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diff --git a/old/12314-8.txt b/old/12314-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index aebcf48..0000000 --- a/old/12314-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9394 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ashton-Kirk, Investigator, by John T. McIntyre - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Ashton-Kirk, Investigator - -Author: John T. McIntyre - -Release Date: May 10, 2004 [EBook #12314] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASHTON-KIRK, INVESTIGATOR *** - - - - -Produced by Janet Kegg and PG Distributed Proofreaders - - - - - - -[Illustration: "JUST AS I THOUGHT"] - - -ASHTON-KIRK -INVESTIGATOR - - -By - -John T. McIntyre - -Author of "In the Dead of Night," &c. - - -ILLUSTRATIONS BY -RALPH L. BOYER - - -PHILADELPHIA -1910 - - - To my Friend - GRANT GIBNEY - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Ashton-Kirk, who has solved so many mysteries, is himself something of -a problem even to those who know him best. Although young, wealthy, -and of high social position, he is nevertheless an indefatigable -worker in his chosen field. He smiles when men call him a detective. -"No; only an investigator," he says. - -He has never courted notoriety; indeed, his life has been more or less -secluded. However, let a man do remarkable work in any line and, as -Emerson has observed, "the world will make a beaten path to his door." - -Those who have found their way to Ashton-Kirk's door have been of many -races and interests. Men of science have often been surprised to find -him in touch with the latest discoveries, scholars searching among -strange tongues and dialects, and others deep in tattered scrolls, -ancient tablets and forgotten books have been his frequent visitors. -But among them come many who seek his help in solving problems in -crime. - -"I'm more curious than some other fellows, that's all," is the way he -accounts for himself. "If a puzzle is put in front of me I can't rest -till I know the answer." At any rate his natural bent has always been -to make plain the mysterious; each well hidden step in the -perpetration of a crime has always been for him an exciting lure; and -to follow a thread, snarled by circumstances or by another -intelligence has been, he admits, his chief delight. - -There are many strange things to be written of this remarkable -man--but this, the case of the numismatist Hume, has been selected as -the first because it is one of the simplest, and yet clearly -illustrates Ashton-Kirk's peculiar talents. It will also throw some -light on the question, often asked, as to how his cases come to him. - -A second volume that shows the investigator deep in another mystery, -even more intricate and puzzling than this, is entitled "Ashton-Kirk -and the Scarlet Scapular." - - - - - CONTENTS - - CHAPTER - I. PENDLETON CALLS UPON ASHTON-KIRK - II. MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE - III. THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL WAYNE - IV. STILLMAN'S THEORY - V. STILLMAN ASKS QUESTIONS - VI. ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS ABOUT - VII. THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL BAYONET - VIII. THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO PLAY THEIR PART - IX. MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS - X. ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS - XI. PENDLETON IS VASTLY ENLIGHTENED - XII. ANTONIO SPATOLA APPEARS - XIII. A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN MORRIS - XIV. MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARS - XV. MISS VALE DEPARTS SUDDENLY - XVI. STEEL AGAINST STEEL - XVII. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD - XVIII. ASHTON-KIRK TELLS WHY - XIX. THE TWO REPORTS - XX. ONE OF THE OLD SORT - XXI. ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO PLAN - XXII. ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED - XXIII. THE SECRET OF THE PORTRAIT - XXIV. THE SECOND NIGHT - XXV. APPROACHING THE FINISH - XXVI. THE FINISH - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - "JUST AS I THOUGHT" ... FRONTISPIECE - "YOU DO NOT MEAN TO GO THERE" - HE RAPPED SMARTLY ON THE WINDOW - WHAT SHE SAW MUST HAVE STARTLED HER - - - - -Ashton-Kirk, Investigator - - -CHAPTER I - -PENDLETON CALLS UPON ASHTON-KIRK - - -Young Pendleton's car crept carefully around the corner and wound in -and out among the push-cart men and dirty children. - -About midway in the block was a square-built house with tall, -small-paned windows and checkered with black-headed brick. It stood -slightly back from the street with ancient dignity; upon the shining -door-plate, deeply bitten in angular text, was the name "Ashton-Kirk." - -Here the car stopped; Pendleton got out, ascended the white marble -steps and tugged at the polished, old-fashioned bell-handle. - -A grave-faced German, in dark livery, opened the door. - -"Mr. Ashton-Kirk will see you, sir," said he. "I gave him your -telephone message as soon as he came down." - -"Thank you, Stumph," said Pendleton. And with the manner of one -perfectly acquainted with the house, he ascended a massively -balustraded staircase. The walls were darkly paneled; from the -shadowy recesses pictured faces of men and women looked down at him. - -Coming in from the littered street, with its high smells and crowding, -gesticulating people, the house impressed one by its quiet, its -spaciousness, and the evident means and culture of its owner. -Pendleton turned off at the first landing, proceeded along a passage -and finally knocked at a door. Without waiting for a reply, he walked -in. - -At the far end of a long, high-ceilinged apartment a young man was -lounging in an easy-chair. At his elbow was a jar of tobacco, a sheaf -of brown cigarette papers and a scattering of books. He lifted a keen -dark face, lit up by singularly brilliant eyes. - -"Hello, Pen," greeted he. "You've come just in time to smoke up some -of this Greek tobacco. Throw those books off that chair and make -yourself easy." - -One by one Pendleton lifted the books and glanced at the titles. - -"Your morning's reading, if this is such," commented he, "is -strikingly catholic. Plutarch, Snarleyow, the Opium Eater, Martin -Chuzzlewit." Then came a host of tattered pamphlets, bound in -shrieking paper covers, which the speaker handled gingerly. "'The -Crimes of Anton Probst,'" he continued to read, "'The Deeds of the -Harper Family,' 'The Murder of ----'" here he paused, tossed the -pamphlets aside with contempt, sat down and drew the tobacco jar -toward him. - -"Some of the results of your forays into the basements of old -booksellers, I suppose," he added, rolling a cigarette with delicate -ease. "But what value you see in such things is beyond me." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled good-humoredly. He took up some of the pamphlets -and fluttered their illy-printed pages. - -"They are not beautiful," he admitted; "the paper could not be worse -and the wood cuts are horrors. But they are records of actual -things--striking things, as a matter of fact--for a murder which so -lifts itself above the thousands of homicides that are yearly -occurring, as to gain a place outside the court records and -newspapers, must have been one of exceptional execution." - -"There is a public which delights in being horrified," said Pendleton -with a grimace. "The things are put out to get their nickels and -dimes." - -"No doubt," agreed the other. "And the fact that they are willing to -pay their nickels and dimes is, to my way of thinking, a proof of the -extraordinary nature of the crime chronicled." The speaker dropped the -prints upon the floor and lounged back in his big chair. "There is -Plutarch," he continued; "the account of the assassination of Caesar -is not the least interesting thing in his biography of that statesman. -Indeed, I have no doubt but that the chronicler thought Caesar's -taking off the most striking incident in his career; that the Roman -public thought so is a matter of history. - -"Countless writers have dwelt upon the taking of human life; some of -them were rather commercial gentlemen who always gave an ear to the -demands of their public, and their screeds were written for the money -that they would put in their pockets; but others, and by long odds the -greatest, were fascinated by their subjects. Both Stevenson and Henley -were powerfully drawn by deeds of blood. Did you know they planned a -great book which was to contain a complete account of the world's most -remarkable homicides? I'm sorry they never carried the thing out; for -I cannot conceive of two minds more fitted to the task. They would -have dressed every event in the grimmest and most subtle horror; why, -the soul would have shuddered at each enormity as shaped and presented -by such masters." - -Pendleton regarded his friend with candid distaste. - -"You are appalling to-day," said he. "If you think it's the Greek -tobacco, let me know. For I have to mingle with other human beings, -and I'd scarcely care to get into your state of mind." - -The strong, white teeth of Ashton-Kirk showed in a quick smile. - -"The tobacco was recommended by old Hosko," he said, "and you'll find -nothing violent in it, no matter what you find in my conversation." - -"What put you into such a frame of mind, anyway? Something happened?" - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"I don't know," said he. "In fact, I have been strangely idle for the -last fortnight. The most exciting things that have appeared above my -personal horizon have been a queer little edition of Albertus-Magnus, -struck off in an obscure printing shop in Florence in the early part -of the sixteenth century, and a splendid, large paper Poe, to which I -fortunately happened to be a subscriber." - -A volume of the Poe and the Albertus-Magnus were lying at hand; -Pendleton ignored the dumpy, stained little Latin volume; its -strong-smelling leather binding and faded text had no attractions for -him. But he took up the Poe and began idly turning its leaves. - -"It is a mistake to suppose that some specific thing must be the cause -of an action, or a train of thought," resumed the other, from the -comfortable depths of his chair. "Sometimes thousands of things go to -the making of a single thought, countless others to the doing of a -single deed. And yet again, a thing entirely unassociated with a -result may be the beginning of the result, so to speak. For example, a -volume of Henry James which I was reading last night might be the -cause of my turning to the literature of assassination this morning; -your friendly visit may result in my coming in contact with a murder -that will make any of these," with a nod toward the scattered volumes, -"seem tame." - -Pendleton threw away his cigarette and proceeded to roll another. - -"It is my earnest desire to remain upon friendly terms with you, -Kirk," stated he, with a smile. "Therefore, I will make no comment -except to say that your last reflection was entirely uncalled for." - -Lighting the cigarette, he turned the tall leaves of the beautiful -volume upon his knee. - -"This edition is quite perfection," he remarked admiringly. "And I'm -sorry that I was not asked to subscribe. However," and Pendleton -glanced humorously at his friend, "I don't suppose its beauty is what -attracts you to-day. It is because certain pages are spread with the -records of crime. I notice that this volume holds both 'The Murders in -the Rue Morgue' and the 'Mystery of Marie Roget.'" - -"Right," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "I admit I was browsing among the details -of those two masterpieces when you came in. A great fellow, Poe. His -peculiar imagination gave him a marvelous grasp of criminal -possibilities." - -Ashton-Kirk took up the "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" and -turned the leaves until he came to "Murder Considered as One of the -Fine Arts." - -"In some things I have detected an odd similarity in the work of De -Quincey and Poe. Mind you, I say in some things. As to what entered -into the structure of an admirably conceived murder they were as far -apart as the poles. The ideals of the 'Society of Connoisseurs in -Murder' must have excited in Poe nothing but contempt. A coarse -butchery--a wholesale slaughter was received by this association with -raptures; a pale-eyed, orange-haired blunderer, with a ship -carpenter's mallet hidden under his coat, was hailed as an artist. - -"You don't find Poe wasting time on uncouth monsters who roar like -tigers, bang doors and smear whole rooms with blood. His assassins had -a joy in planning their exploits as well as in the execution of them. -They were intelligent, secret, sure. And in every case they -accomplished their work and escaped detection." - -"You must not forget, however," complained Pendleton, "that De -Quincey's assassin, John Williams, was a real person, and his killings -actual occurrences. Poe's workmen were creatures of his imagination, -their crimes, with the possible exception of 'Marie Roget,' were -purely fanciful. The creator of the doer and the deed had a clear -field; and in that, perhaps, lies the superiority of Poe." - -Ashton-Kirk sighed humorously. - -"Perhaps," said he. "At any rate the select crimes are usually the -conceptions of men who have no idea of putting them into execution. -And that, upon consideration, is a fortunate thing for society. But, -at the same time, it is most irritating to a man of a speculative turn -of mind. Fiction teems with most splendid murders. Captain Marryat, in -Snarleyow, created an almost perfect horror in the attempted slaughter -of the boy Smallbones by the hag mother of Vanslyperken; the lad's -reversal of the situation and his plunging a bayonet into the wrinkled -throat, makes the chapter an accomplishment difficult to displace. -Remember it?" - -Pendleton arose and opened one of the windows. - -"Even the noise and smell of this street of yours are grateful after -what I have been listening to," said he. Then, after a moment spent in -examining the adjacent outdoors, he added in a tone of wonderment. "I -say, Kirk, this is really a hole of a place to live! Why don't you -move?" - -The other arose and joined him at the window. Old-fashioned streets -alter wonderfully after the generations of the elect have passed; but -when Eastern Europe takes to dumping its furtive hordes into one, the -change is marked indeed. In this one peddler's wagons replaced the -shining carriages of a former day--wagons drawn by large-jointed -horses and driven by bearded men who cried their wares in strange, -throaty voices. - -Everything exhaled a thick, semi-oriental smell. Dully painted -fire-escapes clung hideously to the fronts of the buildings; -stagnant-looking men, wearing their hats, leaned from bedroom windows. -The once decent hallways were smutted with grimy hands; the wide -marble steps were huddled with alien, unclean people. - -A splendidly spired church stood almost shoulder to shoulder with the -Ashton-Kirk house. Once it had been a place of dignified Episcopal -worship; but years of neglect had made it unwholesome and cavern-like; -and finally it was given over to a tribe of stolid Lithuanians who -stuck a cheaply gilded Greek cross over the door and thronged the -street with their wedding and christening processions. - -"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment's study of the prospect, -"yes, perhaps it _is_ a hole of a place in which to live. But you see -we've had this house since shortly after the Revolution; four -generations have been born here. As I have no fashionable wife and I -live alone, I am content to stay. Then, the house suits me; everything -is arranged to my taste. The environment may not be the most -desirable; but, my visitors are seldom of the sort that object to -externals." - -"Well, you have one just now who is not what you might call partial to -such neighborhoods," said Pendleton. "And," looking at his watch, "you -will shortly have another who will be, perhaps, still less favorably -impressed." - -"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk. - -He curled himself up upon the deep window sill while Pendleton went -back to his chair and the tobacco. - -"It's a lady," resumed Pendleton, the brown paper crackling between -his fingers, "a lady of condition, quality and beauty." - -"It sounds pleasant enough," smiled the other. "But why is she -coming?" - -"To consult you--ah--I suppose we might call it--professionally. No, I -don't know what it is about; but judging from her manner, it is -something of no little consequence." - -"She sent you to prepare the way for her, then?" - -"Yes. It is Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of James Vale, the 'Structural -Steel King,' you remember they used to call him before he died a few -years ago. She was an only child, and except for the four millions -which he left to found a technical school, she inherited everything. -And when you say everything in a case like this, it means -considerable." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"She is a distant relative of mine," resumed Pendleton; "her mother -was connected in some vague way with my mother; and because of this -indefinite link, we've always been"--here he hesitated for an -instant--"well, rather friendly. Last night we happened to meet at -Upton's, and I took her in to dinner. Edyth is a nice girl, but I've -noticed of late that she's not had a great deal to say. Sort of quiet -and big-eyed and all that, you know. Seems healthy enough, but does a -great deal of thinking and looking away at nothing. I've talked to her -for ten minutes straight, only to find that she hadn't heard a word -I'd said. - -"So, as you will understand, I did not expect a great deal of her at -dinner. But directly across from us was young Cartwright--" - -"Employed in the Treasury Department?" - -"That's the man. Well, he began to talk departmental affairs with some -one well down the table--you know how some of these serious kids -are--and as there seemed to be nothing else to do, I gave my whole -attention to the interesting performance of Mrs. Upton's cook. I must -have been falling into a dreamy rapture; but at any rate I suddenly -awoke, so to speak. To my surprise Edyth was talking--quite -animatedly--with Cartwright, and about you." - -"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk. "That's very pleasant. It is not given to -every man that the mention of him should stir a melancholy young lady -into animation." - -"Have you done anything in your line for the Treasury Department -lately?" asked Pendleton. - -"Oh, a small matter of some duplicate plates," said Ashton-Kirk. "It -had some interest, but there was nothing extraordinary in it." - -"Well, Cartwright didn't think that. I did not come to in time to -catch the nature of your feat, but he seemed lost in admiration of -your cleverness. He was quite delighted, too, at securing Edyth's -attention. You see, it was a thing he had scarcely hoped for. So he -proceeded to relate all he had ever heard about you. That queer little -matter of the Lincoln death-mask, you know, and the case of the -Belgian Consul and the spurious Van Dyke. And he had even heard some -of the things you did in the university during your senior year. His -recital of your recovery of the silver figure of the Greek runner -which went as the Marathon prize in 1902 made a great hit, I assure -you. - -"But when he answered 'No' to Edyth's earnest question as to whether -he were acquainted with you, she lost interest; and when I promptly -furnished the information that I was, he was forgotten. During the -remainder of the dinner I had time for little else but Edyth's -questions. When she learned that you had taken up investigation as a -sort of profession, she was quite delighted, and before we parted I -was asked to arrange a consultation." - -"She will be here this morning, then?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -Pendleton once more looked at his watch. - -"Within a very few minutes," said he. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE - - -It was exactly three minutes later when the continuous tooting of a -horn told of the approach of another motor car along the crowded -street. Then the door-bell rang. - -Ashton-Kirk arose and touched one of a series of buttons in the wall. -Almost instantly a buzzer made sharp reply. He lifted a tube. - -"If it is Miss Edyth Vale," spoke he, "show her up." - -A little later a knock came upon the door. The grave faced German -opened it, ushering in an astonishingly lovely girl; tall, most -fashionably attired and with a manner of eager anxiety. Both men -arose. - -"Considering that you are under twenty-five," said Pendleton, "you are -remarkably prompt in keeping your engagements, Edyth." - -But the girl did not answer his smile. There was a troubled look in -her brown eyes; she tugged nervously at her gloves to get them off. - -"This is Mr. Ashton-Kirk?" she asked. - -"It is," answered Pendleton. "Kirk, this is my cousin, Edyth Vale." - -Ashton-Kirk gave the girl a chair; she sat down, regarding him all -the time with much interest. The gloves were removed by now; but she -continued plucking at the empty fingers and drawing them through her -hands. - -"I have heard of you quite frequently," said she to Ashton-Kirk, "but -did not dream that I would ever be forced to benefit by your talents. -Mr. Pendleton has been kind enough to arrange this interview at my -request; and I desire to consult you upon a most important matter--a -very private matter." - -Pendleton caught the hesitating glance which she threw at him and -reached for his hat. - -"Edyth," said he, "after all I have done for you, this is very -distressing. I had not expected to be bundled out in this manner." - -She smiled faintly, and nodded. - -"Thank you, Jimmie," she said. "You are a nice boy." - -After Pendleton had gone, Miss Vale sat for some moments in silence; -and all the time her eyes went from one part of the room to another, -curiously; she seemed to be trying to estimate the man whom she came -to consult by his surroundings. - -At one side, rank on rank of books ran from floor to ceiling; others -were scattered about in chairs, on stands and on the floor. At one -spot the wall was racked with glittering, and to her, strange looking -instruments. An open door gave a glimpse of a second apartment with -bare, plastered wall, fitted with tables covered with sheet lead and -cluttered with tanks, grotesquely swelling retorts, burners, jars and -other things that make up a complete laboratory. - -But these told her nothing, except that the man was a student; and -this she had heard before. - -So she gave her attention to Ashton-Kirk himself. He stood by the open -window, the morning light beating strongly upon his dark, keen face, -apparently watching the uncouth surging in the street below. - -"He's very handsome and very wealthy," her friend Connie Bayless had -informed her only that morning. "Comes of a very old family; has the -entrée into the most exclusive houses, but practically ignores -society." - -"Oh, yes, I know him," her uncle, an eminent attorney, had told her. -"A very unusual young man. I might call him acutely intellectual, and -he is an adept in many out of the way branches of knowledge. He would -make a wonderful lawyer, but has too much imagination. Thinks more of -visionary probabilities than of tangible facts." - -"As an amateur actor," Pendleton had confided to her, "Kirk is without -an equal. If he adopted the stage, he'd make a sensation. At college -he was a most tremendous athlete too--football, cross-country running, -wrestling, boxing. And I'm told that he still keeps in training. -Clever chap." - -"I never saw a more splendid natural equipment for languages," said -Professor Hutchinson. "The most sprawling dialect seemed a simple -matter to him; Greek and the oriental tongues were no more trouble in -his case than the 'first reader' is to an intelligent child." - -She had spoken with Mrs. Stokes-Corbin over the telephone. Mrs. -Stokes-Corbin was related to Ashton-Kirk, and her information was -kindly but emphatic. - -"My dear," said the lady, "I do hope you haven't fallen in love with -him. No? Well, that's fortunate. He's one of the dearest fellows in -the world, but one of the most extraordinary. I can't fancy his -marrying at all. His ways and moods and really preposterous habits -would drive a wife mad. You can't imagine the extent of them. He -spends days and nights in positively uncanny chemical experiments. -Without a word to anyone he plunges off on some mysterious errand, to -be gone for weeks. They do tell me that he is to all intents and -purposes a policeman. But I really can't quite credit that, you know. -He loves to do things that others have tried and failed. Even as a boy -he was that way. It was quite discouraging to have a child straighten -out little happenings that we had all given up in despair. Sometimes -it was quite convenient, but I'm not sure that I ever liked it. A -charming talker, my dear; he knows so much to talk about. But he's -eccentric; and an eccentric young man is a frightful burden to those -connected with him." - -All these things passed through the mind of Edyth Vale, as she sat -regarding the young man at the window. Finally he lifted his eyes and -turned them upon her--beautiful eyes--remarkable, full of perception, -compelling. As he caught her intent, inquiring look, he smiled; she -colored slightly, but met his glance bravely. - -"Last night I heard you spoken of," she said, "and it occurred to me -that you could aid me." - -"I should be glad to," said he. "It sometimes happens that I can be of -service to persons extraordinarily circumstanced. If you will let me -hear your story--for," with a smile, "all who come to see me as you -have done _have_ a story--I shall be able to definitely say whether -your case comes within my province." - -She hesitated a moment, her hands nervously engaged with the gloves. -Then she said, frankly. - -"I suppose it is only sensible to speak quite candidly with you, Mr. -Ashton-Kirk, as one does with a lawyer or a physician." - -He nodded. - -"Of course," said he. - -For another moment she seemed to be turning her thoughts over and -seeking the best means of making a beginning. - -"It is very silly of me, I know," she said; "but I feel quite like the -working girl who writes to the correspondence editor of an evening -paper for advice in smoothing out her love affairs." She bent toward -him, the laugh vanishing from her face, a troubled look taking its -place, and continued. "I am to be married--some day--and it is about -that that I wish to speak to you." - -"I realize the difficulties of the subject," spoke Ashton-Kirk -quietly. - -"What I am going to tell you, I have never mentioned to anyone before. -It has been three years ago--four years at Christmas time--since I -first met Allan Morris," she said. "Our engagement so quickly followed -that my friends said it was a very clear case of love at first sight. -Perhaps it was! - -"However that might be, we were very happy for a time. But trouble was -in store for us. I had always disbelieved in long engagements, had -always been very outspoken against them, in fact. This is perhaps what -made me so quickly notice an absence of haste on Mr. Morris' part as -to the wedding. When the subject came up, as it naturally would, he -seemed to avoid it. At first I was surprised; but finally I grew -annoyed, and spoke my mind very frankly. - -"You see, he is not at all well off, and I am--well I have a great -deal. I thought this might have something to do with his apparent -reluctance. But no, it was something else. As I just said, I spoke -frankly; and he was equally candid, after a fashion. He said it was -quite impossible for us to be married for some time. There was a -something--he did not say what--which must first be settled. Naturally -I grew curious. I desired to know what it was that so stood in the way -of our happiness. He replied that it was something that must not be -spoken of, and was so very earnest in the matter that I did not -mention it again--for a long time. - -"You may think, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that my fiancé was no very ardent -lover. But I was assured, and I do not lack perception, that he was -passionately fond of me. And I still think so. But as time went by, -things did not alter; our wedding was a vague expectation; even more -than before Mr. Morris avoided mention of anything definite. - -"I am not naturally patient; and my rearing as the only child of an -enormously rich man has perhaps added to my impetuousness. In a burst -of temper one day, I broke the engagement, gave him back his ring and -did a number of other rather silly things. But he was so tragic in -his despair--so utterly broken hearted and white--that I immediately -relented and we patched the matter up once more. That he loved me was -plain; but that he could not marry me--for some mysterious reason--was -even plainer. - -"After this I began to notice a change in him. He was rather silent -and given to reverie; he seldom laughed. Sometimes he was haggard and -so wrought up, apparently, that he could scarcely contain himself. He -would pace the floor, evidently with little realization as to what he -was doing. Once he was really dreadfully agitated. I calmed him as -well as I could, and he sat for a long time, thinking deeply. As I -watched him, he sprang to his feet and dashing his fist upon a table, -cried out, passionately: - -"'The black-hearted rascal! He's mocking me!' - -"Then like a flash he realized the strangeness of his conduct, and -with anxious, alarmed face, asked my pardon. I felt that this was an -opportunity to put an end to a situation that was growing intolerable. -My persistent questioning gained me something, but, on the whole, not -a great deal. - -"The thing that was troubling him was a business matter. In some way -he was in the hands of some one--these are the indefinite threads that -I gathered--a mocking, jeering, smiling someone whom he hated, but -from whom he could not free himself. - -"I began to tell him that there could be nothing strong enough in -itself to prevent our happiness; but he stopped me in such a way that -I did not feel inclined to continue. In an outburst, filled with -denunciations of his enemy and protestations of devotion to myself, I -caught the name of Hume. He had dropped this inadvertently. I knew it -instantly because of the swift look that he gave me. But I allowed no -hint of what I thought to show in my face. He was more subdued during -the remainder of his stay; the mentioning of the name had startled -him, and he was doubtless afraid that his state of mind would lead him -into further indiscretions. - -"As you may suppose, the name--the first tangible thing that I had -learned--was of much interest to me. If I could but find out who this -person was, I could probably get to the bottom of the matter." - -At this point Miss Vale paused; and Ashton-Kirk noted her head lift -proudly. - -"Perhaps," she continued, "it might be thought that I had no right to -make such an effort in a matter which Mr. Morris saw fit to keep from -me. Were you thinking that? But I am not a silent sufferer. I usually -make an end of annoying things without delay. And I would have done -so in this case long before, but I was in love; and I could not bear -to see Allan suffer by my insistence. - -"However, here was an opportunity to perhaps aid him; and I set to -work. In a few hours next day I had located every person of the name -of Hume in the city. Mr. Morris is a consulting engineer. Anyone named -Hume who, from his occupation, would be likely to have dealings with -him especially attracted my attention. There were only a few, and long -before the day was over I had satisfied myself by personal visits at -their places of business that they did not even know him." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled. One of his well-kept hands patted applause upon -the arm of his chair. - -"You are strong," said he. "I recognized your type when you came -in. It is a pleasure to have one's judgment so thoroughly and -satisfactorily proven." - -Miss Vale looked pleased. - -"I am glad that you approve of what I did," she said. "I confess I had -some hesitancy, but not enough to prevent my carrying out the design. -But when the first effort proved without result, I set about making a -study of all the Humes in the directory. I had my secretary make me a -typed list of them, with their addresses and occupations, and I pored -over this for hours at a time. - -"There was one that caught my eye after a while; probably this was -because of the unusualness of his business. The directory gave him as -a numismatist; but I drove by his shop in my car, and the sign over -the window said that he was also a dealer in curiosities of art. - -"This gave me an idea. Mr. Morris is an ardent collector; his hobby is -engraved gems, and for a man of his means his possessions in this line -are quite remarkable. It was easily within the range of possibility -that he had had transactions with this particular Hume--at least that -he was acquainted with him. The more I thought of this, the more -curious I grew; and one afternoon I paid the place a visit. It is on -the second floor, the entrance is through a side door and up a narrow, -dusty stairway. Then I had to make my way along a dark windowless -passage to the office, or shop in the front. - -"This shop was well lighted, and literally stuffed with what were well -termed 'curiosities of art.' I never before saw such queer carvings, -such freakish pottery, such weird and utterly impossible bric-a-brac. -At a table sat a flabby looking man with a short sandy beard. One -glance told me that he was an habitual drunkard, for he had the -sodden look that is unmistakable. But when he arose and bid me good -evening his manner struck me like a blow in the face. Allan Morris had -spoken of a mocking person who jeered and smiled. And that described -this man exactly. There was mockery in every glance of his dull eyes; -every twitch of his mouth was a fleer; with each gesture he seemed -making game of one; sneering incredulity was stamped all over him." - -Ashton-Kirk leaned forward with keen interest. - -"My manner must have betrayed me," the girl went on, "for I saw an -inquiring crease come into his forehead. When he asked the nature of -my business his voice was sharp and insolent. - -"I had not thought as to what I should say, what excuse I should give -in this case. But almost instantly my mind was made up. About the most -conspicuous thing in the room was a squat Japanese idol--a fat, -grinning, hideous thing which sat upon a sort of pedestal near the -door. So I laid my hand in it. - -"'I was told of this,' said I, examining the idol minutely, 'and came -in to see it.' - -"'Ah, yes,' said he. But it was plain enough that he did not believe -me. - -"I inquired the price of the figure. He named a high one; and I -believe I astonished him by purchasing it without another word. The -idol was delivered late that afternoon. I had it unpacked at once and -placed where Mr. Morris could not fail to see it when he called." - -"A clever plan," commented Ashton-Kirk, admiringly. - -"He saw it when he entered the room and greeted me. He was smiling; -and the smile froze on his lips, his face went pale, and he turned a -look upon me that filled me with fear, it was so wan and startled. - -"I had intended telling him the full truth if my ruse succeeded. But -after that look I could not. I convinced him by a nonchalant manner -and story, that I had come by the idol accidentally. At least I -_think_ I convinced him, though I noticed his watching me steadily -from under very level brows more than once during the evening. But if -he had any suspicions that I was deceiving him, he did not put them -into words." - -Here Miss Vale paused for a moment. Then she resumed: - -"I tried, in various ways, to gain a knowledge of the relationship -between my fiancé and this sneering shopkeeper; but they were all -ineffectual. Mr. Ashton-Kirk, this occurred fully three months ago, -and the situation remains the same as it was upon that night." - -Then with a suddenness that startled the young man she lifted two -trembling hands to her face and began to sob gaspingly. When she took -the hands away there were no signs of tears, but her beautiful face -was drawn with pain and her voice shook as she said: - -"I don't think I can stand it much longer. I beg of you not to think -lightly of my story; for the thing that stands between Allan Morris -and myself is deadly. As I watch him I can see that his heart is -breaking; his health is failing, there is a look of fear in his eyes." -She reached forward and her hand rested upon the sleeve of -Ashton-Kirk. "He is at the mercy of this mocking monster that I have -described to you. It is killing him, and through him it is killing me. -Help me, please." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled reassuringly. - -"As far as I can see," said he, "the case is a simple one. However, it -may turn out the reverse. But in either event I can promise you a -swift and energetic attempt to set the matter right." - -"Thank you!" She stood up. "And you will begin to-day?" - -"At once!" - -"You are kind." She held out her hand; he took it. "Thank you, again." - -Stumph appeared, in answer to the bell. She turned to go. - -"There is nothing more that you can tell me?" he inquired. - -"Nothing." - -"I had supposed that. Your recital sounded pretty complete." - -When the door closed upon her, he stood for a few moments in the -middle of the floor, his head bent forward, his hands behind him. Then -he turned and touched another of the system of bells. - -Immediately a brisk, boyish looking young man presented himself. - -"Fuller," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "I want instant and complete information -upon one Hume, a local numismatist, and Allan Morris, consulting -engineer." - -"Very well, sir." And Fuller turned at once, and left the room. