Show the nazaro by J S FLETCHER by IR IRWIN MYERS A by alfred A knopf inc W N U service servian CHAPTER XI continued 18 and you got out how asked Wayt maythorne horrie this evening when we were about done up for lack of 0 fresh air though to tell the truth id long since broken the window replied shella sheila we suddenly heard sounds outside the door then we heard the bolt withdrawn and the key turned and somebody outside ran awny away the hall door banged we immediately went out tile the place was all in darkness and silence we left the house and hurried tiff off to find a cab the door of 0 mrs Elphin stones bedroom opened and the nurse looked in on us mrs elphinstone wishes to see mr elphinstone and miss ilson she sit said I 1 d A moment later bi maythorne ay thorne 1 I find and the two policemen were alone maythorne rose from ills his chair put ills his fiands lo in liis his pockets and looked inquiringly quirin gly at Corke well he said Corke Corle smiled inscrutably and nodded at the hie door through which I 1 mr elphinstone and sheila had just vanished dont believe that yarn he said almost contemptuously romance I 1 was on my legs at that I 1 dare say I 1 turned on the detective in a fury what the devil do you mean I 1 demanded are you quest questioning anjil n miss ons wold woid 1 11 I mean that however true the young ladys story may be and I 1 aint questioning it said Corke 1 I dont believe that tile the old lady in there in this she find and the woman murdoch put up job betheen beti een em cm the hid naping a piece of 0 bluff to enable the other woman to get away of course the other woman dobilas came across her and site she tricked him into that alley and did him in obvious but mrs Elphin stones in it and im not going out of 0 tills this hotel nor manners either till weve done a bit of 0 questioning that as they say nowadays I 1 was still bailing with rage but I 1 looked at maythorne inwardly won dei debing ing that lie he was so BO calm ile he had kept on nodding ills his head while cor berdale spoke and lie was evidently about to give him some meditated reply when a knock came at the outer door and a waiter looked in mr maythorne lie he inquired glancing round the room then as maythorne moved towards liina him lie he added will you come to the telephone sir name of 0 Cot tingley asking tor for you CHAPTER XII the boat train maythorne hurried out of the room leaving me stilt still indignant and glowering alone with the policemen presently Corke who had been whispering to manners turned to me its all very well and ive no doubt very natural for you to be a bit huffish mr holt lie he said half pro ts ti tingly half apologetically apologetic aliv youre s beet beet on the young lady as abbody an body with halt half an eye can cali see and leaie leae the young ladys name out of the question if you please I 1 exclaimed and mine too bit difficult to leate leaie her out it he retorted smiling jig after what weve just heard I 1 dont disbelieve for tale not II fl though im more than a bit surprised that a young woman noman of her intel intelligence clever girl should let herself be trapped in that fashion trapped slie she was no doubt I 1 but I 1 dont believe her mother was trapped what I 1 exclaimed why youve just heard 1 l ive just heard what weve all just heard he interrupted my opinion Is that it was as all a put up job between mrs elphinstone and this woman mur mar duch and that miss ons been taken in by both I 1 think that mrs went willingly to that house and stood the detention there slie she wanted for nothing you heardt heard so that that her daughter who uns BBS be inning to know too much and to get dangerous should be kept safe and batet aillet while the murdoch Bl woman got right away and ill lay all im worth to a penny piece that murdoch knocked that chap bownas on oil the elie head in that back alley and that by now sties somewhere you dont think that mrs 1 elphon stone know knew anything about Bown bownas I 1 I 1 said good lord according to you ll 11 according to me sir murdoch murdered mazaroff llazar oll and mrs Elph lil stones well aware of it lie said de theres what the law ers call erlma facie el eldrence dence of that anyhow Uny how and manners bl anners here agrees with rue me and were not going out of this hotel until that doctor comes lack hack and then were going to see if mrs mra elphinstone bt it to be questioned and it site blie just yet then were going to buy on the promises premises till she Is so there I 1 before I 1 could say anything the outer door opened and maythorne stuck halt half his face inside the room boltl lie said I 1 went to him i 1 he drew me into the corredor corr dor and closed the elie door AIes West iaze from he be said in a whisper lifes hes been carrying on a close investigation of 0 offices this last forty eight hours working like it ft nf digger er and at last hes hit bit on something tills this afternoon a woman closely answering to the description I 1 gave him of 0 allson alison murdoch booked two passages for new zealand at the new zealand shipping company offices in Coch cockspur spur street by their ship the which leaves southampton early tomorrow morning the boat train Is the ten tonight from waterloo Cotting leys down there lies hes got a couple of de with him front from tile