Show th tall ja I 1 XA na c nt arf liri faa left I 1 im 0 V lak ach SYNOPSIS on a certain monday morning miss constance fuller seller of rare books at darrows bookshop new york notices that the first customer lit la a dignified old gentleman who Ea saunters into the alcove placarded pla carded medical works peter burton one of abo employees employee Bi j amazes constance by telling her he paid at auction for or an old law book containing a colfax bookplate bud denly a girls shriek ot of mur derl rings out the elderly elder customer is on the floor unconscious with his right wrist slashed shed jut juat before the shrieking girl falls in a faint she calls out to peter keep keep it for mer mel peters sister nancy began that morning working at darrows nancy tells constance ot of her elopement with brandon tower an elopement which was cut short when tower attempted to make off with nancys suitcase constance explains darrows card index system to captain ashland a nephew of mr darrows they examine the book peter paid 1510 for and find the bookplate to be a forgery constance Is asked to assist detective almy in his bit investigation of the murder of the elderly gentleman the girl who fainted julia grosvenor turns out to be his granddaughter she can throw no light on the mystery constance comstance calls on julia who 3 seems relieved when told her ber cry ary keep it for met waal was not unheeded I 1 CHAPTER VI continued ill go on from the point where jou you cal called ledfor for help then said eald L 1 I 1 saw you enter entert the be shop but not again ran up the aisle I 1 was talking to mr burton who travels for us we heard your scream then you came running up the aisle as mr burton rushed down it you stopped short 11 I 1 continued carefully then you atu btu stumbled 1 bled I 1 glanced away for the poor girl was paler than ever and beginning to breathe hard iland and you called out just as you fainted keep it for niel mel dont you remember that she controlled herself and nodded 1 I do now she sold said quite frankly but you have recalled it it was completely obliterated from my memory no doubt by shock its a shock 1 10 0 recollect it too 1 im so sorry to upset you better than a gap in your memory what what did people think I 1 meant she had remembered peter then when she saw him tn in the shop shob and sine since monday had been cons conscious clous that something had ha happened which might menace tier her yet had been quite unable to recollect what evidently after all some shock whatever form it had taken had affect affected edher her memory in this particular on that point she ebe had bad told the truth I 1 answer answered d quickly why nobody could tell miss grost ave venor or what was meant by an involuntary half conscious exclamation like that and you eald nothing further she smiled for the first time I 1 thought with an air of relief and rejoined im ever ro EO E O much obliged to you yon for helping rue me to piece that thai recollection out you rou have no idea how foolish it made me feel being unable to remember what had happened happen ed when I 1 wits was still conscious I 1 do appreciate your taking the time to come here bere to help roe rne when you must be so busy I 1 understand from mr almy your work le IE with the rare books darrows Is so famous for I 1 suppose you no fooner buy such things at darrows Darro wc than they are all snapped right up by collectors they go pretty quickly said eald 1 for instance a few of the modern books from judge leavitts have been sold alicade ali cady As julia grosvenor bad listened to this ebis reply much more than mere polite Inter Int crept ert I 1 risked another feeler all the old books from such a collection however are likely to be held la in reserve for special advertising and not to go on sale for a few weeks in this case for instance we should anni to offer the best books boas to customers who we know have a la in iligin llana relating te re virginia 1 I see my interest in that line was partly due to the fact that his fattier father was a virginian and partly to 0 o his own witto with the state I 1 saw it was wa time for toe me to go tot I 1 had bad given julia grosvenor the anfor motion she desired first if 11 I 1 had no DO tier her strange foole footgear ear in III the that monday secondly it if flie ehe F lie had in any way given herself awn awny teford she entirely lost and thirdly if notes had yet been bet n vold I 1 i was pleased to have sat br there was evidently so very verv little bial clial could win the ot such euch a reticent nature I 1 would call it a day I 1 rose rom and s so did she ehe 1 I do hope miss fuller rhe fhe sold said sweetly sweet ly that we mity may mett meet again in happier circumstances I 1 left tle fe in the darkening shadows of the curious bright colored old drawing room her strange story abe to remain uppermost in my thoughts whatever my lit in the next hours a a by thursday afternoon I 1 bad actual ly got the rare book catalogue under way I 1 bad and made a report to mr almy about my normandy terrace visit and since then cheri he had not called oo oa me for any anything thin 9 so I 1 had bad abent thursday rooming morning assembling the AGNES MILLER sery lee 0 by the century co hooks books to be advertised and I 1 was now ready to write an elegant literary