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The Moorcroft Manor Mystery ; By 1 R. WILMOT ol (Author of "Where There's a Will", ete. CHAPTER 6. Before going up to his room, inclair made a point of finding ly Isabel to inquire how Helen As he ascended the broad - the big, old house seem: most oppressively silent. The shad all retired to their when they learned the trag- pews, A few of the men, how- . Who had sought to learn rther details had been told by ogera that Sir John and Mr. Sin- r were awaiting the arrival the police. So with this in- mation they, too, went to their DO to wait for the morning. Lady Forrester was talking to er husband in the corridor as Sinclair came up. "I'm comforting the poor child best I can," Lady Isabel told phim, "She's naturally upset about t. She simply idolized her ther, But I think she's going to very brave, Helen's not the ind of girl to give way to hys- rica, Her nerves are perfect. I lon't suppose I can persuade her o sleep just yet, but I want her lo get some rest before the morn. " a, "I'm so glad to hear you 'talk ike that, Isabel, I've been liter- ly panic-stricken ever sine I ound him down there, wonderine how Helen would take it. I could that there was a wonderful bond of affection between the nd I knew how she'd feel. Good- night, Isabel, give Helen my-- fleepest sympathy," The next moment he had gone Imost running along the corri- flor to his room, Why hadn't he ad the courage to send his love o the girl whose heart had been broken with grief so suddenly and ipon Ww! an inconsiderate Fate had cast upon hin the mantle of flisgovery, He recollected, as he urned the key in the lock, that Lady Isabel had smiled when he had paused, She knew, You pouldn't keep anything from this big-hearted woman who would have given her life to be of real ice to anyone. But there lurked in Morton Sin< plair's mind the little demon of uspicion, He would have nuked o have been quite ure that 'the ove which he held in his heart for Helen Overington would meet with n answering response in her own Df that he was by no means sure. nd even if there had been some ittle spark of hope, perhaps the ragedy in which she now found herself enmeshed would make a hola world of difference, The events of the past few hours had given him no time for ntrospection, but now, in the cool, erisp hours of that early Christ. mas morning, he sat down on the dge of his bed to think things pyer, If anyone had told him that in ess than forty-eight hours. of his oming to Moorcroft Manor he ould have falleir almost over- helmingly in love, he would have miled and remarkedthat such an vept was beyond the bounds of possibility, Yet here it was---a trong, surging love as relentless the sea and as sure; a love hat not even the ghastly details of a murder could shake. For Better Values - | the The two things seemed strange- ly out of keeping with one amn- other, and yet, their juxfo-posi- tion was strangely allegorical. Love and hate, Sir John Forres- ter had talked a great deal about finding a motive. Were not these two states of mind welded together in a common form? Could it be possible that this sudden train of thought which had. crept into his brain would provide a line of rea- soning through which the murder. er of Silas Overington would even- tually be brought to justice. Then the pendulum of specula- 'lon swung over to thoughts of Clifford Merrivale. That he and "Ielen knew one another Sinclair was convinced. There' had been 1 certain amount of conventional artifice on both sides when they had been introduced earlier in the evenine, but Sinclair had 'rained his mind to see just a lit- tle bevond the surface, and: signs} were not lacking to indicate that, 'or reasons best known to them- "elves, neither wished anyone at "Toorcroft Manor to know that they i not meeting as other than total' strangers, 7 Logi. G0 "This fact puzzled' Sinclair con- siderably, If there was a common Jecret between the two, what was it that necessitated their cloaking 'heir acquaintance in this' 'munna- 'ural fashion? of) LV Singlalr _had.'not troubled to witch, on fhe light in:his room. It'syas easier to think in the semi- darkhess with the moon fitfully playing hide-and-seek among the banks 'of cloud that strolled lei- surelv across. they calm sky and which cast intermittent splashes of silver across the floor and the snow-white conmterpane of the bed. Suddenly, Singlair was arouse from his musings by a-soft tap- ning at his doer. With a .start he stiffened himself involuntarily. All his senses were tingling and alert, For a:momept he waited and the low knocking was re- peated. Moving stealthily towards the daor he twisted the key and flung the door quickly open, and, a¥ he did so, someong stumbled in- to the room, ' In & moment 8in- rlair's hand shot out' and grasped! the intrpder by the collar of his coat, #1 say! That's a nice Christ. mas morning 'greeting for a fel. low," came the voice of Clifford *{errivale, as he wriggled himsel" 'ree from Sinclair's grasp, "I did- 7't come here with the object of being mal-handled." : Sinclair sank back again on the adge of his bed with a laugh, "Sorry, old-chap," he apologized. "but if you will come knocking r* doors at three o'clock in the morn. ing, you mugn't expect 8 cheerfu' greeting, you know." : » MF say! Bat you" did give me a scare," grumbled Merrivale, as his hand rubbed the back .of 'his neck, "You've missed your way, old fellow. Y@u ought to be some- thing more . robust than philo- sophy." "And what, may I ask, are you doing wandering about the house at this hour? .. I thought you were in bed hours ago?" "It's like this," Merrivale ex- rlained, '*As Boon as I heard that he o!d boy 'had been murdered. I thought I'd take & look round Al wait and it was at IEE T06 STRAIGHT AFTER HE MADE ESCAPE Youth of 17 Goes to Home of Ottawa Detective and Gives Himself Up VERGE OF COLLAPSE Had Gone Hundreds of Miles But Not Able To Make "Enough to Live Ottawa; Dec. 8--A grim struggle by Dionne Fairfield, seyenteen-year~ old Ottawa youth, to lead a straight life after he escaped from Burwash prison farm five and a half months 0, ended when he accosted Detec- tive Albert Orizaet in the street here and gave himself up. 1. his escape t' youth had wandered 1,200 miles, acing starva- tion- and other hardships in a vain effort to find means of existence, | He collapsed in the detective's home, 443 Nepean street, after he had told his story and was rushed to 'the General hospital, where he will remain until fully recovered, His mother, who resides at 226 Beech- wood avenue, was -prostrated when informed 'of hér son's unexpected re- turn to the city. Since he broke away from the rison on June 20 last, he said, he fad visited , scores of towns and cities in the United States and East- ern Canada, and in every place had been forced to make a hurried de- parture, simply through the fear of being discgvered and handed to the olice. r On Thursday morning he landed back in Ottawa, and stayed at his home all day, Then he decided to give himself up and went to the de- tective's home, but found that he was not in. Young Fairfield then decided to the corner of Cambridge and Empress streets that 'he saw the detective and went over to him, "Do you know me?" asked the youth, = Ouimet studied and finally recognized him, "I was told at the farm I had 27 months more to serve," the youth 'was quoted by the detective as say- ing: "I then decided to run away, One day 'when none of the officers was watching me I made a dash for liberty amd. since then have been wandering around, "At times," he said, "I was foot- sore and starving. I walked most of the time, but 'had a few lifts from motorists, One of these lifts was over two hundred miles and another three hundred, which were of great help to me." During his stay in the States the youth 'had cbta'ned work but on'v for a short time, The money he rc ceived was not sufficient to ki him in focd and for days at a "m. he wou'd go kung:y, searching in vain for emp'oyment, Fin-lly he decided to return home and on Saturday morning walked into the city from Tcronte, "I any willing to go bagk to Bur- wash," Fairfield said, according to the detective, "I have wa dered around and have encountered many hardships and am quite satisfied to return," Fairficld was sentenced to two mont's and tveo years less on day on March 25 last. He was ariested in Toronto and brought ha: to Ot- tawa last March, when he received his sentence, regards Eelen, should have talen the initiative in investigation, was somewhat disturbing, "I figured it out like this," Mer- tivst floor corridor just a little this side, I should say, of the servants' quarters, and--here 1 am." Sinclair had been listening with wrapt attention. Why had not Rogers acquainted him with this door which, from Metttiaics w count, appeared to have n regular commission. This door might hold a hidden mystery of its own. It might explain a great many things that, at the moment, seemed unfathomable in the light of the evidence he had already collected. "I dom't think your perambula- tion has been altogether in vain," --_-- -- mm -- said - Sinclair, earnestly. "Ia the morning I'd like to have a talk with you ebout the whole affair, and thén we e¢an go down and take a look at the door together." "l don't suppose they've done anything in the matter yet, have they? The police, I mean!" Sinclair had crossed the room and was gaging contemplatively out of the open window. "No! They're supposed to be getting to work first thing in the morning. You should have heard what Sir Johan had to say about the whole police service." "I'll bet he was caustic," laugh- ed Merrivale. THE DAILY TIMES, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1927 «*He was." smiled Sineclair.. Then suddenly he put up hand and clutched his comp by the shoulder. "Look!