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Show MYSTERY MBff1 BEGIN HKRK TODAY A revolver hhot wan heard two minutes min-utes after U REfR'I ABLKTT. no rr-do-well brother of MARK ABLETT the bachelor pro-prieior pro-prieior of The Red House, bad returned re-turned from hl.s 15 ytf&rs' abeenco in Australia, and bAen ushered Into Mark's office. ANTONY GILLINGHAM. a gentleman gentle-man adenturcr and friend of BILL BEVERLEY, on of Mark's ffUCHta, arrived at that moment to I find MATT CAY LEV, Mark's companion, pounding on the locked door ol the office and demanding admittance. admit-tance. The two up n entered tho office through a window and on the floor found the body of Robert with a bullet through the head. Mark wa.M not to b found Police Inspector Birch believes that Mark has murdered hlo broth' i , whoso visit be anticipated with annoyance, annoy-ance, but there ari Several points Which arouse Anthony s suspicions Cayley Unites htm to remain ovei the Inquest and Antony Informs Bill Beverley that "thigs are going to happen hap-pen here coon," GO ON WITH TUP: STORY. Cay ley wae walking across the lawn toward them, a big, heavy-smouldered man, with one of those Btrong, cleau-shuven, cleau-shuven, ugly faces which can ncer quite be called plain. Cayley nodded nn he came to them, ami Moppvd there for u moment. "We can miike room for you.'' said BUI. getting up. "Oh, don't bother, thanks. I just came to say," he went 'i to Antony, tb.it naturally they've rather lost their heads In the kitchen, and dinner won't be till haif pat eight Do just as you Uko about dressing of course Having said what he wanted to say Cayley remained iere a little ;i w k -wardiy. as if not sure whether to go or to clay. Antony wonY'red whether he wanted to talk about the afternoon's after-noon's happenings, cr whether It was the one subject he wished to avoid To break tho silence he asked caro-' lessly If the Inspector had goo- Cayley nodded. Then ho said abruptly ab-ruptly "He's getting a warrant for Mark's arrest." Bill made a suitably sympathetic nolce and Antony said with a shrug of the shoulders. ' Well, he was bound to do that wasn't he'' it doesn't mean anything They naturally want to get hold of your cousin, innocent or guilty " Which do you think he is Mr. ;tlllngham eald Cayley. looking at him steadily. "Mark ' It's absurd," said Bill Impetuously Im-petuously ' Bill's loyal you see, Mr. Cayley." ' And you owe no loyalty to anvono concerned ?" "Exactly So perhaps I mir;ht be too frank." Bill had dropped down on the grass and Cayley took nil place on the seat, and sat thl re heavily, his elbows on hts knees, his chin on his hands, gazing gaz-ing at I he ground 1 want you to he quite frank." he said at last. Naturally I am prejudiced preju-diced where Mark Is concerned .So J. want to know how my suggestion strikes you who have no prejudices either way." "TOUT suggestion?" "My theory th.it. If Mark killed his brother, it was purely accidental if I told the Inspector." Bill looked up with i n t r Bt "You mean that Robert did tho hold-up business. ' he said, "and there was a blc of a struggle, and the revolver re-volver went off. and then Mark lost his head and bolted'' That Bort of Idea T" "Exactly." Well that seems all right." He turned to Antony TiiPC s nothing wrong with that, is there 7 It s the most natural explanation to anyone who knows Mark " Antony pulled at his pipe T suppose It Is." he said slowly "But there's one thing that worries mo rather." What's that" BUI and Cayley asked the question simultaneously. "The koy." The key?" said Bill Cayley lifted his head and looked at Antony. "What about the key?" he .-isked. "Well, there ma; be nothing in it, 1 just wondered. Suppose Robert was killed as you say, and suppose. Mark lost his head and thought of nothing but getting away before uyone cooid eo him WeJl, very likely he'd lock the door and put the key In his pocket. I-tV'd do it without thlnklrg, just to gain a moment's time " ' Yes. that's what I OUgffi It." "Yes, that's all right if the key Is there. But suppose It Isn't there'"' The suggestion, made as If It were a'.ready an established fact, 6tartled them both. What do you mean''" said Cayley. "Well, it's Just a question of where people happen to keep their keys You go up to your bedroom, and perhaps you like to lock your door In case anybody comes wandering In when you've only got socks and a pair of braces on Well. that's natural ; enough. But downstairs people don't I lock themselves In It's really never I done at all Bill, for Instance, has never locked himself Into the dining room In order to be alone with the sherry- On the other hand, all women, and particularly servants, have a horror hor-ror of burglars And if a burglar gets In by the window, they like to limit his activities to that particular room. So th , keep the keys on tho outsldo of the doors and lock the doors When they J to bed" Ho knocked the ashes ut of his pipe, and added "At least, my mother always used to " ' You mean," said Bill excitedly, 'that the key was on the outside of the door when Mark went Into tho room V "Well I was Just wondering" "Have you noticed the other rooms the billiard room, and library, and so on?" said Cayley "I've only just thought about it while I've been sitting out here You live hero haven't you ever noticed thm ?" Cayley sat considering with his head on one side. ' It seems rather absurd, you know, but I can't say that I have," He turned to Bill. 