introduction tro to the catalogue 1 I 1 shall begin I 1 decided with out parallel la in the annals of collectors lec tors unities and reached across the desk for one of a row of eight newly sharpened pencils in stead I 1 picked up the telephone hoie receiver what Is it I 1 inquired on an the summons too much enthusiasm A refined accent for far off in the als tance lance announced itself as mr darrow about that oh all cata logue miss bliss fuller yes mr darrow you know what I 1 mean the new rare book catalo catalogue ue ah I 1 was thinking about Clarl hews notes you know what I 1 mean in connection with the catalogue ali ah possibly you might in elude clude it 1 I will do so in the interest of culture we mil favor the private collector above tho trade yes mr air darrow then about that ah order I 1 ant you you know what I 1 mean 71 1 I beg your pardon certainly you must rem remember emberl 1 it had to do with the bookplate in that book to remove it and advertise it for sale have you not done eu sol 4 why not because the copy for the trade journal advertisements go out until friday afternoon the rest was silence tor for about thirty seconds mr darrow was so anxious to be cross to somebody i disliking as he did to have murders in hla his shop that it wash was simply cruel not to give him a chance but 1 was obdurate and when the thirty first see second had ticked off my wristwatch wrist watch he remarked graciously suppose you remove it promptly and include it in the rare book catalogue I 1 believe captain ashland Is my authority I 1 am not his equal hs as a judge that abat that bookplate has rather more than common interest you know what I 1 mean make sure that you advertise it as aa an extraordinary curiosity rj a faked mas ma herple i c of bf supreme historic and ar ar interest n ter est and value thant thank you you sou have my entire conal dence miss bliss fuller 11 I 1 I 1 smiled enthusiastically and made a fluttering ejaculation for in nine years association wilb wl th mr darrow I 1 bad mastered the art am not a wholly bad idea in itself I 1 reflected hanging up so first of all I 1 sent for the book from mr air roberts tafe cafe when it arrived I 1 got out ray my apparatus for removing bookplates from old books an operation I 1 frequently infrequently performed since a worthless book that had bad belonged to some interesting person might bear his valuable plate this apparatus consisted of a small email shining aluminum saucepan sanc epan which I 1 filled with expensive bottled drinking water conveniently on tap near by a ahot hot point device and a beautiful new white sheet of blotting paper having dropped the hot point into the water I 1 sat contemplating the worn leather coyer coter of Clarl hews bews notes I 1 somehow at the moment did not exactly lilethe idea of mp book and bookplate they seemed to be mysteriously united lu 10 a common purpose I 1 could not however define defene the purpose nor could I 1 well suggest to mr darrow to think again I 1 thought about peter whom I 1 had bad not seen since tuesday as be was constantly out on buil business ness I 1 thought about julia grosvenor and still rather shook my head bead over her everything seemed damal nol here was something entirely heartening outside the window inside them the shop captain ish ashlund land rosy and cheery slammed the door in the face of the gale shook his bis beautiful dripping tweed coat and hat bat and made for or my desk with a keen glance that bookin took in every detail of my occupation and a smile like ilke sunrise 1 I say this jolly 1 cried alip ohp captain tea I 1 if it only were I 1 I 1 groaned ruefully regarding the steaming pot bof of water and ohp the fair aalf white blotter which certainly created the mirage of a teal tea tray oasis in an afternoon desert of 0 gloom what I 1 am really supposed to bo be doing is to be soaking off 0 ahli 0 everlasting bookplate with this hot water orders eh said the capt captain gin at bably oh you should be hn having v ing tea why not theres plenty more water outside yes res we have no drought of wu wit ter I 1 countered realizing that an foreign visitor to these shores feels cheated if deprived of a sample of t typical native humor relvi tIng to out oui characteristic civilization my double effort which I 1 admit would not go over big with the theater guild delighted the simpleminded simple minded islander you certainly should have tea ne observed you americans take your business so seriously 1 NOW ow ove 0 afif my shop we think we ought ough tto to know something about books and all that 4 we weve v e been going along somehow since sev enteen seventy and yet we always knock off every afternoon tor foi tid tea dont you think you ought to have ten tea I 1 felt ray powers ot ol resistance grail ard d nally leaving me the captain unsex was extremely purposeful despite affable mildness I 1 wondered dimly how bow the revolution and all that had bad really ever held out against the british men it never occurred to me in the light leht of a duly I 1 began and then suddenly it 11 did captain ashland who plainly wanted want edles tea with a passion In compre hensl hem sible ble to those reared at soda fa toan 19 bains was making a visit possibly of a certain great importance to the house and mr darrows confidence in