the yard to save time lie ile went there and told what hed discovered well get down there at onee once the immediate question Is shall we tell those fellows inside what 10 to lo you think Corker dules dales just declared that he wont leave this hotel till lies questioned sirs mrs elphinstone I 1 replied lies going to wait unit for the ithe do doctors tors return then come on he said its now about nine twenty we shall be at waterloo in plenty ot of time gad cad I 1 wonder it if Cotting leys struck tile the trail tit nt last 1 I told you what a sharp climp lie be Is wo we ran donin don n to the entrance hall outside there were ere two or three taxicabs standing about honic horac made for the first wed better pull up tip a little short of waterloo he remarked as we got in stop in york road by the hotel there he be added to lo the driver you see holt 11 lie fie went on as ue e moved olt off southward iward if this woman Is murdoch shell know you from having seen you at the woodcock she may know me though I 1 dont remember her so we must moe diio e warily if sties attempting a total clefta out the least thing bill put her ber off dut but she booked two passages this woman of whom hom Cotting leys heard now for whom can the other be can she have had an accomplice it if tills this woman really Is murdoch I 1 suggested ashes had accomplices here in london in a that 11 barrow arrow road affair alth without doubt he answered may be the brother she spoke of to tit mrs elphinstone ph instone and miss merchison but as to an accomplice in the mazaroff Maza rolt business bowl now if she had ue paused there and remained silent so long that at last I 1 asked him what he was thinking about 1 I was thinking this he answered slowly this that it this woman murdoch really murdered mazaroff and had an accomplice and if murdoch Is the woman who booked two passages for new zealand this afternoon and it if its all it if you seel see it if the second passage Is for the accomplice why then t were probably going to have a very astounding surprise and revelation but as I 1 say its all its we got out of the cab at the corner corner of york road and walked quickly toward the big station before we were halt half way up the incline we met Cot tingley lie was lounging along with his bis hands bands in his trousers pockets and a cigarette hanging loosely from the corner of ills his queer mouth and lie looked as phlegmatic and unconcerned as ever thought come this way he said as we passed youre in good time twenty five minutes yet I 1 should say she they I 1 mean I 1 11 1 not turn up till the last thin thing and alls ready the only thing Is it if tills this woman is the woman we think murdoch who mho can recognize her positively ti mr bolt can answered maythorne Cot tingley regarded me with speculative eyes 1 I fear I 1 was not of any great account in ills his opinion knows her he asked 1 I know her I 1 answered without another word lie turned on his heel toward tile the front of the station What ll be done Is tills this he said walking between us the southampton train leaves number four platform ten precisely I 1 ie e got two thoroughly dependable men from the yard had bad to go there and tell I 1 em everything of course if I 1 meant to do any good and they an and d ill be on the platform shell not know us now then Is there any fear ear of hei her knowing either of you the strong presumption replied maythorne May hornc thome la Is that shell know us both very well said Cot tingley thou then this Is ili what we do ae already with the detectives given the elie tip to the railway authol authorities atles that there may be un lin important arrest dye see now ini going to post you two just jus t within the harrier barrier where you be seen been keep there till tile the passengers begin coming through far the train I 1 shall be close by the detec letca theall be a yard of two further on oil in touch with me therell also be two or three railway police about in easy case theres any bother now if mr holt there recognizes tills this murdoch Murd oili woman hell signal to me by lifting his hat fiat i the instant slie she passes liim him and iou cat can leave the rest the only other thing Is that if we make the anest ive arranged with the I 1 lie station people that the detectives are to hurry flurry her ot bit to a little ollice office ou on the platform you follow all clearl clear I 1 said blaythorne maythorne May weve eve got you Cot tingley we passed into tile the bl big brilliantly lighted station even at that late hour of the evening it was crowded Cot tingley moved swiftly ahead abend of us through the groups passed us through a barrier with a Abi word to in the man in charge and suddenly gud denly twisting misting to 10 it his tell left ushered us ug behind a high wooden partition lion a few yards away from the ante whereat tickets were punched there was a lark dark cavernous recess there he signed to us to stop step in iberl he said it if its the woman we want up with your hatt but be sure 1 I ile he swung on his heel moved olt off into the light ot of the big lamps above tile the platform and pulling out ills his cl cigarette a case began to smoke loafing idly about A few yards away avray two solidly built men who nho from their outward appearance might have been highly