™ he whispered, and his voice had be- come curiously hoarse. Merrivale was at his side in an ingtant. Fol- lowing the direction of Sinclair's gaze, he saw a dark figure stealth. ily erossing the lawn towards the Manor from the direction of n belt of vines that skirted the es- tate from the direction of the road. Slowly, the two men watched the figure come nearer. As it ad- vanced over the grass, they both were puzzled by its strange ap- pearance. Then, Sinclair gave a his little, involuntary gasp. The fig- ure was that of a cavalier in full dress, The apparition startled him for a moment, - Could it be possible that the murderer of Silas Over ington was actually returning to the Manor? Merrivale trembling, "What can it mean?" he asked, in a low whisper that betrayed an unusual tremor. Sinclair did not reply for when the figure was scarcely a dozen paces from the house the moon sent a shaft of silver light across the greensward, It erept slowly felt his companion flavored with the actual juice of This process of using actus) fruit PAGE EL t rect! Sr A ed him it rested for a moment on his ghostly features. & In a second it had gone " but in that fleeting _ bot men recognized [OTT the dead man's private eta (To Be Continfied) i --------_ Mating purse and necklace is pp Black velvet or an suvelope purses have a metallic ene mal forms a choker. 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McLarens rivale went on, "If the murder had been committed while we were all up in the east wing, there was no reason tn» suppose that who- ever had done it would elect to stay all night in here, So, find- ing one of the Joung windows un- latched--that would be before the door of that room had oeen lok- ed--I climbed out and had a gond nose round, I wandered arouni the grounds for about an hour and eventually gor out into the road, Then I dil a sort of en- circling movement along the wall ond entered the grounds again at the rear end of the Manor to the servants' quarters," "Did you discover anything?" asked Sinclair, eagerly, yet secret. ly envious of Merrivale's enter- prise, DIAMONDS Burns' Jewelry Store 88 BIMCOE 8." 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Sinclair felt both puzzled and annoyed, In .the first plece he considered himself responsible for 2aving ell the doors locked to prevent anyone leaving the Manor sefore morning, and secondly he wented to play his own individual 'art in solving the = mystery in which he had so suddenly ard un- xpectedly higome involved, 'To think that Merrival who was, he felt certain, glready his rival as ... --------r oy When you taste this tender-textured jelly, you will 'at once notice the full-flavored wild raspberry taste--s0 much more piquant than that of tame raspberries, The actual juice itself of Muskoka Wild Raspberries is used for flavoring this match- less jelly powder, Wright Funerals J. A, WRWAT FUNERAL DIRECTOR AND EMBALMER Svccessors to DISNEY FUNERAL SERVICE 8? 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Phone Lo. y ---- regularly at Listed on this page will gladly redeem it saming for probably half-an-hour came upon an old wooden door t the side of the house almost onecealed by ivy, At first, I wught it badw't been in com- 'ission for cemturies by the looks Mit fn the moonlighi--sa grey, 'orbiddine affair with the heavy wood sll splintered and the orpa- Mental fronwork flaking' with rust, I turned the handle fully, expeet- 'ing At to resist my anxious endea- ors, lo! the door yielded to my touch. Once inside I struck's match to see where was and; incidentally, I exami the hinges and the cateh. They ' were vehi oiled. in fact the : i dha > 40 Drew whole M60r was a model of silent Groceterid" ,.," Simcoe St. North Perfection. You could have knock. : 186 Simcoe St. South "0 ed me over with a feather, To 5 King St. West "PORT PERR look at that door from the out- 264 King St. Ea : y side you would never have be- Cor. Mary and lise de ots | of lieved it. Then I found a flight 188 Conant Street ~~ | of etairs which took me to the » w ty ~ , 146 Nassau Street ~ WHITBY Th Bag) ; RL RRR K : : i ? . pian LC oR "old! Fut my lucky star must ave been somewhere among the rom OSHAWA 'ecember constellations for after Kat's Drug NEXT TO POST CI FICE Stére PHONE 378 Amt FR i Po ARb A he"