Show THE RETURN of j lil aal A H jejna B 3 B BS y mry A H ah K 4 88 1 H by WYNDHAM MARTYN by bar STORY FROM THE START anthony trent once master criminal now reformed to new fork after four years absence he learns hla friend capt frank sutton la in sing sine trent la surprised to fand his new york apartment mccu pled by a tt ranger campher sutton who represents himself as the brother of frank sutton trent Is asked by campbell to force a confession from payson grant whom he accuses of having crookedly obtained all of frank sutton s property and then married the latter s wife trent starts on a campaign to accomplish the downfall of grant he leorns that captain sutton has escaped from sins sins and later to his surprise finds that camp bell Is really frank sutton trent takes hla place in society as the opening gun of bis campaign against grant he becomes k house guest of the grants trent discovers in ala demoiselle dupan french instructor a arlena of the old criminal days she la now coins straight CHAPTER V continued 11 payson grant with lath ryn holland smiled jovially as be passed and already pay eon was filled with the courage guarded by a gren revenue stamp was troubled by bis new hab its they made haia look older he grew coarser she had told him not an hour ago that he was drinking himself to death the trouble with that sort of dissolution was that it lingered unduly and was not picturesque tur esque jaycon would probably develop into a flabby and fleshy old man conscious that she had been silent for a long time and that anthony trent was looking about him curious ly mrs grant with whom he was dancing became sprightly and con these are not the sort ot people who interest you she said 1 I want ed yon to come when some very charming friends are visiting us you must hare thought mr gambert was terribly inquisitive at dinner 1 I like curiosity in others trent said its the must self revealing quality there Is mr gambert for in stance gave me the impression of being a sort of amateur detective or perhaps hes one of the profession als he did not take hla eyes from her as le said this if she lied be would know it unhappily tw Is god father she laughed and has to be humored on that account most of these people are the sort of old friends who assume they are welcome because they have known bayson or me before we were too old to resent them A dreadful amount of non sense Is talked about old friends just look at this man coming in the new guest interested trent he had that square carriage which Is seen most often on those who have served their country un the police force lie moved with a pen deraas solidity aal yet his furtive dark eyes and nervous con the impression his figure and walk ave the observer his clothes were biot of a fashionable another old friend trent asked lightly simply a business acquaintance she returned when the rousia payson grant stronger ns clr yeatman an accountant who had come to him over some boubli american business As he said it trent noticed that natica grant frowned mr yeatman als anglo saxon name bid a curious vocal inflection that puzzled trent it seemed almost certain that lie lan edwige he used was not that to which ae had been bred trent felt almost certain thill the furtive was an operative troia an agency for himself tie experienced no fear ills linger prints or berulson Be measurements were in no official bureaus it wag for the coun less he was anxious it the stranger indeed n de he would probably ln wilb the servants and the presence of nu then like mademoiselle dupan would beera worthy of investigation could picture her being put brusque examination refer ances would be into and slie would be invited to explain by ahat channels she entered the united states the dates of arrival and all those particulars which would daron CT in official eyes presently the distinguished account nt was introduced to anthony trent trent was not acquainted with alie methods of account ic count ts but be did not think yeatman a edit to that accurate body 1 I should eardly lave taken you for a commer dal man trent bald abre was no mistaking the and n a terest Yeat nian bad for the pe ilter suspicion was on his face B moment then he assumed a heartline heart lne arto not ere on business tonight ww he said tomorrow I 1 shall attend to that tomorrow when the house party had broken up and trent had retired to his rooms there came a knock upon the door and old gambert entered there was something of a child in the old man he ans hardly able to conceal his triumph they cant fool me he began they forget I 1 was a ranger once and an old indian fighter they keep it from me that fellow who dont know as much as I 1 do about double entry Is a detective got him here so that gang operating long the coast wouldn t get a chance sats says there s a million dollars rep resented an fn jewels at the dinner table this fallow Yea had planned to be introduced as an architect going she had told him not an hour ago that he was drinking himself to death to matee alterations bied been read ing it up la a book and could have gotten by what does payson do but forget and call him an accountant no wonder I 1 got him all tangled up in figures 1 I suppose he has his suspicions already trent hazarded sure said gambert he saw he put anything oer on me he says alie spring lake robberies were all inside lobs ue was asking natka what she knew about the butler and his jwj deputies gambert s eyes sparkled I 1 ve always wanted to be ione of those swell house party robberies this place aught to be a mag net it you were one of those society crooks you try to get an invite here it would be an ideal place tient conceded you understand gambert warned him as he went to the door that it Is all private what I 1 ve told you naturally trent returned good night things looked very dark tor mademoiselle dupan acor all trent knew she might hue been traced here in that c ise nothing could save her he determined to use thorpe as a mes early on the morrow at least she roust rou st be warned the admirable butler came unald den net morning to know what mr trent desired for breal fast and whether he would go downstairs or have it in hi room thorpe had found in the american one be might sere end keep his self respect ill go donn said by the way he added 1 I want this note taken to dupan it was written bhe was when lie read it be very careful the note ran ereie Is a de here calling yeatman and pretending to be a business friend of sir grant I 1 must see you tell bearer at what hour you can come to me mademoiselle dupan turned to the 1 I will discuss the matter with mr trent at ten the butler left fuei farm in the con that some monetary none tary consideration was the cause of these conversations sat ions gentlemen of leisure as he knew would be indiscreet mademoiselle duplig entered trent s sitting room at ten although she looked worried there was an absence of the black despair which the previous day had had her in its grip in twenty minutes she said 1 I 1 iv e to he mra grant a lesson your letter alarmed me very much 1 only meant it to put you on your guard he answered there may be no danger of your being lecog there Is always danger she said somberly how shall I 1 recognize him there are 0 o many strangers in the bouse lies about five feet nine inches high and chunky enough to weigh two hundred pounds coloring dark gray black hair and full lips partly hidden by a mustache uneven teeth the left ear la a quarter inch lower than the right he carries erect and squarely his age Is ably forty the impression be gives Is one of great irritability of temper he has many little nervous habits which somehow are not in keeping with his rugged solid policeman like frame you must have watched him keen ly she said 1 did so because he was ing me and asking my lost questions I 1 looked so closely because he was one of the few men I 1 have disliked on sight there was a look of acute ill stress on her face you can t mean you think he may have come tor you her concern tor his safety provoked a strange gratification 1 I dont think so but that may mean nothing of my life mademoiselle I 1 have taken what I 1 wanted and played my alta against the police and I 1 have always won the odds always turn it may be I 1 take too much comfort in thinking that because I 1 have quit the game I 1 shall be secure you have the air of one who has yet a great destiny she said 1 I do not see you coming to an unhappy fate she looked at thac clock my time Is up but you need not go without seeing yeatman trent said he Is in the garden now looking ap here apparently parent ly from a table drawer trent took a pair of powerful binoculars and hand ed them to the he nas turned his back to me she com yes he stands square and menacing like a policeman I 1 shall not meet this gentleman it I 1 can help it she put the glasses down you will not think me cowardly when I 1 confess that something here oppresses me she put her bands to her heart 1 I cannot refuse to see him without making him suspicious natica grant used to talk ol 01 the doings of the day to mademoiselle in the tongue it was her desire to become fluent in as short a time as and to capture aa wide a vocabulary as she could it wab not reassuring to mademoiselle that her employer started her morning with a discussion of crime and the enormous value of the jewels beneath her root it vi as an alty to get nearer to ahat was the object of tho man trent who should know thought it a curious thing that a detective should be akad to come tr a house party where there nere no more than a score of guests mrs grant smiled when mademoiselle expressed these ideas TO BE |