respectable citizens going home late to their suburban residences after a days business in the city stood lon loafing fing too put but as they chatted together I 1 saw that their eyes were riot not long away from Cot tingley nor from the harrier barrier nor from tile the gloomy recess in which maythorne Uny thorne and I 1 waited that waiting was about as big a trial of my nerves as I 1 lind gone through b since I 1 heard the lust last shots fired in flanders folk came streaming in upon tile the plit platform form porters went by with piles of luggage there were all the scenes and sounds hurry burri ings and bust lings incidental to the departure of a big express bound for a great shipping center cut but w hat we waited wailed for I 1 with straining eyes and throbbing nerves was long in coming across the elie broad expanse of station I 1 jk 1 r j A A woman was just coming through the barrier A tall slim woman of erect easy carriage above some far distant platform hung a clock I 1 could not avoid an occasional glance at it never surely had bad the hands of a clock moved mereslow more slowly lyl twenty minutes to ten fifteen minutes to ten ten minutes to ten tea five four three whispered maythorne sharp now Is this she A woman was just coming through the barrier a tall slim woman 0 of f erect easy carriage by her side was another woman slighter in height eight of fuller figure and heavily veiled I 1 could not see her face but the face of the taller woman was that which I 1 had seen two or three times in the big kitchen at the woodcock A second later she and her companion each carrying a substantial sized valise had passed the ticket puncher and come full into tile the light I 1 had no doubt then and my hand went up to the brim of my hat as it if a machine had moved it come on said maythorne now for it 1 but chols the other the two women were being hurried into a third class compartment by an already impatient guard as the two detectives some rai railway haily policemen Cot tingley and ma ilai thorne a and nd I 1 closed round them thein one ot of the detectives laid a hand on the taller woi comans womans natis arm it was the first time in my life that I 1 had ever seen an arrest and I 1 was amazed tit at the quickness the dexterity the absence of fun full in it we had the two tuo women into the little office close by ond and the door locked and tile the blinds drawn before I 1 had realized was happening as the key turned tur tied in the door I 1 heard the whistle of the guard and tile the shriek of the engine as the ten sped out to time and then I 1 turned to answer a qu question allson alison murdoch Murdoc ti yes I 1 said yes wiLli without out doubt the senior detective turned to tile the other woman she was leaning gillart a table able her breath was coming to in short sharp gasps her whole frame trembled take off that vell in snapped via th detective come on now I 1 we stood staring intently AS tile the woman lifted a hand band and diverted herself of the thick veiling that had completely obscured her features it fell ell aside and it was front from maythorne usually so cool and collected that the first excited exclamation broke good G dl di mrs Mus musgrave gravel mrs musgrave burst into tears and tattled on alison murdoch who stood close by grim and defiant you toil said it would be all right she walled wailed reproachfully you swore to me that we were safe this way I 1 you said and said again that there the least chance of ein cm catch ing us 1 hold your tongue you fool I 1 snapped alison murdoch I 1 stood by sick wondering while Cot tIngley under the detectives supervision unlocked the valises and turned out their contents contell ts there was money there in a surprising quantity bank notes that had bad been maza rods of course and there were diamonds and Mazar offs personal properties and in alison murdocks valise there was a gold hunter watch within which was an inscription to the effect that it was a present to james bownas from hla his colleagues theres always something that these people forget rema remarked maythorne when n quarter of an hour later he and I 1 were driving back to shorts hotel or rather always some absolutely idiotic mistake they make it if alison murdoch thrown throve that will into the li elphin stones library it would have been hard to get at the real truth about mazaroff Maza rolT and it if she been so covetous and grasping that she from carrying oft off that poor chop bownas presentation watch we should probably neer have convicted her of murdering him however there they both arel but mrs musgrave which of them shot mazaroff I 1 asked ali ah he replied knowingly a stiff un holt but mrs musgrave knows and mrs musgrave wel tell shell not face it out like the other we hurried upstairs as soon as we readied reached shorts hotel to find corker dale and manners talking to the doctor and shella sheila in an alcove that opened oft off the corridor Corke was evidently still indiscreet the doctor looked some somewhat annoyed and shella sheila was nas obviously angry you must see doctor that its a question of duty Corke was saying as we came upon them 1 I want some explanation from mrs elphinstone theres no need now dow Corke interrupted maythorne laying his hia hand on the dete detectives tives shoulder its all oer |