed softly at nt a sudden recollection Only pleasurably excited she added de demurely demurely de- de and Maynard chuckled Can you OU tell mo me why Burnham dislikes Rene or he asked Ho hasn't any grounds for dIsliking disliking disliking dis dIs- liking him retorted Evelyn Eveln loyally It is Just his natural cussedness Again Ma Maymard Maynard nard chuckled You dont don't show an any great fondness for your our stepfather ho he said Bald and Evelyn colored this time with indignation as ns unhappy memories rose Why Z should I she sho demanded Ho lie has tried repeatedly to prejudice mother against me Oh how could she sho marry him She Sho must have re remembered ro- ro my dear splendid father There Thero Is no accounting for taste Evelyn Mn Maynard nard felt himself on delicate ground widening the breach between the Burnhams and Evelyn would be bo like applying applying- a match to a n. keg of ot sun gunpowder powder It didn't strike mo me that Burnham was such a bad sort when I 1 first knew him You haven't got him In the family exclaimed Evelyn Eveln shrewdly It makes all the difference between tolerance and active dislike I 1 wish mother wasn't so under his Influence I You Tou think she is 7 I Continued tomorrow I |