'Have you?" "Good Lord, no. I should never worry about a thing like that.'' "I'm sure you wouldn't," laughed Antony "Well, we can have a look when wo go In If the other keys are outside, too, and in that case well. It makes it more Interesting." Cayley said nothing Bill chewed a piece of grasii. and then said, "Does It make much difference ?" "It makes It more hard to understand under-stand what happened In there Take your accidental theory and see where you get to. No Instinctive turning .f the key now. Is there? He's got to open the door to get It, and opening the door means showing his head to anybody In the hall his cousin, for Instance, whom he left there two minutes ago. Is a man In Mark's Itate of mind, frightened to death J lest he should be found with the body, ' polng to do anything so foolhardy i as that V "He needn't have been afraid of me,' sni.i Cayley. : "Then why didn't he call for you ? i Ho knew you w-ere about. You could have advised him Heaven knows ho ! wanted advice. But the whole theory ! of Mark's escape Is that no was i I "Tell mc something about Mark,") said Antony suddenly. afraid of you and of everybody else " "Yes, I expect you're right," said Bill thoughtfully. "Unless he took the I key In with him. and locked the door at once." "Exactly. But in that case you have to build up a n- w tneorv entir-- ly." "ou mean that it makes it seem 1 more deliberate " 1 I "Yes; that, certatlnly. But it also j seems to make Mark out an absolute I Idiot Just suppose for a moment , that for urgent rensons which neither I of yon know anything about, he had j wished to get rid bf his brother Would he have done it like that" Just killed him and then run away'' Why ; that's practically suicide No If you l really wanted to remove an unOesirn-I unOesirn-I ble brother you would do it a little bit more cleverly than that." ' Cayley had boen silent, apparently thinking over this new Idea, With ! his eyes still on the ground he sail now i , "I hold to my opinion that it wns purely accidental, and that Mark lost his head and ran away " BIJBut whftt about the key- asked ' We don't know yet that the kevs were outside." Oh well, of course, if they are Inside, In-side, then your original theory is probably the correct one Holncr often seen them outside. I Just wonder, won-der, d that's all." "Even If the key was outside," went on Cayley stubbornly. " still think It might have been accidental. Hi might have taken It In with him knowing that the Interview would be an unpleasant one, and not wishing! to bo Interrupted." j "But he had just told you to stand by In case he wanted you: so why should he lock you out? Besides. I should think that If a man were going go-ing to have ;'.n unpleasant Interview I with a threatening relation, the last I thing he would do would be to barrl-! barrl-! cade himself in with him. He would want to open all the doors und aay, 'Get out of it:' " Cayloy was silent, hut his mouth looked obatinate. Antony gave a little lit-tle npoploptic laugh and stood up. "Well, come on, BUI. ' he said; "we ought to be stepping. ' Ho held out j a hand and pulled his friend up. Then turning to Cayloy. he went on, "You i must forgive me If I have let my J thought! run on rather." I "That's all right Mr. Dillingham." said Cayley, standing up too. ' You 'say that you're going up to the Inn now about your bag?" Cayley nodded and turned to go Into the house Antony took hold of Bill's arm and walked off with him in the opposite direction. CHAPTER VII They walked in silence for a little until they had left the houso and gardens well behind them Tell me something about Mark." said Antony suddenly. "What sort of things"" "Weill never mirwi about bin being youi host, or about your being a per fect gentleman, or anythieH "'i the Manner. f0P Jl I t. ii me what you think or VM how you like staying with il how r .... vour party ha- I,... I ,,, H,.k 'Ji I etl,n 'lth fnylfiy and all 3 Bill looked at hirn rigiT,M ' ' ;;r. ,,, bMng tn.y I .1 stei tlve f" Wen i wnnted a now wfl j Smile, I T ,,-her. PrDI "What fun: i mean." heel himself npologettc-allv, "or,9J to sav that, when there's a J in rne house, and one'i v9 broUe off n lUi.. unom,,,,: "Well-- said Antony Mark " (Continued in Our Vest |