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL WAYNE - - -When Ashton-Kirk returned that evening from the theatre, where he had -gone to witness a much heralded new drama, he sat with a cigar, in his -library; and stretching out his length in great comfort, he smoked and -smiled and thought of what he had seen and heard. - -"The drama as a medium of expression is necessarily limited," the -young man was saying to himself, "and of course, in fitting human -action to its narrow bounds, the dramatist is sometimes tempted to -ignore certain human elements. In spots, the people of the play acted -like puppets; upon seven different occasions, by actual count, the -entire matter would have been cleared up if someone had sharply spoken -his mind. But he did not, and the thing was allowed to become -hopelessly involved because of it." - -He knocked the ashes from his cigar; and a smile came to his lips. - -"It would not have served the purpose of the dramatist, I suppose; his -play would have ended abruptly, and far short of the prescribed time. -He tried to tell a human story and chose an unhuman method." - -There was another pause; the smile now disappeared and a thoughtful -look came into his face. - -"And yet," he mused, "is the playwright really so far wrong? Is his -stage story very far removed from actuality after all? In Miss Edyth -Vale, we have a girl of most unusual character, of splendid education, -apparently. And yet in the building of her own drama she has -outstripped the inventor of stage plays in the matter of hesitancy. -Her natural inclination urged her to make a firm stand; but other -feelings proved the stronger, and she held her tongue much after the -fashion of the girl in the play." - -He was puffing at a second cigar when there came a knock on the door, -and Fuller entered. - -"Well?" said Ashton-Kirk. - -"I thought you'd perhaps like to look over this data before morning," -said the young man, as he laid a number of typed sheets and a -photograph at Ashton-Kirk's elbow. "As you required instant action I -got Burgess on the Hume end of it before noon; after luncheon I took -up Morris myself." - -"Thank you," said the other. - -"Morris," with a nod toward the photograph, "is rather uneventful, -personally. And it was no very difficult matter to get the facts -concerning him. But Burgess had a much more interesting time. Hume -seems to have lots of color as a character. Not that there was a great -deal shown--the time was too short. But the indications are -promising." - -When Fuller had gone, Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began to read -them carefully. They were brief, pointed and evidently the work of men -who were familiar enough with their business to eliminate all -non-essentials. The first one ran: - -"Allan Barnett Morris, Consulting Engineer. Specialty, Marine -Construction. Lives at the Crompton Apartments. Born October 15, 1879. -Graduate of Cornell; class of 1900. Special honors. Brilliant student. -Was at once engaged by the New England Ship Building Company. Soon -became their right hand man. Resigned in 1905; took offices in the -Blake Building. Is much employed by the Government. Has the reputation -of a growing man in his line and is admitted by competent persons to -be an expert. - -"He is unmarried and has no relatives. The last of these to die was -his father--a trifle more than three years ago. The father had a -reputation for great brilliancy and hard drinking. He was an inventor -of some note. See the Morris Smoke Consumer--the Morris Propeller--the -Morris Automatic Brake. But he never made much out of any of these. -The appetite for liquor forced him to surrender, for very little, -interests that made fortunes for other men. - -"Young Morris is clear of the drink habit, and is a hard and -persistent worker. He is a member of the University and the Brookdale -Field Clubs; goes into society, and is reported to be the accepted -suitor of Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of the late James Vale, -manufacturer of structural steel." - -"A clean bill of health, as far as it goes," commented Ashton-Kirk. -"However, surface inquiries tell very little, sometimes." - -He turned to the remaining pages. - -"David Purtell Hume, Numismatist, philatelist, dealer in objects of -art and curiosities. Resides at his place of business, second floor of -478 Christie Place. - -"Hume located in this city in 1899. Where he came from is not -definitely known, but there is some slight cause for supposing that he -is an American who had been living abroad. However, an examination of -the steamship passenger lists for 1898-99 fail to show his name. - -"Is well known in his line and is reputed to be wealthy. Is much -disliked by his neighbors and others in the same trade. Even those who -patronize him have an aversion to him; but as he is an authority, and -his stock always contains rarities, they do not take their custom -elsewhere. - -"Hume has been under suspicion upon several occasions. But the police -could gather no positive evidence against him, at any time. The -robbery of the Hailesbury gallery at London, when the famous Whistler -portrait of the Duchess of Winterton was cut from its frame, was -traced almost to his door. But the scent died out before they could -clinch the matter, and he escaped. It was believed that the thing -was planned by him and executed by a confederate. Several other -occurrences of like nature, but of less importance, have been laid -against him. But, if he was concerned in them, he was always cunning -enough to hide his tracks. - -"He is an habitual drinker, of violent temper, and is reputed to have -a positive genius for discovering raw spots in an acquaintance and -goading him for the sheer joy of seeing him writhe. It is this trait -that causes the general dislike for him in the Christie Place section. - -"He is a free liver, spends much money and has a passion for music." - -Ashton-Kirk laid down the sheets and threw away his cigar. - -"As Fuller remarked, Mr. Hume seems to be a colorful character. And -apparently one that would be likely to lead Mr. Allan Morris a very -lively dance if he had a hold of any sort upon him." - -He arose to his feet, a pleased light in his eye, and began walking up -and down the floor. - -"It is more than likely that it will prove some trifle that Morris' -fears have lifted to the plane of a tragedy. But, somehow, the parts -of the case seem to fall in a promising manner. I get a sort of -pleasure in anticipating a possible grapple with Mr. David Purtell -Hume." - -For a full hour, Ashton-Kirk moved up and down the library, his eyes -half closed, varying expressions appearing and disappearing upon his -face. At length there came a smile of satisfaction and he paused in -his pacing. - -"That is probably it," said he. "At any rate it is a very favorable -coincidence. However, I must have more information than the hurried -reports of Burgess and Fuller to be certain. Yes, this promises to be -interesting." - -With that he went to his room and to bed. - -The dull gray of a damp spring morning was peering in at his window -when he awoke. By the light he knew that it was hours before his usual -time. Something had aroused him; but he could not say what. He sat up -in bed, and as he did so there came the long continued and smothered -ringing of a bell. - -"The telephone," said he. - -"R-r-r-r-ring-g!" it persisted. And then again: -"R-r-r-r-ring-ing-ing! R-r-r-ring!" - -Ashton-Kirk heard a door open and close softly on the floor above; -then slippered feet came pat-patting down the stairs. The wild rattle -of the bell suddenly stopped; a muffled voice could be heard -protesting dismally against the din. But suddenly the vague complaint -gave way to a higher note. - -"Alarm," said Ashton-Kirk. "Something has happened." - -He reached up and turned on the electric bulb that hung above his -head; then he drew his feet up under him after the fashion of a Turk -and waited, calmly. - -The padded steps swiftly approached his door; a sharp knock sounded on -the panels. - -"Well?" demanded the young man. - -"There is an urgent call, sir," came the voice of Stumph--"on the -telephone. It's the lady who called yesterday--Miss Vale." - -Ashton-Kirk slipped from the bed; a step brought him to the door, -which he threw open. - -"Very well, Stumph," said he, quietly. "You may go back to bed." - -The grave-faced German went stolidly down the hall; the young man -pulled on a pair of felt slippers; in the library he put the detached -receiver to his ear and spoke evenly: - -"Well, Miss Vale?" - -There was a small, gasping exclamation from the wire, a sort of -breath-catching flutter of sound such as a person might utter who had -been running hard. Then Edyth Vale, her voice shaking and filled with -fear, said: - -"Oh! Is that you! I'm glad--glad!" - -"Get a firm grip on yourself," advised Ashton-Kirk. "If anything has -happened we can no doubt remedy it." - -There came a series of moaning sobs across the wire; the girl had -evidently broken down and was crying. Ashton-Kirk said nothing; he -waited patiently. Finally she spoke once more. - -"What has happened can _never_ be remedied." Then her voice sank so -low that he could scarcely catch the breathless words. "There has been -murder done." - -The investigator felt the blood prickle beneath his skin. However, his -voice was steady as he replied; his calmly working mind shook off the -fear which she so strongly suggested. - -"Who has been murdered?" he asked. - -"The man whom I told you about yesterday--the numismatist, Hume." - -"Ah!" Ashton-Kirk drew in a long breath and his eyes began to glow. -There was an instant's pause, then he said: "The hour is rather -unconventional; but if you will receive me, I'll have you tell me -about this matter privately and at once." - -"By all means," she answered, eagerly. "I was about to beg of you to -come." - -"In a half hour," said he, briefly. "Good-by." - -He hung up the receiver and touched one of the buttons. When Stumph -came, he said: - -"Turn the cold water into my bath. Then order the car in haste." - -"Yes, sir." - -"Afterwards you can lay out a rough suit, heavy shoes and a soft hat." - -"Instantly, sir." - -Within twenty minutes Ashton-Kirk ran down the steps and sprang into -the powerful looking car that awaited him; and well within the half -hour he rang the bell at the marble palace built by the steel magnate -during the last years of his life. A heavy-eyed man servant admitted -him with astonished resentment. Miss Vale, looking very tall and very -pale, met him in the hall. But for all her pallor she seemed quite -collected, even smiling. - -"Oh, I'm so sorry to have brought you out so early and on such a -dismal morning," she said, lightly, leading him into a room at one -side. "I'm sure it is very damp." - -She sat down and motioned him to a chair; he studied her with some -surprise; the transition from wild terror to her present calm was -most notable. - -"There has been a recovery of poise, evidently," Ashton-Kirk told -himself. "She is still frightened, but for some reason is anxious to -hide it." - -"This morning," said Miss Vale, with a laugh that rang perfectly, "I -found that I was only a woman after all. This--this dreadful thing so -startled me that for a time I did not know what to do. My first -impulse was to call you, and I acted upon it. But," with a pretty -gesture of apology, "when I had recovered myself somewhat, I saw that -I had disturbed you unnecessarily." - -"You don't mean that, after all, Hume is not--" - -She held up her hand for him to stop. A strong shudder seemed to run -through her; she bent her head so that the light would not fall too -strongly upon her face. In a moment, however, she recovered. - -"Yes, yes," she said, her voice perfectly under control. "He is -dead--shockingly murdered. What I mean is, that while the event is -very dreadful--still, it does not really concern me more than any -other crime of the same nature which we see staring at us from the -columns of the newspapers every day. This man's being in my mind so -much of late caused me to become unnerved when I heard the news." - -"When did it occur?" - -"Sometime since midnight." - -There was a silence. Miss Vale arose and began to pace the room. The -long white cloak that had draped her fell away; she wore a ball dress -and her arms and shoulders shone splendidly under the lights. - -"How did you hear of it?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -There was a scarcely perceptible hesitancy; then she answered: - -"Through the newspapers. We were returning from Mrs. Barron's about -three o'clock. The papers had just come out, and I felt a curiosity to -see them wet from the press. When I reached home the first thing that -caught my eye was the account of Hume's death." - -"Did you call me up at once?" - -"Yes. As I have said, it was the first thing that occurred to me. And -again I beg your pardon for having disturbed you uselessly." - -Ashton-Kirk gestured this aside. - -"It may be that the affair will turn out to have some interesting -features," said he. "And with that possibility in view, I am rather -pleased than not in having an opportunity of getting so early upon the -ground." - -She paused in her pacing, and turned upon him a startled look. - -"You do not mean to go there--to Christie Place," she said. - -[Illustration: "YOU DO NOT MEAN TO GO THERE"--] - -"I may as well. I may be of use." He looked at her for a moment -steadily, then asked: "Do you know of any reason why I should not go?" - -Instantly the startled look vanished; a smile lit up the pale face, -wanly. - -"Of course not," she cried. "You are interested in dreadful -happenings--I had forgotten that. I suppose you _are_ really quite -delighted; and instead of my craving pardon I should be expecting -praise, for putting you in the way of this one." - -She laughed lightly; a smile flitted across his keen face, as he rose -and said: - -"What has happened may make a change in the affairs of Allan Morris." - -She came to him and laid a hand upon his arm. Her coolness won his -admiration. - -"I beg of you to forget all that I told you yesterday," she said. "I -had been brooding so long that I had begun to fancy all sorts of -impossible things. I see very clearly now that this man Hume could -have had nothing of any consequence to do with Mr. Morris. It was a -romance--a rather foolish fancy, and a very wild one." - -There was sweet seriousness in her manner; and the lurking smile -still hovered about her lips. It was as though a return to reason had -driven away the fears of the day before--the alarmed girl had given -place to a sensible woman. - -But behind all this, Ashton-Kirk could detect something else. The -almost swooning terror of the girl who had spoken to him over the -telephone was still there--held rigidly in check to be sure, but -unquestionably there. While her lips smiled, the eyes sometimes -betrayed her; and there was a tenseness about her that almost -screamed. Her good-by was soft and kindly spoken; she held out her -hand, frankly, and thanked him for his interest. There was nothing -hurried in her manner; it was all smoothly and leisurely done. And yet -he felt that if she had followed the impulse that filled her, she -would have taken him, by the shoulder and bundled him from the room in -order that she might be alone. - -"Alone--to think," he said, as he got into his car at the curb. "But -to think about what?" Aloud he said to the driver: "Christie Place." - -By this time the early workers were beginning to thicken in the -street; street cars were more frequent; the dull night hum of the city -was growing in volume. The spark had set the car's engine throbbing -heavily, and the driver was about to start when a second vehicle drew -up and Ashton-Kirk found himself looking into the alarmed face of -young Pendleton. - -"Heavens, Kirk!" cried the newcomer, as he leaped out, "has anything -serious happened?" - -"To whom?" asked the investigator, quietly, his eyes fixed upon the -young man's face. - -"To Edyth, of course. Has any thing been seen of her?" - -"I have just left her; she seemed a bit agitated, but perfectly well." - -A look of relief crossed Pendleton's face. - -"Oh!" said he. "All right. I was beginning to think that something was -up. You see," and here he lowered his voice, "I danced with her about -midnight at Mrs. Barron's; about two o'clock her aunt, Mrs. Page, came -to me in great distress and said she was strangely missing. She had -slipped away somewhere without a word." - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him keenly. - -"Of course it was up to me to find her," said Pendleton; "but my -efforts were without result. Her car was gone, and the man said Miss -Vale had called it about one o'clock; also that she had driven away in -it alone. - -"At this news Mrs. Page grew quite ill, and I brought her home here in -my car. Then I departed upon a vague sort of search. As the matter was -to be kept perfectly quiet and I was to ask no questions of anybody, -you can imagine how much chance I had of doing anything. But if she's -at home, it's all right. At sight of you I thought it had proved to be -something alarming and that they had sent for you." - -"I _was_ sent for," said Ashton-Kirk, dryly, "but not to hunt for Miss -Vale. Now jump in here and come along; I've got a little matter that -may be of interest." - -"I haven't had breakfast," said Pendleton; "but there's always -something piquant to your little affairs. I'll go you." - -He dismissed his own car and climbed into that of his friend. As they -whirled up the street, Ashton-Kirk suddenly directed his driver to -stop. Then he called to a man with a great bundle of newspapers who -stood calling them monotonously upon a corner. - -Again the car started with the investigator deep in the sheaf of -papers which he had purchased. Page after page failed to reveal -anything to his practised glance; at length he swept them to the floor -of the car. A smile was upon his lips--the smile of a man who had -received a nod of approval from Circumstances. - -"The first edition of the morning dailies lacks interest," he said. "A -crime of some moment can be committed between midnight and dawn, and -not a line appear in type concerning it until the later issues." - -Pendleton looked at him with mock disapproval. - -"One would suppose," said he, "that you had expected to find some -such criminal narrative in those," and he indicated the discarded -newspapers. - -"There were reasons why I should," answered Ashton-Kirk. "And very -good reasons, too. But," and he laughed a little, "for all that, I had -an indefinite sort of feeling that I should _not_ find it. This may -sound a trifle queer; but nevertheless it is true." - -"The account was to have been of a murder," accused Pendleton. "I can -see it in your face, so don't take the trouble to deny it. I had -hoped that your plunge into what you styled the 'literature of -assassination' would not last--that a good night's rest would turn -your thoughts into another groove." - -"Perhaps it would have been so," said Ashton-Kirk. "But things have -happened in the meantime." - -"And you don't appear at all put out that they have done so. That is -possibly the most distressing feature of the business. If anything, -you seem rather pleased. Of course, an odd murder or so is to be -expected in the ordinary course of events; but one hardly counts upon -one's intimates being concerned in them. It is disconcerting." - -He crossed his legs and pursed up his lips. - -"If you don't mind," added he, "now that I have expressed myself, -I'll listen to the details of whatever you have in view." - -"There is not a great deal to tell," said Ashton-Kirk. "A man has been -murdered in Christie Place. It happens that I have an interest in the -matter; otherwise I would not think of dipping into it." - -Pendleton looked at him reproachfully. - -"After all, then," exclaimed he, "you are but a dilettante! -Assassination in the abstract is well enough, but you have a -disposition to shirk practical examples. I have been deceived!" - -Christie Place was some distance west and ran off from a much -frequented street. It was notable for the wilderness of sign boards -that flared from each side. The buildings were apparently let out in -floors and each lessee endeavored to outdo his neighbor in proclaiming -his business to the passing public. The lower floors were, for the -most part, occupied by small grocers, dealers in notions, barbers, -confectioners and such like. - -"What a crowded, narrow little place," commented Pendleton, as the car -turned into the street. The air in the street seemed to him heavy. - -About midway in the block a small group stood about a doorway; from a -window above swung a sign bearing the name of Hume. The car stopped -here; Ashton-Kirk and his friend got out; the group at the doorway -parted and a big man stepped forward. - -"Why, hello," said he, cordially. "You're the last person I was looking -for. How did you hear about this?" - -"Good morning, Osborne," said Ashton-Kirk, shaking the big man's hand. -"I'm glad to find you in charge. I got it in an unusual sort of way, -and came down to have a look." - -Osborne, though in plain clothes, was emphatically a policeman. His -square face, his big frame, his dogged expression, somehow conveyed -the impression as plainly as words. - -"It must have been unusual," said he, "because even the reporters -haven't got it yet; headquarters is keeping it quiet until the chief -gets in." - -Ashton-Kirk looked vastly pleased. - -"Excellent," said he to Pendleton. "We'll have a look at the place -before it has lost the atmosphere of the crime." Then to Osborne: "May -we go up?" - -"Sure," answered the other readily. "Only don't pull things around -any. That young fellow that they've elected coroner is awful touchy -about such things. He wants to be first always." - -"Nothing of importance shall be disturbed," promised Ashton-Kirk. Then -motioning Pendleton to follow, he ascended the flight that led to the -second floor. - -It was narrow and dusty, as Miss Vale had said. The walls were -smutted, the hand rail felt greasy, the air was stale. A passage, dim -and windowless, ran the depth of the building; from the front there -came a patch of daylight through a ground glass door. Upon this latter -could be easily read the words: - - DAVID P. HUME - NUMISMATIST - PHILATELIST - ART CURIOSITIES - -A policeman stood at the head of the stairs smoking a cigar in an -informal way. - -"All right," said he, "if Osborne let you come up I've got nothing to -say. He's the boss." - -"Have you looked over the place?" - -"Just a glance. The floor has been fitted up as an apartment. Hume -occupied all the rooms. The body," pointing to the front room, "is in -there." - -"Thanks." - -Ashton-Kirk turned the knob of the door nearest, the one with the -lettering upon it. The room was without windows; the investigator -closed the door and lighted the gas. - -"Just a moment," said he. - -The door leading to the front room stood wide. He disappeared through -this for a moment; when he returned, his face wore a tightened -expression; his eyes were swift and eager. - -"This is a sort of store room, I should say," spoke Pendleton. - -Pictures hung about upon the walls and stood packed in corners; -statues of bronze, marble and plaster were on every side; brass -bas-reliefs, rugs of Eastern design and great price, antique armor, -coin cabinets, ponderous stamp albums, Japanese paintings and carvings -and a host of queer and valuable objects fairly crammed every inch of -space. - -"I had heard that Hume was wealthy," commented Ashton-Kirk. "And this -seems to prove it. This room contains value enough to satisfy a fairly -reasonable person." - -The two young men passed through into what appeared to be a kitchen. -There was an ill kept range upon one side cluttered with cooking -things. A bare oaken table of the Jacobean period held the remains of -a meal. A massive Dutch side-board, covered with beautiful carving, -stood facing them; every inch of available space upon it was crowded -with bottles, decanters and glasses. - -"The gentleman was not averse to an occasional nip, at any rate," said -Pendleton. "And his taste was rather educated, too," examining the -sideboard's contents carefully. "The best was none too good for him." - -Beyond this again was a bedroom. The bed was a huge Flemish affair, -and also elaborately carved; over it was a spreading Genoese canopy, -which through lack of care had grown dusty and tattered. Rich old rugs -were spread upon the neglected floor; a beautiful Louis Quinze table -had its top covered with discolored rings made by the bottoms of -glasses, and the lighted ends of cigars had burned spots on it. - -"The bed of a prince and the floor coverings of a duke," said -Pendleton with indignation. "And used much as a coal heaver would use -them. Now, this table is really a scandal. If its owner has been -murdered, I don't wonder at it. Some outraged lover of such things has -probably taken the law into his own hands." - -But Ashton-Kirk was paying little attention to the things that -appalled Pendleton. - -"Look," said he. - -He indicated the walls. Here and there the plaster was broken as -though some fastened object had been violently torn away. At one place -an empty picture frame, its glass smashed, hung askew from a hook. As -Pendleton caught sight of other empty frames littered about the room, -the glass of each broken, their pictures torn out, he exclaimed in -astonishment: - -"Hello! Someone has torn them down and smashed them. What an -extraordinary thing to do!" - -The pictures, mostly engravings, but with here and there a painting, -were strewn about. Ashton-Kirk carefully gathered them up and spread -them upon the table. They were by various hands, but unquestionably -represented the same person--a handsome, resolute looking man in the -uniform of an officer in the army of Washington. - -"General Anthony Wayne," said Ashton-Kirk, softly. - -There was something in the tone that made Pendleton look at him -swiftly. The splendid head was bent over the portraits; eagerness -blazed in the dark eyes; the keen face was rigid with interest. - -"Some drunken freak, do you think?" asked Pendleton, more to hear his -friend's view than anything else. - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"On the contrary, the thing seems full of a vague meaning," said he. -"There were seventeen pictures upon the walls of this room; fourteen -have been torn down and destroyed; the other three are undisturbed." - -Pendleton gazed at the pictures that remained upon the walls. Two were -of fine looking houses of the colonial type; the third was the -portrait of a man--a man of repulsive, sneering face, heavy with evil -lines and with unusually small eyes. - -"If they had destroyed that one it would have had some meaning to me," -commented Pendleton. "But, as it is, I hardly think I follow you." - -"The meaning that I find," replied Ashton-Kirk, "lies in the fact that -the pictures violently used were those of General Wayne only. Mark -that fact. That they were deliberately selected for destruction is -beyond question." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"It is simple. If this were a mere random stripping of the room of its -pictures, all would have suffered. Look," indicating a spot in the -wall, "here is a place where the plaster is broken. A hook had been -driven here to hold one of the portraits; and the breaking of the -plaster shows that some determination was required to tear the picture -down. Yet--next this--is an engraving of an old mansion which remains -untouched. The next four again were portraits of the General, and all -have been demolished." - -Pendleton nodded. - -"That's true," said he. "Whoever did this was after the Revolutionary -hero alone. But why?" - -Ashton-Kirk smiled. - -"We'll look into matters a little further," said he. "Perhaps there -are facts to be gathered that will shed some light upon the things -that we have already seen." - -They repassed through the other rooms; with his hand upon the frame of -the door leading to the show room, Ashton-Kirk paused. - -"Better brace yourself for rather a shocking sight," said he to his -friend. - -"Go on," said Pendleton, quietly. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -STILLMAN'S THEORY - - -There were four good-sized windows in the show room, all overlooking -the street. It was a large, square place, and, as Miss Vale had said, -literally stuffed with odd carvings, pottery of a most freakish sort, -and weird bric-a-brac. Two large modern safes stood at one side, -behind a long show case spread with ancient coins. At the end of this -case was a carpeted space, railed in and furnished with a great -flat-topped desk. Upon the floor at the foot of the desk, and with -three separate streams of blood creeping away from it, lay the -huddled, ghastly figure of a man. - -Pendleton, though he had been warned, felt his breath catch and his -skin grow cold and damp. - -"Heavens!" said he, under his breath. "It's the man whose picture we -saw inside there on the wall." - -Even the shock of death could not, so it seemed, drive the sneer from -the thick lips; mockery was frozen in the dead eyes. - -"What a beast he must have been," went on Pendleton. "Like a satyr. I -don't think I ever saw just that type of face before." - -Ashton-Kirk was bending over the body; suddenly he raised himself. - -"There is a heavy bruise on the forehead," said he. "He was felled -first; then bayoneted." - -"Bayoneted!" Pendleton peered at the body. - -"There it is, sticking from his chest." Ashton-Kirk drew aside the -breast of the dead man's coat and his companion caught sight of a -bronze hilt. The broad, sword-like blade had been driven completely -home. - -"If we attempted to move the body," said the investigator, "I should -not be surprised if we found it pinned to the floor. It took brawn to -give that stroke; the man who dealt it made sure of the job." - -With soft, quick steps he crossed the room. The doors of the safes -were locked. - -"If the purpose was robbery," said Ashton-Kirk, "the criminal -evidently knew where to look for the most portable and valuable -articles. There seems to be no indication of anything having been -tampered--" He stopped short, his eyes upon a huge vellum covered tome -which lay open upon the floor. He whistled softly between his teeth. -"General Wayne once more!" he said. - -The volume, as far as Pendleton could see, was a sort of scrap book in -which had been fastened a great number of prints. Upon the two pages -that they could see, six prints had been affixed by the corners. Of -these, four had been torn out and lay upon the floor. - -"Gambetta and John Bright have been spared," said Ashton-Kirk, -pointing at the book, "but," and he gathered up the fragments of the -mishandled prints, "upon Mad Anthony they laid violent hands four -separate times." - -Pendleton wrinkled his brow. - -"Now what the deuce can it mean," he asked, vexedly. "Not only what -did the fellow mean who did this, but what did _he_ mean," pointing at -the dead man, "by having so many portraits of General Wayne?" - -"I think something might be found to point the way if we could only -look for it," said Ashton-Kirk, his face alight with eagerness. "But -we'll have to await the coroner's people." - -"When will they come?" - -The investigator shrugged his shoulders. - -"Probably not for hours," he answered. "However, as the coroner -himself appears to be new in the office, he may be more anxious to get -his work over with than the usual official. In the mean time we'd -better go down and have a talk with Osborne. If I remain here I'll -succumb to temptation, go rummaging about and so get myself into -trouble." - -He turned the knob of the door with the ground glass panel; but it -was fast. They passed into the store room, and so out into the hall. - -"Any signs of the people from the coroner's office?" asked Ashton-Kirk -of the policeman who stood there. - -"Someone just drove up a minute ago," answered the man. "I hear him -down there talking to Osborne now." - -Ashton-Kirk was about to go down when there came a tramping on the -stairs. The big figure of the headquarters detective was first; after -him came a nervous, important looking young man and a stolid-faced old -one. - -With a large gesture Osborne laid his hand upon Ashton-Kirk's -shoulder. - -"Mr. Stillman," said he to the nervous looking young man, "this is Mr. -Ashton-Kirk. I guess you've heard of him." - -The important manner of the young coroner visibly increased as he held -out his hand. - -"I have heard of you frequently, sir," he stated, firmly, "and I am -quite delighted to meet you. More especially, sir, at a time like -this." - -"A very nasty looking affair," returned the investigator. "Osborne has -been good enough to let me glance about," in explanation. - -"I trust," said Stillman, "that you have disturbed nothing." - -"Except for gathering up a few scattered pictures in the bedroom, we -have done nothing but look," assured Ashton-Kirk. - -"I find that the exact conditions must remain if we are to secure even -a fairly good idea of the crime's environments," stated Stillman, -nervously. "It is a thing that I insist upon from the police in every -instance." - -"Sure, sure," said Osborne. "Headquarters does its best never to make -trouble for you, Mr. Stillman." - -The nervous young coroner seemed to be relieved to hear this. He waved -his hand in a gesture that might have meant anything and turned to the -stolid looking, elderly man who accompanied them. They conversed for a -few moments; the stolid man seemed to be explaining something -carefully, to which Stillman listened with the utmost attention. -Osborne bent his head toward Ashton-Kirk. - -"The old party is a left-over in the coroner's office, of many years' -standing," said the detective. "He knows the ropes and puts the newly -elected ones on to the points of the game." - -Stillman finally turned; there was an added importance in his manner, -and his nervousness had also increased. - -"Mr. Osborne," said he, "please let us have what facts the police have -gathered." - -"That won't take long," said Osborne. "Just before daylight--three -o'clock, I think she said--the woman whom Hume employed to scrub the -passage-way and stairs got here. She has almost a dozen such jobs in -the neighborhood, and as she must have them all done before business -begins, she's compelled to get at it early. She has a key to the -street door; so she let herself in, came up these stairs and started -for the far end of the hall, where there is a water tap. She didn't -notice anything unusual until she returned with her pail filled; then -she saw this door," pointing to that of the store room, "standing -open." - -"I see," said Mr. Stillman; and he gazed very hard at the door. - -"Hume, according to the scrub-woman's story," resumed the big man, -"was a queer kind of a chap. You didn't always know just how to take -him. He's lapped up a good bit of booze first and last and sometimes -he's come home pretty well settled. So when the woman sees the door -open, this is the first thing that enters her mind. But to make sure, -she goes into the room and calls him by name. The room's dark and -there's just a touch of daylight coming in through the open door -leading into the front room. So as there was no answer, she takes a -peep in there and sees him on the floor." - -"And is that all she can tell?" - -"Yes; except that she bolted down the stairs in a hurry, met Paulson -here," with a nod to the policeman, who had now discarded his cigar, -"and told him what she had seen." - -"What is her name and address?" - -Osborne consulted a note book. - -"Mrs. Dwyer, 71 Cormant Street," read he. - -"Please make a note of that," said Stillman to his clerk. "And send -for her later in the day." Then turning once more to Osborne, he -continued. "Before doing anything else we will endeavor to find out -how the criminal gained an entrance." - -"That's the way with these Johnnie Newcomers," grumbled Osborne as -Stillman turned once more to his aide. "They want to do it all. Why -don't he go in, look at the body and leave the police business to the -police." - -"Too much earnestness may have its drawbacks," said Ashton-Kirk, "but -it is to be preferred to the perfunctory methods of the accustomed -official, for all." - -"From your angle, maybe so," said Osborne with a frown; "but not from -ours." - -Stillman began rubbing his palms together with what was intended to be -business-like briskness; he stepped up and down the dark hall, peering -right and left. But for all his assumption of confidence, his -nervousness was very apparent. - -"You say," said he to Osborne, "that the scrubwoman unlocked the -street door. Very good. That shows that _it_ was fast at all events. -Now what other means are there of entering the building?" - -"None, except by the fire-escapes and windows. But the windows on this -floor are all secured except for those at the front." - -"Except for those at the front." The young coroner paused in his hand -rubbing. "Would it not have been possible for the person or persons -who did this murder to enter by one of those?" - -"It would have been possible," returned the big headquarters man, "but -no sane person would do it. They'd have to swarm up the face of the -building in full view of anyone that might be passing at the time." - -"Exactly," said Stillman, stiffening under what he was half inclined -to consider a rebuff. "Well, that eliminates _that_ possibility. Now -to the next one. Who occupied the building besides the murdered man?" - -"A man named Berg keeps a delicatessen store on the first floor. His -place in no way communicates with the rest of the building. The third -and fourth floors are used for storage purposes by a furrier. Except -in the spring and fall, so Mrs. Dwyer tells me, he seldom visits the -building." - -"Is there any way of getting in from the top of the house--the roof?" -asked the coroner. - -A look of something like respect came into Osborne's face. Clearly the -question was one which he considered worth while. - -"There is a scuttle," he replied. "The bolt is rusted and broken; it -has probably not been fastened for months, perhaps years." - -"Now we are beginning to come at something," cried Stillman, well -pleased. "In all probability the assassin entered by way of the -scuttle." He turned as though for the approval of the stolid-faced -man. "Eh, Curran? What do you think of that?" - -"It looks very like it, Mr. Stillman." - -"At all events," spoke the coroner, "we will now examine the rooms." - -He advanced and tried the door of the show room. - -"Ah, locked!" said he. He turned and entered the store room, the -others following. The gas was still burning; the coroner stuck a pair -of big-lensed eyeglasses upon his rather high nose and gazed about him -intently. - -"There seems to be nothing of an informing nature here," said he, -after a time. "Where is the body?" - -Osborne led the way into the front room. After a glance at the -ghastly, huddled figure upon the carpet near the desk, the coroner -took a careful survey of the apartment. - -"Did Mr. Hume employ any person to assist him?" he asked. - -"The scrub-woman told me that there was a young man here always when -she came during the business day for her wages. A sort of clerk, she -thought." - -"He will be able to tell us if anything has been disturbed, no doubt," -remarked Stillman. - -Then he examined the body minutely. In the pockets were found a wallet -containing a large sum of money, a massive, old-fashioned gold watch -with a chain running from pocket to pocket of the waist-coat. Upon the -little finger of Hume's left hand was a magnificent diamond. - -"Worth two thousand if it's worth a cent," appraised Osborne. - -"If the criminal had meant robbery these things would unquestionably -have been taken," commented the young coroner. "Eh, Curran?" - -"That is a very safe rule to go by, Mr. Stillman," replied his -assistant, with the utmost stolidity. - -Through his big lenses the coroner gazed curiously at the bronze haft -protruding from the dead man's chest. - -"A bayonet," said he. "Not a common weapon in a crime like this. In -fact, I should say it was rather in the nature of an innovation." - -"It probably belonged in Hume's stock," suggested Osborne. "There -seems to be about everything here." - -But Stillman shook his head. - -"We have already about concluded that the intention of the criminal -was not robbery," stated he. "And now, if we make up our minds that -the bayonet belonged to Hume--that the assassin, in point of fact, -came here without a weapon--it must be that he did not intend murder -either." - -"Maybe he didn't," ventured Osborne. "There might have been a sudden -quarrel. The person who struck that blow may have grabbed up the first -competent looking thing that came to his hand." - -Stillman turned to Ashton-Kirk. - -"That sounds reasonable enough, eh?" - -"Very much so," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -"A bayonet is a most unusual weapon," said the coroner thoughtfully, -readjusting his glasses. "And I think it would be a most awkward thing -to carry around with one. Therefore, it would be a most unlikely -choice for an intending assassin. I am of the opinion," nervously, -"that we may safely say that it was a sudden quarrel which ended in -this," and he gestured with both hands toward the body. - -The safe doors were tried and found locked; a cash register was opened -and found to contain what had been apparently the receipts of the day -before. An examination of the cabinets and cases disclosed hundreds -of ancient coins and other articles the value of which must have been -heavy. But their orderly array had not been disturbed. A long curtain -of faded green material hung from the wall at one side, as though to -screen something from the sunlight and dust. - -"What have we here?" said the coroner. - -He stepped across the store and whisked the curtain aside. A large -gilt frame was disclosed; and from it hung the slashed remains of a -canvas. - -"Hello!" exclaimed Osborne, with interest. "This begins to look like -one of the old affairs that they say Hume's been mixed up in. -Somebody's tried to cut that picture from the frame." - -They examined it carefully. A keen knife had been run around the top -and both sides, close to the frame. The painting hung down, its gray -back displayed forlornly. - -Stillman regarded it with great satisfaction. - -"Here," said he, "we at least have a possible motive." - -Ashton-Kirk took a twisted walking stick from a rack, and with the end -of it, raised the slashed canvas so that its subject could be seen. It -was a heroic equestrian figure of an officer of the American -Revolution. His sword was drawn; his face shone with the light of -battle. - -Pendleton was just about to cry out "General Wayne," when the stick -fell from his friend's hand, the canvas dropping to its former -position. While the others were trying to get it into place once more, -Ashton-Kirk whispered to Pendleton: - -"Say nothing. This is their turn; let them work in their own way. I -will begin where they have finished." - -After a little time spent in a gratified inspection of the painting, -Stillman said: - -"But, gentlemen, let us have a look at the other rooms. There may be -something more." - -They re-passed through the store room and into the living room. -Nothing here took the coroner's attention, and they entered the -bedroom. Both these last had doors leading into the hall; upon their -being tried they were found to be locked. - -The smashed pictures upon the bedroom floor at once took the eye of -Stillman. He regarded the broken places in the plaster and prodded the -slivers of wood and glass with the toe of his shoe with much -complacency. - -"This completes the story," declared he. "It is now plain from end to -end. The criminal entered the building from the roof, made his way -down stairs and gained admittance through the door which the scrub -woman found unlocked. His purpose was to steal the painting in the -front room. - -"In a struggle with Hume, who unexpectedly came upon him, the -intruder killed him. Not knowing the exact location of the picture he -wanted, he first looked for it here. The light probably being bad he -tore down every picture he could reach in order to get a better view -of it. When, at last, he had found the desired work, he set about -cutting it from its frame. But, before he had finished, something -alarmed him, and he fled without the prize." - -The stolid man listened to this with marked approval. Even Osborne -reluctantly whispered to Pendleton: - -"He's doped it out. I didn't think it was in him." - -After a little more, the coroner said to his clerk: - -"I think that is about all. Curran, see to it that the post-mortem is -not delayed. Put a couple of our men on the case, have them make -extensive inquiries in the neighborhood. Any persons who appear to -possess information may be brought to my office at three o'clock. -Especially I desire to see this Mrs. Dwyer, Berg, who keeps the store -on the ground floor and the young man who was employed by Hume. I'll -empanel a jury later." He took off his eye-glasses, placed them in a -case and, in turn, carefully slipped this into his pocket. "At three -o'clock," he repeated. - -"If I should not be intruding," said Ashton-Kirk, "I should like to -be present." - -Stillman smiled with the air of a man triumphant, but who still -desired to show charity. - -"I shall be pleased to see you, sir," he said, "then or at any other -time." - - - - -CHAPTER V - -STILLMAN ASKS QUESTIONS - - -It wanted a few minutes of three o'clock when Ashton-Kirk, still -accompanied by the curious Pendleton, walked into the outer room of -the coroner's suite. - -"Mr. Stillman will be here at any moment now," said Curran. Then -lowering his voice and making a short little gesture from the elbow, -he added: "These people are the ones he wanted to see." - -As he and Pendleton sat down, Ashton-Kirk looked at the persons -referred to. The first was a thin, wiry little woman, unmistakably -Irish, cleanly dressed and with sharp, inquisitive eyes. Engaged in a -low-pitched conversation with her was a thick-necked German, heavy of -paunch and with a fat, red face. The third was a spectacled young Jew, -poring over a huge volume which he seemed to have brought with him. He -had a tremendous head of curling black hair; his clothing was shabby. -There was a rapt expression upon his face; plainly nothing existed for -him at that moment outside the pages of his book. - -After a brief space, the coroner came in, - -"Ah, how do you do, gentlemen," greeted he. He was good-natured and -strove to be easy; but his natural nervousness clung to him. "I am -glad to see you." - -He looked at Curran and nodded at the three inquiringly. - -"Yes, sir," replied the clerk; "these are the parties." - -"Then we will get down to business." He opened a door and entered an -inner room. "Will you come in?" he asked of Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton. - -They followed him at once; and Curran, addressing the little -Irishwoman, said: - -"Now, Mrs. Dwyer, this way, please." - -She arose briskly and also entered the inner room. Stillman seated -himself at a desk and carefully perched his glasses upon his nose. - -"I perhaps take more trouble than is customary in these cases," he -said to Ashton-Kirk. "It is usual to hear statements, I believe, only -when they are proffered as testimony at the inquest. But it seems to -me that the office should be carried on in a more thorough way. -Preparation, I think, is necessary to get at the facts." - -Then he faced the woman who had taken a chair beside the desk. - -"Your full name, please," said he. - -"Honora Dwyer. I'm a widow with four children; I live at 71 Cormant -Street, an' me husban' has been dead these three years," declared she, -in a breath. - -Stillman smiled. - -"You don't believe in keeping anything back, Mrs. Dwyer, I can see -that," said he. "And a very good trait it is." He leaned back in his -swivel chair and looked at her through the glasses. "You are the -person who discovered the body of Mr. Hume, are you not?" - -"Yes, sir, I were," replied Mrs. Dwyer; "and God spare me such another -sight." - -"Tell us about it," said the coroner. - -"I work as scrub woman for a good many in Christie Place an' the -immejeat neighborhood," said Mrs. Dwyer, genteelly. "But I always gets -to Mr. Hume's first." - -"You are quite sure you found the street door locked?