The Golden Scorpion

phone be

aised the receiver. "Yes," he said-"Dr. Stuart

p on hearing his name mentioned. "Sergeant Sowerby

5? Poor chap-he should have worked with us instead of going off alone like that. But he was always given to that sort of thing. Wait for me. I'll be with you in a few mi

n listening to the words with growing concern. Dunbar struc

Max of the Paris Service has been at work i

Start-"then it must

ar to him as that of the foremost criminal investigator in Europe, and he f

his last. The body brought in from Han

the body of

that Max would play the lone-hand game once too often. They sent particulars. The identification disk is his. Oh! there's no doubt about it, unfortunately. The dead man's face

ied Stuart-"er-a special case. But I hope y

elf into a case of elaborate assassination by means of some unknown poison; and although I should have come to see you in any event, because you hav

an ordinary suburban practitioner. My reputation has yet to be made. Wha

ems to think he was-he's also a big fool." retorted Dunbar

ed ulcerative endocarditi

piece of gold from the table, "what was Gaston

ection between Max's inquirie

Halesowen out of the question, are you o

nly; de

I will communicate with you later, if

n the piece of tissue paper and was abo

. "I know it will be safe enough, and you m

tuart. "Some of the en

ok at it through

of the writing-table in which he kept his cheque-book and some few other personal

elf to be possessed of a spirit of unrest. Whereupon the two went ou

outside the house, and Mrs. M'Gregor ushered a lady into the room but la

aid stiffly. "I am sorry that ye are so unfortunate in you

atures, whilst cast in a charming European mould, at the same time suggested in some subtle way the Oriental. She had the long, almond-shaped eyes of the Egyptian, and her hair,

icity of line and confined at the waist by an ornate Eastern girdle. White stockings and dull gold shoes exhibited to advantage her charming little feet and slim ankl

y ill at ease, conduct

h a certain hesitancy and with a slight accent most

to poke the fire, "he has let the fire down, o

nguished fire and turned triumphantly to Mlle. D

in a few minutes, Miss Dorian," s

permit me to speak on the telephone a moment? As Dr. Stu

gor; "use the telephone by all means. But I

you s

ed, her chin resting in her hand and her elbow upon the arm of the chair, gazing into the smoke arising from the nearly

e. Her robe of white and gold clung to her shapely figure as she bent over the table and tried three of the keys in the lock of the drawer which contained Stuart's cheque-book and in which he had recently placed the mysterious gold ornament. The third key f

operty

olitan

and Yard,

. She picked it up and stared at it aghast. A moment she hesitated; then, laying down the fragment of gold and also the long envelope upon the table, she took up the telephone. Keeping her eyes fixed u

r, I find a part of a broken gold 'agrab (scorpion). Yes, it is broken. It must be they find it, on him." H

f he had heard it, must have recognized to be identical with that which he had

he doctor who returns." She listened eagerly, fearfull

tsteps. She exhibited signs of nervous indecision, tried to thrust the envelope into her little bag and realized that even folded it would not fit so as to escape observ

ken ornament and was about to thrust it into the open draw