me would become more entire no doubt ii am I 1 ale pleased ased his nephew kut but now jou point my duty out to me I 1 I 1 finished 1 I 1 see sec it clearly As you suggest it Is of a patriotic character our constitution forbids cruel and unusual unused punishments you not go without your your tei mentally 1 I 1 i adda added and aland I 1 shall delay removing that bookplates book 1 I say eay am all 1 putting you out horribly beamed the delighted captain one never cover drinks danks ten tea in a shop in america doess does rone one theres precedent tor for it here sixt years ago this room was a dining room the captain looked relieved the waters nearly boiling wont you ou sit down like king alfred the great and watch atso it BO it buru burn while I 1 get the tea things the captain informed me earnestly that king alfred watched cakes end and atwater Ith that water burn and mounted guard while I 1 withdrew but at the end of the aisle I 1 was baited by mr case in the act of bounding out of his office miss fullers how much of that catalogue la Is done all the notes im just beginning to write lt it it must be finished by noon tomorrow I 1 stared then glared what kind of notice Is this it cant be donel done I 1 you know ive lost the whole of this week M yes yes and mr darrow has just dumped still more work on me that to and feature that book the legal federation wont buy aarl Clarl hews notes exasperated by the new orders and interruptions I 1 snapped yes you yoo know about it do you mr casel case then I 1 waste time explaining khz oven even in the dim light filtering into the aisle between the two rear alcoves I 1 perceived the sudden change of expression on his face from worry to angry amazement I 1 had been too abrupt of course ill do my best I 1 added hestily slid and repentantly pent antly and it if he interrupt me again most generously I 1 vin im afraid I 1 dont break bad news ddll volt I 1 my excuse mutt must be that it was as much of a surprise to me as to yourself but I 1 know about your extra work 1 I shall have to think ot of something exciting to say about that particularly dull book end and to got gal rid of a bothersome bookplate in it which Is some baso base imitation of a colfax captain ashland says bays mr case nodded thoughtfully but said nothing please why the new order for the catalogue copy to be ready go good od grael gracious 1 tomorrow nonn because mr Grego rythe printer you know has just pent fent word that the threatened printers strike has blis been called for boxt thursday unless both sides agree in the meantime if our comys ready tomorrow it can be squeezed through otherwise we run a big risk of having no rare book eat cat for the ho houlday trade stint would never do but how can I 1 possibly oil oh you cant finish single handed rhe rest of the be shop force la is to assist you yon if necessary doing overtime and all will be suitably recompensed lor for a loyalty royalty which can be counted on to ta support the firms reputation even at a sacrifice of comfort 1 mr case looked inscrutable as be quoted from obviously darrow sources 1 I guess we are all human beings and willing to stand by in an emergency I 1 observed your tour figure of sie echi means I 1 talce take it I 1 that well all chaperon each other and work liere here nil night not quite only till ten thirty or eleven since there are five of us smiled mr case that ought to help you pretty well it and have bate all tomorrow morning for finishing touches suddenly mr roberts in a state of agitation shot through the shipping office door and started for mr air cases private office then besaw he us in the aisle and bore down 11 has mr case told you about the be demanded will you yon got get to work on it at oncel once tofa miss willies to send you a stenographer for tho the rest of 0 the he afternoon mr darrow te fr exceedingly concerned oye over this new mishap he fears captain ashland will ret get a most unfavorable favorable impression of the business so do your best Is ie there anything else you require 1 I require said bald i 1 to have captain ashland removed from my desk des k where he la Is sitting in the expectation of having baring angels or ravens or something bring him a cup of ten tea what yes ue came in aria ana saw me heating g water to remove a bookplate and took it so hard that the kettle boiling for ten tea that with that very impression that the number of untoward events which have occurred here since monday might rather prejudice a stranger I 1 really know what to do but to offer to make him some do you mind mr roberts I 1 you know english people think the world Is coming to an end it they dont have their ten tea and if they do they dont care whether it does or not 1 I 1 believe you yon did right admitted M mr r roberts grudgingly while mr case smiled graciously and observed that darrows was different anyhow tens teas tion nonsense sense of course but it cant delay you more then than a few minutes and its a very nasty cold wet day I 1 sped through the shipping office to the jackson apartment beyond ulysses wife a lively person of dusky good looks considerably younger than her husband maebelle by name pronounced as usual was wag enchanted with the idea of a a party and willingly lent me the makings for aftem afternoon non tea of which I 1 laid in a |