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And you noticed nothing unusual about the place?" - -"Only the open door to the store room, sir. Mr. Hume was always -particular about closing up, sir. For a man who was in the habit of -taking a sup of drink, sir, I'll say he was _very_ particular." - -"When you noticed the door being open you went in at once, I suppose?" - -"No, sir; I did not. After I got me water, I set down on the top step -to get me breath. When I saw the door stan'nin' open, thinks I to -meself, thinks I; 'Mr. Hume is up early this mornin'.' But everything -was quiet as the grave," in a hushed dramatic tone. "Sorra the sound -did I hear. So I gets up and goes in. And in the front room I sees him -lyin'. Mr. Hume was never a handsome man, sir; and he'd gained nothing -in looks by the end he'd met with. God save us, how I ever got out -into the street, I'll never know." - -She rocked to and fro and fanned herself with her apron. - -"It must have been a very severe shock, Mrs. Dwyer," agreed the -coroner. "Now," after a pause, "do you know anything--however slight, -mind you--that would seem to point to who did this thing?" - -Mrs. Dwyer shook her head. - -"Me acquaintance with Mr. Hume was a business one only, sir," she -said. "I never set foot into his place further than the hall except on -the days when I went to get me pay--and this morning, save us from -harm!" - -"You know nothing of his friends then--of his habits?" - -"There is the Jew boy, outside there, that worked for him. He's a -nice, good mannered little felly, and is the only person I ever see -in the office when I went there, barrin' the boss himself. As for Mr. -Hume's habits, I can say only what everybody knows. He were drunk when -he engaged me, and he were drunk the last time I seen him alive." - -"That will be all, Mrs. Dwyer," said Stillman. "Thank you. Curran, -I'll see the young man next." - -As Curran and Mrs. Dwyer went out the young coroner turned to his two -visitors. - -"I am still assured that we have the motive for the crime in the -attempt to steal the painting," he said. "But it will do no harm to -get all the light we can upon every side of the matter. The smallest -clue," importantly, "may prove of the utmost value at the inquest." - -Ashton-Kirk smilingly nodded his entire assent to this. Then Curran -showed in the clerk. - -The young man still carried the thick volume and, when he sat down, -laid it upon a corner of Stillman's desk. Its back was turned toward -Ashton-Kirk and he noted that it was a work on anatomy such as -first-year medical students use. - -"What is your name, please?" asked the coroner. - -"Isidore Brolatsky," replied the young man. - -"You are, or were, employed by Mr. Hume?" - -"As a clerk, yes, sir. I've been with him for some years." Brolatsky -spoke with scarcely a trace of accent. "He didn't pay much, but then -there wasn't much to do, and I had plenty of time to study." - -"Ah," said Stillman, encouragingly. "To study, eh?" - -"Yes. I've taken up medicine. There's a college up town that has night -classes. I have been attending the lectures there and reading during -the day. There's a big chance for physicians who can speak Yiddish. -Not only to make money, but to do good." - -"I see." The coroner regarded him reflectively for a moment. "Now, Mr. -Brolatsky, having worked for Hume for some years, you must have picked -up some details as to his business and himself. Suppose you tell us -all you know about both." - -The dark face of Brolatsky became thoughtful. - -"Mr. Hume was a hard man to get along with," he said. "He seemed ready -to quarrel at any time with anybody. I don't recall a customer ever -coming into the store that he didn't have some kind of trouble with -before they went out. But he had a great knowledge of the things he -dealt in. People came from far and near to get his opinion on items in -their collections. His fees," with appreciation, "were large. - -"But there is one thing that I noticed about him. While he knew all -about objects of art, he did not seem to care for them. He had no love -for his trade, no sympathy, I may say, for the collectors who came to -him. I wouldn't be going far from the truth if I said that he thought -them all fools for paying their money for such things. And I _know_ -that he mocked them." - -"Humph!" Stillman looked at Ashton-Kirk, with surprise upon his face. -"That seems odd. Men usually go into Hume's business through love of -it." He turned once more to Brolatsky. "And he had no hobby of his -own, no collection that he fancied more than another?" - -Brolatsky nodded amusedly. - -"Yes," he replied. "I was just coming to that. He _did_ have a -collection that he called his own. And he never sold an item from it -as long as I was with him. Indeed, I think if anybody had offered to -buy, he would have come to blows with him." - -Ashton-Kirk bent forward. For the first time since entering the room, -he spoke. - -"And what was the nature of that collection?" he inquired eagerly. - -"Portraits," answered Isidore Brolatsky. "Prints, lithographs, -mezzo-tints, engravings, paintings, it made no difference. And all of -the same person. He had hundreds, I guess, and every one of them was -of General Wayne." - -Ashton-Kirk leaned back in his chair with a faint breath of triumph. - -"When a portrait of General Wayne was offered him," continued -Brolatsky, "he never haggled over it. He paid the price asked and -seemed quite delighted to get it. It was a standing joke in the trade -that if you wanted to get even with Mr. Hume for driving a hard -bargain with you, all you had to do was to offer him a portrait of -General Wayne. I never saw him refuse one. Even if he had dozens of -duplicates, which often happened; still he'd buy." - -A look of great acuteness had settled upon the face of the young -coroner. - -"There is a painting at one side of the show room," said he. "It is -under a large green curtain. Is that of General Wayne?" - -"It is," replied the clerk. "And I believe that he valued it more than -anything else that he owned." - -Stillman laughed with pleasure. - -"Now," said he to his visitors, "we are getting at it, indeed. Someone -probably knew of the value he attached to this painting and planned to -steal it, perhaps for a ransom. Hume has been suspected of doing this -sort of thing himself before now. He was supposed to have engaged -someone to do the actual work, I believe, as in the case of the -Whistler portrait of the Duchess of Winterton. Suppose this someone," -and Stillman rapped his knuckles upon the edge of the desk excitedly, -"took the notion to go into the picture stealing business of his own -account. Hume himself with his much prized portrait of General Wayne -was ready at hand--and so," with a sweeping gesture, "what has -happened, has happened." - -Pendleton, much impressed, looked at Ashton-Kirk. But the latter's -thoughts seemed far away; his eyes were fixed upon the wall; his -expression was of delighted anticipation. - -Stillman also noticed this non-attention to his reasoning, and a -little wrinkle of discontent appeared between his brows. So he turned -his gaze upon Brolatsky and spoke rather sharply. - -"Now, as to Mr. Hume's intimates? What do you know of them?" - -Isidore Brolatsky shifted in his chair; his long fingers began to drum -upon his knees. - -"I have known of the matter of the Whistler portrait," said he, "but I -never knew anything more about it than what I read in the newspapers. -It happened before my time." - -"I'm not accusing you," said Stillman. "I'm asking you about Hume's -friends." - -The clerk considered. - -"There was no one that I ever saw or heard of that you could call his -friend, exactly," said he at length. "He made game of people too much -to have any I guess." - -"Had he no associates--no one with whom he spent his time?" - -Brolatsky shook his head. - -"Perhaps so; but then I was only in Christie Place during business -hours. I have heard that he frequently went out at night; but where I -do not know." - -"Was there no one who came to visit him while you were there during -the day. No one whom he spoke of in an intimate way?" - -Again the clerk shook his head. Stillman began to appear nonplussed. -He looked at the other, pondering and frowning through his glasses. - -"Who came most frequently to the store?" he inquired finally. - -"Why, I think Antonio Spatola," said Brolatsky. - -"Was he a customer?" - -The clerk smiled. - -"Oh, no. He's a street musician. You may have seen him often about the -city. He plays the violin and carries some trained cockatoos upon a -perch." - -"What was the nature of his business at Hume's?" - -"If there was anything that Mr. Hume liked better than strong drink," -said the clerk, "it was music. Antonio Spatola would come and play to -him for hours at a time." - -"A lover of music who could stand the playing of a street musician for -hours!" cried Stillman. "That's astonishing." - -"But," protested Brolatsky, "Spatola is a splendid musician. He's -studied his instrument under the greatest masters in Paris, Rome and -other European cities. He has played in the finest orchestras. But he -never could keep a position because of his temper. He's told me -himself that when aroused he doesn't know what he is doing." - -"I understand," said the coroner. "What sort of relations existed -between Hume and Spatola outside the music? Were they friendly?" - -"No, sir. I might say just the reverse. For hours, sometimes, Mr. Hume -would lie back in his chair with his eyes closed listening to the -violin. Then, perhaps, he'd get up suddenly, throw Antonio a dollar or -so and tell him to get out. Or maybe he'd begin to jeer at him. -Antonio had an ambition to become a concert violinist. Ole Bull and -Kubelik had made great successes, he said; and so, why not he? - -"This was usually the point Mr. Hume would take up in mocking him. -He'd call him a curbstone fiddler, and say that he ought to be playing -at barn dances and Italian christenings instead of aspiring to the -platform. Spatola would get frantic with rage, and fairly scream his -resentment at these times. - -"Often Mr. Hume would have him bring his trained cockatoos. And while -he was making them go through their tricks, Mr. Hume would call him a -mountebank, a side show fakir and other things, and tell him that he -ought to stick to that as a business, for he could make a living at -it, where he would starve as a violinist. I've often seen Antonio go -out trembling and white at the lips with rage. Several times he's -tried to injure Mr. Hume--once he took out a knife." - -"Hah!" said the coroner. - -"That was the time Mr. Hume called him 'Mad Anthony.' I also remember -that Mr. Hume pulled aside the curtain and showed him the large -painting of General Wayne, laughing and telling him that that was -another Mad Anthony. He was so successful that day in arousing -Spatola, that always after that, when he was drunk, he'd call the -Italian 'Mad Anthony' and it never failed to infuriate him. - -"Do you know where this man Spatola lives?" - -"In Christie Place, sir; just about half a dozen doors from the store. -I believe he rents a garret there, or something." - -Stillman seemed struck by this. - -"In view of the fact that the building was entered by way of the -scuttle," said he to Ashton-Kirk, "I consider that a most interesting -piece of information." - -"It may indeed prove so," was the non-committal reply. - -Once more the discontented crease showed itself upon the coroner's -forehead; and again as he turned to Brolatsky, his voice rose sharply. - -"Next to Antonio Spatola, who came most to Hume's place while you were -there?" - -"The next most frequent caller," returned the clerk, "was Mr. Allan -Morris." - -Ashton-Kirk, glancing at Pendleton, saw him start. - -"And who," queried the coroner, "is Mr. Allan Morris?" - -"At first I took him to be a customer," replied Brolatsky. "And -perhaps he was. He talked a great deal at times about engraved gems -and would look at lists and works upon the subject. But somehow I got -the notion that that was not just what he came for." - -"What caused you to think that?" asked the coroner. - -"His manner, partly, and then the fact that there seemed something -between Mr. Hume and him--something that I never understood. Mr. -Morris was another one that the boss used to make game of. Not so -much as he would Spatola, but still a good bit. Mr. Morris always took -it with a show of good temper; but underneath I could see that he too -was sometimes furious." - -"About what did Hume deride _him_?" - -"That's what I never could quite make out. It always seemed as though -it was something that Mr. Morris wanted. At first I got the notion -that it was something that he wanted to buy and which Mr. Hume refused -to sell; but later I changed my mind. There seemed to be more to it -than appeared on the top. Both were very secretive about it." - -"I understand." Stillman's face wore a puzzled expression; it was as -though this latter development worried him. But in a few moments he -went on: "Do you know where this man Morris is to be found?" - -"Oh, yes. He's quite well known. Has an office in the Blake Building, -and is employed just now, so I've heard, by the Navy Department." - -"You have visited Christie Place to-day?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Did the police have you look about?" - -"Yes, sir. And so far as I can see, nothing has been taken." - -"The weapon that Hume was killed with, now. Do you know anything -about it--did it belong to the store?" - -"The bayonet? No, sir." - -"Are you sure of that?" earnestly. - -"Positive. It was my duty to keep a complete list of everything we had -in stock. We had other sorts of arms, but no such thing as a bayonet." - -There were a few more questions, but as they drew out nothing of -interest, Stillman signified to Brolatsky that the interview was at an -end. - -"Now, you will go with Mr. Curran to police headquarters on the next -floor," said he, "and tell them what you have told me about this -Antonio Spatola." - -Then he opened the door and stepped out. - -"Curran," they heard him say, importantly. - -"I want you to--" then the door closed, cutting the sentence short. - -Pendleton gazed fixedly at Ashton-Kirk. - -"I say," said he, "I'm not up in this sort of thing at all. I've been -putting two and two together, and it's led me into a deuce of a -state." - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him inquiringly; there was expectancy in the -investigator's eyes, but he said nothing. - -"Perhaps you'll think that I'm all kinds of a fool," continued -Pendleton, "and maybe I am. But here are the things that I'm trying to -marshall in order. I'll take them just as they happened." He held up -one hand and with the other began to check off the counts upon his -fingers. "Yesterday you have a visit--a visit of a professional -nature--from Edyth Vale. Last night she strangely disappears for a -time. At a most unconventional hour this morning I find you at her -door. Then I learn that you are on your way to look into the details -of a murder that you had just heard of--somehow. Now I hear that Allan -Morris, Edyth's fiancé, has been, in rather an odd way, upon familiar -terms with the murdered man." - -He paused as he checked this last count, still regarding his friend -fixedly. - -"I don't claim," he went on, after a moment, "that these things have -anything to do with each other. But, somehow, they've got together in -my mind, and I can't--" - -Here the door re-opened and Stillman entered, followed by the big -German. - -"Just take a chair, Mr. Berg," said the coroner, seating himself at -the desk and affixing his eyeglasses. - -The German lowered his form into the chair indicated and folded his -fat hands across his monstrous paunch. - -"Your name in full--is what?" asked Stillman with formality. - -"Franz Berg. I sell me delicatessen at 478 Christie Place. I haf been -there for fifteen years." - -"You were acquainted with the murdered man?" - -The delicatessen dealer unfolded his hands and waved them -significantly. - -"I was aguainted with him--yes. But I was not friendly with him--no. -He is dead, ain't it? Und it's not right to say someding about the -dead. But he was no friend of mine." - -"I understand. But tell me, Mr. Berg, how late do you keep your place -open?" - -"In the summertime--seven o'clock. But after dose theaters open, I -stays me on the chob till twelve, or later somedimes. There is -one--two--three what you call burlesque places, right by me; and no -sooner do they close up, than right away those actor peoples come to -buy. I do a goot business, so I keep open." - -"Then you were there until midnight last night?" - -"More later than that yet." - -"Was there any movement of any sort about Hume's place? Did you see or -hear anything?" - -The great red face of Berg took on a solemn look. - -"It is maybe not ride that I should say somedings," complained he. -"But if the law will not excuse me, I will say it, if it makes some -more trouble or not." - -"It is vitally necessary," stated the young coroner, firmly, "that you -tell me everything you know about this matter." - -"Well," said the delicatessen dealer, reluctantly, "last night as I -stood by my window looking oudside on the street, I see me that -Italian feller go by und turn in at the side door; a second lader I -hear him go up the steps to Hume's place." - -"What Italian fellow do you refer to?" - -"He lifs close by me, a few doors away. His name is Spatola, und he -plays the violin the gurb-stones beside." - -"What time was it that you saw him?" - -"Maybe elefen o'clock. I am not sure. But it was just a little while -before I got me the rush of customers from the theaters." - -"Did you notice his manner? Was there anything unusual in his looks?" - -"I had me only a glimbs of him. He looked about the same as effer. He -was in a hurry, for it rained a liddle; und under his coat yet he -carried his fiddle." - -"If it was under his coat, how do you know it was his fiddle?" - -The German scratched his head in a reflective way. - -"I don't know it," said he at last. "But he somedimes takes his -instrument inside there, und I just get the notion that it was so. -Yes?" - -"When did he come out?" - -The man shook his head. - -"I don'd know," he said. - -"Do you mean that you saw no one come out?" - -"No; I _did_ see someone come out. But first I see me someone else go -in." - -"Ah! And who was that?" - -"I don't know his name; but I had seen him often before. He is a kind -of svell feller. He had a cane und plendy of style." - -"And later you saw someone come out. Now, your use of the word -'someone' leads me to think that you do not know whether it was -Spatola or the stranger." - -"I don'd," said Berg. "I was busy then. I just heard me someone rush -down the stairs, making plendy noise, und I heard that drunken Hume -lift up a window, stick out his head and call some names after him. My -customers laugh und think it's a joke; but I am ashamed such a -disgracefulness to have around my business yet." - -"If Hume called after the person who left," said Stillman, acutely, to -Ashton-Kirk, "that eliminates one of the callers. It proves that Hume -was still alive after the man had gone." - -"That is undoubtedly a fact," replied the investigator. - -Stillman turned upon Berg with dignity. - -"Surely you must have noticed the man if all that uproar attended his -exit. You must have detected enough to mark a difference between an -exceptionally well-dressed man and an Italian street musician." - -Berg shook his big head. - -"It was aboud twelve o'clock in the night-dime, und my customers -besides I had to pay some attention to," stated he. - -The coroner was baffled by the man's positiveness. - -"Well," said he, resignedly. "What else did you see?" - -Berg shook his head once more. - -"Nothing else. Putty soon I closed up and went home." Then a flash of -recollection came into his dull face. "As I went down the street I saw -some lights in Hume's windows. One of them windows was open--maybe the -one he sticked his head out of to call the man names--und I could hear -him laughing like he used to do when he was trying to make a jackass -of some peoples." - -The coroner pondered. At length he said: - -"This object that Spatola carried under his coat, now. Could it have -been a bayonet?" - -"No, no," said Berg with conviction. "It vos too big. It vos bigger as -a half dozen bayonets already." - -This seemed the limit of Berg's knowledge of the night's happenings; -a few more questions and then Stillman dismissed him. The door had -hardly closed when the telephone rang. After a few words, the coroner -hung up the receiver and turned to his visitors. - -"I think," said he, with a smile of satisfaction, "that I've made the -police department sit up a little. They talked to all three of these -people before I had them, and didn't seem to get enough to make a -beginning. But just now," and the smile grew wider, "I've heard that -Osborne is on his way to arrest Antonio Spatola." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS ABOUT - - -Berg was standing in the corridor waiting for the elevator when -Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton came out. The big German mopped his face -with a handkerchief, and said apologetically: - -"A man can only tell what he knows, ain't it?" - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. - -"To begin dot guess-work business when you are talking to the law -already, it is dangerous," stated Berg in an explanatory tone. - -"Well," said Ashton-Kirk, "sometimes a good, pointed guess is of great -service, Mr. Berg. And," with a laugh, "as I am not the law and not -the least dangerous, suppose you make the one that I can see you -turning over in your mind." - -"Oh," said Berg, "you are not the coroner's office in?" - -"No; merely interested in this case, that's all." - -The delicatessen dealer looked relieved. - -"I don't want to get people in trouble," said he, guardedly. "But this -is what I guess. Late every night, about the time I shut up my place, -there is a cab comes und by the curbstone stands across the street. I -will not say what is der place it stands in front of; that is not my -business." - -"McCausland's gambling house, perhaps," suggested Ashton-Kirk. - -The big German looked more relieved than ever. - -"Ach, so you know about dot place, eh? All ride. Now I can speak out -and not be afraid to do some harm to nobody." He lowered his voice -still further. "Dot cab came last night as I was locking my door up, -und stands the curbstone by in front of McCausland's, waiting for a -chob. Maybe when I goes away home der driver he sees what happened at -Hume's afterwards, eh?" - -"Excellent!" said Ashton-Kirk, his eyes alight. "Thanks for the hint, -Mr. Berg." - -The delicatessen dealer lumbered into the elevator which had stopped; -Pendleton was about to follow, but his friend detained him, and the -car dropped downward without them. - -"That cab," said Ashton-Kirk, "is sure to be a night-hawk; and more -than likely it is put up at Partridge's. Pardon me a moment." - -There was a telephone booth at one side of the corridor; the speaker -went in and closed the door. After a few moments he came out. - -"Just as I thought," he said, well pleased. "Partridge knew the cab -in a moment. The driver's name is Sams, and he lives at the place they -call the Beehive." He looked at his watch. "It wants but a few minutes -of four," he added, "and a night-hawk cabby will be just about -stirring. The Beehive is only three blocks away; suppose we go around -and look him up." - -Pendleton agreed instantly; and after a brisk walk and a breathless -climb, they found themselves on the fourth floor of a huge brick -building where they had been directed by a meek-looking woman in a -dust-cap. A long hall with a great many doors upon each side, all -looking alike, stretched away before them. - -"It's very plain that the only way to find Mr. Sams is to make a -noise," said Ashton-Kirk. And with that he stalked down the hall, his -heels clattering on the bare boards. "Hello," he cried loudly. "Sams -is wanted! Hello, Sams!" - -A door opened, and a face covered with thick soap suds and surmounted -by a tangle of sandy hair looked out. - -"Hello," growled this person, huskily. "Who wants him?" - -"Very glad to see you, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "We have a small -matter of business with you that will require a few moments of your -time. May we come in?" - -"Sure," said Sams. - -They entered the room, which contained a bed, a trunk, a wash-stand, -and a chair. - -"One of you can take the chair; the other can sit on the trunk," said -the hack driver, nodding toward these articles. Then he proceeded to -strop a razor at one of the windows. "Excuse me if I go on with this -reaping. I must go out and feed the horse, and then get breakfast." - -"You breakfast rather late," commented Ashton-Kirk. - -"I'm lucky to get it at any time, in this business," grumbled Sams. -"Out all night, sleep all day, and get blamed little for it, at that." - -He posed before a small mirror stuck up beside the window and gave the -blade an experimental sweep across his face. Then he turned and asked -inquiringly: - -"Did youse gents want anything particular?" - -"We'd like to ask a question or two regarding what happened last night -in Christie Place." - -The cab driver's forehead corrugated; he closed his razor, laid it -down and shoved his' soapy face toward the speaker. - -"Say," spoke he, roughly. "I drives people wherever they wants to go; -but I don't ask no questions." - -"It's all right, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "The affair that I'm -looking up happened across the street--at Hume's--second floor of -478." - -"Oh!" Sams stared for a moment, then he took up his razor, turned his -back and went on with his shaving. But there was expectancy in his -attitude; and Ashton-Kirk smiled confidently. - -"While you were drawn up in Christie Place, waiting for a fare," he -asked, "did you hear or see anything at 478?" - -"I saw a light on the second floor--something I never saw before at -that hour. And I saw the Dutchman that keeps the store underneath -shutting up. And I heard somebody laughing upstairs," as a second -thought. "I think that's what made me notice the light." - -"Nothing else?" - -Sams shaved and considered. He wiped his razor at last, poured some -water in a bowl and doused his face. Then he took up a towel and began -applying it briskly. - -The investigator, watching him closely, saw that he was not trying to -recall anything. It was plain that the man was merely calculating the -possibilities of harm to himself and patrons if he told what he knew. - -"There has been a murder," said Ashton-Kirk, quietly, thinking to jog -him along. - -Sams threw the towel from him and sat down upon the bed. - -"A murder!" said he, his eyes and mouth wide open. "Well, what do you -know about that." He sat looking from one to the other of them, -dazedly, for a space; then he resumed: "Say, I thought there was -something queer about that stunt of hers!" - -"Tell us about it," suggested Ashton-Kirk, crossing his legs and -clasping one knee with his hands. - -The cabby considered once more. - -"There's lots of things that a guy like me sees that look off color," -he said, at length; "but we can't always pass any remarks about them. -It would be bad for business, you see. But this murder thing's a -different proposition, and here's where I tell it all. Last night -while I was waiting in front of McCausland's, I hears an automobile -turn into the street. It was some time after I got there. I wouldn't -have paid much attention to it, but you see there's a fellow been -trying to get my work with a taxicab, and I thought it was him." - -"And it wasn't?" - -"No, it was a private car--a Maillard, and there was a woman driving -it." - -The chair upon which Pendleton sat was an infirm one; it creaked -sharply as he made a sudden movement. - -"She was going at a low speed," proceeded Sams, "and as she passed -Hume's I noticed her look up at the windows. After she disappeared -there wasn't a sound for a while. You see, nobody hardly ever passes -through Christie Place after one o'clock. Then I hears her coming -back. This time she stopped the car, got out and went to the door that -leads into Hume's place. There she stopped a little, as though she -didn't know whether to go in or not. But at last she went in." - -Pendleton coughed huskily at this point; and his friend glancing at -him saw that his face was white. - -"And up to that time," said Ashton-Kirk, "are you sure that there was -no movement--no sound--in the front room at Hume's?" - -"As far as I noticed, there wasn't. But a few minutes after I heard -the woman go in, I _did_ hear some sounds." - -The man stroked his shaven jaws in the deliberate manner of a person -about to precipitate a crisis. Pendleton leaned toward him, anxiously. - -"What sort of sounds?" he asked. - -"There were two," replied the cab driver. "The first was a revolver -shot; the second came right after, and was a kind of a scream--like -that of a parrot." - -"And what then?" asked Ashton-Kirk, easily. - -"There wasn't anything for a few minutes, anyway. But the revolver -shot had kind of got my attention, so I was taking notice of the -windows. Then suddenly I caught sight of the woman. You see, the -gas-light was near the window and she kind of leaned over and turned -it out. It was only for a time as long as that," and the man snapped -his fingers. "But I saw her plain. Then I heard her coming down the -stairs to the street--almost at a run. She banged the street door shut -after her, jumped into her car and went tearing away as if she was -crazy. I stayed fifteen minutes before I got a fare; but nothing else -happened." - -Pendleton's hand closed hard on the edge of the chair he sat in. There -was a moment's silence; then Ashton-Kirk asked: - -"Just where was your cab standing at this time?" - -"Right in front of McCausland's door." - -"And you were on the box?" - -"Yes." - -The investigator put a piece of money in the man's hand as he and -Pendleton arose and prepared to go. - -"Say," said Sam curiously, "I've been in bed all day and ain't heard a -word of anything. Who's been done up?" - -"Hume. Stabbed in the chest." - -"Shot, you mean." - -"No, I mean stabbed. With a bayonet." - -The man stared wonderingly. - -"G'way," he said. - -They bid him good-day and tramped down the three long flights to the -street. Pendleton was silent, and walked with his head held down. - -"We have more than an hour of good daylight left," said his friend, as -they reached the street. "And as I must have a good unrestricted look -at Hume's apartments before everything is hopelessly changed about, -suppose we go there now. We can get a taxi in the next street." - -"Just a moment," said Pendleton. "Before we take another step in the -matter, Kirk, I must ask a question." - -Ashton-Kirk put his hand upon his friend's shoulder. - -"Don't," said he. "I know just what the question would be, and at the -present time I can't answer it. At this moment, except for some few -theories that I have yet to verify, I am as much puzzled as yourself." - -"But," and there was a tremble in the speaker's voice, "you must -answer me, old chap--and you must answer now." - -The catch in his voice, the expression upon the young man's face -caused Ashton-Kirk to grasp an astonishing fact. The hand that he had -laid upon Pendleton's shoulder tightened as he answered: - -"Yes, Edyth Vale is concerned. As a rule I do not speak of my clients -to others, but in view of what you have already heard and seen, it -would be a waste of words to deny it. But, see here, there are lots of -things we don't know yet about this business. It may look very -different in a few hours. Come." - -Pendleton gazed with sober eyes into the speaker's face for a moment. -Then he said: - -"Let us get the cab; if you are to go over Hume's rooms before dark, -you haven't any too much time." - -At the next corner they signaled a taxicab, and in a short time they -were set down in Christie Place. Paulson, the policeman, was standing -guard. - -"How are you?" he greeted them affably. - -"Been here all day?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"Oh, no. Just come on. I'm the third shift since I saw you last." - -"Nobody has been permitted to go upstairs, I presume?" - -"Only the coroner's man, who came for the body. And they touched -nothing but the body. Our orders were strong on that." - -"Has anything been heard as the result of the post-mortem?" - -"It showed that Hume was in bad shape from too much drink. Then he had -a hard knock on the head, and the wound in his chest." - -"But there was no sign of a bullet wound?" - -"No," said Paulson, surprised. "Nothing like that." - -"Just a moment," said the investigator to Pendleton. He crossed the -street, walked along for a few paces, then paused at the curb and -looked back toward Hume's doorway. Then he returned with quick steps -and an alert look in his eyes. - -"Now we'll go upstairs," he said. - -But before doing so he stopped and examined the lock of the street -door closely; then he mounted the stairs slowly, his glances seeming -to take in everything. At the top he paused, his head bent, apparently -in deep thought. Then he lifted it suddenly, and laughed exultantly. - -"That's it," he said, "I'm quite sure that is it." - -"I wouldn't doubt your word for an instant," said Pendleton, in -something like his old voice. "Whatever it is, I'm quite sure it is if -you say so." - -The policeman on guard in the hall examined them carefully. - -"All right," said he, after they had explained and he had verified it -by calling to his mate at the street door. "Go right to work, gents. -I'm here to see that nobody gets in from above by way of the scuttle, -and I guess I won't be in the way." - -There were three gas branches at intervals along the length of the dim -hall, each with a cluster of four jets. Ashton-Kirk lighted all three -of these and began making a careful examination of the passage. Along -toward the rear was a stairway leading to the floor above. Next this -was a small room in which there was a water tap. At the extreme end of -the hall was a window with a green shade drawn to the bottom. - -Ashton-Kirk regarded this for a moment intently. Then he reached up -and turned off the gas at the branch nearest the window. Daylight -could now be seen through the blind; the investigator pointed and -said: - -"This shows us something. About six inches of the bottom of the blind -is of a decidedly lighter color than the remainder. This is caused by -exposure to the light and indicates that this blind has seldom been -drawn in daylight as it is now." - -He drew back the blind and looked at the side nearest the window. At -the top of the faded space was a heavy dark line. - -"I'll modify that last statement," said he, with satisfaction. "I'll -go as far as to say, now, that the blind has never been drawn since it -was put up. This thick line marks the part that lay across the top of -the roller, and the dust seems never to have been disturbed." - -The gas was lighted once more. - -"Hume did not draw that curtain," said Ashton-Kirk, decidedly. "He -was too careless a man, apparently, to think of such a thing. The -intruders, whoever they were, did it; they had a light, perhaps, and -did not want to be--" - -He paused abruptly here, and Pendleton heard him draw his breath -sharply between his teeth; his eyes were fixed upon the lowermost step -of the flight that led to the floor above. - -One of the gas branches hung here; its full glare was thrown downward. -Following the fixed gaze of his friend, Pendleton saw two partly -burned matches, the stump of a candle, and some traces of tallow which -had fallen from the latter upon the step. To Pendleton's amazement, -his friend dropped to his knees before these as a heathen would before -an idol. With the utmost attention he examined them and the step upon -which they lay. Then he arose, enthusiasm upon his face. - -"Beautiful!" he cried. "I do not recall ever having seen anything just -like it!" He slapped Pendleton upon the back with a heavy, hand. "Pen, -that stump of candle sheds more light than the finest arc lamp ever -manufactured." - -"I'm watching and I'm listening," spoke Pendleton. "Also I'm agitating -my small portion of gray matter. But inspiration, it seems, is not for -me. So I'll have to ask you what these things tell you." - -"Well, they give me a fairly good view of the man who, while he may -not actually have murdered Hume, had much to do with his taking off." -He bent over the lower step once more, then looked up with a smile -upon his face. "What would you say," asked he, "if I told you that I -draw from these things that the gentleman was short, well-dressed, -near-sighted and knew something of the modern German dramatists." - -"I should say," replied Pendleton, firmly, "that you ought to have -your brain looked at. It sounds wrong to me." - -Ashton-Kirk laughed, and started up the stairs toward the third floor. - -"I'll return in a moment," he said. "Don't trouble to come up." - -He was gone but a very little while, and when he returned his face -wore a satisfied look. - -"The bolt of the scuttle is broken, just as Osborne said," he -reported. "And anyone who could gain the roof would have little -difficulty in effecting an entrance." He led the way down the hall, -saying as he went: "Now we'll browse around in the rooms for a while; -then we'll be off to dinner." - -The storage room was entered first as upon the earlier visit, but -Ashton-Kirk wasted but little time upon it. In the front room, -however, he examined things with a minuteness that amazed Pendleton. -And yet everything was done quickly; like a keen-nosed hound, the -investigator went from one object to another; nothing seemed to escape -him, nothing was too small for his attention. One of the first things -that he did was to get a chair and plant it against the lettered door -that led directly into the hall. At the top was a gong with a -spring-hammer, one of the sort that rings its warning whenever the -door is opened; and this the investigator examined with care. - -He then passed into the railed space where the body had lain and where -the darkened trail of blood still bore ghastly testimony to what had -occurred. The man's singular eyes scanned the floor, the walls, the -flat-topped desk. On this last his attention again became riveted; and -once more Pendleton heard his breath drawn sharply between his teeth. - -"When Hume was struck upon the head," said Ashton-Kirk, after a -moment, "he was standing at this desk. He had just sprung up, probably -upon hearing a sound of some kind. See where the chair is pushed back -against the wall, just as he would have pushed it had he arisen -hastily. When he struck he fell across the desk." He pointed to a dark -trickle of blood down the back of the piece of furniture in question. -"That is the result of the blow upon the head, and probably flowed -from the mouth or nostrils. After the first senseless lurch the body -settled back and slid to the position in which it was found. Here is -a blotting pad, a small pair of shears, a box of clips and a letter -scale upon the floor where the sliding body dragged them. The top of -the desk is of polished wood; it is perfectly smooth; there are no -crevices or anything of the sort to catch hold of anything. When the -body slipped from it, it must have swept everything with it, cleanly. -And yet," bending forward over the desk and picking up a minute red -particle, "here, directly in the center, we find this." - -"What is it?" asked Pendleton, eagerly. - -Ashton-Kirk placed the red particle on his palm and held it out. It -was shaped like a keystone, and had apparently been cut from something -that had been printed upon. - -"It is that portion of a railroad ticket which a conductor's punch -bites out, and which litters the floor and the seats in trains. Have -you never had one fall from your clothes after a railroad journey?" - -Pendleton looked at the tiny red fragment, and then at the desk. - -"If Hume fell across the desk, as you've just said," he remarked, -slowly, "and pulled all these other things to the floor with him--why, -Kirk, this bit of card, in the very center of the polished top,--it -must have dropped there afterwards." - -"Exactly," said Ashton-Kirk. "And now, if you don't mind, just step -out into the hall and ask Paulson to come up." - -Pendleton did so; and while he was gone, Ashton-Kirk placed the red -fragment carefully in his card-case. When the other re-entered with -Paulson at his heels, he asked: - -"Have any of the policemen detailed here been out of town recently?" - -"No," replied Paulson. "There have been five besides myself, and they -have been on duty every day." - -"Thank you," said the investigator. And as the policeman went out, he -made his way into the kitchen. Here, however, his examination was -brief, as was that of the bedroom also. At length he paused, his hands -in his pockets, his head thrown back, satisfaction lighting his dark, -keen face. - -"That is all, I think," said he. "There have only been a few pages, -but the print has been exceedingly good and the matter of much -interest." He looked at a clock that ticked solemnly upon a shelf. "We -have half an hour to reach my place and dress," he said. "I'm afraid -that we'll be late, and that Edouard will be annoyed. His cookery is -so exquisitely timed that it is scarcely the better for delay." - -"Wait a minute," said Pendleton, grasping his friend's arm. "What part -did Edyth--Miss Vale--play in all this? I can see you have formed in -your mind some sort of completed action. Where does she come into it?" - -"Completed!" Ashton-Kirk smiled into the pale, set face of his friend. -"You give me too much credit, old chap. I have some undoubted scenes -from the drama; but most of the remainder are merely detached lines -and bits of stage business. As to Miss Vale," here the smile vanished, -"I have been unable to make up my mind just how far she is concerned, -if at all. However, perhaps twenty-four hours will make it all clear -enough. In the meantime I will say this to you: Don't jump to harsh -conclusions, Pen. You know this young lady well. How far do you -suppose she would go to the perpetrating of a downright crime?" - -"Not a step!" answered Pendleton, promptly. - -"Then," said Ashton-Kirk, "until we know positively that she has done -so, stick to that." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL BAYONET - - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton sat in the former's library that evening -after dinner, there came a knock upon the door and Fuller entered -briskly. In his hand he carried a paper parcel which he laid upon a -stand at the investigator's elbow. - -"This is the bayonet, sir," said he. "Mr. Stillman, the coroner, -objected to letting me have it at first, but changed his mind after I -had talked to him for a while." - -"Did you take the photograph to Berg in Christie Place?" - -"Yes, sir. He recognized it at once as that of the person in -question." - -"And you made inquiries upon the other point?" - -"I did. Neither Mr. Stillman nor any of the men who removed the body -of Hume have been out of town within a week. I also questioned Mr. -Osborne; his answer was the same. Brolatsky's reply was similar; and -he also said that Hume had not ridden on a railroad in years." - -"That will be all, Fuller; thank you." - -The brisk young man had reached the door when the investigator added: - -"One moment." - -He scribbled something upon a pad, tore off the leaf and handed it to -his aid. - -"Look these things up at once." - -Fuller took the paper, glanced at it and then replied: - -"Very well, sir." - -Seated in his big chair with the jar of Greek tobacco and sheaf of -brown paper wrappers before him, Ashton-Kirk did not display any haste -in removing the covering from the bayonet that had let the life out of -the art dealer. Rather he sank deeper into the arms of the chair; the -cigarette end became gray and dead between his fingers; the strangely -brilliant eyes closed as though he had fallen asleep. - -But Pendleton, who understood his friend's ways, knew better; the -keen, swift-moving mind was but arranging the developments of the day, -weighing them, giving to each its proper value. A little later and the -eyes would unclose, more than likely alight with some new idea, some -fresh purpose drawn from his reflections. - -And as Pendleton waited he, too, fell into a musing state and also -began marshaling the facts as _he_ saw them. Ashton-Kirk, during -dinner, had told him those regarding the visit of Edyth Vale the day -before. - -"Pen, you know I don't usually do this," the investigator had informed -him. "But as you know so much already, and your feelings in the matter -being what they are, I think it best that you should know more." - -And now Pendleton, as he rolled and consumed cigarette after -cigarette, went over the facts as they had been laid before him. - -"And Morris," said he to himself, as he reached the end of his -friend's recital; "now what sort of a mess has Allan Morris got -himself into? And after he had got into it, why in heaven's name -didn't he keep quiet about it? What good could come from Edyth's -knowing it?" - -Then the fact that Morris had apparently tried to keep his secret from -Miss Vale presented itself. But Pendleton dismissed it with contempt. - -"Tried!" he said to himself. "Of course; but how? By marching up and -down the floor. By a great parade of tragic despair; by sighs and the -wringing of his hands. I've always suspected Morris of being a bit -theatrical--and now I am sure of it." - -He roused himself for a moment, lighted a fresh cigarette and settled -back once more. - -"I'm not Kirk by any means," he reflected, "and this sort of thing is -altogether out of my line. But it seems clear that Edyth--after -leaving here yesterday--received some unexpected news. When she was -here, consulting Kirk, she was, to all appearances, in a -quandary--helpless. She did not know how to proceed; she understood -nothing. But her darting off alone that way after midnight proves that -some sort of a crisis had come up. She had heard something--more -than likely through Morris. He probably," with great contempt, -"became hysterical again, couldn't contain himself and blabbed -everything--whatever it was." - -Then he burst out aloud, angrily. - -"She went to Hume's last night because she had reason to think Morris -would be there. And if the truth were known, Morris _was_ there." - -"My dear fellow," said the voice of Ashton-Kirk, "the truth, upon that -particular point, at least, is known. Allan Morris was at Hume's last -night. He was the man whom Berg saw enter after the musician." - -"How do you know?" asked Pendleton, astonished. - -"Fuller, with a report which he recently made upon Morris, handed me a -photograph of that gentleman. While we were at dinner, Berg identified -the portrait as being that of Hume's secret visitor." - -"I was right, then. Edyth _did_ go there expecting to meet him--to -protect him, perhaps. If you knew her as well as I do, Kirk, you'd -realize that it's just the sort of thing she'd do. But," positively, -"she did not find him there." - -"What makes you think that? There was still one of Hume's visitors -left, when she got there. It may have been Morris." - -"It was Spatola," answered Pendleton, with conviction. "The scream of -the cockatoo which came from Hume's rooms when the pistol was -discharged proves it. When Spatola went in, Berg said he was carrying -something under his coat. Brolatsky told the coroner this morning that -the Italian sometimes brought his trained birds with him when he -called at Hume's. That's what he had last night." - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"At this time," he said, "it will scarcely do to be positive on some -things. Indications are plenty, but they must be worked out. I have -some theories of my own upon the very point that you have just -covered, but I will not venture a decided statement until I have -proven them to the limit. It's the only safe way." - -Pendleton discontentedly hitched forward in his chair. - -"I thought," said he, "that you worked entirely by putting this and -that together." - -"That is precisely what I do," returned Ashton-Kirk. "But I have -found, through experience, that there must be no loose ends left to -hang. Such things are treacherous; you never know when they'll trip -you up and upset all your calculations." He paused a moment and -regarded his friend steadfastly. Then he continued. "But, just now, I -think we had better not trouble ourselves about Edyth Vale and Allan -Morris. To be sure, the latter's connection with the affair is -peculiar; Miss Vale's visit to Hume's last night, the sounds which -Sams heard immediately after she had gone in--her turning out of the -gas and hurried flight, are also strange and significant enough. But -they are perhaps the very end of the story; and it is best never to -begin at the end." - -"Is there any way by which you can begin at what you think is the -beginning?" asked the other. - -Ashton-Kirk took up the parcel which Fuller had laid at his elbow. - -"Here is one way," he answered. "Let us see where it leads us." - -He stripped off the wrapper, and the bayonet which had killed the -numismatist was revealed, blood-clotted and ugly. Carefully the -investigator examined the broad, powerful blade and heavy bronze hilt. - -"A Schwartz-Michael, just as I thought," he said. - -"The maker's name is upon it then?" said Pendleton. - -But the other shook his head. - -"No," said he. "But it happens that I have given some attention to -arms, and the bayonet, though a weapon that is passing, came in for -its share." - -He balanced the murderous-looking thing in his hand and proceeded. - -"There are not many types of bayonets. The first was what they called -a 'Plug,' because it was made to fit into the muzzle of a flint, or -match-lock. Then there was the socket bayonet, the ring bayonet and an -improved weapon invented by an English officer named Chillingworth -which met with much favor in the armies of Europe. But the latest -development is the sword bayonet, of which this is an example. Its -form is a great improvement over the older makes; it is an almost -perfect side arm as well, having a cutting edge, a point, and a grip -exactly like that of a sword. There are a number of makes of this -type; the Schwartz-Michael is one of the least known of these. -Upon its being placed on the market it was adopted by three -governments--Bolivia, Servia, and Turkey--and there it stopped." - -He laid the weapon upon the table and settled himself back in his -chair. - -"It struck me when I first saw the thing," he went on, "that it was a -little singular that a Schwartz-Michael should even find its way into -the United States. Now, it would not surprise me to find an English -revolver in Patagonia, or an American rifle in Thibet, because they -are universally known and used. Any one might carry them. But a -bayonet is different, of course; it is a strictly military arm, and -its utility is limited. That a criminal should select one with which -to commit a murder is unusual; and, further; the fact that the make is -one never introduced into the United States is rather remarkable." - -"It is--a little," agreed Pendleton. - -"It is a small thing, but all clews are small things. Now there are -many ways in which such a weapon might find its way into the country; -but I took the most likely of these as a beginning. Before I dressed -for dinner, I ran over a rather complete card-index system which I -maintain; and within a few minutes learned that the republic of -Bolivia had, within the past year, changed both the rifle and bayonet -used by its army." - -"Well?" asked Pendleton, with interest. - -"When a nation makes such a change, the discarded arms are usually -bought up by some large speculator or dealer in such things. And in -the course of time they find their way to the military goods dealers -who exist all over the world." - -Here Fuller entered the room, and Ashton-Kirk turned to him -inquiringly. - -"Well?" - -"In the morning _Standard_ of April 9th," announced the young man, "I -find an advertisement of Bernstine Brothers relative to a sale of -condemned army equipment." - -"Is anything specified?" - -"They considered it important that high-power modern rifles were to be -sold at a very small price. And they also lay some stress upon the -fact that the stuff had been in use by the Bolivian army." - -Pendleton saw a look of satisfaction come into his friend's eyes. But -there was no other evidence of anything unusual. - -"And now," said the investigator, quietly, "with regard to this other -matter." - -"I find that there are two schools for mutes in this section," -answered Fuller. "But both are some distance out of town." - -The satisfaction in Ashton-Kirk's singular eyes deepened. - -"Excellent," said he. - -"One is on the main line--Kittridge Station; the other is on the -Hammondsville Branch at a place called Cordova." - -"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk. - -And when the door had once more closed behind his aid, the -investigator continued to Pendleton: - -"I figured upon some of the equipment reaching here. Military goods -houses, such as Bernstine's, usually advertise each lot they receive; -and I considered it possible that the murderer might have been -attracted by this notice and procured the weapon from them. If he did, -we may get some trace of him by inquiring at Bernstine's. But," -flinging his arms wide and yawning as though weary of the subject, -"that is work for to-morrow. To-night we will rest and prepare for -what is to come. But in the meantime," arising with enthusiasm, "let -me show you a first edition of the 'Knickerbocker's History of New -York' which I picked up recently." - -He went to his book-shelves and took down two faded volumes. With -eager hands Pendleton took them from him. - -"Original covers!" cried he. "Binding unbroken; in perfect condition -inside; not a spot or a stain anywhere." Then he regarded his friend -with undisguised envy. "Kirk," said he, "you're a lucky dog. You can -dig up more good things than anybody else that I know." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO PLAY THEIR PART - - -Next morning Ashton-Kirk lounged in a comfortable window-seat, almost -knee-deep in newspapers. The published accounts of the assassination -were, in some instances, very sensational. Drawings, by special -artists of persons concerned, were much in evidence, also half-tones -of the exterior of 478 Christie Place. The names of Osborne and -Stillman figured largely in the types; but what interested the -investigator most was a portrait of the musician--the violinist, -Antonio Spatola, and the story of his arrest. - -The pictured face was that of a young man with a great head of curling -hair. The features were regular, the expression eager and appealing. - -"I would have pronounced him a musician, even if I had not heard that -he was one," said Ashton-Kirk. "The head and face formations have all -the qualities." Then he ran over the story of Spatola's arrest and the -causes that led up to it. At the finish he smiled. "They have tried -and convicted him on the first page. If there was any way for them to -do it, they'd execute him in the evening editions and print his dying -words in the sporting extra. But," and he nodded his head -appreciatively, "Osborne has a good case against him, at that." - -Both the clerk, Isidore Brolatsky, and Berg seemed to have talked -freely to the newspapermen. The character of Hume was treated in a -highly colored manner. The visits of the Italian musician to the -numismatist, his ambition to shine as another Kubelik, his -ungovernable temper, the high words that followed Hume's frequent -sneers at his ambition and the fact that he once drew a knife upon his -tormentor, were presented in full. But what appealed to the -space-writers most was Brolatsky's story of how Hume had once called -Spatola "Mad Anthony," and afterward showed him the portrait of -General Wayne. - -"This apparently drove him frantic," wrote one reporter, "and, noting -this, Hume frequently applied the name to him, and more than likely -displayed the portrait as well. The last time that Spatola visited -Hume was upon the night of the murder. He evidently went to regale the -numismatist with music; for the delicatessen dealer, Berg, saw under -his coat what was evidently his violin. During the course of the -concert, Hume probably resumed his sneers; unable any longer to bear -it, the Italian apparently struck him down, and then in blind rage of -resentment, smashed and otherwise destroyed every one of the Wayne -portraits he could find." - -Fuller came in with another newspaper just about this time and -Ashton-Kirk showed him the story. - -"The _Standard_, then, seems to ignore the theory held by Osborne and -Stillman that the murder was done in an attempt to steal the portrait -found partly cut from the frame," said the assistant after studying -the account. Then, inquiringly, he added: "What do you think of it, -sir?" - -"As a piece of sensational writing, I have no fault to find with it," -said the investigator. "But the _Standard's_ young man is no deep -thinker. The single fact that Hume was a lover of real music should -have shown him that his theory was wrong." - -Fuller considered a moment. - -"I don't think I quite get that," said he. - -"It is simple enough. Hume being sensitive to harmony, asked Spatola -very frequently to play for him; and, according to Brolatsky, paid him -rather well for each performance. To furnish good music, Spatola must -have not only talent, but also a violin that was at least fairly -good." - -"Yes, sir, I see that." - -"Having a violin that was at least fairly good, Spatola, being a poor -man, would take care of it. He would carry it in a case--he would -especially do so in wet or damp weather. And it rained on the night -of the murder. If he carried his violin in a case, there was no need -of his putting it under his coat. And, another thing, a violin case is -of such size as to prevent its being so carried, isn't it?" - -Fuller nodded. - -"I think that's very good," said he. - -"It would have been a very easy thing for the _Standard's_ man to have -made a few inquiries as to whether Spatola used a violin case or no. -If he had done so, I am inclined to think that the answers would have -been in the affirmative. But there is another and more vital point -upon which I would base an objection to the reporter's theory. He says -that, goaded into a rage, Spatola struck his tormentor down. But he -forgets that If the murderer did not visit Hume's with the intention -of doing murder, it was rather a freakish thing for him to provide -himself with a bayonet. However, that is a point that I discussed with -Mr. Stillman yesterday; at first he was inclined to assume a somewhat -similar position." - -"But the broken and cut portraits?" questioned Fuller. - -Ashton-Kirk smiled a little. - -"Probably I shall be able to properly account for them when I return -from a little trip that I am about to take to-day," said he. "That -is," as a sort of afterthought, "if some things turn out as I think -they will." - -Fuller unfolded the newspaper that he had brought in. - -"It is a late edition of the _Star_," he said. "The paper seems to -have scored a beat, for it has some developments that may put a -different face upon everything." - -Ashton-Kirk took the sheet, and as he glanced at the flaring -headlines, he whistled softly. The lines read: - - "MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN A MOTOR CAR! - - "She Visits 478 Christie Place on the Night of Murder! - - "DID A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN'S HAND DEAL THE DEADLY BLOW? - - "A New Element Added to the Hume Sensation!" - -"The _Star_ man seems to have struck up an acquaintance with Sams," -said Ashton-Kirk, with interest. He thought for a moment, and then -added to Fuller: - -"Tell Stumph when Miss Edyth Vale arrives to show her here at once." - -"Oh, you have been expecting her then?" - -"No: I have not. But I am now." - -After Fuller left the room, the investigator turned eagerly to the -_Star's_ leaded narrative. This laid great stress upon the evident -wealth and dazzling beauty of the mysterious midnight visitor in -Christie Place; and second only to her did they feature the -well-dressed stranger whom Berg had seen enter at Hume's door before -he had closed his own place for the night. The revolver shot that had -followed the woman's entrance and the parrot-like scream which had, in -turn, followed that, lost nothing in the telling. - -"Who was the woman? That is the mystery," the newspaper said in -conclusion. "The hack driver caught but a glimpse of her, and in the -excitement of the moment failed to take the number of the car. But -that the latter was a Maillard he is positive. There are several -headquarter's men following up the clew as this goes to press; and -startling developments are expected at any moment. - -"As to the second man whom the fancy grocer, Berg, saw go into Hume's, -there is a well-founded belief that he is very well known in select -circles and had called at Hume's frequently upon a matter concerning -which both he and Hume were always very secretive. The _Star_ called -up both his apartments and his office, but he had not been seen at -either place on the day after the murder. The clubs of which he is a -member were resorted to, but with no more success. As this gentleman -is known to be engaged to the beautiful heiress of a huge fortune, the -_Star's_ well-known special writer, Nancy Prindeville, was detailed to -get her statement. But a man servant stated that his mistress had -given positive orders that she could not be seen." - -The investigator threw down the paper. - -"Well," said he to himself with a shrug, "that makes it a little -annoying for the young lady. The fact that they refer to Morris when -they speak of a young man 'well known in select circles' will be plain -to everyone, for the facts of Morris' visits have been rather well -exploited in all the other papers. And as newspaper men are not -without daring in their conjectures, I wonder how long it will be -before one of them openly associates the 'beautiful unknown' with -Allan Morris' betrothed. I would, I think, offer even money that the -thing is hinted at before night." - -He sat for some time in the midst of the scattered sheets thinking -deeply; then he pressed the bell call, and Fuller presented himself. - -"I want you to take up the investigation of Hume and Allan Morris -where you left off the other day. Put Burgess, O'Neill and any others -that you desire on the matter. I want _complete_ information, and I -want it _quickly_." - -"Yes, sir," answered Fuller. - -"Follow up anything that promises results concerning Morris' father. -Especially find out if he ever knew Hume. Get every fact that can be -gathered about the latter. You, or rather Burgess, hinted in the -preliminary report that it was thought that he had at one time lived -abroad. If it is possible, establish that fact. In any event, go into -his history as deeply as you can." - -"Very well," said Fuller, with the easy manner of a person accustomed -to carrying out difficult orders. - -As the young man went out at one door, Stumph knocked upon another; -then Miss Edyth Vale, very pale, but entirely composed, was shown into -the room. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS - - -Ashton-Kirk arose, kicked aside the litter of newspapers, and placed a -chair for his visitor. - -"Your man told me that I was expected," she said. "How did you know -that I would come this morning?" - -"I knew that you'd be sure to read the newspapers," said he. "And I -was pretty confident as to the effect the _Star's_ account would -have." - -She sat down quietly and for a few moments did not speak. A slight -trembling of the lower lip was the only indication of the strain under -which she was laboring. Finally she said: - -"I am very sorry that I deceived you yesterday morning." - -He waved his hand lightly. - -"I was not deceived; so there was no harm done," he explained. - -She began tugging nervously at her gloves, much as she had done a few -mornings before. Her face was still composed; but deep in her -beautiful eyes was an expression of fear. - -"I might have known that I could not do it," she said. "But the -impulse came to me to deny everything as the easiest and safest way -out of it all; and I obeyed it. I was not calm enough to consider the -possible harm that it might do. However," and her firm voice broke a -little, "I suppose the newspapers would have ferreted out the facts in -any event." - -"They are very keen in the pursuit of anything that promises a good -story," agreed the investigator. "But if you had given me the facts as -you intended doing when you called me on the 'phone yesterday morning, -I'd have had twenty-four hours start of them, at least." - -She leaned toward him earnestly. - -"I am going to be frank with you now," she said. "And perhaps it is -not yet too late. I _did_ intend telling you everything when I -telephoned you, but, as I have said, the impulse came to hide it, -instead!" - -"It was fear," said Ashton-Kirk, "and was, perhaps, perfectly natural -under the circumstances." - -"When I left you two mornings ago," said Miss Vale, "I felt easier in -my mind than I had in months before. From what I had heard of you, I -felt sure that the little problem which I had set you would prove -absurdly simple. This feeling clung to me all day; I was light and -happy, and astonished my aunt, Mrs. Page, by consenting to go with -her to Mrs. Barron's that night, a thing that I had been refusing to -do for a long time. - -"Late in the afternoon, Allan--Mr. Morris--came. As soon as I saw him -I knew that something had happened or was about to happen. There was -no color in his face; his eyes had a feverish glitter, his voice was -high pitched and excited. But I did not let him see that I noticed -this. I talked to him quietly about a score of things; and by a most -circuitous route approached the matter that interested me most--our -marriage. - -"To my surprise he plunged into the subject with the greatest -eagerness. Before that, as I have told you, he always did his best to -avoid it; the least mention of it seemed to sadden him, to cause him -pain. But now he discussed it excitedly; apparently it was no longer a -dim, far-off thing, but one which he saw very clearly. As you may -imagine, I was both astonished and delighted. But this was only at -first. In a little while I noticed something in his tone, in his -manner, in his feverish eyes that I did not like." - -She paused for a moment; Ashton-Kirk clasped his knee with both hands -and regarded her with interest. - -"It was a sort of subdued fierceness," continued Miss Vale--"as though -he were setting his face against some invisible force and defying it. -When he mentioned our happiness that was to be, I could see his hands -close tightly, I could read menace in the set of his jaw. As he was -going, he said to me: - -"'There has been something--a something that you've never been able to -understand--keeping us apart. But it is about at an end. Human nature -endures a great deal, sometimes, but it's endurance does not last -forever. To-night, my dear, puts an end to my endurance. I am going to -show what I should have shown long ago--that I'm a man.' - -"Then he went away, and I was frightened. All sorts of possibilities -presented themselves to me--vague, indefinite, formless terrors. I -tried to shake them off, but could not. It became firmly fixed in my -mind that something was going to happen--that Allan was about -to--to--" here the steady voice faltered once more, "to take a step -that would bring danger upon him. - -"And that night I went to Mrs. Barron's as I had promised. I talked to -people--I laughed--I even danced. But never for a moment did the fear -cease gripping at my heart. At last I could stand it no longer. I felt -that I must go to where this danger was confronting Allan; and as the -house in Christie Place was the first that arose in my mind, I went -there. - -"I saw the cab upon the opposite side of the street; and the driver of -it looked at me so hard that I drove on without stopping, as the -newspaper states. But my courage came back in a few moments; I -returned and went in." - -"You halted on the stairs," said Ashton-Kirk. "Why?" - -"Because I saw a light moving about in the hallway above," answered -Miss Vale. Then she added: "But how did you know that I stopped upon -the stairs?" - -"I did not know it," replied Ashton-Kirk. "In his story the cab driver -says you entered at Hume's door and went upstairs. I have found that -the position which his cab occupied at the time was fully fifteen feet -west of Hume's doorway, making it impossible for him to see whether -you went up at once, or not. In the face of what immediately followed -your entrance, or rather, what is said to have followed it, I thought -it reasonable to suppose that you had stopped!" - -"Thank you," said Miss Vale. - -"You say there was a light moving about; but what else did you see?" - -"Nothing." - -"But you heard something?" - -"Yes; the revolver shot, and then the dreadful cry that followed it." - -Ashton-Kirk unclasped his hands from about his knee, placed them upon -the arms of his chair and leaned forward. - -"But between the two--after the shot, and before the cry, you heard a -door close," he said. - -She gave a little gasp of surprise. - -"I did," she said. "I remember it distinctly now that you mention it. -It closed sharply, but not very loudly." - -The investigator leaned back and began drumming upon the arm of his -chair with his long supple fingers. - -"Experience never quite takes away that comfortable feeling of -satisfaction that the proving of a theory gives one," said he. "I -suppose it is a sort of reward that Nature reserves for effort." - -And he smiled at his beautiful visitor's puzzled look, and went on: - -"The cab driver says that the cry resembled that of a parrot or -cockatoo. What do you think?" - -"It was not unlike their scream," said Miss Vale. "But I was too much -startled to think of comparing it to anything at the time!" - -"What happened after you heard this cry?" - -"I waited for some little time, part way up the stairs. Then the light -which I had seen glancing over the walls and across the ceiling, -seemed to halt and die down. After this there was a pause, a stoppage -of everything, and fear took possession of me. Suppose Allan had -really intended visiting the place--suppose he had preceded -me--suppose something dreadful had just happened--something in which -he had had a part! - -"Filled with thoughts like these, I ascended the remaining stairs. -There was a light shining through the lettered glass of the door at -the front; but the hall was deserted; the far end was thick with -shadows. I tried the door where the light was, but it was fast; the -door nearest the stairs was open; I entered by that, and passed into -the front room through a communicating doorway. Then I saw the--the -body, turned out the light, ran stumbling through the rooms and down -the stairs." - -"Why did you turn out the light?" asked the investigator. - -"I don't know. Partly, I suppose, to shut the awful thing upon the -floor from my sight--and partly--" - -She stopped, but Ashton-Kirk completed the sentence for her. - -"And partly with the confused idea that you might hide the deed from -public gaze and in that way save Allan Morris from the consequences of -his crime," said he. - -At this she sprang up, her hands outstretched appealingly; the fear -now plain in her face. - -"No, no!" she cried. "He is not guilty! He did not do it!" - -"My dear young lady," said Ashton-Kirk, soothingly, "control -yourself. Don't forget that before this thing is ended you will -probably need all the self-command you can summon." Then as she -resumed her seat, he added: "I did not say that he was guilty. I was -merely telling you of the formless thought that you had in mind when -you turned out the light." - -She sat staring at him, the horror of it all still in her eyes. Then -she nodded her head slowly, and said in a husky voice. - -"Yes; that is what I thought, and that is why I called you on the -telephone. I thought you would pity me and show me some way of -covering it all up. But after I had your promise to come, I was seized -with the fear that you might--that you might betray him. That is, I -suppose, the real reason why I tried to deceive you. In my terror I -myself thought Allan guilty. But, of course, now that I have had time -to calmly think it over, I know he was not--that he _couldn't_ be! No -one who knows him will believe he did it." - -"What reason had you for thinking that he might be guilty?" - -"His manner during the afternoon before the murder. He seemed so -fiercely resolved, so different from his usual self." - -"I understand. And what makes you think now that he is innocent?" - -"I believe it because I understand his nature," said Miss Vale, -earnestly. "He might be finally aroused--under provocation he might -even be violent. But he could never do a thing like this--it is too -utterly horrible." - -"You have judged that it was probably he who was seen to go into -Hume's before the murder?" - -"Yes." - -"Hume was alive when Berg closed up his shop; he was dead when you -entered his showroom a half hour or so later. Therefore he must have -met his death while the cab driver Sams sat on his box across the -street. Now, while Morris was seen to go in, it is not at all positive -that he was the man who came out. We are not _sure_ that he was not -present when the crime was committed." - -Miss Vale reared her head proudly. - -"Is it possible," she said, "that you are trying to fix this deed upon -Allan Morris?" - -"I am trying to find the real truth," answered Ashton-Kirk, gravely. - -"The police," said Miss Vale, "according to the newspapers, thought -that the criminal gained admission by way of the roof. This may or may -not be so; but I think it is pretty evident that he made his way out -in that manner. I was on the stairs while he was in the hall. He fled, -but as he did not pass me, he must have gone upwards. If Allan Morris -had done this murder he would not have thought of this; not knowing -the section, he would have been ignorant as to where the roof would -lead. But if Spatola were the man who remained, it would have been -different. Do the papers not say that he lives in a garret, or loft, -in the same block? How easy it would have been for him to pass out -upon the roof of 478 after the crime and then over the housetops of -the block until he came to a scuttle which perhaps led into his very -attic?" - -"That," said Ashton-Kirk, "is very well conceived. But it has one -weakness. You are not sure that the murderer _did_ ascend to the roof -after the crime. He may have been lurking in the shadows which you say -were lying so thickly at the end of the hall. He may have been -watching you as you discovered the body, while you ran down the hall -once more and down the stairs. To be sure, you slammed the door behind -you; and so locked it. But like all spring or latch locks, it could be -readily opened from the inside. No one else came out while the cab -driver waited; but that was only for another fifteen minutes, -according to his own statement. The murderer could easily have waited -until he had gone and then slipped out, also locking the door after -him." - -Miss Vale sat staring at the speaker dumbly for a space; then she -asked in a dry, expressionless way: - -"And do you really think this is what happened?" - -Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"No," said he. "I merely mentioned it to show you that it is difficult -to be sure of anything in a matter like this until," with a smile, -"you _are_ sure. It is one of the things that may have happened; but -it is also open to question. A criminal whose crime has been -discovered does not ordinarily linger upon the scene. You had just -fled with the terror of the thing fresh upon you. How did he know but -that you might scream it out to everyone you met." - -Again she looked at him mutely. Then she said: - -"What, then, is your theory of the crime?" - -"I have a number of possibilities at this moment," he said. "Of -course, there is one to which I give the preference; but until a thing -is proven beyond question, it is my rule never to outline my -theories." - -Before Miss Vale left she had implored him to do all he could to clear -the matter up, for her sake and for Morris's. "Of course," she said in -conclusion, "I now understand that the entire matter will get into the -papers. It is too late to prevent that. But it is not too late for you -to fix the guilt where it belongs. And I have every confidence that -you will do it. If I had not," and her voice quavered pitifully, "I -don't know what I should do." - -"I will do what I can. Success sometimes comes easily--sometimes one -is forced to fight hard for it. But rest assured that I will do what I -can." - -She was going; he held the library door open for her while the -grave-faced Stumph waited in the hall. - -"It will, perhaps, be necessary for me to see Mr. Morris sometime -during the course of the day," said Ashton-Kirk, as an afterthought. -"Would it be convenient for you to let him know that I can be seen at -six?" - -The fear that his soothing words had driven from her eyes, swept back -into them; he saw her tremble and steady herself against the -door-frame. - -"I cannot let him know," she said. "I have not seen him since--since -the time I have mentioned. I have waited, telephoned, sent messages, -even gone in person. But I could not find him. No one seems to know -anything of his whereabouts." - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS - - -For some time after Miss Vale had gone, Ashton-Kirk stood at one of -the windows and looked down at the sordid, surging, dirty crowd in -the street. The worn horses went dispiritedly up and down; the -throaty-voiced men clamored strangely through their beards; children -played in the black ooze of the gutters; women bundled in immense -knitted garments and with their heads wrapped in shawls, haggled over -scatterings of faded, weak looking vegetables. The vendors grew -frantic and eloquent in their combats with these experienced -purchasers; their gestures were high, sharp and loaded with protest. - -Then Pendleton came. He was burdened with newspapers and wore an -excited look. - -"I brought these, thinking that perhaps you had not seen them," he -exclaimed, throwing the dailies among the others upon the floor. "But -I note that your morning's reading has been very complete. Now tell -me, Kirk, what the mischief do you think of all this?" - -"I suppose, you refer to the published reports of the Hume case?" - -"Of course! As far as I am concerned, there is not, just now, any -other thing of consequence on earth." Then he struck the table with -his fist. "And it's all the fault of that cur--Allan Morris! Every bit -of it! There is not a space writer or amateur detective on a single -paper in the city that hasn't his nose to the ground at this minute, -hunting the trail. They are all at it. I stopped at the Vale's on my -way here, but they told me she was not at home. From the top step to -the curb, on my way out, I was stopped four times by stony-faced young -men all anxious to make good with their city editors. 'Was I a friend -of the family? Did Miss Vale seem at all upset by the matter? Where -was Allan Morris? What brought him so frequently, as Brolatsky said, -to see Hume?' I believe they'd have come over the back of my car even -after I started, if I had given but an encouraging look." - -"The evening papers will be a trial to Miss Vale for the next few -days." - -"Well, don't neglect the morning issues, if you are going to mention -any. In to-morrow's _Star_ there will be a portrait of Edyth four -columns wide and eight inches high. I'll expect such expressions as -'beautiful society girl,' 'a recent debutante,' 'heiress to the vast -fortune of the late structural steel king,' 'charming manner and -brilliant mind.' And at those odd times when they are not praising -her gowns, her wealth or her good looks, they'll be rather worse than -insinuating that she knows all about the crime--if she didn't commit -it herself!" - -He paced up and down the floor, his huge motoring coat flapping -distressfully about his legs. His face was flushed. - -"If I had Morris here," he threatened, "I'd show him a few things, the -pup!" Then suddenly he stopped his tramping and faced his friend. "But -now that it is as it is," he demanded, "what are we going to do about -it?" - -"There are quite a number of very sensible things for us to do," -replied Ashton-Kirk, good-humoredly. "And the first of them is to keep -our tempers--the second to keep cool." - -"All right," sulked Pendleton. "I know well enough that I need to do -both. But what next?" - -"Is your car still outside?" - -"Yes." - -"Good. We'll have a little use for it to-day, if you're not otherwise -engaged." - -"Kirk," said Pendleton, earnestly, "until this matter is settled, -don't hesitate to command me. I know that I'm not generally credited -with much serious purpose; but even the lightweight feels -things--sometimes." - -Within half an hour, Ashton-Kirk, in a perfectly fitting, carefully -pressed suit of gray, tan shoes and a light colored knock-about cap, -led the way down to the car. As they got in, he said: - -"We'd better go to Bernstine's first. It's the nearest and on our way -to the station." - -A twenty minute's run through a baffling maze of vehicles brought them -to the curb before a store with a very conspicuous modern front of -plate glass and metal. Inside they inquired for one of the Messrs. -Bernstine; and upon one of the gentlemen presenting himself, -Ashton-Kirk handed him his card. Mr. Bernstine was stout, bald and -affable. - -"I have heard of you, sir," said he, "and I am delighted to be of -service!" - -"Within the last few weeks," said Ashton-Kirk, "you have had a sale of -rifles and other things condemned by the military authorities of -Bolivia." - -Mr. Bernstine wrinkled his smooth forehead in reflection. - -"Bolivia?" said he. "Now let me see." He pondered heavily for a few -moments and then sighed. "You see," he explained, "we sell so many -lots, from so many different places, that we can hardly keep the run -of them. But our books will show," proudly; "everything we do is in -our books." - -He looked down the long, table-crowded store and called loudly: - -"Sime!" - -Sime instantly put in an appearance. He was small, sandy-haired and -freckled; he wore an alert expression and carried a marking pencil -behind his ear. - -"This is our shipping and receiving clerk," said Mr. Bernstine. "He's -up to everything around the place." Then he lowered his voice and -jerked his fat thumb toward the newcomer secretly, addressing -Pendleton: "Clever! Just full of it." - -Sime listened to Ashton-Kirk's question attentively. - -"Yes," he said, in answer, "we had some of that stuff lately. Sold -well, too, considering the time of the year." He pulled open a drawer -and took out a fat, canvas-covered book. "Two gross rifles; one -hundred gross cartridges." He closed the book, tossed it into the -drawer and then slid the drawer shut. "There were a few bayonets, too. -About half a dozen." - -With his round, fat countenance shining with admiration, Mr. Bernstine -once more caught Pendleton's eye. - -"Just full of it," he murmured, sotto voce. "As full as he can be." - -"The bayonets," said Ashton-Kirk, "are what we are after. They were -all sold, I suppose?" - -"Yes," replied Sime. "I remember, when the last one went, saying to -one of our men that we were lucky. You see, bayonets don't sell very -well except to military companies; and _they_ are not organizing every -day." - -"Do you know who bought them?" - -Sime took the marking pencil from behind his ear and proceeded to -scratch his head with its point. Mr. Bernstine watched him anxiously. -But when the shipping clerk pulled open the drawer once more, the -employer's face lighted up. - -"Ah!" said he to Pendleton. "The books! Now we'll have it." - -"They were all taken away by the people who bought them," announced -Sime, after a great flipping of ink spattered pages, "All except one." - -"And that one--" - -"It went by our boy. It was sold to Mr. Cartwright the artist, and was -sent to his studio up here in Fifth St. But there was another--the -last one that we had," suddenly, "and now that I get thinking of it, I -remember we had some trouble about it. The man that bought it was a -Dago." - -Pendleton darted a swift look at Ashton-Kirk, but the investigator's -expression never changed. He looked steadily at the clock. - -"When he asked for the bayonet," proceeded Sime, "I knew we had one -left, but I could not just lay my hands on it. He paid for it and I -said we'd send it to him. He started to give me his address, and then -changed his mind and said he'd come back again." - -"And he did?" - -"Yes; the same afternoon. I had found the thing by that time and he -took it with him." - -"You don't recall the address?" - -To his employer's evident mortification, Sime shook his head. - -"Look in the books," suggested Mr. Bernstine with confidence. "Look in -the books." - -"It ain't there," answered Sime. "He said he'd come back, so I didn't -put it down." - -"Was it Christie Place?" - -Sime pointed at Ashton-Kirk with his pencil. - -"You've got it," said he. "That was it, sure enough." - -"And you think the man was an Italian?" - -"Well, he talked and looked like one. Rather well educated too, I -think." - -Ashton-Kirk thanked the clerk, and the now beaming Mr. Bernstine, and -with Pendleton left the place. - -"Well," said Pendleton, as they climbed into the car, "this about -fixes the thing, doesn't it? The musician, Antonio Spatola, is the -guilty man, beyond a doubt." - -The investigator settled back after giving the chauffeur his next -stop. - -"Beyond a doubt," said he, "is rather an extreme expression. The fact -that the bayonet was purchased by an Italian who gave his address as -Christie Place is not enough to convict Spatola. All sorts of people -live in that street, and there are perhaps other Italians among them." - -Pendleton called out to the chauffeur to stop. - -"We'll settle that at once," said he. "Spatola's picture is in the -papers. We'll ask the clerk if it is that of the man to whom he sold -the weapon." - -But Ashton-Kirk restrained him. - -"I thought of the published portraits while Sime was speaking," said -he. "And I also thought that it was very fortunate that neither he nor -his employer were readers of the newspapers." - -"How do you know that they are not?" - -"If they had read to-day's issues they would have at once connected -the Italian who purchased the bayonet with the one who is said to have -used it--wouldn't they; especially as both Italians lived on the same -street? Bernstine and Sime said nothing because they suspect nothing. -And, as I have said, this is fortunate, because, suspecting nothing, -they will continue," with a smile, "to say nothing. If the police or -reporters got this, they'd swoop down on the trail and perhaps spoil -everything!" - -"But Bernstine or his clerk will hear of the matter sooner or later," -complained Pendleton. "And the police and reporters will then get in -on the thing anyhow." - -"But there will be a delay," said his friend. "And that may be what we -need just now. Perhaps a few hours will mean success. You can never -tell. The best that we could get by explaining matters to Sime would -be a positive identification of Spatola, or the reverse. And we can -get that from him at any time. So you see, we lose nothing by -waiting." - -"I guess that's so," Pendleton acknowledged, and again the car started -forward. At the huge entrance to a railroad station they drew up once -more. - -Within, Ashton-Kirk inquired for the General Passenger Agent and was -directed to the ninth floor. The agent was a slim little man with huge -whiskers of snowy whiteness, and a most dignified manner. - -"Oh, yes," he said, after glancing at the investigator's card. "I have -heard of you, of course. Who," with a little bow, "has not? Indeed, if -I remember aright, this road had the honor to employ you a few years -ago in a matter necessitating some little delicacy of handling. Am I -not right?" - -"And I think it was you," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly, "who provided me -with some very clearly cut facts which were of considerable service." - -The little General Passenger Agent looked pleased and smoothed his -beautiful whiskers softly. - -"I was most happy," said he. - -"Just now," said Ashton-Kirk, "I am engaged in a matter of some -consequence, and once more you can be of assistance to me." - -"Sit down," invited the other, readily. "Sit down, and command me." - -Both Pendleton and the investigator sat down. The latter said to the -passenger agent: - -"I understand that every railroad has a system by which it can tell -which conductor has punched a ticket." - -"Oh, yes. A very simple one. You see the hole left by each punch is -different. One will cut a perfectly round hole, another will be -square, still another will be a triangle, and so on, indefinitely." - -From his card case, Ashton-Kirk produced the small red particle which -he had found upon the desk of the murdered man. - -"Here is a fragment cut from a ticket," he said. "It is shaped like a -keystone. I should like to know, if you can tell me, what train is -taken out by the conductor who uses the keystone punch." - -The agent touched a signal and picked up the end of a tube. - -"The head ticket counter," said he. "At once." Then he laid down the -tube and continued to his visitors. "He is the man who can supply that -sort of information instantly." - -The ticket counter was a heavy-set young man, in spectacles and with -his hair much rumpled. He peered curiously at the strangers. - -"Does any conductor on our lines use a punch which cuts out a -keystone?" inquired the General Passenger Agent. - -"Yes, Purvis," replied the heavy young man. "Runs the Hammondsville -local." - -"I am obliged to you both," said Ashton-Kirk. "This little hint may be -immensely valuable to me. And now," to the agent, "if I could have a -moment with Conductor Purvis, I would be more grateful to you than -ever." - -"His train is out in the shed now," said the ticket counter, looking -at his watch. "Leaves in eight minutes." - -"I'm sorry that I can't have him up here for you," said the passenger -agent. "Just now that is impossible. But," inquiringly, "couldn't you -speak to him down on the platform?" - -"Of course," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -He and Pendleton arose; the little man with the large white whiskers -was thanked once more, as was the heavy young man with the rumpled -hair. - -"You'll find the Hammondsville train at Gate E," the latter informed -them. - -Then the two shot down to the platform level and made their way toward -Gate E. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -PENDLETON IS VASTLY ENLIGHTENED - - -The Hammondsville local was taking on its passengers. It was a sooty -train, made up of three coaches and a combination baggage and smoking -car. The gateman pointed out its conductor, inside, and the two -approached him. - -He was a spare, elderly man with a wrinkled, shrewd face, and a short, -pointed manner of speech. - -"Oh, the General Passenger Agent sent you?" said he, examining them. -"All right. What's wanted?" - -"Your train stops at a station called Cordova, does it not?" - -"It stops at every station on the run. Cordova's one of them." - -"There is an institution at Cordova, I believe?" - -"For deaf and dumb kids--yes." - -"Of course some of the people from there ride in and out with you at -times." - -"I don't get many of the youngsters. But the folks that run the place -often come to the city." - -"You are acquainted with them, of course. I mean in the way that -local conductors come to be acquainted with their regular riders." - -Purvis grinned. - -"Say," said he. "It's hard to get acquainted with some of them asylum -people. There's only a couple of them that can talk!" - -"I see." Pendleton noted Ashton-Kirk's dark eyes fixed steadfastly -upon the man's face as though he desired to read the remainder from -his expression. "There is one of them," continued the investigator, -"whom perhaps you have noticed. He's rather a small man, and wears -thick glasses. He also dresses very carefully, and he wears a silk -hat." - -"Oh, yes," said the conductor, "I know him. He goes in and out quite -often. Very polite too. Always says good day with his fingers; if the -train is crowded, he's a great little fellow for getting up and giving -his seat to the ladies." - -"Have you ever heard his name?" - -"Yes. It's Locke. He's some kind of a teacher." - -Ashton-Kirk thanked the man, and with Pendleton walked through the -gate. As they were descending the stairs to the street, Pendleton -said: - -"And now he wears a silk hat, does he? But you have not made sure of -the man. You forgot to inquire if Mr. Locke favored the German -dramatists." - -For a moment Ashton-Kirk looked puzzled, then he burst into a laugh. - -"Ah," said he, "you remember that." - -"Of course I remember it. How can I forget it? You go prancing about -so like a conjurer that there's not a moment that I don't expect -something. If you finish by dragging the murderer from your sleeve, -I'll not be at all astonished. Your methods lead me to expect some -such a finale." - -"To explain each step as I take it," said the investigator, "would be -much more difficult than the work itself. However the time has now -arrived for me to enlighten you somewhat upon this point, at least. I -am quite convinced that this man Locke played a leading part in the -murder of Hume. He is in a manner definitely placed, and I can speak -of him without fracturing any of my prejudices." - -They got into the car, and Ashton-Kirk continued to the chauffeur: - -"Christie Place." Then to Pendleton, he added as the machine started, -"I want to make some inquiries at the house where Spatola lived; and -in order to make the matter clearer, we'll just drop in at 478." - -As they proceeded along at a bounding pace, the investigator related -to Pendleton what had passed between Edyth Vale and himself a few -hours before. Pendleton drew a great breath of relief. - -"Of course I knew that her part in the matter was something like -that," he said, "but I'm glad to hear it, just the same." He looked at -his friend for a moment and then continued: "But how did you know that -Edyth heard a door close immediately after the pistol shot?" - -They had just drawn up in front of Hume's, and as Ashton-Kirk got out, -he said: - -"If you had only used your eyes as we were going over the place," said -he, "you'd have no occasion to ask that question." - -There was a different policeman at the door; but fortunately he knew -the investigator and they were allowed to enter at once. When about -half way up the stairs, Ashton-Kirk said: - -"This, I think, is about the place where Miss Vale stopped when she -saw the light-rays moving across the ceiling and wall of the hall. You -get the first glimpse of those from this point. Remain here a moment -and I'll try and reproduce what she heard--with the exception of the -cry." - -Pendleton obediently paused upon the stairs; Ashton-Kirk went on up -and disappeared. In a few moments there came a sharp, ringing report, -and Pendleton, dashing up the stairs, saw his friend standing holding -open the showroom door--the one with Hume's name painted upon it. - -"It's the bell," said Ashton-Kirk, pointing to the gong at the top of -the door frame. "When I examined it this morning I saw that it was -screwed up too tight, and knew that it would make a sound much like a -pistol shot to ears not accustomed to it." - -Pendleton stared in amazement at the simplicity of the thing. - -"I see," said he. "While Edyth stood listening on the stairs someone -opened this door!" - -"Yes; someone unacquainted with the place. Otherwise he would have -known of the bell." - -"But how did you know that Edyth heard a door close?" - -"Whoever rang the bell closed the door after him. It has a spring lock -like the street door; and was locked when Miss Vale tried it a few -moments later." - -"You say that the ringing of the bell shows the person who rang the -bell to have been unacquainted with the place. I think you must be -wrong here. Spatola is acquainted with the place; he was here at the -time. This is proven by the scream of the frightened cockatoo which -followed the ringing of the bell." - -"It was not a cockatoo that made the sound," said Ashton-Kirk. "Give -me a moment and I think I can convince you of that." - -The gas in the hall was lighted; the investigator stopped at the foot -of the stairs leading to the fourth floor. - -"Persons," he continued, "who secretly enter buildings, as a rule -never trust to the lighting apparatus of the buildings. One reason for -this is that it is not under their control--another that they cannot -carry their light about with them." - -He pointed to the lowermost step of the flight; there, as before, were -the stump of candle, the burnt matches, the traces of tallow upon the -wood. - -"There were two or more men concerned in this crime," proceeded -Ashton-Kirk, "and that is the method of lighting that they chose--a -candle." - -"Two men! How do you know that?" asked Pendleton. - -"You shall see in a moment," replied the investigator. Then he -continued: "And the candle was used not only for illumination--it -served another purpose, and so supplied me with the first definite -information that my searching had given me up to that time." - -Pendleton looked at the discouraged little candle end, with its long -black wick, the two charred splinters of pine wood and the eccentric -trail of tallow droppings. Then he shook his head. - -"How you could get enlightenment from those things is beyond me," he -said. "But tell me what they indicated." - -"The candle and the match-sticks count for little," said Ashton-Kirk. -"It is the tracings of melted tallow that possess the secret. Look -closely at them. At first glance they may seem the random drippings of -a carelessly held light. But a little study will show you a clearly -defined system contained in them." - -"Well, you might say there were three lines of it," said Pendleton, -after a moment's inspection. - -"Right," said Ashton-Kirk. "Three lines there are, and each follows a -row of tack heads. These latter were, apparently, once driven in to -hold down a step-protector of some sort which has since become worn -out and been removed." - -The speaker took a pad of paper and a pencil from his pocket. Across -the pad he drew three lines one under the other. Then with another -glance at the candle droppings upon the step, he made a copy of them -that looked like this: - -[Illustration: sketch of clue] - -Pendleton bent over the result under the flare of the gas light; and -as he looked his eyes widened. - -"Why," cried he, "they look like a stenographer's word-signs." - -"Good!" said Ashton-Kirk. "And that, my dear fellow, is exactly what -they are. There, scrawled erratically in dripping tallow, is a three -word sentence in Benn Pitman's phonetic characters. It is roughly -done, and may have occupied some minutes; but it is well done, and in -excellent German. I'll write it out for you." - -Then he wrote on the pad in big, plain Roman letters: - - HINTER - WAYNE'S - BILDNISSE - -"There it is," said the investigator, "done into the German language, -line for line. Brush up your knowledge now; let me see you turn it -into English." - -Pendleton, whose German was rusty from long disuse, pondered over the -three words. Suddenly a light shot across his face; then his eyes were -in a blaze. - -"_Behind Wayne's Portrait!_" - -He fairly shouted the words. Astonishment filled him; he was trembling -with excitement. - -"By Heaven," he gasped, "you have it, Kirk. Now I understand the -smashing of the portraits of General Wayne. There was something of -value hidden behind one of them--between the picture and the back! But -what?" - -"It was nothing of any great bulk; the hiding place indicated points -that out, surely," said Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "A document of some -sort, perhaps." - -Pendleton stood for a moment, lost in the wonder of the revelation; -then his mind began to work once more. - -"But I can't understand the writing of the thing upon the step," said -he. - -"It was the fact that it was written that proved to me that there were -at least two men concerned. One knew the hiding place of the coveted -object; and this is how he conveyed the information to his companion," -pointing to the step. - -"But," protested Pendleton, "why did he not put it into words? Surely -it would have been much easier?" - -"Not for this particular person. As it happens, he was a mute." - -Again Pendleton's eyes opened widely; then recollection came to him -and he said: - -"It was Locke--the man concerning whom you were making inquiries of -the railroad conductor!" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded, and replied. - -"And it was he who shrieked when the door of the showroom opened. The -out-cry of a deaf-mute, if you have ever heard one, has the same -squawking, senseless sound as that of a psittaceous bird like the -parrot or cockatoo." - -"But," said Pendleton, "the fact that the man who scrawled these signs -upon the step _was_ a deaf-mute, scarcely justifies the eccentricity -of the thing. Why did he not use a pencil, as you have done?" - -"I can't say exactly, of course. But did it never happen that you were -without a pencil at a time when you needed one rather urgently?" - -"This thing has sort of knocked me off my balance, I suppose," said -Pendleton, rather bewildered. "Don't expect too much of me, Kirk." He -stuffed his hands in his pockets dejectedly and continued: "You now -tell me that this man was a mute. Yesterday you said he was small, -that he was near-sighted, that he was well dressed and knew something -of the modern German dramatists. You also told the conductor that he -wore thick glasses and a silk hat. Now, I suppose I'm all kinds of an -idiot for not understanding how you know these things about a man you -never saw. But I confess it candidly; I _don't_ understand." - -"It all belongs to my method of work," said Ashton-Kirk. "It's simple -enough when you go about it the right way. I have already given you my -reasons for thinking the man who did this," pointing to the step, "to -be a mute. I judged that he was of small stature because he chose the -bottom step upon which to trace his word signs. Even an ordinary sized -man would have selected one higher up." - -"All right," said Pendleton. "That looks good to me, so far." - -"The deductions that he was well dressed and also near-sighted were -from the one source. His hat fell off while he was tracing the signs; -that showed me that he was forced to stoop very close to his work in -order to see what he was about. You see that, don't you?" - -"How did you know his hat fell off?" asked Pendleton, incredulously. - -"Mrs. Dwyer is evidently paid to clean only the hall and lower -stairway," replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "And that she sticks -closely to that arrangement is shown by the condition of this upper -flight. The dust upon the step is rather thick. If you will notice," -and he indicated a place on the second step, "here is a spot where a -round, flat object rested. That this object was a silk hat is -positive. You can see the sharp impress of the nap in the dust; here -is the curl in the exact center of the crown as seen in silk hats -only. And men who wear silk hats are usually well-dressed men." - -"But how can you be at all sure that the hat fell off? Isn't it -possible that he took it off and laid it there?" - -"Possible--yes--but scarcely probable. A well-dressed man is so from -instinct. And his instinctive neatness would hardly permit him to put -his well-kept hat down in the dust." - -"Go on," said Pendleton. - -"The stairs have been used since the hat fell there; but the dust has -not been disturbed. There is a hand-rail on the other side of the -flight, and consequently, all went up and down on that side." - -"I can understand the thick glasses," said Pendleton, "his being -near-sighted suggested those. But what made you think he cared for the -modern German dramatists?" - -"That was a hazard, merely," and the investigator laughed. - -"He knew German and was apparently a man of intelligence. No man who -combines these two things can fail of admiration of Hauptmann, -Sudermann and their brothers of the pen. And then a mute who knew -shorthand well enough to have such ready recourse to it, struck me as -being unusual. They all know the digital sign language; but German and -phonography classed him as one above the ordinary. This knowledge -brought the suggestion of an institution. Then came the suggestion -that he might be an instructor in such an institution. The fragment -from the railroad ticket hinted that the institution might be out of -town. Fuller's research placed two such institutions. The ticket -counter at the railroad office narrowed it down to one. The conductor -of the train all but put his hand on the man." - -There was a short silence. Then Pendleton drew a long breath. - -"Well, Kirk," said he. "I don't mind admitting that you have me -winging. I'll tell you now it's clever; but if I can think of a -stronger word later, I'll work it in instead." - -"We have a pretty positive line on one of the criminals, and we will -now turn to the other," said the investigator, briskly. "It was this -other who committed the murder. The infirmities of Locke, the mute, -made it impossible for him to venture into the rooms. The risks for a -deaf and short-sighted man would be too great. Danger might creep upon -him and he neither hear nor see it. For some reason which I have not -yet discovered, but it may have been distrust, he had not informed his -confederate as to the whereabouts of the object of their entrance. -When they got as far as this hall, he concluded to do so; but as -neither man had a pencil, he conveyed the information as shown; then -the confederate entered Hume's apartments by the door which Mrs. -Dwyer found open. This, by an oversight, may have been left unlocked, -or the criminals may have had a key. However, that does not affect the -case one way or another. - -"It is my opinion that Hume was seated at his desk at this time and -heard the intruder enter the storage room; then pushing back his chair -as we saw it, he arose. The criminal, however, sprang upon and struck -him so expertly that he collapsed without a sound. Then the bayonet -came into play. - -"A search followed for the thing desired--a search, short, sharp and -savage. The murderer either found what he sought, or the footsteps of -Miss Vale upon the stairs frightened him. At any rate he pulled open -the showroom door--the one with the gong; Locke, still in the hall, -screamed and both fled up these stairs to the roof and away." - -Pendleton had waited patiently until his friend finished. Then he -said, with a twinkle in his eye: - -"You say the murderer opened the show room door, the gong rang and -then Locke screamed. Now, old chap, that's not possible. If Locke is -deaf, he couldn't hear the gong; and so there would be no occasion for -him to cry out." - -"I think if you'll go back over what I've really said," spoke -Ashton-Kirk, "you will find that I have made no mention of Locke -crying out because of the gong. I said the murderer opened the door -that has the gong. Then Locke screamed, not because he heard anything, -but because of the sight he saw." - -"Ah!" - -"He caught a glimpse of Hume upon the floor--as we saw him." - -"You think, then, that Locke's intentions were not murder?" - -"At the present time I am led to think so. The confederate either was -forced to kill to save himself, or he had nursed a private scheme of -revenge. And the ferocity of the blow with the bayonet inclines me to -prefer the latter as a theory." - -"That brings us back to both Morris and Spatola," said Pendleton, -gravely. "By all accounts both bore Hume a bitter grudge. But the fact -that both criminals escaped by the roof shows familiarity with the -neighborhood, as Miss Vale pointed out to you. This seems to point to -Spatola." - -"So does the purchase of the bayonet, and in the same indefinite -fashion," said Ashton-Kirk. "But come, we motored to Christie Place -more to inquire about this same Italian than anything else. So let's -set about it." - -They thanked the policeman in charge and left the building. As they -proceeded down the street toward the house in which the newspapers had -informed them Spatola lived, the investigator paused suddenly. - -"I think," said he, "it would be best for us to first see Spatola -himself, and ask a few questions. This might give us the proper point -of view for the remainder." - -And so they once more got into the car; and away they sped toward the -place where the violinist was confined. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -ANTONIO SPATOLA APPEARS - - -Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton were admitted to the cell room at the City -Hall without question; but a distinct surprise awaited them there. -Through a private door leading from the detectives' quarters they saw -the bulky form of Osborne emerge; and at his heels were Bernstine and -his sandy-haired clerk. - -When Osborne caught sight of Ashton-Kirk he expanded into a wide smile -of satisfaction. - -"Hello!" greeted he. "Glad to see you. You're just in time to see me -turn a new trick. Here's the people that Spatola bought the bayonet -from. How does that strike you?" - -But Bernstine leaned over and said something in a low tone; and the -smile instantly departed. - -"Oh," said Osborne, ruefully, "_this_ is the party who called to see -you, is it?" Then turning to Ashton-Kirk he asked: "How did you get -onto this bayonet business?" - -"Just through thinking it over a little, that's all," answered the -investigator. - -Mr. Bernstine now approached the speaker, a hurt look upon his face. - -"Mr. Ashton-Kirk," said he, "why did you not tell us about this piece -of business? Why did you not enlighten us? How _could_ you go away and -leave us in the dark? We are very much occupied, and have little time -to look at the newspapers. It was only by accident that Sime happened -to see one." Lowering his voice, he added: "There's a smart fellow for -you; he saw the whole thing in an instant. And so we came right here -to do what we can to help justice." He squared his shoulders -importantly. - -"He's seen the bayonet and is prepared to swear to it," stated -Osborne, elated. - -"What of the picture of Spatola in the paper?" asked the investigator. -"Does he recognize that?" - -Osborne's face fell once more. - -"These half-tones done through coarse screens are never any good," -said he. "They'd make Gladstone look like Pontius Pilate. He's going -to have a look at the man himself, and that'll settle it." - -With that a turnkey was dispatched; and in a few moments he returned, -accompanied by a half dozen prisoners; one was a slim, dark young man -with a nervous, expressive look, and a great tangle of curling black -hair. The face was haggard and drawn; the eyes were frightened; the -whole manner of the man had a piteous appeal. - -Osborne turned to Sime. - -"Look them over carefully," directed he. "Take your time." - -"I don't need to," answered the freckled shipping clerk. He pointed to -the dark young man. "That's the man of the picture; but I never seen -him before, anywhere." - -Osborne put his fingers under his collar and pulled as though to -breathe more freely; then he motioned another attendant to take the -remaining prisoners away. - -"I see," said he. "He was too foxy to buy the thing himself. He sent -someone else." Then he fixed his eye on the prisoner and continued: -"We've got the bayonet on you; so you might as well tell us all about -it." - -"I don't understand," said Spatola, anxiously. - -"The easier you make it for us, the easier it will be for you," -Osborne told him. "If you make us sweat, fitting this thing to you, -we'll give you the limit. Don't forget that." - -"I have done nothing," said Spatola, earnestly. "I have done nothing. -And yet you keep me here. Is there not a law?" - -"There is," said Osborne, grimly. "That's what I'm trying to tell you -about. Now, who bought the bayonet?" - -"The bayonet?" Spatola stared. - -"The bayonet that Hume was killed with." - -With a truly Latin gesture of despair, the Italian put his hands to -his forehead. - -"Always Hume," he said. "Always Hume! I can not be free of him. He was -evil!" in a sort of shrill whisper. "Even when he is dead, I am mocked -by him. He was all evil! I believe he was a devil!" - -"That was no reason why you should kill him," said Osborne in the -positive manner of the third degree. - -"I did not kill him," protested Spatola. "There were many times when -it was in my heart to do so. But I did not do it!" - -"I've heard you say all that before," stated Osborne, wearily. Then to -the turnkey: "Take him away, Curtis." - -"Just a moment," interposed Ashton-Kirk. "I came here to have a few -words with this prisoner, and by your leave, I'll speak to him now." - -"All right," replied Osborne. "Help yourself." - -He led Bernstine and Sime out of the cell room; the turnkey, with -professional courtesy, moved away to a safe distance, and Ashton-Kirk -turned to the Italian. - -"You were once first violin with Karlson," said he. "I remember you -well. I always admired your art." - -An eager look came into the prisoner's face. - -"I thank you," he said. "It is not many who will remember in me a man -who once did worthy things. I am young," with despair, "yet how I have -sunken." - -"It is something of a drop," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "From a position of -first violin with Karlson to that of a street musician. How did it -happen?" - -Sadly the young Italian tapped his forehead with one long finger. - -"The fault," he declared, "is here. I have not the--what do you call -it--sense? What happened with Karlson happened a dozen times -before--in Italy, in France, in Spain. I have not the good sense!" - -But justification came into his eyes, and his hands began to -gesticulate eloquently. - -"Karlson is a Swede," with contempt. "The Swedes know the science of -music; but they are hard; they are seldom artists; they cannot -express. And when one of this nation--a man with the ice of his -country in his soul--tried to instruct me how to play the warm music -of my own Italy, I called him a fool!" - -"I see," said the investigator. - -"I am to blame," said Spatola, contritely. "But I could not help it. -He _was_ a fool, and fools seldom like to hear the truth." - -"The Germans, now," said Ashton-Kirk, insinuatingly, "are somewhat -different from the Swedes. Were you ever employed under a German -conductor?" - -"Twice," replied the violinist, with a shrug. "Nobody can deny the art -of the Germans. But they have their faults. They say they know the -violin. And they do; but the Italian has taught them. The violin -belongs to Italy. It was the glory of Cremona, was it not? The tender -hands of the Amatis, of Josef Guarnerius, of old Antonio Stradivari, -placed a soul within the wooden box; and that soul is the soul of -Italy!" - -"Haupt, a German, wrote a treatise on the violin," said Ashton-Kirk. -"If you would read that--" - -"I have read it," cried Spatola. "I have read it! It is like that," -and he snapped his fingers impatiently. - -"But you've probably read a translation in the English or Italian," -insisted the investigator, smoothly. "And all translations lose -something of their vitality, you know." - -"I have read it in the German," declared the Italian; "in his own -language, just as he wrote it. It is nothing." - -Pendleton looked at Ashton-Kirk admiringly; the manner in which his -friend had established the fact that Spatola knew the German language -seemed to him very clever. But Ashton-Kirk made no sign other than -that of interest in the subject upon which they talked. - -"A race that has given the world such musicians as Wagner, Beethoven -and Mozart," said he, "must possess in a tremendous degree the musical -sense. The German knowledge of tone and its combinations is -extraordinary; and their music in turn is as complex as their -psychology and as simple as the improvisation of a child." - -Spatola seemed surprised at this apparent warmth; he looked at -Ashton-Kirk questioningly. - -"And, with all their scholarship, the Germans are so practical," went -on the latter. "Only the other day I came upon a booklet published in -Leipzig that dealt with the difficulty a composer sometimes encounters -in getting the notes on paper when a melody sweeps through his brain. -The writer claimed that the world had lost thousands of inspirations -because of this, and to prevent further loss, he proffered an -invention--a system of--so to speak--musical shorthand." - -A sullen look of suspicion came into Spatola's face; he regarded the -speaker from under lowered brows. - -"Perhaps you don't quite understand the value of such an invention," -proceeded Ashton-Kirk. "But if you had a knowledge of stenography, and -the short cuts it--" - -But the Italian interrupted him brusquely. - -"I know nothing of such things," said he, "and what is more I don't -want to know anything of them." Then in a sharp, angry tone, he added: -"What do you want of me? I am not acquainted with you. Why am I -annoyed like this? Is it always to be so--first one and then another?" - -At this sudden display of resentment, the turnkey approached. - -"I will go back to my cell," Spatola told him, "and please do not -bring me out again. My nerves are bad. I have been worried much of -late and I can't stand it." - -The turnkey looked at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded his head. And, as -Spatola was led gesticulating away, Pendleton said in a low tone of -conviction: - -"I tell you, Kirk, there's your man. Besides the other things against -him, he knows German." - -"But what of the phonographic signs?" - -"He knows them also. His manner proved it. As soon as you mentioned -shorthand he became suspicious and showed uneasiness and anger. I tell -you again," with an air, of finality, "he's your man." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN MORRIS - - -From the City Hall the car headed for Christie Place once more; it -halted some half dozen doors from Hume's and the occupants got out. - -The first floor was used by a dealer in second-hand machinery, but at -one side was a long, dingy entry with a rickety, twisting flight of -stairs at the end. Ashton-Kirk rang the bell here, and while they -waited a man who had been seated in the open door of the machine shop -got up and approached them. - -He wore blue overalls and a jumper liberally discolored by plumbago -and other lubricants; a short wooden pipe was held between his teeth, -and a cloth cap sat upon the back of his head. - -"Looking up the Dago?" asked he with a grin. He jerked a dirty thumb -toward the stairs. - -Ashton-Kirk nodded; the man took the wooden pipe from his mouth, blew -out a jet of strong-smelling smoke and said: - -"I knowed he'd put a knife or something into somebody, some day. These -people with bad tempers ought to be chained up short." - -"Do you know him well?" inquired the investigator. - -"Been acquainted with him ever since he's been living here--and that's -going on three years." - -"Did he have many visitors, do you know?" - -The man in the cloth cap pulled at his pipe reflectively. - -"I can't just say," he replied. "But I've been thinking--" he paused -here and examined both young men questioningly. Then he asked: "You're -detectives, ain't you?" - -"Something of that sort," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -The man grinned at this. - -"Oh, all right," said he. "You don't have to come out flat with it if -you don't want to. I ain't one of the kind that you've got to hit with -a mallet to make them catch on to a thing." Here the wooden pipe -seemed to clog; he took a straw from behind his ear and began clearing -the stem carefully. At the same time he added: "As I was saying, I've -been thinking." - -"That," said Ashton-Kirk, giving another tug at the unanswered bell, -"is very commendable." - -"And queer enough, it's been about visitors--here," and the man -pointed with the straw toward the doorway. "Funny kind of people too, -for a house like this." - -"Take a cigar," said Ashton-Kirk. "That pipe seems out of commission." -Then, as the man put the pipe away in the pocket of his jumper and -lighted the proffered cigar, he added: "What do you mean by 'funny -kind of people?'" - -The cigar well lighted, the man in the overalls drew at it with gentle -relish. - -"There's a good many kinds of funny people," said he. "Some of them -you laugh at, and others you don't. These that I mean are the kind you -don't. Now, Mrs. Marx, the woman that keeps this place, is all right -in her way, but it ain't no swell place at that. Her lodgers are -mostly fellows that canvass for different kinds of things; they wear -shiny coats and their shoes are mostly run down at the heels. So when -I see swell business looking guys coming here I got to wondering who -they were. That's only natural, ain't it?" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded, but before he could reply in words there came a -clatter upon the rickety stairs at the far end of the entry. A thin, -slipshod woman with untidy hair and a sharp face paused on the lower -step and looked out at them. - -"What do you want?" she demanded, shrilly. - -Ashton-Kirk, followed by Pendleton, stepped inside and advanced down -the entry. - -"Are you Mrs. Marx?" he inquired. - -"Yes," snapped the woman. "What do you want?" - -"A little information." - -"You're a reporter!" accused the sharp-faced woman. "And let me tell -you that I don't want nothing more to say to no reporters." - -But Ashton-Kirk soothingly denied the accusation. - -"I dare say you've been bothered to death by newspaper men," spoke he. -"But we assure you that--" - -"It don't make no difference," stated the woman, rearing her head -until her long chin pointed straight at them. "I ain't got nothing to -say to nobody. I don't want to get into no trouble." - -"The only way you can possibly get into trouble in this matter," said -the investigator, "is to conceal what you know. An attempt to hide -facts is always considered by the police as a sort of admission of -complicity." - -The woman at this lifted a corner of a soiled apron and applied it to -her eyes. - -"Things is come to a nice pass," she said, vainly endeavoring to -squeeze a tear from eyes to which such things had long been strangers, -"when a respectable woman can't mind her own business in her own -house." - -At this point, Pendleton, who looked discreetly away, caught the -rustle of a crisp bill; and when Mrs. Marx spoke again, her tone had -undergone a decided change. - -"But of course," she said, "if the law asks me anything, I must do -the best I can. I've kept a rooming house for a good many years now, -gentlemen, and this is the first time I have had any notoriety. It is, -I assure you." - -As Ashton-Kirk had seen at a second glance, Mrs. Marx was a lady fully -competent to confront any situation that might arise; so he wasted no -time in soothing her injured feelings. - -"We desire any information that you can give us regarding your lodger, -Antonio Spatola," said he. "Tell us all you know about him." - -"He wasn't a bad-hearted young man," said the landlady, "but for all -that I wish I'd never seen him. If I hadn't then I'd never had this -disgrace come on me." - -Here she made another effort with the corner of her apron; but it was -even more unsuccessful than the first. She gave it up and went on -acidly. - -"Mr. Spatola came here almost three years ago. He was engaged in one -of the vaudeville theaters near here--in the orchestra--and he rented -my second story front at six dollars a week. Except for the fact that -he _would_ play awfully shivery music at all hours of the night, I was -glad to have him. He was quiet and polite; he paid regularly and," -smoothing back the untidy hair, "he gave a kind of tone to the house. - -"But then he lost his position. Had a fight, I understand, with -somebody. For a long time he had no work; he moved from the second -story-front at six dollars a week into the attic at two. When he could -get no place, he went on the street and played; afterwards he got the -trained birds. I didn't like this much. It didn't do the house no good -to have a street fiddler living in it; and then the birds were a -regular nuisance with their noise. But he paid regular, and after a -while he took to keeping the birds in a box in the loft, so I put up -with it." - -"We'll look at his room, if you please," said the investigator. - -Complainingly, the woman led the way up the infirm staircase. At the -fourth floor she pushed open a door and showed them into a long -loft-like room with high ceiling and mansard windows. There came a -squawking and fluttering from somewhere above as they entered. - -"Them's the cockatoos," said the landlady. "They miss Mr. Spatola very -much. When I go to feed them with the stale bread and seed he has here -for them, would you believe it, they'll hardly eat a thing." - -The room was without a floor covering. Upon some rough shelves, nailed -to the wall, were heaps of music. A violin case also lay there. There -were a few chairs, a cot-bed, and a neat pile of books upon a table. -Ashton-Kirk ran over these quickly; they were mostly upon musical -subjects, and in Italian. But some were Spanish, English, German and -French. - -"He was the greatest hand for talking and reading languages," said -Mrs. Marx, wonderingly. "I don't think there was any kind of a -nationality that he couldn't converse with. Mr. Sagon that lives on -the floor below says that his French was elegant, and Mr. Hertz, my -parlor lodger, used to just love to talk German with him. He said his -German was so _high_." - -Ashton-Kirk opened the violin case and looked at the instrument -within. - -"Spatola always carried his violin in this when he went out, I -suppose?" he said, inquiringly. - -"Oh, yes; _that_ one he did. But the one on the wall there," pointing -to a second instrument hanging from a peg, "he never took much care of -that. It's the one he played on the street, you see." - -Her visitors followed the gesture with interest. - -"That was just to clinch a point I made with Fuller this morning," -said the investigator to Pendleton, in explanation. Then to Mrs. Marx -he continued: "Mr. Spatola had visitors from time to time, had he -not?" - -But the woman shook her head. - -"Sometimes he had a pupil who came in the evening. But they never came -more than once or twice; he generally called them thick-heads after -a little, and told them they'd better go back to the grocery or -butcher's shop where they belonged." - -"Are you quite sure that no one else ever called upon him?" - -The woman nodded positively. - -"I'm certain sure of it," she said. "I remember saying more than once -to my gentlemen on the different floors, that Mr. Spatola must be -awfully lonely sometimes. Mr. Crawford would often come up here and -smoke with him and play a game or two of Pedro. Mr. Hertz tried it a -couple of times; but him and Mr. Spatola couldn't hit it very well." - -"How many lodgers have you?" - -"I have rooms for nine. Just now there are seven. But only four are -steadies--Mr. Hertz, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Sagon and Mr. Spatola. Mr. -Hertz is an inspector of the people who canvass for the city -directory; he took the parlor after Mr. Spatola gave it up. He drinks -a little, but he's a perfect gentleman for all that. Mr. Crawford is a -traveling man, and is seldom home; but he pays in advance, so I don't -never worry about him. Mr. Sagon is what they call an expert. He can't -speak much English yet, but sometimes even the government," in an awed -tone, "sends for him to come to the customs house to tell them how -much diamonds are worth, that people bring in. He works for Baum -Brothers and Wright. The others," bulking them as being of no -consequence, "are all gentlemen who are employed on the directory -under Mr. Hertz." - -"Have you any Italian lodgers other than Mr. Spatola?" - -The woman shook her head. - -"No," she said, "and I don't want none, if this is the way they carry -on." - -"Are there any other rooming houses in the street?" - -"No, sir. It's only a block long, and I know every house in it. I'm -the only one as takes lodgers." - -"Are there any Italians in business in the block, or employed in any -of the business places?" - -Mrs. Marx again shook her head positively. - -"Not any." - -"You speak of a Mr. Sagon. Of what nationality is he?" - -"Oh, he's French, but he's lived a long time in Antwerp. That's where -he learned the diamond business. And he must have lived in other -places in Europe; Mr. Spatola says he has spoken of them often." - -Just then there came from below the sound of a heavy voice, singing. -The words were French and the intonation here and there was strange to -Ashton-Kirk. - -"Who is that?" he asked. - -"It's Mr. Sagon," replied the woman. "He's the greatest one for -singing them little French songs." - -"Ah, I have it," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment. "He's a Basque, of -course. I couldn't place that accent at first." - -A narrow, ladder-like flight of stairs was upon one side. Ashton-Kirk -mounted these and found himself in a smaller loft; a number of -well-kept cockatoos, in cages, set up a harsh screaming at sight of -him. Opening a low door he stepped out upon a tin roof. Mrs. Marx and -Pendleton had followed him, and the former said: - -"The police was up here looking. They said Mr. Spatola came through -the trap-door at Hume's place that night and walked along the roofs -and so down to his own room." - -"That would he very easily done," answered Ashton-Kirk, as his eye -took in the level stretch of roofs. - -After a little more questioning to make sure that the landlady had -missed nothing, they thanked her and left the house. At his door they -saw the man in the cloth cap and overalls. A second and very unwieldy -man, with a flushed, unhealthy looking face, had just stopped to speak -to him. - -He supported himself with one hand on the wall. - -"Hello!" called the machinist to Ashton-Kirk; and as the two -approached him, he said to the unwieldy man: "I stopped you to tell -you these gents had gone in. They're detectives." - -"Oh," said the man, with interest in his wavering eye. "That so." He -regarded the two young men uncertainly for a moment; and then asked: -"Did Mrs. Marx tell you anything?" - -"She didn't seem to know much," answered the investigator. - -The unwieldy man swayed to and fro, an expression of cunning gathering -in his face. The machinist winked and whispered to Pendleton: - -"I don't know his name, but he's one of the lodgers." - -"Marx," declared the unwieldy man, "is a fine lady. But," with an -elaborate wink, "she knows more'n she tells sometimes." The wavering -eye tried to fix the investigator, but failed signally. "It don't do," -he added wisely, "to tell everything you know." - -Ashton-Kirk agreed to this. - -"Marx could tell you something, maybe," said the man. "And then maybe -she couldn't. But, I know _I_ could give you a few hints if I had the -mind--and maybe they'd be valuable hints, too." Here he drew himself -up with much dignity and attempted to throw out his chest. "I'm a -gentleman," he declared. "My name's Hertz. And being a gentleman, I -always try and conduct myself like one. But that's more'n some other -people in Marx's household does." - -"Yes?" - -"Yes, sir. When a gentleman tries to be friendly, I meets him -half-way. But that fellow," and he shook a remonstrating finger at -the door of the lodging-house, "thinks himself better'n other people. -And mind you," with a leer, "maybe he's not as good." - -"Who do you mean--the Dago?" asked the machinist. - -"No; I mean Crawford. A salesman, eh?" The speaker made a gesture as -though pushing something from him with contempt. "Fudge! Travels, does -he? Rot! He can't fool me. And then," with energy, "what did he used -to do so much in Spatola's garret, eh? What did they talk about so -much on the quiet? I ain't saying nothing about nobody, mind you. I'm -a gentleman. My name's Hertz. I don't want to get nobody into trouble. -But if Crawford was such a swell as not to want to speak to a -gentleman in public, why did he hold so many pow-wows in private with -Spatola? That's what I want to know." - -Seeing that the man's befogged intellect would be likely to carry him -on in this strain for an indefinite time, Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton -were about to move on. But they had not gone more than a few yards -when the investigator paused as though struck with an idea. He stepped -back once more and drew a photograph from his pocket. - -"Do you know who this is?" he asked, abruptly, holding it up. - -The unwieldy man swayed gently and waveringly regarded the portrait. - -"Sure!" said he surprisedly, "it's Crawford." - -Ashton-Kirk rejoined his friend; and as they made their way to the -waiting automobile, the latter said; - -"That is a step ahead of me, Kirk, I think. Where did you get a -portrait of this man Crawford?" - -By way of an answer the investigator held up the photograph once more. -Pendleton gave a gasp of amazement. - -"Allan Morris," said he. "_Allan Morris, by George!_" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARS - - -Edouard, Ashton-Kirk's cook, was astonished and somewhat grieved that -day to receive orders that dinner was to be served an hour earlier -than usual. And Stumph, grave and immobile, was betrayed into an -expression of astonishment when his master and guest sat down to the -same dinner in their work-a-day attire. - -And at best Edouard's delicate art that day received but scant -attention. Stumph could hardly conceive of a more important thing than -the proper and gentlemanly eating of one's dinner. Nevertheless other -things engaged the attention of the two young men; they talked -earnestly and in incomprehensible terms; mysterious allusions were -sprinkled thickly through it all. - -"I do not think," Stumph told the mortified Edouard in the kitchen, -"that Mr. Pendleton has tasted the flavor of a single thing he has -eaten. He listens to Mr. Ashton-Kirk talk; he is surprised at -everything that he is told; there is a trembling in his hands, he is -so eager. No, I don't know what it's about. But then, I never know -what Mr. Ashton-Kirk is about. He is a very remarkable gentleman." - -And no sooner was the dinner completed than Ashton-Kirk's big French -car was brought to the door and both young men got into it. - -"You've looked up the road to Cordova?" inquired Ashton-Kirk of the -chauffeur. - -"Yes, sir," answered the man. "Very good road and almost parallel with -the railroad. No trouble getting there by dark." - -"All right. Get there as soon as you can." - -They cut into a broad asphalted avenue, which eventually led them -through the north suburbs into the country. The April dusk was -settling upon the fields as they raced along; in the isolated houses, -lights were beginning to twinkle; there was a swaying among the trees -and roadside bush; the hum of the flying car must have been borne long -distances; for far away people raised their heads from the finishing -tasks of the day to look at it as it flashed by. - -Pendleton lay back comfortably digesting his dinner, and ticking off -in his mind the case which engrossed him so much. - -"It all tapers down to this," he said to himself. "Hume was murdered -by Locke and a confederate in order that they might gain possession of -something, the nature of which is unknown. Kirk is confident of Locke; -I think he'd even go so far as to give him into custody, if he had -the tangible proofs that the police require. - -"But he lacks enthusiasm in the matter of the confederate. To my mind, -it's Spatola or Morris, or both. Both bore Hume no good will. Morris -has been spending at least part of his time with Spatola under an -assumed name; they are known to have been very much engaged in some -secret matter. Both visited Hume's on the night of the murder. An -Italian purchased the weapon with which the deed was done. A German -sentence was written in shorthand by Locke for his confederate. -Spatola admits he knows German; he grows suspicious when shorthand is -mentioned. And to wind it up, Morris has not been seen at his -apartments, his office, or by his friends, since the murder was -committed." - -At a little unpainted railroad station, the investigator broke in on -Pendleton's thoughts by calling on the chauffeur to stop. There were -the usual signboards on each side of the structure, announcing that -the place was Cordova; and there was the usual knot of loungers that -are always to be found about such places watching with interest the -incoming trains. - -Ashton-Kirk called to one of these. He was a lanky fellow in a -wide-brimmed hat and with a sheep-like look of complacency. - -"What's the best way to Dr. Mercer's place?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -The lanky man reflected. - -"There's three or four ways of getting there," he stated. "You can go -up the pike and turn at Harbison's store; or you can turn down the -lane along there a piece and go along until you come to--" - -"Which is the nearest?" - -"I ain't never passed no judgment on that; but I think the clay road -down toward Plattville would get you there the quickest--if you didn't -get stuck in the ruts." - -"I think we'd better stick to the pike," suggested Pendleton. - -"The pike's the best road," said the lanky man. "All the people from -Mercer's place use it when they drive here to the station." - -Once more the big French car, now with its lamps lighted, sped along -the road; about a mile further on they came to the store referred to -by the man as Harbison's. Here they received instructions as to how to -proceed, by the store-keeper; and after running about four miles along -an indifferent wagon road, they caught the twinkle of many lights off -in the middle of a wide clearing. - -"That must be it," said the investigator. "We'll leave the car here; -to flash up to the door in the quiet of the evening would attract more -attention than would be good for us, perhaps." - -It was now quite dark, but they found a gate a trifle farther on which -opened readily; and so they proceeded along a walk toward a building -which lay blinking at them with its yellow eyes. A deep-throated dog -scented them from off in the distance and gave tongue. As they drew -near to the institution they heard a man calling to the brute to be -still. A little further on the man himself suddenly appeared from -around the corner of a building with a lantern; he flashed this in -their faces as he said: - -"Well, sirs, this is against the rules. We have no visitors except on -Saturdays; and then only within reasonable hours." - -"We would like to speak to Dr. Mercer," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"Dr. Mercer is at dinner," explained the man with the lantern. "He -don't like it much if he's disturbed at such times." - -"We will wait until he has finished; we are in no great hurry." - -The man seemed puzzled as to how to act. With the light held aloft so -that not a feature escaped him, he examined them closely. Apparently -he could see nothing with which to find fault; and so he sighed in a -perplexed fashion. - -"He does not care to have people wait for him," complained the man. -"He gets very angry if he is worried by such things while dining." - -"You need not announce us until he is through," said Ashton-Kirk, -composedly. - -The man hesitated; but finally resolved upon a course and led them up -a flight of stone steps and into a wide hall. The night was raw and a -brisk fire of pine knots burning in an old-fashioned hall fireplace, -made the place very comfortable. - -"If you will be seated, gentlemen," requested their guide, "I will -tell Dr. Mercer of your presence as soon as he has finished." - -They seated themselves obligingly in a couple of low, heavy chairs -near the fire; and then the man left them. The hall was high and -rather bare: the hardwood floor shone brilliantly under the lights; -save for the faint murmur of voices from a near-by room, everything -was still. - -"I should imagine that a place of this sort wouldn't be at all noisy," -observed Pendleton, in a heavy attempt at jocularity. - -Except for a word now and then, they waited in silence for a half -hour; then a door opened and steps were heard in the hall. Both turned -and saw a remarkably small man, perhaps well under five feet, dressed -with great care and walking with a quick nervous step. His head was -very large and partly bald, rearing above his small frame like a -great, bare dome; he carried a silk hat in his hand, and peered -abstractedly through spectacles of remarkable thickness. - -"Locke," breathed Pendleton, as his heart paused for a moment and then -went on with a leap. - -The little man apparently did not see them until he was almost beside -them; then he paused with a start, and his eyes grew owlish behind the -magnifying lenses as he strove to make them out. That he did not -recognize them seemed to worry him; his thin, gray face seemed to grow -grayer and thinner; with a diffident little bow he passed on and out -at the front door. - -"Not a very formidable looking criminal," commented Ashton-Kirk, -quietly. "However, you can seldom judge by appearances. The most -astonishing crime that ever came to my notice was perpetrated by the -meekest and most conventional man I had ever seen." - -They waited for still another space, and then the man who had shown -them in presented himself. He was now without the lantern, but wore a -melancholy look. - -"Dr. Mercer will see you," said he in a low voice. "He is very much -vexed at being disturbed. He'll remember it against me for weeks." He -appeared very much disturbed. - -Ashton-Kirk placed a coin in the speaker's hand; this seemed to have -a bracing effect, for he led them into his employer's presence in a -brighter frame of mind. Dr. Mercer was seated at the table in his -dining-room. A napkin was tucked in his collar, his fat hands were -folded across his stomach, and he was breathing heavily. - -"Gentlemen," spoke he, rolling his eyes around to them, "I trust you -will pardon my not rising. But to exert myself after dining has a most -injurious result sometimes. My digestion is painfully impaired; the -slightest excitement causes me the utmost suffering." - -"I appreciate the fact that we are intruding at a most inconvenient -time," said Ashton-Kirk. "And I beg of you to accept our apologies." - -The eyes of Dr. Mercer, which had the appearance of swimming in fat, -were removed from his visitors, and fixed themselves longingly upon a -great dish filled with a steaming, heavy-looking pudding. His breath -labored in his chest as he replied: - -"The hour _is_ somewhat unusual; but as it happens I have about -finished my dinner, and if your errand is not of a stirring nature, I -should be pleased to have you state it." - -The man placed chairs in such a position that the doctor would not -have to stir to fully observe his visitors. This done he was about to -withdraw; but his employer stopped him at the door. - -"Haines," complained he, "you have not taken my order for breakfast." - -The man paused and seemed much abashed at his neglect. - -"I really beg your pardon, sir," said he. And with that he produced a -pencil and a small book and stood ready. - -"I will have one of those trout that I purchased to-day," directed the -doctor. "Let it be that large, fine one that I was so pleased with," -his swimming eyes ready to float out of his head with anticipation. -"Then I would like some new-laid eggs, some hot cakes, and perhaps a -small piece of steak, if there is any that is tender and tasty. And -mind you," in an nervous afterthought, "tell Mrs. Crane to have it but -rarely done. I will not tolerate it dry and without flavor." He -pondered awhile, apparently much moved by this painful possibility; -then he added: "I may as well have a cereal to begin with, I suppose. -And that will be all with the exception of a few slices from the cold -roast and some white rolls." - -Carefully Haines had taken this down; and after he had read it over at -his employer's order and noted a few alterations and additions, he -departed. For a few moments the doctor's eyes were closed in expectant -rapture; his breathing grew so stertorous that his callers were -becoming alarmed; but he spoke at last, reluctantly, resentfully. - -"I am now ready to hear you, gentlemen, if you please. And kindly -remember that I prohibit anything of an exciting nature at this time." - -"We have heard your school highly spoken of," said Ashton-Kirk. "And -have come to make some inquiries before making up our minds." - -"Ah," breathed Dr. Mercer, solemnly, "you have an afflicted one. Too -bad! Tut, tut, tut, too bad!" - -"There are many institutions of the sort," proceeded the investigator. -"But for the most part they stop at the threshold, so to speak, of -knowledge." - -Dr. Mercer roused himself so far as to unclasp his hands and point -with one finger at the speaker. - -"Sir," said he, in a voice full of grave significance, "they seldom -reach the threshold. A large majority of them are conducted by -dishonest persons. Afflicted youth left in their charge are rarely -properly directed--they rarely acquire that digital dexterity so -necessary to success in their limited lives. The isolated brain, so to -call it, is seldom more than half awakened. Unless it is intelligently -approached, the shadows are never thoroughly dispelled." - -Here he paused, panting distressedly; his eyes were filled with -reproach as he relapsed into his first attitude; and his manner was -that of one who mutely begged that no further tasks be thrust upon -him. - -"The difference in institutions of this type lies mainly in the -methods employed, I believe," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"In the methods--and in the persons who apply them," replied Dr. -Mercer in a smothered tone. - -"To be sure. I have heard something of your teaching staff. It is a -very excellent one, is it not?" - -"The best in the world." The soft, fat, white hands of the doctor -again unclasped themselves; and this time both of them were employed -in a faintly traced gesture. "We employ scientists. We do not stop at -what you have correctly called the threshold. We explore the entire -structure of the intellect. Our Professor Locke, himself an afflicted -one, is a man of vast erudition--a scholar of an advanced type, a -philosopher whose adventures into the field of psychology and natural -science is widely known. He has charge of the practical work of the -Mercer Institute, and under him its results are positive and unique." - -"We have heard of Professor Locke," and, drily, "have seen some of his -work." - -"If you had stated your business before--ah--coming in to me," spoke -the doctor, "you might have had an opportunity of consulting him. He -left for his cottage immediately after dining." - -"He does not live here, then?" - -"Not in this building--no. There is a detached cottage at the far end -of the grounds which he occupies. If you'd like to see him," and the -heavy jowls of the speaker trembled with eagerness, "Haines will show -you there at once." - -"If it is no trouble," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly. - -"Not in the least." The doctor rang for his man, and when he entered, -said: "These gentlemen would like to speak to Professor Locke. Show -them the way to his house. And, gentlemen," to the callers, with -anxiety, "the professor can arrange everything with you. It is my -habit to nod for a half hour after dinner. My system has grown to -expect it, and if I am deprived of it, I suffer considerably in -consequence." - -"We will not trouble you again, doctor," Ashton-Kirk assured him. -"Thank you, and good-night." - -Once more outside, the man led them along a foot-path that seemed to -cut the institution grounds in two. The rays of his lantern danced -along the carefully kept lawn; the shadowy trees seemed to move -backward and forward, as the thin beams wavered among them. - -"The professor lives a good piece away," the man informed them. "Away -over on the county road." - -"Prefers to be alone, eh?" - -"I suppose so, sir. And then he has his laboratory and work-shop -there, well away from interruption. He don't like to be much disturbed -while he is engaged in his studies." - -"Few of us do," said Pendleton. - -"Quite right, sir." - -They walked along in silence for a time; then they caught a clear -humming noise from some distance ahead. - -"A motor car," said Pendleton. - -"It's on the county road," said the man with the light. "We always -hear them when the wind blows from that direction." - -After some fifteen minutes' steady walking they saw a long twinkling -shaft of light coming from among the trees. - -"That's the house," said Haines. "I hope the professor ain't busy; you -wouldn't believe what a blowing up he can give a body with his fingers -when he's vexed. I'd almost rather have the doctor himself; though, as -a rule, the professor is a very nice gentleman." - -The house was a brick structure of two stories and dimly lighted on -the lower floor. Near by was a long, shed-like building, the windows -of which were brilliantly lighted. - -"He's at work," said Haines, in a troubled tone. "And in the shop too! -If it was even the laboratory, it wouldn't be so bad. But he _does_ -get so interested in the shop. That machine means more to him, -whatever it is, than anything else about the place." - -There came a harsh burring sound from within both the shop and the -house. Haines seemed surprised. - -"Visitors," he said. "He seldom has one; and I never knew any to come -at night before." - -They saw the figure of Locke cross one of the shed windows toward a -door. And just then Ashton-Kirk stumbled rather heavily against -Haines; the lantern dropped to the ground and was extinguished. - -"I beg your pardon," said the investigator in a rueful tone; then he -began to rub his shins. "That was rather hard, whatever it was." - -The door of the building opened and Locke appeared; his great bald -head shone in the light that streamed after him; and it was thrust -forward as he strove to penetrate the darkness ahead. - -"He feels the vibrations of those buzzers," Haines told them, "and -knows right away when anyone wants to get in." - -He began fumbling with the lantern as Locke disappeared; but -Ashton-Kirk said to him: - -"You need not light that. We can see very well. And, on second -thought, you need not wait, either. We can introduce ourselves to -Professor Locke without troubling you further." - -"Thank you, sir," said the man, vastly relieved. "They all have queer -dispositions, you see, and I don't like to trouble them." - -At once Haines made his way back along the path by which they had -approached; some distance away they saw him kindle his lantern, and -then watched the yellow spark as it glanced fitfully away across the -grounds. - -The cottage and work-shop of Professor Locke appeared to be set back -some little distance from what Haines had called the county road; a -grove of tall trees thickened the shadows all about, and it was into -these trees that the professor had gone. - -"The buzzer must have the button that sounds it attached to a gate -opening upon the road," said Pendleton. - -They stood for a short time in silence; then Pendleton nudged his -friend with an elbow. - -"Look," he whispered. "There at the door of the shed." - -Ashton-Kirk did so. And he was just in time to see a large, iron-gray -head, a craggy, powerful face, and a pair of thick shoulders; the -expression and attitude were those of a man listening intently. Almost -instantly, as Ashton-Kirk's gaze fell upon him, the man withdrew. - -"Humph," exclaimed Pendleton under his breath. "Who's that, I wonder?" - -They waited for some time longer in silence. But the little man did -not return, nor did the head appear again at the shop door. -Ashton-Kirk appeared puzzled. - -"Locke intended returning at once," he said to Pendleton. "Otherwise -he would have closed his work-shop door." Then his eyes wandered -toward the house, and his grip closed tightly upon his companion's -arm. "Look," whispered he, in his turn. - -Pendleton's gaze flew toward the house. The lower windows had been -dimly lighted when they approached; but now the glow from them was -high and brilliant. In one of the rooms they saw Locke; he was -striding up and down, his hands clinched and gesturing, his face -upturned, writhing hideously. Seated at a table, calmly engaged in -examining something traced upon a sheet of paper, and apparently not -paying the slightest attention to the gesticulating man, was a young -woman. And Pendleton felt himself grow suddenly faint and sick as he -recognized Edyth Vale. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -MISS VALE DEPARTS SUDDENLY - - -For a moment there was a silence between the two men; then Ashton-Kirk -said, dryly: - -"Miss Vale has, apparently, not been altogether frank with us in this -matter." - -"You think then--" began Pendleton in a voice of terror. But -Ashton-Kirk stopped him. - -"I think many things," said he. "But they are neither here nor there. -Facts are what count. Put the circumstances together for yourself and -see where they lead you. Miss Vale has been from the first mixed up -more or less in this crime. She explained. As far as I knew the -explanation was made in good faith. Now we find her here in this -lonely place, quietly engaged with a man whom I have convinced myself -is one of Hume's murderers." - -There was another pause; this time it was Pendleton who broke the -silence. - -"As you say," spoke he, in a strange, throaty sort of tone, "she has -not been quite frank. Take all the circumstances together and they -seem to point--" - -He paused as though quite unable to finish. Ashton-Kirk laid a hand -upon his shoulder. - -"Imagination is a thing that is vitally necessary in this sort of -work," said he. "But it must be held in check by reason. The great -trouble with an amateur is that he reasons up to a certain point; then -he allows his imagination to take a long leap toward a result. The -upshot is that his results have seldom anything to support them. The -correct method, I think, is to allow the imagination to scurry ahead -in the way that is natural to it; but reason must follow close behind, -proving each step of the way. To be sure, you may have theories, -hypotheses, ideas without end, but you must never take them for -granted. Select each in its turn, place it in a tube as the chemist -does, add a few drops of reason, and you may produce a fact. It is the -only way to go about it. Once a man becomes fixed in a belief, be -there ever so little foundation for it, his mind stops revolving the -subject; further procedure is hopeless." - -"I understand all that well enough," said Pendleton. "But," and he -waved his hand toward the house, "what does _this_ mean?" - -"I don't know," said Ashton-Kirk. "And neither do you. So--that being -the case--there is but one thing to do--find out." - -They gazed toward the window once more, Miss Vale had apparently -mastered the contents of the paper, and was now engaged in writing -rapidly. As the young men watched, she stopped, read carefully what -she had written, and then handed it to Locke. The mute carried the -paper to the light, and holding it very near to his eyes read it with -much attention; then he tore it into strips, placed it upon the red -coals of a stove which stood near him and watched it burn. Facing Miss -Vale, his fingers began to fly rapidly in intricate signs. This only -lasted a moment, however; for he stopped, gestured passionately, -seized a pad of paper and began to write. - -While he was thus engaged, Ashton-Kirk said to Pendleton in a low -tone: - -"Remain here for a moment." - -Then slowly, carefully, the investigator made his way toward the -window through which Miss Vale and Locke were to be seen. - -Heavy beams of light shot across the ground from the windows; but here -and there were trails of shadow. He clung to these until he had -reached the shelter of the walls; then to Pendleton's amazement he -stepped directly in front of the window through which the two were to -be seen, rapped smartly upon the glass, and remained standing in full -view, of the two in the room. - -[Illustration: HE RAPPED SMARTLY ON THE WINDOW] - -Pendleton saw the pad drop from Locke's hands; he saw the mute wheel -as he felt the vibrations and stare at the window, his eyes puckered -and straining. He also saw Miss Vale rise, saw her hands thrown out in -a gesture much like despair; and also he heard the cry that she -uttered, muffled by the confines of the room, but full of fear. Then -the room was plunged into darkness; an instant later a door was heard -to open; the sound of quick-moving feet came to him; there followed -the pulsations of a motor and the racing of a car away into the night. - -"She's off," breathed the young man, and there was undoubted relief in -the knowledge. "She's off, and I really believe that's what Kirk was -after." - -He walked toward the house and found his friend standing in the -shadows. - -"Well," chuckled the investigator, "it did not take her long to make -up her mind, eh?" - -"You had some motive in doing that," accused Pendleton. "What was it?" - -Ashton-Kirk was about to reply; but just then the small figure of -Locke made its appearance. He carried a lantern and was approaching -with stumbling steps, his eyes peering and blinking in their efforts -to pierce the gloom. Not until he was well upon the two did he make -them out; then he halted, lifted the light above his head and surveyed -them intently. - -In the rays of the lantern Ashton-Kirk smiled urbanely, and bowed. -The supple fingers of the mute writhed inquiringly. - -"Each of them forms itself into a wild note of interrogation," said -Pendleton. "They are fairly screaming questions at you." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled even more agreeably at Locke and shook his head. -Then he went through the pantomime of one writing, and finished by -pointing to the house. - -Carefully, eagerly, fearfully, the mute examined them; his -near-sighted eyes and the wavering light must have made it all but -impossible for him to make them out. However, he at length motioned -for them to follow him, and started back by the way which he had come. -But after a few steps he halted. He indicated that they were to remain -where they were; then he went to the shed-like building, closed the -door and locked it, placing the key in his pocket. - -"It would seem," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that we are not to be trusted -implicitly." - -"Also," replied Pendleton, "that there is something of value in the -shed." - -Returning, Locke led the way to a door upon the other side of the -house. Showing them into a small room furnished with books and -scientific apparatus and evidently a study, he set down the lantern -and with a sign bade them be seated. Upon their doing so he produced a -small pad of paper and a pencil; handing these to Ashton-Kirk he -stood peering at them expectantly. With the swift, accurate touch of -an expert, the investigator wrote in the Pitman shorthand: - -"We ask pardon if we have startled you." - -Then he tore off the sheet and handed it to Professor Locke. The man -seemed surprised at the medium selected by his visitor; nevertheless -he quickly traced the following in the same characters. - -"Who are you? What is your errand?" - -"We were sent to you by Dr. Mercer," replied Ashton-Kirk with flying -pencil. "Our business is to secure the admission of a new pupil." - -Locke read this and regarded them for a moment, doubtfully. - -"Why did you not press the button at the door?" he demanded in -writing. - -"I hardly expected you to have such a thing as a bell," answered -Ashton-Kirk, on the pad. "And so, seeing you, I attracted your -attention as best I could." - -Professor Locke read this and stood with his pencil poised, when the -buzzer sounded harshly; he went at once into the hall; they heard him -open the door; and in a few moments he returned, followed by Haines. - -The fingers of the two flashed their signals back and forth; then a -look of relief came into Locke's face; he even smiled, and nodded -understandingly at the two young men. - -"I beg pardon, gentlemen," said Haines. "But when I got back to the -hall, Dr. Mercer made me return and make sure that you had got to see -the Professor." - -"Thanks," replied the investigator. "We had not the slightest -difficulty." - -"I'm glad to hear it, sir," said the man. "Good-night to you." - -He flashed the same wish to the mute, who answered readily; then he -went out and through the window they saw his light again go bobbing -away in the darkness. Then the professor began to write once more. - -"I beg your pardon," was his message in long-hand. "The man tells me -that it was quite as you say. But I must confess I was a trifle -startled." - -"The lady," wrote Ashton-Kirk, "seemed startled, too." - -For the fraction of a moment the mute halted in his reply. Then the -pencil with much assurance formed the following: - -"It was my niece. She was about to go just as you came; so do not -reproach yourself for having driven her away." - -For some time the penciled conversation continued between the two; but -as it was all based upon the fanciful pupil whom the investigator -stated he desired to place in Dr. Mercer's care, Pendleton paid little -heed to it. At last, however, they bid the Professor good-by, and left -him upon the threshold, his massive head nodding his adieus, his frail -little body sharply outlined by the glow from the hall. - -The two had reached their own car around on the other road before -Pendleton spoke. Then he inquired: - -"Well, have you learned anything from him?" - -"I think I can say 'yes' to that," answered the other. "But I'm not -yet sure. I'll have to put it to the proof first, according to the -formula which I gave you a half hour ago. If it succeeds, I'll tell -you what it is; if it does not, I'll say nothing, and it will go upon -the scrap heap devoted to broken fancies. And now, Dixon," to the -chauffeur, "we'll go home." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -STEEL AGAINST STEEL - - -Shortly before noon next day, Ashton-Kirk, in an immaculate morning -suit, was ushered into the presence of Miss Edyth Vale. If he expected -confusion, embarrassment or anything of that sort, he was -disappointed; for she greeted him eagerly and with outstretched hand. - -"This is a surprise," she said. - -He held her hand and looked meaningly at her. - -"My appearances _are_ sometimes surprising," he said. "But I usually -select the night for them; the effect is better then, you see." - -She smiled into his eyes. - -"I have no doubt but that you are dreadfully mysterious," she said. -"But please sit down." - -She seated herself near the window; holding a book in her hand, she -fluttered the leaves to and fro. - -"The composure," thought the investigator, as he sat down, "is -somewhat overdone." - -"I wonder," said Miss Vale, looking at the book, "if you are an -admirer of Ibsen." And as he nodded, she proceeded with a slight -smile. "I know that he is scarcely the usual thing for a spring -morning. But there are times when I simply can't resist him." - -"He's a strong draught at any time," said Ashton-Kirk. "But his tonic -quality is undoubted." - -"His disciples claim that for him, at any rate," she answered. "But -sometimes I question its truth. Where is the tonic effect of -'Rosmersholm?' I think it full of terrors." She shuddered and added: -"The White Horses will haunt me for weeks." - -"It's the atmosphere of crime," said he. "That quiet home on the -western fiords reeks with it." - -She made a gesture of repulsion. - -"It's ghastly!" she exclaimed. "And, somehow, one feels it from the -very first--before a word is spoken. Imagine Rebecca at the window, -watching through the plants to see if Rosmer uses the footbridge from -which his wife once leaped to her death." She paused a moment, her -eyes upon the open pages; then lifting her head, she asked: "What do -you think of Rebecca?" - -"A tremendous character--of wonderful strength. It was just such -proud, dark, purposeful souls that Byron delighted to draw; but the -only one in literature to whom I can fully liken her is the wife of -Macbeth. There was the same ambition--the same ruthless will--the same -disregard of everything that stood in her way. And, like Cawdor's -wife, she weakened in the end." - -She regarded him fixedly. - -"Would you call it weakness?" she asked. - -"She fell in love with Johannes, did she not? That was weakness--for -her. She herself recognized it as such." - -The girl looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. - -"That is true," she said. - -"Some of the world's most daring and accomplished criminals have been -women," he went on. "But Nature never intended woman to be the bearer -of burdens; there is a weakness in her soul structure somewhere; she -usually sinks under the consciousness of guilt." - -"More so than men, do you think?" - -"As a rule--yes." - -She put down the book and clasped her hands in her lap. - -"There is no need to sympathize with Rebecca," she said. "She was -brave and strong, even in her love for Johannes. But he," and there -was a note in her voice that recalled the night he had listened to it -over the telephone, "he was different. There is no more dreadful thing -in the play, to me, than the character of Rosmer. To think of him -sitting quietly in that charnel house, prospering in soul, growing -sleek in thought, becoming stored with high ideas. Perfect peace came -to him in spite of the stern-faced portraits which shrieked murder -from the walls. He dreamed of freeing and ennobling mankind, and all -the time Fate was weaving a net about him that was to drag him from -the mill bridge after his dead wife." - -"Kroll knew him," said the investigator. "And he said Rosmer was -easily influenced. It is usually men of that type who are drawn into -the vortex which swirls at every door." - -Her face was a little pale; but she now arose with a laugh and began -rubbing her finger-tips with a handkerchief. - -"I think we'd better remove the dust of the Norwegian," she said; "and -I make a vow never to read him again--in the morning." She stood -looking down at her caller, good-humoredly and continued: "I suppose -it is my fault, but you have a dreadfully gloomy expression. Or -maybe," as an afterthought, "you ate an unwholesome dinner last night. -Were you at the Perrings, by any chance?" - -He shook his head, his keen eyes searching her face. - -"No," said he, "I had much more important matters on hand." - -She held up her hand. - -"It was something about this Hume affair," she said. - -"Yes," he replied. - -The smile was now gone; she leaned back against a heavy table, her -fingers tightly clasping its edge. - -"I have been trying to forget that dreadful thing," she said. "I've -stopped looking at the papers, because I would be sure to see it -mentioned. And," with never a faltering in her eyes, "because I might -be reminded of it in some other way, I now remain indoors." - -"Last night was an exception, perhaps," suggested he, smoothly. - -"Last night?" There was a questioning look in her beautiful eyes; the -finely posed head with its crown of bright hair bent toward him -inquiringly. - -An expression of chagrin crept into his face. - -"You were not out last night, then?" said he. - -"What makes you think so?" smilingly. "It was dreadfully dull here, -too. But then," with a shrug, "anything is better than a constant -reminder of that Christie Place affair." - -He nodded understandingly. - -"I suppose it _is_ very distressing." He frowned gloomily at the tips -of his shoes and she could see that he bit his lip with vexation. -After a moment or two, he said: "It's very strange; but I was quite -sure I saw you last night." - -"Yes?" Her tone was one of careless interest. - -"However," he went on, "I had but a glimpse of the lady; and could -easily have been mistaken." He wore a baffled look, but smiled as he -got up. "And," said he, "my visit of this morning was based upon the -sight I fancied I had of you last night." - -She laughed amusedly. - -"It was something interesting," she said. "Please tell me about--but, -no, no," hastily. "If it has anything to do with the Hume case, I'd -rather not hear it." - -She had pressed the bell call for the footman, when he said: - -"Mr. Morris still keeps himself well concealed, I note." - -Like a tigress leaping to defend her young, she met the accusation. - -"Mr. Morris has done no wrong," she declared, spiritedly. "And there -is no need of his concealing himself." - -"Of course I will not say as to that." His voice was soothing and low. -"But he makes a mistake in not coming forward. His name, you have -noticed, has already appeared in the papers in direct connection with -the murder." - -He glanced at her keenly once more. - -"It may be that he has gone away upon some urgent business," she said. -"And the chances are that he has not heard anything of the matter." - -"If he had gone away on business, don't you think he would have -mentioned it to someone?" - -"Perhaps he did not think it necessary. And again, maybe he did not -expect to be gone so long. Such things frequently happen, you know." - -"They do," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "But in the case of Allan Morris, -they somehow fail to fit. I am convinced that he is in hiding." - -She regarded him steadily for a moment; then she said: - -"You are convinced, you say?" - -"I am." - -"May I ask upon what your conviction is based?" - -"Not now--no." - -There was another pause; the man was at the door, ready to show the -investigator out. - -"Perhaps," and her tone was very low, "you even fancy that you know -his hiding-place." - -"Not just yet," said he, "but in a few hours at most, I will." - -Her lips formed the good-by as he stood in the doorway; but she made -no sound. And Ashton-Kirk as he walked down the hall, smiled quietly -to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD - - -About half an hour after Ashton-Kirk had left the Vale mansion, a -Maillard car drew up before the door. As it did so, an Italian laborer -arose from the curb not far away where he had been comfortably seated -with his back against a tree; then throwing his arms wide in a -luxurious yawn, he started leisurely down the street. - -Five minutes later, a veiled, dust-coated female figure descended the -step; the driver of the Maillard was dismissed, and Miss Vale -composedly took his place at the wheel. As the car started forward, -the gauntleted hands guided it firmly; the steady eyes were set -straight ahead as the lever was pushed first to one speed and then -another. - -And as the rapid pulse of the motor was borne along the quiet avenue, -the Italian laborer calmly appeared from around a corner, pushing a -powerful-looking motor cycle before him. Another moment and the -machine was sounding its wild fusillade; the Italian sped away in the -same direction as the Maillard, his battered soft hat set jauntily -upon the back of his head, his gay-colored neckkerchief streaming in -the wind. - -The car kept to the avenue for a long time; but finally in the far -suburbs it made a sharp turn to the left and a few miles further on -shot into a broad highway that ran parallel with the railroad. - -Bending forward so as to offer the least resistance to the wind, the -Italian's swarthy face relaxed at this; his fine white teeth showed in -a smile. - -"Cordova, I think," muttered he, in very good English. "If not, then -somewhere very near to it." - -Once upon the highway, which was hard, level and practically deserted, -the Maillard increased its speed. Eddies of dust curled in its wake; -its hum resembled that of a gigantic top; its shining brass and smooth -gloss made it look like a streak of light. But the motor cycle was of -the best; its compact, powerful mechanism answered bravely to each -call that was made upon it by the dark-faced man in the saddle; its -explosions had merged into one long volley. - -At a small and not very firm-looking bridge the Maillard slowed down; -apparently for the first time Miss Vale heard the cycle in the rear, -for she turned and gave it a quick look. But the dust of her own -progress hung thickly in the air and she could not see very clearly. -Passing the bridge at a low rate of speed, she turned again. The dark -face of the rider, his battered hat and flying 'kerchief seemed to -satisfy her; for once more she gave attention to her course, and again -the car increased its speed. A mile or two further on there was a -rather broken stretch of road and she was forced to slow down. As the -sound of her own vehicle diminished, she, as before, caught the -volleying of the motor cycle; and as she turned the eyes that looked -through the veil were intent and searching. - -This time she appeared not so well satisfied, for upon reaching the -end of the broken stretch, she drew her car to one side and stopped. -As the hammering explosions of the motor cycle grew plainer and -plainer she sat rigidly erect upon her seat, her face turned directly -ahead. But a close observer would have noted a slow movement of her -right hand among the folds of the dust coat; and if he was also an -experienced observer he would have immediately understood that Miss -Vale did not venture alone and unarmed upon the road. - -However, the Italian never even gave her a glance as he came up; his -machine flew by with a swirl, amid a crashing crescendo; then it -disappeared in the dust of the distance. - -But Miss Vale, when she once more resumed her journey, had not gone -much more than a mile when she came upon the same swarthy son of the -south and his vociferous machine. But the latter was now silent -enough; it leaned against a fence, and its rider knelt beside it, a -wrench in his hand, testing its parts carefully and intently. - -The Maillard was less than a quarter of a mile away when Miss Vale -caught the rapid series of explosions once more. With a quick glance -ahead, she threw the lever forward and the car tore along at a -breathless rate. Fences ran by in a giddy staggering line; trees -seemed merged into one tangle of branches; the dust arose in solid -towers behind her. However, she held to this but a scant five minutes; -her breath was short when she decreased the power; the hands upon the -wheel shook a little, but her head was held erect, her face was still -purposefully set forward. - -Above the decreasing hum of her car, came the swift, brave shocks of -the motor cycle. But, if there was a dread that fell to tightening at -her heart, she showed it little. The Maillard still bore swiftly on; -she did not once turn her head. - -A little further on there came into view a post with a series of -white, pointing sign-boards, that indicated a cross-roads. When still -a hundred yards from this the car stopped once more; again the Italian -flew by; again he vanished, this time around a bend beyond the -cross-roads. But once hidden by the bend, he stopped and got down; -the smile again appeared upon his face, the brilliant teeth shone -good-naturedly. - -"A simple little ruse," he said to himself. "And one that I've seen -used with effect more than once. Evidently Miss Vale has her wits -about her." - -Leaning against his machine he waited and listened. From around the -bend came the low sound of the Maillard; nearer and nearer it came for -a time; then it began to recede. At this the Italian remounted; the -explosions of his motor were muffled as he went swiftly along upon the -way by which he had come. At the cross-roads he slowed up and examined -the ground. Deep in the dust was the broad impress of the tires, -showing the car to have taken the turn to the left. Then swiftly the -cycle turned into the same road and took up the trail once more. - -Some three miles further on, the track veered back toward the highway -along a badly cut dirt road. - -"Slow going for a heavy car," said the pursuer calmly. "It will not be -long before I sight it again." - -There was a hard, beaten footpath at one side of the road; taking to -this, the man on the motor cycle found it easy traveling enough. -Shortly after, he caught the laborings of the Maillard as it made its -way through the binding ruts; then he slowed down and ran easily along -the path, content, apparently, to keep in sound of the chase. - -But upon finally reaching the highway, he increased his speed until he -sighted the dust of the car; this he hung to like a beagle, but never -once allowed the car itself to come into view. - -At last the sounds of the Maillard ceased and the pall of dust thinned -and dissolved itself in the air. The motor cycle ran swiftly on until -the car, now at a standstill, became visible; then the Italian got -down, took out a pair of field-glasses and swept the highway before -him. - -What he saw must have satisfied him that there would be no more use -for his machine for a time, at least; for he pushed it to a place -where there was a break in a fence and concealed it behind a -musty-looking corn shock, left from the fall before. Then placing the -glass under his arm he walked guardedly along the road in the -direction of Miss Vale's car. - -Some distance further on there was a tall swamp maple growing by the -roadside; it was an easy task to mount into its branches from the top -fence-rail; then resting snugly in a high fork, he leveled his glass -and proceeded to scan the scene before him. - -Miss Vale had descended from her car; her veil was raised, and she -was gingerly picking at the mechanism with hands sheathed in canvas -gloves. With apparent intentness she took out tools; small parts were -inspected minutely. And yet, for all that, there was something unusual -in her manner; every now and then she would lift her head, casually, -so it seemed, and glance away across the fields. - -"And always to the right," murmured the man in the tree-top, after a -little. - -At once the big glass swept around in that direction. - -"A house," added the watcher, with great satisfaction. - -The building was almost buried in a thick growth of trees; its white -sides and red roof shone in the sun through branches abud with April. - -Suddenly, in the midst of her labor, Miss Vale paused; her manner -changed, the tools were dropped, the parts lost interest. Facing the -house, she yawned, with arms thrown wide after the manner of one much -wearied with a task; then she took off the gloves, unpinned her hat -and smoothed her hair. This was gone through with careful elaboration -and afterwards there was a pause; the girl then gathered up the -things, got into the machine, placed the hat upon the seat beside her, -went careening away with never a backward glance. - -But the man in the tree seemed in no haste to follow; instead he -covered the distant house with his glass and waited patiently. Five, -ten, fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour and finally an hour. At -the end of that time, however, a figure emerged from the trees about -the house and walked hastily toward the road; the eyes of the watcher -glistened, his fine teeth shone in an appreciative smile. - -Reaching the road where the car had stopped, the newcomer, who was -young, well-dressed and rather good-looking, suddenly paused, stooped -and lifted something from the ground. He held in his hands the work -gloves of Miss Vale, which she had dropped after taking them off. For -a moment the young man stood looking at them as though hesitating what -to do; then he turned, went to the roadside and placed them carefully -upon the top rail of the fence. Then trudging along on his way, he -unsuspectingly passed beneath the maple which concealed the man with -the glass. - -When he was out of sight, the Italian slipped down the tree and ran -lightly along the road to the place where the gloves lay. He took up -one and looked within; but it was empty. However, in the thumb of the -next was a slip of paper which bore a single line of writing: - -"Tobin Rangnow." - -Studying this for a moment, the Italian made a copy of it. Then he -slipped it back into the thumb of the glove and replaced both exactly -as they were; after which he made his way back to the motor cycle, and -mounting, went flying toward the city. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -ASHTON-KIRK TELLS WHY - - -It was about four in the afternoon, and young Pendleton sat in -Ashton-Kirk's big chair, reading the newspapers and waiting. Finally -he rang a bell and Stumph gravely appeared. - -"Are you sure that he said three?" asked Pendleton. - -"_About_ three, sir," replied the man. - -"Oh! I suppose he's been detained then. That will be all, Stumph!" - -When the man disappeared, Pendleton lighted a cigar and resumed his -reading. The Hume case was still holding its place as the news feature -of the day. Nothing had occurred to equal it in sensation; and the -huge headings flared across the front pages, undiminished and -undismayed. - -"Why," screamed the _Standard_, in a perfect frenzy of letter press, -"did Miss Edyth Vale visit Hume on the night of the murder?" - -The girl's name had crept into the paper on the day before; with each -edition it appeared in larger type; and that afternoon the _Standard_ -was printing it in red ink. Allan Morris was not neglected; on the -contrary, he figured a very close second to his betrothed in the -types. - -"_Where is Allan Morris?_" - -One paper asked this question perhaps fifty times on each page. It -peered at one in square, heavy-faced type from the bottoms of columns -and between articles. There were interviews with his clerks; the -opinions of his stenographer were given in full, together with her -portrait; and what his man servant had to say was treated as being of -great consequence. - -Another sheet, which made a point of appealing to the tastes of the -vast foreign element of the city, grew very indignant as to the arrest -of Antonio Spatola. - -"Why," it inquired, "is this man detained and no attempt made to take -those higher up into custody? If the Police Department is so ready to -incarcerate a poor musician, why should it hesitate upon the threshold -of the rich man's mansion?--or the rich woman's, for the matter of -that?" - -This item incensed Pendleton beyond measure; he threw the paper aside -and stormed up and down the room. - -"Of all the blatant wretched twaddle I ever did read," he exclaimed, -"this is positively the worst. Why, the rag would have the police -arrest Edyth--arrest her for--" - -"Well," demanded a sharp, aggressively pitched voice, "what for you -make-a da blame, eh? Da cops pinch-a Spatola, and for why, eh? Because -he's da wop, da Ginney, da Dago and got-a no friends." - -At the first word Pendleton had whirled about in astonishment, and -faced the speaker, who stood in the doorway, pointing with one hand in -the attitude of melodrama. - -"Well," asked the young man, "who the deuce are you?" - -By way of an answer the other burst into a laugh that showed his -brilliant teeth; then he threw off his battered soft hat and gayly -colored handkerchief, after which he sank into the chair which -Pendleton had lately vacated. - -"Pen," said he, in an altered voice, "if you appreciate my friendship -at all, give me one of the blackest cigars in the case over there." - -Pendleton stared for a moment; then a grin crept over his face and he -said: - -"Oh, it's you, is it?" He went to the cabinet and took out a box. -"Here's a brand that looks like black Havana," he said. "And now, what -the dickens are you doing in that rig?" - -"I've been taking a long ride in the country--on a motor cycle," -answered Ashton-Kirk, crossing his shabbily clothed legs and striking -a match. "Any time you feel disinclined to face your meals, Pen, I -recommend you heartily to do the same. It is a greater bracer. At this -moment I really believe I could do complete justice to even the very -best culinary thoughts of our friend, Dr. Mercer." - -Pendleton sat down and regarded his friend with questioning eyes. - -"It wasn't to acquire an appetite that you made up this way. You've -been working." - -Ashton-Kirk comfortably blew one smoke-ring through another before he -answered. - -"Will you be surprised to hear that I have been following Miss Edyth -Vale on a little voyage to the neighborhood of Cordova?" - -"Again!" - -"But this time she did not pay a visit to Professor Locke. To-day the -favored one was Allan Morris." - -"Morris! Then she knows where he is?" - -"So it would seem." - -"But she told you the other day that she did not." - -Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders. - -"Things happen swiftly and unexpectedly," said he. "Perhaps she did -_not_ know it then." - -"And perhaps she did not know Locke or his whereabouts, either," said -Pendleton, with bitter irony. - -"Who knows?" replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "At any rate, it was -just a supposition that led to my labors of to-day." - -"I don't think I understand," said Pendleton, after a moment. - -"Last night," said the investigator, "you asked me if I had learned -anything from Professor Locke. And I replied to the effect that I -thought I had. Now," after a pause, devoted to the grateful smoke, -"when one sees a girl circumstanced as Miss Vale assuredly is in this -case, paying a secret visit to a man who is rather more than suspected -of the murder, what does one suppose?" - -"That she is leagued with him, somehow," replied Pendleton, -reluctantly. - -"Exactly. But on the other hand, when the same girl, upon sight of us, -rushes off and leaves the man to face us without giving him a hint as -to who we are, what does one suppose?" - -But Pendleton rose gloomily and strode over to the window. - -"I don't know," said he. - -"One supposes," proceeded Ashton-Kirk, "that she has not much interest -in him." Here Pendleton faced about again. "If she had been leagued -with him, as you put it, you may be sure that she would have managed -to warn him in some way as to our identity. But that she had not done -so, the mute's manner told me as plainly as words could have done. -Seeing this, I began figuring what it meant. If she was not associated -with Locke in the crime, why was she there? Immediately came the -answer--through Morris. But, when I saw her last, she denied any -knowledge of Morris's whereabouts. Then I reasoned, she had seen him -in the interim." - -"That's it," cried Pendleton, as he stepped forward and slapped the -table with his palm; "that's it, beyond a doubt! He's managed to get -word to her; she's seen him; he's told her all or part of the truth; -and once more she's trying to help him. Why, Kirk, I'll venture to -say," hot with indignation, "that she was led to visit this little -scoundrel Locke, last night, much as she was led to visit Hume's place -on the night of the murder--completely in the dark, and merely with -some sort of a vague notion of protecting Morris." - -"Perhaps you are right, but I can't exactly say. But that she has seen -Morris I have made quite sure." - -"How?" - -"Last night when I appeared at Locke's window, I established a reason -for calling upon her this morning, also I laid a foundation for what -followed. Before the call I made certain preparations for a quick -change of front," with a gesture that called attention to his costume; -"in our conversation, I managed to tell her that Morris's hiding -place was discovered. Then I left. As I expected, she at once called -her car and set off to warn him; and I followed close behind upon the -motor cycle." - -"I see, I see. And did you get sight of him?" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. Then he proceeded to relate the story of the -noon-day run to the country house which Morris had selected as a -hiding place. When he had finished, Pendleton sat frowning blackly. - -"Secret signals," said he. "He fears discovery so much that he has -forbidden her approaching the house. A regular code has been arranged, -eh? And the gloves were dropped in the road purposely; he slipped his -answer into one of them; on her way back she discovers her supposed -loss, looks for the gloves, and finds them. It is quite ornate," with -a bitter sneer. - -Then he took from the investigator's hand the card upon which he had -copied the message of Allan Morris. - -"Tobin Rangnow," he read. Then looking up he inquired with a wan -smile. "More secret writing, eh? Or is it a man's name?" - -"There is a decided Irish flavor to Tobin," answered Ashton-Kirk. "But -Rangnow is unfamiliar to me; and if it is a name at all, it is of -Eastern European origin. In that case," laughing, "it could scarcely -be expected to share the honors with Tobin." - -He took the card from Pendleton and looked at it thoughtfully. Then he -glanced up in a satisfied sort of way: - -"As you suggested, Miss Vale no doubt returned, recovered her gloves -and read the message," said he. "As she had just warned him that his -hiding place was discovered, it is only natural to suppose that his -answer would have something to do with his future movements." - -"That seems likely enough," said Pendleton. - -"Look here; if we put a comma between the two words," went on the -investigator, taking out a pencil and doing so, "the thing takes on -the appearance of a name and address." - -Once more he gave the card to Pendleton; then rising he went to the -telephone stand and took up the directory. Skimming rapidly through -this he paused at a page and went down its columns carefully. Then -with a laugh he slapped it shut. - -"We have it," declared he. "When we so desire, we can call at an -apartment house known as the 'Rangnow' and inquire for Mr. Tobin. And -when we see that gentleman we shall be looking upon one in the -confidence of Allan Morris." - -There was a long pause on the part of Pendleton. Ashton-Kirk rang for -Stumph and directed him to turn the water into his bath, and get him -out some fresh linen. It was after the man had gone that Pendleton -spoke. - -"When you came in, Kirk," he said, "you said something which conveyed -the notion that you would not be much astonished if the police took up -the Hume matter with Edyth Vale." - -"It is only the fact that the newspapers were first in discovering her -apparent connection with it, that has kept Osborne and his fellows -from visiting her before this. Jealousy, you know, does many strange -things." - -Pendleton did not reply; he bent his head and covered his face with -his hands. Ashton-Kirk went on: - -"The reasonable thing for her to do would be to come forward and tell -the plain truth." - -Pendleton roused himself. - -"But don't you see that that is the very thing that her brave nature -will not do? She's protecting Morris; and she'll go on protecting him, -no matter what the consequence to herself." - -"In that event," said the investigator slowly, "we can not be in too -great a hurry in removing the cause that keeps Morris in hiding." - -"You'll have a task in that," said Pendleton. "As far as I can see, -the man is up to his eyes in the crime; and that's why he is lying -low." - -"I have warned you before now against jumping at conclusions," said -the other, quietly. "Allan Morris may be a confederate of Locke's, or -he may not. We have yet to establish the fact either way. And now, -pardon me while I take a plunge and get into something presentable." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE TWO REPORTS - - -After dinner the two young men settled themselves in the library: -Stumph served their coffee and they renewed their acquaintance with -the Greek tobacco. After a little time there came a knock upon the -door. - -"Come," called Ashton-Kirk. - -A short man with remarkable breadth of shoulder and depth of chest -entered; he was smooth shaven and salient of jaw and wore the air of -one who was not easily balked in anything that he undertook. - -"How are you, Burgess?" said the investigator. - -"Good-evening," returned Burgess. He advanced and laid some neatly -folded sheets at the elbow of his employer. "Fuller was busy and I -thought I'd bring these in myself. It's my report on Hume." - -"Ah, thank you." - -Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began running his eye through them. -"As you get deeper into this record, did Hume keep his promise?" - -Burgess smiled. - -"As to possibilities, do you mean? Why, yes. Indeed, I rather think -he exceeded them." The man lit the cigar which the investigator handed -him and drew at it appreciatively. "I went it alone on the first day; -but after that I took O'Neill and Purvis on. Between us, we managed to -get at something pretty definite." - -"Has Fuller finished with Morris?" - -"He is typing his report at this moment. It will be ready in a half -hour, I should think." - -"Please tell him to bring it in as soon as it is finished." - -Burgess nodded and went out. Ashton-Kirk continued to dip into the -report here and there. - -"Among three of them," said Pendleton, "they should have sifted the -man's life and adventures pretty well." - -As Ashton-Kirk continued to scan the pages, a peculiar expression -slowly came into his eyes. - -"They seem to have done so, indeed. And rather cleverly, too, I think. -Would you care to hear the report?" - -"By all means," eagerly. - -The sheets were shifted into their proper order once more. Then -Ashton-Kirk read: - - "'_A Further Investigation into the Affairs of David Purtell Hume_. - -"'No record was to be had of Hume, beyond his settlement in the city -in 1899. People in the same line of business were questioned closely; -and those who knew anything of him at all clung to the idea that he -was an American who had lived for many years abroad. - -"'So we had another look at the old passenger lists of the steamships; -but this time we went further back. We knew that the simple ruse of a -fictitious name would cover Hume completely; but it seemed the only -thing to do, and we set at it systematically. In the records of the -steamer _Baltic_ of the Netherlands Steamship Company for the year -1897, we came upon the name of "D. Purtell." Without much hope of -learning anything definite after such a lapse of time, I inquired -after this passenger. - -"'Luck was with us in the shape of an old clerk with a long memory. He -faintly recalled something of the man, and after some talk got out -still another book. And there it was! D. Purtell, so it seemed, had -been involved in an attempt to smuggle a quantity of diamonds. - -"'Our next step was to visit the customs people. Their records were -very complete. They even had a portrait of Purtell, which proved him -to have been Hume beyond a doubt. Only a trifle of evidence had been -secured against him--not enough to convict--and they were forced to -release him. This seems to have been Hume's specialty. - -"'However, through the customs services of other countries, they had -learned quite a lot about him. The authorities of Holland, Spain and -France knew him as one of the leading spirits in a system of smuggling -that had been going on for years. Once Hume had been located in -Antwerp, once at Hamburg, and for a long time at Bayonne. This system -of contraband had been broken up just before he had been arrested by -the United States service. A number of the criminals had been -convicted; but Hume, with his usual luck, had escaped once more, -because of lack of evidence against him. - -"'Nothing could be learned of the movements of Hume between his arrest -on the _Baltic_ and his location here as a dealer in the curiosities -of art. And after his going into business here, he kept to himself a -great deal. - -"'But the drink habit caused him to frequent certain resorts, and it -was at one of these that he first met Richard Morris, father to Allan -Morris!'" - -"Ah!" said Pendleton. "So Hume knew Morris's father." - -"I asked Fuller, in giving him his instructions, to have this fact -established, if he could," said Ashton-Kirk. "That both Hume and the -elder Morris were heavy drinkers caused me to think it possible." - -"Is that all there is to the report?" - -"Almost." The investigator turned to the pages once more, and -proceeded: "'Hume and the elder Morris became quite intimate and were -often seen together. But what it was that formed the bond between -them, no one knows, unless it be a deaf mute named Locke, who was -frequently seen in their society and who seemed upon close terms with -both. But within a year after their first meeting, Hume broke with -Morris. This must have been serious, for it caused a marked enmity to -spring up between them. A number of people recall that Richard Morris -frequently made threats against the other--threats of personal -violence and also of the law. But before anything could come of these, -if he really meant them, he died. - -"'Thinking that Locke might be able to throw some light on this phase -of the case, we have endeavored to locate him. Up to this time we have -met with no success; but we hope to learn something of him at an early -date.'" - -Ashton-Kirk laid the sheets down upon the table. - -"There follows a list of the names of the people who have supplied -this information and their addresses," said he. "Burgess is very -thorough in his work." - -"Outside the fact that Hume was a scoundrel--which we knew -before--and that he was acquainted with Locke and Allan Morris's -father, what does this report tell you?" - -There was discontent in Pendleton's voice as he asked this question, -and the investigator smiled as he made answer: - -"That Hume knew the elder Morris supplies us with a theory as to the -possible part which the younger Morris has taken in this drama. -Whatever passed between Hume and the father has probably been taken up -by the son." - -"Why, yes," said Pendleton. "I hadn't thought of that." - -"Another thing," added Ashton-Kirk: "The report has swung like the -needle of a compass, and indicated a fact that my imagination -suggested days ago." - -"And that is--" - -"That Hume once lived in the French town of Bayonne." - -Pendleton frowned impatiently. - -"I don't know what ever made you imagine that," he said. "But now that -you find that it is so, of what service is it?" - -"We will speak of that later," answered Ashton-Kirk. - -Pendleton was about to say something more, but just then Fuller -knocked and entered. - -"The report on Allan Morris," said he. - -"Ah, thanks." The investigator took the compactly typed sheets, and -then he continued: "Tell Burgess that he need not bother about the man -Locke whom he mentions. Say that I have already located him." - -"Very well," and Fuller left the room. - -For a space there was no sound save that which came from the street -and the rustle of the pages as Ashton-Kirk went through them. - -"Well," asked Pendleton, finally. "What now?" - -"Morris," replied his friend, "does not develop like Hume. Fuller -suspected that he'd prove colorless, and so it has turned out. -However, I'll read what he says. It's headed: - - "'_A Second Report on Allan Morris_ - -"'A very careful inquiry failed to uncover anything in connection with -this young man's personal affairs that was not mentioned in my first -report on the same subject. He has led a very even, uneventful life, -attending strictly to business and making every movement count in the -direction of distinction as a marine engineer. - -"'However, there has been something in his manner for the last few -years that has attracted the attention of those who knew him best or -came in contact with him. This took the various forms of eagerness of -manner, irritability, long fits of reveries, a feverish desire for -work. At his place of business I learned that he has for some time had -a deep interest in the reports of the patent office. His clerks say -that he'd read these for hours at a time; one of them told me of how -he (the clerk) once forgot to call Morris's attention to the report -until the day after its arrival. Morris has always been very tolerant -with his employees, but that day he burst out in a fury and threatened -to discharge them all. - -"'Richard Morris, father to Allan, was a most erratic genius, as my -first report indicated. His propeller, his smoke-consumer, and his -automatic brake were valuable commercial properties, but had all -slipped from his control. Toward the end of his life he engaged in the -perfection of an invention of which he talked a great deal and of -which he declared that he alone would reap the benefit. - -"'As Burgess will already have told you, Richard Morris knew Hume. The -latter was a frequent visitor to a shop which the inventor maintained -in the outskirts, as was the mute Locke. I have talked with an old -mechanic who worked for Morris at the time; he told me that the -inventor had made a stubborn fight against the drink habit and seemed -likely to conquer it up to the time that he became acquainted with -Hume. After this, however, he became as much a slave to it as ever. -The invention, or whatever it was, never got beyond the paper stage; -for thereafter Richard Morris spent his days in sleep and his nights -at the once famous Coffin Club.'" - -Ashton-Kirk arose eagerly. - -"There is more," said he, "but it is scarcely of interest." Placing -the report upon the table, he added: "You have heard of the Coffin -Club, Pen?" - -"Of course. It met in an underground place somewhere, didn't it? And -if I remember right, it was fitted up like the Café Au Mort in Paris." - -"Something of the sort." The investigator went to a huge card system -and pulled out a drawer labeled "TO." "But I recall it best by the -steward whose philosophy and Irish turns of speech were so frequently -quoted by the newspapers during the heydey of the establishment. Can -you recall his name?" - -"I know whom you mean," answered Pendleton, "but the name has slipped -me." - -Ashton-Kirk paused in the fingering of the cards. - -"It was Tobin," said he. "It came to me that it was, but I wanted to -be sure." He pushed the drawer into place, looked at his friend -inquiringly, and added: "Suppose we go around to the 'Rangnow' and see -him?" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -ONE OF THE OLD SORT - - -Pendleton looked at his friend in bewilderment. - -"You don't mean to say that the philosopher of the Coffin Club and -this Tobin of young Morris's are the same," cried he. - -"I only _think_ they are," said Ashton-Kirk quietly. "But we can make -sure by paying a short visit to the apartment house." - -"Now?" - -"There is no time like the present." - -And so the end of a half hour found them stepping out of a cab at the -extreme west end of the city. It was only a little after nine o'clock, -but the streets were almost deserted; the arc-lamps clicked and hissed -lonesomely; rows of darkened windows and shadowy doorways ran away on -both sides. - -"There is the place we want," said the investigator, pointing at an -illuminated sign which hung out over the sidewalk some little distance -away. - -When they reached the place, they found it was rather a large building -of the modern type; pushing open the swinging doors and making their -way through a brilliantly lighted passage, they found themselves in -an equally brilliant office. - -Here they saw a dozen or more men seated in tilted chairs; all wore -their hats and for the most part smoked cigars. Behind a polished -counter on which rested a nickeled cash register and a huge book, -stood a white-haired man with a smooth Irish face and a pair of gold -eyeglasses hanging by a black cord. The air was heavy with -disputation; long-tailed words boomed sonorously; red-faced and -earnest, one of the occupants of the chairs assailed the man behind -the counter; with soft, sweeping, eloquent gestures the latter -defended himself. - -"And what," demanded he, placing his hands upon the shining top of the -counter and shoving his head forward inquiringly, "is all this that we -do be hearing about your suffragette? Who is she? What is she? The -newspapers are filled to the top with her, but sorra the sight of her -did I ever see. If she has any existence outside of the comic -supplement, gentlemen, I'd like to have ye show me where. Did ye ever -hear a whisper of her till she began to send herself by registered -mail and chain herself to lamp posts? Niver the one of ye! Is your -wife a suffragette? She's not. Is your mother? No. Your sister? Again -it's no. Then who is it that composes the great army of female ballot -seekers? Is it the cook? The chambermaid? The woman that does the -plain sewing? I'll wager 'tis not. They have too much to do already; -it's not looking for additional burdens they are. Then where does this -advanced woman flourish and have her being?" Here one hand went up and -descended with a slap. "In the mansions of the rich," he declaimed -positively; "in the lap of luxury. Among the feminine descendants of -successful gum shoe men!" - -Here the man with the flushed face attempted to speak; but an eloquent -sweep of both hands silenced him. - -"They have nothing to do," stated the orator, "but to invent ways of -pleasing themselves. Monkey dinner parties, diamonds, automobiles and -boxes on the grand tier have no more attraction; private yachts and -other women's husbands have grown _passé_. They want a new toy, and -faith, nothing will please them but the destinies of the nation. Their -reasoning is simple and direct. If a man who wheels scrap iron at a -blast furnace is competent to handle the--" - -At this point the speaker was interrupted by Ashton-Kirk advancing to -the counter. - -"Pardon me," said the investigator, "but can you tell me where I can -find Mr. Tobin? Is he in?" - -A look of great dignity came upon the face of the other; and he drew -himself up stiffly. - -"You are speaking to him, sir," replied he. - -"I thought so," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "My old friend Dan O'Connor has -mentioned you so often that I felt sure that I recognized the manner." - -The dignity vanished from Mr. Tobin's face, and the stiffness of -demeanor fell from him instantly. - -"Do you know Dan?" asked he, eagerly. "Ah, there is the lad for you. A -credit to his country and to his name. Faith, he is the best judge of -whiskey in the city, and has a heart as large and as mellow as a -barrel of it." - -"If it would not be putting you about in any way, we'd like a few -moments in private with you." - -At once Mr. Tobin touched a button. A young man presented himself, and -to him the conducting of the house was transferred for the time being. -Then the two friends were led into a small sitting-room, where chairs -were placed for them, and Mr. Tobin seated himself opposite them with -some expectation. - -"Since I became manager here," explained he, "I seldom hear of any of -the old lads. Ye see, it's so far from the center of the city," -regretfully, "they seldom get along this way, so they do." - -"Yes, I suppose they cling to their old haunts," said Ashton-Kirk. -"Dan sticks to his school of boxing these days, pretty closely. I -often drop in for a round or two with him. He's as clever as ever, but -he's slowing up." - -Tobin shook his white head sadly. - -"Tut, tut, tut," said he. "And do you tell me that! Faith, he's a -young man yet--not much over sixty--and what call have he to be takin' -on the ways and manners of age? Even as late as the last year of the -Coffin Club he was as swift as the light." - -"He frequently spoke of that club to me," observed the other. "A queer -place, I understand." - -Tobin nodded. - -"Queer enough," he answered, "and the members was as queer in some -ways. Nothing would do them, but they must spend their time -underground, sitting at tables shaped like coffins, and drinking their -liquor out of mugs shaped like skulls. I was steward there a long -time, and got good pay; but I never approved of the notion. It always -seemed like divilment to me, did that." - -"Some very well known people frequented it, did they not?" - -"Many's the time I've seen the governor of the state himself, sitting -there with a mug in his fist. The liquors was of the best, do you -see," with a pleased light in his eyes. "I know that, for it were -meself that selected them. And a good sup of drink is a great -attraction, so it is." - -"I don't think that can be successfully denied," admitted the -investigator. "Some very brilliant men have proved it to their -sorrow." - -"True for ye," said Tobin. "Don't I know it? We had actors and writers -and editors--the cream of their professions--and every one of them a -devotee, so to speak, of Bacchus. Sure, the finer the intellect, the -greater the sup of drink appeals to them, if it does at all. One of -the greatest frequenters of the club was a man whose inventions," with -a grandiloquent gesture, "revolutionized the industries of the world. -And when he was mellow with it, boys o' boys, but he could discourse! -His name was Morris," added the speaker, "and he was the father of the -young man whose name has been mixed up with this Hume affair which is -so occupying the public mind just now." - -"Indeed." - -There was a pause: Tobin's mobile face looked back upon the past; his -eyes had an introspective light in them. - -"To think," said he, "how the natures of men differ. Some are like the -gods of old, and others again are like--well, like anything you choose -to call them. And yet," with philosophic speculation, "these two -widely diversified types are sometimes friends. To the surprise of -everyone they occasionally take up with one another. It's hard to say -why, but it is so." - -"I've noticed it myself," said Ashton-Kirk. - -Tobin nodded. - -"Never," said he, "did I see it so exemplified as in the case of -Richard Morris and this felly who has just been killed. Never were two -men more unlike; but sorra such an intimacy did I ever see afore, as -there was between them. Morris when he had the drink in him was a -poet. His ideas soared to the starry skies; he flew about upon the -wings of the wind; faith I believe he thought the sun was not beyond -his reach. But Hume was a divil! God save us, that I should say the -like about any human creature; but he had the imp in him, for many's -the time I see it grinning and looking out at his two eyes." - -"I've heard it said that he was an unpleasant sort of chap," agreed -the other. - -"Unpleasant," said Tobin, "does not do credit to his capabilities, -though 'tis a good word enough. There was never a man came into the -Coffin Club, during the five years that I were there, that looked as -though the place fitted him, but Hume. The others were like bad little -boys who wouldn't take a dare. But Hume was just right. To see him -lift one of the stone skulls to his lips and grin over it at you, -would make your blood run cold. And bless us and save us, gentlemen, -how he would jeer and snarl and laugh all at the one time. Many's the -time I've listened to poor Morris rave and paint his pictures of what -he was going to do in times to come; and on the other side of the -coffin-table, Hume would urge him on, leerin' and grinnin' like Satan -himself, and making all manner of game of him. Bedad, me gorge rose at -it more than once, and it was all I could do to keep from takin' him -by the scruff of the neck and throwin' him intil the street." - -"Almost every man has some spark of good in his nature, however -faint," said Ashton-Kirk. "And Hume may have had one, too, though no -one seems to have discovered it." - -Tobin smiled and returned: - -"An Irishman always has a good deal of respect for the fighting -strain, no matter if it be in a man, or a beast, or a bird. Old Nick -himself must be a grand, two-handed man, and as such we must give him -credit. And 'twas the same way with this felly Hume. He had real -fighting blood, so he had; and sorra the man ever undertook to impose -on him the second time." - -"And as a true Celt, you held this to be a credit mark," laughed -Ashton-Kirk. - -"I did. And, indeed, he seemed to consider it so himself, though he -was not one to care a snap what others thought of him. But often he'd -boast of the stock he came from. Fighters they were to the core, he -said, fighters who never knew when they were whipped, and who'd go on -fighting while they had a leg to stand on, an eye to see, and an arm -to strike a blow." - -Tobin here paused and stroked his smooth-shaven chin, reflectively. - -"He claimed descent from someone who was rated a real man in his day," -he continued. "'Twas an officer, I think, who fought with--faith, -yes," smiling in recollection, "at the side of sorra the one less than -Washington himself." - -Pendleton, listening with dwindling interest, saw Ashton-Kirk's hand -clench, and saw a gleam shoot into his eyes. Then he saw him bend -toward Tobin, his elbows on his knees, his clenched hands beneath his -chin. - -"Ah," said the investigator, and his voice was calmer than Pendleton -remembered ever hearing it before, "he claimed a pedigree, did he? And -from a Revolutionary officer. Such things are always interesting. It's -a pity you can't remember the soldier's name." - -Tobin pondered. - -"I can't," confessed he, at length; "but there is one thing that I -remember hearing Hume tell about him; it seemed laughable at the time, -and I suppose that's why it's stuck to me. It seems that the supposed -ancestor were a great felly for dress, and expected the like of all -the men under him; and though he often had niver a crust of bread to -put into their mouths, he always managed to have a pinch of white -powder for them to dress their hair." - -Ashton-Kirk laughed suddenly, and leaned back in his chair. The gleam -died out of his eyes, and a twinkle of satisfaction replaced it. - -"That," said he, "sounds amusing enough to be true. Mr. Hume's -ancestor was at least consistent. But," and his tone changed, "we must -not keep you from your duties, Mr. Tobin, and so we'll get to the -matter in hand." - -"If it is not hurrying you," agreed Tobin. - -"A while ago," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "you mentioned young Allan Morris; -and during your conversation you have led me to think that you were -his father's friend." - -"I were," said Tobin. "He were a decent man." - -"Then perhaps your friendship extends to the son as well." - -"Perhaps it does," and a note of perceptible caution crept into -Tobin's voice. - -"I am glad to hear it," said the investigator. "He seems badly in need -of friends of the right sort just now; and I am confident, Mr. Tobin, -that you are of that sort." - -"A man who has disappeared as completely as this one has done," -stated Tobin, "is out of the reach of even the best of friends." - -"Have you not heard from him since the murder?" - -"No," replied the other with a readiness that carried conviction. - -"Then you will, and before long." Ashton-Kirk arose and stood looking -into the old man's face. "Perhaps it will be to-night; but it will be -by to-morrow night at latest. And when you do you can best show your -friendship for him by telling him not to be a fool." - -"You mean," said Tobin, shrewdly, "that I'm to advise him to give over -hiding?" - -"Exactly." - -"I'll do that willingly enough, if I hear of him. An innocent man has -no call to hide himself like a rat. But," inquiringly, "after I tell -him that, what will I do?" - -Ashton-Kirk took out a card; handing it to the other, he said: - -"Ask him to come see me." - -Tobin gave the card one glance, then his face lit up and his hand went -out. - -"Let me shake your hand, sir," said he. "And I'll tell the lad what -you say with a heart and a half." - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO PLAN - - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton left the "Rangnow," the latter said: - -"You surely do not suppose that Morris will call on you?" - -"Why not?" - -"It does not sound reasonable." - -"A day or two ago I would have said the same. But things are taking on -a different aspect. And with their change, Morris will change. He had -no idea of what was to come, or he would not have done what he has -done." - -"No criminal would," said Pendleton. - -Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders at this, but made no direct reply. - -"And now if these newspapers, with all their pointed references to -Edyth Vale, do not make the man come forward," he went on, "what is -about to happen--say within the next forty-eight hours--will be sure -to do so." - -Pendleton turned a surprised look upon him. - -"You think, then, that something unusual is about to happen?" - -"I _know_ there is," was the quiet reply. "To-night, old chap, has -been most prolific in results. It has indicated why the murder was -done; it has suggested the identity of the actual murderer; it has -even pointed out the spot upon which we shall finally take him." - -"You really mean all that?" cried Pendleton, incredulously. - -"I do." - -"Then you must have learned it at some time while I was not--" here -Pendleton paused, and then proceeded in another tone. "But you have -_not_ been out of my sight since dinner. Everything you have heard, I -have heard; all that you have seen, I have seen." - -"Just so," said Ashton-Kirk. - -There was a pause; they walked along toward the place where they were -to get a street car. At length Pendleton spoke once more. - -"And from the rather bald reports of your two assistants, and the talk -of this man, Tobin, you have gathered these most vital facts?" - -"We can hardly call them facts as yet," said the other; "but I have -every confidence that we can do so within the time specified." - -A gong sounded sharply and a car crossed the street. Pendleton placed -his hand upon his friend's shoulder. - -"Kirk," said he, "I am not going to ask another question. I'm just -going to wait, and if it turns out as you say, I'll never question a -statement of yours as long as I live. I'll swallow them all as the -Mussulman swallows the Koran." - -They boarded the car and Ashton-Kirk settled himself in a corner. His -arms were folded across his chest, his head gradually sank forward. To -all appearances he was asleep; but Pendleton knew that he was merely -turning over some plan of action that would, in a little time, begin -to reveal itself. - -However, he was not prepared for such quick action as resulted; for -suddenly Ashton-Kirk jumped up, glanced out at the car window, then -darted to the platform and leaped off. Pendleton followed at once, and -came up with him part way down an intersecting street. - -"Where to now?" he asked. - -"City Hall," replied Ashton-Kirk, briefly. - -It was no great distance to the municipal buildings; they shot up in -the elevator and entered the police department. - -"I'd like to see Superintendent Weagle," said the investigator to the -officer who came forward to speak to them. - -"He's just getting ready to go home," answered the man, "but I'll see -what I can do." - -The superintendent of police happened to be in an obliging humor, and -they were shown into his office a few moments later. Weagle stood in -the middle of the floor, drawing on a light over-coat; the end of a -black cigar was clenched between his teeth. - -"How are you?" greeted he. "Anything doing in my line?" - -"Not just yet," replied Ashton-Kirk, "but I have some hopes." - -The official laughed. - -"We all have them," said he. "If we didn't we might as well put up the -shutters." He threw the cigar end away and wiped his stubby moustache -with a large handkerchief. "You've come for something," said he. "What -is it? My wife and kiddies are expecting me, and I must get home." - -"How long are you going to maintain the police guard at 478 Christie -Place?" inquired the investigator. - -"I hadn't thought of it," replied the superintendent. "However, we are -in the habit of keeping such details up for some little time. Another -thing, there is a lot of valuable stuff there which must be looked -after." - -"Beginning with to-morrow night," said Ashton-Kirk, "I want you to -withdraw your men. And further, I want your permission for my friend -Mr. Pendleton and myself to watch in their place." - -The official opened his eyes at this. - -"Well," said he, after a moment's silence, "I don't just understand -your reasons; and the thing is most unusual. But," and he nodded his -head approvingly, "I've always noticed that you have reasons behind -everything you do, and if this thing is expected to throw any further -light on the Hume case, why, it shall be as you say." - -"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk. "Unless I am much mistaken it will -close the matter finally as far as your department is concerned, and -put the whole thing up to the District Attorney." - -"You mean," said the superintendent with interest, "that you've got -something new on Spatola--and perhaps on Morris and the girl!" - -"I mean," answered Ashton-Kirk, "that I hope to place the murderers of -the numismatist Hume in your hands in a few days--whoever they may -be." - -Weagle waved his hand. - -"That's all we want," said he with a laugh. "Give us the right ones -and we'll make no complaint. And now, if you have nothing more to say, -I'll say good-night." - -They parted with the superintendent in the corridor; then Ashton-Kirk -led the way into a room where some police officials and a number of -young men were lounging about. - -"Oh, how are you?" greeted a stout sergeant, affably. "And how's the -work?" - -While the investigator was speaking to the sergeant, one of the -alert-looking young men approached. - -"Pardon," said he. "But is there anything you'd like to say to the -_Star?_" - -"No," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -"You are working on the Hume case, are you not?" asked the reporter -with professional insistence. - -"Oh, I have had a little interest in it as an outsider, that is all," -returned the other. "However," as he was passing through with -Pendleton, "I can give you a piece of official police news on the -case, which I just got from the superintendent. After to-night the -guard will be removed from Hume's place. Weagle thinks the regular -policeman on the beat is all that is needed from now on." - -As they left the building by the main door, Pendleton said: - -"A little while ago, I rashly promised to ask no more questions. If -you'll release me from that, I'll unburden myself of one or two which -will otherwise keep me awake to-night." - -"Go ahead," said Ashton-Kirk with a smile. - -"Why," asked Pendleton, "do you want the police called off at Hume's? -and why should we place ourselves on watch instead?" - -"At the very first we made up our minds that the men who murdered Hume -were in search of something, didn't we? Up to this time I have been -unable to say whether they had succeeded or not. Now, however, I am -convinced that they failed." - -"Ah!" - -"To-morrow the newspapers will announce that Hume's place is to be no -longer guarded. It may be that the criminals are desperate enough to -venture another visit in order to gain possession of the thing they -covet. If they do, we shall be awaiting them." - -"But how do you know that they failed of their object on the night of -the murder?" - -"You and I," said Ashton-Kirk, laughingly, "are perhaps going to spend -considerable time in Christie Place, beginning with to-morrow evening. -And while there we may find it dull enough, old boy; a little -amusement of a practical sort might not be found out of place. So I'll -not answer your question now; I'll allow it to stand until to-morrow -night; and then I'll give it to you, compact and complete, with -practical illustrations as I go along." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED - - -On the following day, at about noon, Ashton-Kirk's big French car -glided up to the curb before the Vale house. A man with a thick neck -and a small head nodded to the investigator; another waved a hand from -across the street. - -"Plain-clothes men," he murmured, "and at watch upon the house. That -means that this matter can be brought to an end none too soon for Miss -Vale's comfort." - -He was getting out of his car when a brace of eager reporters accosted -him. - -"The _Standard_ would like to have you say a few words for -publication," said one. - -"The _Herald_ will give you what space you require for a statement at -any time you see fit to make use of it," declared the other. - -"I'm very sorry," said Ashton-Kirk, brushing a speck of dust from an -immaculate sleeve, "but I have nothing to say that would interest your -city editors, or the public. I have no doubt but that the police -officials will be glad to acquaint you with anything new that has -transpired--if there has been anything new." - -The newspaper men pulled wry faces. - -"The police hang onto the Italian musician and profess to think he's -the guilty party," said one. "If they have taken any steps beyond -this, before to-day, we have not known of it." - -"Why have the detectives been placed to watch Miss Vale's house?" -asked the other. "And what has Osborne gone in to talk about?" - -"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, with interest, "Osborne is within, is he?" - -"Yes; and why are you going in? What has been learned regarding Miss -Vale's connection with the case that has not already been made -public?" - -"I would hardly undertake to answer that last," laughed Ashton-Kirk. -"So much has been made public in one way and another that I haven't -been able to keep track of it all. My own visit is merely a friendly -call. Why Mr. Osborne is here I, of course, cannot say." - -Leaving the newspaper men disappointed and dissatisfied, the -investigator rang the bell and was admitted. In the hall, pulling on -his gloves, was Osborne. - -"Hello!" exclaimed the latter. "So you thought you'd have a try, too, -eh?" - -The big man's tone showed that he was none too well pleased with his -own visit; he jerked at his gloves viciously, and his brow was creased -with vexation. And seeing that the other was disposed to do nothing -more than nod, he went on: - -"Well, you'll have to have a lot better luck than I've had, to have -any at all. Miss Vale, it seems, is a young lady who knows very well -how to say nothing. I've been here something like an hour and have put -her through a regular third degree; but I've had my labor for my -pains, as the saying is. She has told me nothing except her opinion of -the newspapers and the police." - -"Miss Vale will see you, sir," said the man servant, returning. - -"And so you've given it up?" queried the investigator of Osborne. - -The big headquarters man shrugged his shoulders. - -"Hardly," said he. "I've set a time on the thing. We scarcely like to -go to extremes, as you perhaps know; but unless a clean breast of the -matter is made, as far as the party knows," modifying his language -because of the listening servant, "the same party will know what the -inside of a cell is like by this time to-morrow." - -"You really mean to make an arrest?" - -"If we are forced to--yes." - -Ashton-Kirk followed him to the door: - -"Extend the time limit," suggested he. "Make it the day after -to-morrow, and," elevating his brows, "I don't think that you'll need -to do anything unpleasant." - -"Ah," said Osborne, "you're onto something!" He regarded the other -questioningly for a moment, then broke into a grin. "No use to ask -what it is, I suppose? I thought not. Well," reflectively, and in a -lowered tone, "it won't do any harm to oblige you, if the front office -is willing. The party can't make a move that we won't know about; and -the fact is, I've just advised that no going out of any kind be -ventured on. So long, and good luck." - -The door closed behind Osborne, and then Ashton-Kirk followed the -soft-footed servant down the hall, up the stairs and into the presence -of Edyth Vale. - -The girl received him smilingly. - -"I'm getting to be a regular occurrence," said he, as he sat down. - -"But a welcome one, nevertheless," she returned. "Indeed, if it were -not for certain other depressing circumstances, I'd find your visits -dreadfully exciting." - -"I suppose Osborne is one of the circumstances referred to. I just met -him in the hall, and he seemed to be quite in a state of mind. What -have you been saying to him?--or rather," smiling, "what have you -_not_ been saying to him?" - -"He came on what he calls 'police business,'" smiled Miss Vale. "I -considered it quite an alarming expression, and said so; but that made -no impression on him, for he proceeded with a string of wonderfully -conceived questions that must have covered my life from birth to the -present time." - -"The police have about the same method for each case--a sort of -bullying insistence that breaks down denial by sheer weight." - -"I have read of it, frequently, in complaining articles in both -magazines and newspapers. I think I have even seen it very earnestly -compared to the Inquisition." The smile was still upon the girl's lip, -but as she continued, her voice shook a little. "However, I never -thought to go through even a part of it myself." - -"What the police _say_ may be embarrassing and mortifying," said -Ashton-Kirk gravely, "but it is nothing at all, compared with what -they might _do_." - -Miss Vale drew in her breath in a little gasp of terror; but she made -an effort to conceal it with a laugh. - -"I know what you mean," she said, lightly. "You think that they might -go so far as to take me into custody as an accessory to the crime, or -even as the actual criminal." - -"Mr. Osborne told me that such was their intention, if you do not -explain clearly your connection with the case. I don't think that the -Department is at all anxious to draw you into the matter; but some of -the newspapers, as you no doubt have noted, have grown very insistent. -They say that a poor musician is jailed instantly, while the woman of -fashion, who is perhaps equally guilty, is allowed to go free. Such -ways of putting things have a great effect upon public opinion; the -politicians who conduct the municipal departments know this, and -always move to protect themselves, no matter in what direction the -movement takes them." - -"Then," said Miss Vale, "you really think they will do as Mr. Osborne -said?" - -"I have no doubt of it--if the matter is not cleared up before the -time arrives for them to act." - -The girl arose and went to a window as though to look out; the -investigator saw her hand pressed to her heart, and noted the -trembling that had seized her. Yet, when she faced him once more, a -moment or two later, she made a brave attempt to smile as before. - -"I think this is too bad of you," she said. "Your point of view is -almost as pessimistic as the detectives', or the newspapers'. I had -expected comfort and encouragement." - -"And I came to give it--if you'll allow me," said Ashton-Kirk, -quietly. - -She looked at him for a moment, then both hands went out in a mock -despairing gesture, and she laughed. But the laugh was unmistakably -forced, and a keen ear for such things would have detected a pathetic -little catch in it. - -"Now," she said, "you are becoming mysterious. However, I suppose I -must not complain, for it is entirely in character with your -profession, isn't it?" - -He disregarded both the observation and the tone; there was a slight -pucker between his keen eyes that spoke of impatience and resentment. - -"Mr. Osborne has been very plain with you, Miss Vale," said he, "you -have perhaps become accustomed to it in a measure. So I shall not -hesitate to follow in his footsteps. I am going to make you face some -very plain facts." - -"Mercy!" She laughed. "Mercy, Mr. Ashton-Kirk. I had not thought that -you could be so deliberately cruel!" - -"In the first place, Miss Vale," he began, paying not the slightest -attention to her laughter or the mocking light in her eyes, "if you -had continued as you began, this matter would have been cleared up -before this, the newspapers would never have printed your name in -connection with it, and you would have been spared the mortification -of a detective at your doorstep." - -"Is there one--outside?" - -"There are several. If you venture out you will be followed wherever -you go." - -The girl sank into a chair in a limp, rumpled sort of way; somehow the -idea of surveillance affected her more than anything else. Her face -became ashen; her hands shook distressfully as she clasped them -tightly together. - -"When you allowed the fears and desires of Allan Morris to cloud your -reason, you made a mistake. You admitted as much when you came to me -after the murder; but instantly, upon seeing him again, you were as -before. He was struck with fear, and he communicated his terror to -you; as before you dreaded to trust anyone--even myself." - -"I think you are inclined to take a great deal for granted," said Miss -Vale. But in spite of the words, her eyes were wide with alarm. - -"He told you of the deaf-mute, Locke," said Ashton-Kirk; "and also -other things, which seem to have induced you to visit Locke at the -Institute near Cordova on the night before last." - -Miss Vale elevated her brows in surprise; her attitude was one of -wonderment. - -"I don't think I understand." - -"And you did not seem to understand yesterday when I called upon you. -You fancied that I was not sure that I had seen you, and had come -expecting you to admit the visit to Locke. And as I went away, you -also fancied that you had thrown me off the scent." He smiled at the -recollection, in spite of his evident resentment of her position. "But -the fact of the matter was that I knew your fiancé had been the cause -of your visit to the mute. You had seen Morris, you knew where he was, -and I thought it would be a useful thing for me to be also acquainted -with his whereabouts." - -"But," protested Miss Vale in a faint voice, but still acting her -chosen role to the best of her gifts, "if I had known and desired to -conceal his whereabouts, surely you did not expect me to tell you of -it." - -"Not directly. But, if you remember, I dropped a hint that his -hiding-place was about to be discovered. This was true; you were about -to disclose it. I had only to wait and follow as you rushed off to -warn him." - -She leaned back in her chair and regarded him strangely, but he -proceeded with evenness: - -"Your work upon the road was very clever; I congratulate you upon it. -But it was scarcely sufficiently inspired to deceive an old hand." - -Here he waited, apparently expecting her to speak. But as she did not -take advantage of the pause, he went on: - -"I called this morning to acquaint you with these things and to advise -you on your future course. I must admit that I rather admire your -steadfastness in following out what Allan Morris has desired of you; -however, it is a great mistake for a strong nature to submit to the -clamorings of a weaker one." - -She sat suddenly erect; protest was in her eyes, and one hand went up -in denial. But, though her lips opened as though she were about to -speak, no words came; once more she sank back in the chair with the -air of one compelled to admit a bitter truth. - -"I am not so sure as to how deep Morris is in this murder," continued -the investigator, "but I have some ideas on the subject. On the other -hand I am quite sure that you are promised to aid him, and that you -feel duty bound to do so to the end, according to his not very wise -instructions." - -He arose and stood looking down at her kindly. - -"My advice to you," he went on--"and I speak with a fair knowledge of -the facts--is that you do nothing more. Be content with what you have -attempted; allow me to act for you in anything further which you have -in mind. Or, if you cannot give me your confidence, let me carry the -thing on in my own way, as you proposed at the first." - -There was a pause of some length; then the girl spoke. - -"I am just a trifle bewildered at all this," she said; "and I really -cannot say, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that I altogether follow you." - -He smiled, but the disapproving wrinkle still showed between his eyes. - -"I see that you are still determined to hold to your attitude," he -said. "I am sorry, of course, but then one is called upon at times to -do as one thinks best, and I suppose that is what you are doing." He -turned toward the door, and she arose and touched the bell. "Good-by." - -"Good-by," she returned. - -He stood for a moment in the doorway regarding her with mingled -annoyance and admiration. As he caught the steps of the approaching -servant in the hall, he said: - -"Possibly I can save you some little trouble. You need not call at the -Rangnow Apartments. Up to last night, Allan Morris had not notified -Mr. Tobin as to his new hiding-place. However, if you feel that you -_must_ see him, you can call at my place at this hour on the day after -to-morrow. I am not sure, of course, but it occurs to me that he will -be there." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE SECRET OF THE PORTRAIT - - -The morning papers had all announced the fact that the detail of -police would that day be withdrawn from the scene of the murder in -Christie Place. With them it had been a mere matter-of-fact news item, -but with the evening sheets it was different. They had had time to -digest the matter, and their view of the order was one of surprise. -Two or three allowed this feeling to expand itself into headlines of -some size; a few also commented on the situation editorially. - -Superintendent Weagle had been interviewed. He stated that he could -not be expected to maintain a detail at 478 indefinitely; even with -the police withdrawn from within, so he maintained, the place would be -as effectually guarded as were other buildings. What more was -required? - -Ashton-Kirk read all this with some satisfaction in the late -afternoon. - -"They have given the thing even more publicity than I had hoped for," -he said, as he helped Pendleton in the details of a rough-looking -costume which that worthy was donning. "It must be a bad day for -news, and they have plenty of space. At any rate, anyone who is at all -interested in the fact, is now aware that after six o'clock this -evening, 478 Christie Place will be unguarded, except for the regular -patrolman. Of course," with a glance at Pendleton and another in a -mirror at himself, "if a brace of rough-looking characters are hidden -away within, there will only be a few who know it." - -He opened a drawer and took out two black shining objects; the short -barrels and blocky shapes told Pendleton that they were automatic -revolvers. - -"They will throw ten slugs as thick as your little finger while you're -winking your eye as many times," said Ashton-Kirk. - -They each slipped one of the squat, formidable weapons into a hip -pocket; then they made their way out at the rear of the house. With -the collars of their sack coats turned up and their long visored cloth -caps pulled down, they hurried along among the dull-eyed throngs that -bartered and quarreled and sought their own advantage. - -And when, in the uncertain dusk, a wagon drew up at 478 and two -sack-coated, cloth-capped men began carrying parcels up the stairs, is -it any wonder that Berg, watching from the window of his delicatessen -store, said to his clerk: - -"Dot furrier that rents der rooms by der third floor is putting some -more things in storage over the summer, yet." - -And when the wagon finally drove away, neglectfully leaving the two -men behind, it is not surprising that the fancy grocer did not notice -it. And, then, when the two policemen who had been on duty during the -afternoon, came out, carelessly left the door unlocked, looked up to -make sure that they had left none of the windows open, and then strode -away with a satisfied air that follows a duty well done, who so keenly -watched as to suspect? - -The shadows on the second floor lengthened and grew grayer; they -thickened in the corners; pieces of furniture grew vague and monstrous -as the darkness began to cling to them and their outlines became lost; -suits of armor loomed menacingly out of the gloom, the last rays of -light striking palely upon helm or gorget; hideous gods of wood and -stone smiled evilly at the two watchers. - -"There was food in the bundles which we carried up, then," commented -Pendleton, as he lay back on the old claw-footed sofa. - -"Yes," answered his friend. "The person or persons whom we expect will -hardly come to-night, though we, of course, don't know; if they fail -to appear we shall be forced to stick close to these rooms during the -whole of to-morrow and also to-morrow night. Perhaps it will even be -longer." - -"In that case," said Pendleton, a little disconsolately, "the eatables -will be very welcome. But I hope we won't have to stay long enough to -finish them." - -"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, "I've let you in for too hard a task in -this, Pen?" - -The other rose up instantly. - -"You couldn't give me too much to do in this matter," declared he, -earnestly. "I would do it alone if you were not here, and I had brains -enough, Kirk. The thing must _end_. If it goes on much longer and I -keep seeing those infernal insinuations in the papers, I'll go -completely off my chump." - -There was a little silence; then Ashton-Kirk said: - -"I never knew that you were--ah--this way, old chap, until the other -day. How long has it been going on?" - -"Why, for years, I think," answered Pendleton. "Being very distantly -related, Edyth and I saw quite a deal of each other when she was a -slip of a girl. And she was a stunner, Kirk, even then. Kid-like, I -fancied I'd get it all over with when the proper time came; but -somehow I never got around to it. She turned out to be a dickens of a -strong character, you see; and she expected so much of life that I -got the notion that perhaps I wasn't just the right sort of fellow to -realize her ideals. - -"You know, old boy, there are times when a man thinks quite a bit of -himself. This is more especially so before he's twenty-five. But then -again there are times when he sees his bad points only, and then of -all the unutterable dolts in the universe, he gets the notion that he -is the worst. When we were at college and I held down that third base -position and hit 320 in the first season, I was chesty enough. I -suppose you remember it. And when I came into my money and began to -make collections of motor cars, yachts and such things, I thought I -had taken life by the ears and was making it say 'uncle.' - -"Well, we're only grown-up boys, after all. I recall that I thought -I'd dazzle Edyth with my magnificence, just as Tom Sawyer did the -little girl with the two long braids of yellow hair--do you remember? -And it was after I discovered that she was not to be dazzled that I -sort of gave up. I wasn't anybody--I never would be anybody; and Edyth -would be the sort of woman who would expect her husband to take the -front at a jump. And no sensible person could imagine me at the front -of anything, unless it was a procession on its way to the bow-wows." - -"I think," said Ashton-Kirk, "that you began to prostrate yourself -before your idol; and when a man takes to that, he always gets to -thinking meanly of himself. The attitude has much to do with the state -of mind, I imagine. Miss Vale is a courageous, capable girl; but you -can never tell what sort of a man a woman will select for a husband. -Girls have fancies upon the subject, and give voice to them sometimes; -but it is the man they choose and not the one they picture to whom you -must give your attention." - -"I suppose that is true enough," said Pendleton. - -"Miss Vale's evident strength awed you," went on the other. "And then -your timidity began to magnify her qualities. No woman is what she -seems to be to the man who loves her. Miss Vale is not so difficult to -please as you thought. I fancy that her engagement to young Morris -proves that." - -"There you have it," cried Pendleton. "That's it, Kirk! I've stood -aside, considering myself unworthy, and allowed a fellow to slip by me -who is as colorless as water. Allan Morris is no more fit to be her -husband than--" at loss for a simile he halted for a moment, and then -burst out: "Oh, he's impossible!" - -"So far as we have tested him, certainly," agreed Ashton-Kirk, "he has -shown no great strength of character." - -"He's acted like a frightened child all through this affair. He's -mixed up in it, and through his weakness allowed Edyth to also -entangle herself. Again and again he's run to her, or called to her, -to tell her of some fresh complication that he'd gotten his frightened -self into; and to protect him, she has dared and done what would have -frightened an ordinary woman into fits." - -"I think," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that she has realized his position, -to some extent, at least. The fact that he is weak has, I think, -dawned upon her already; she may also see his evident selfishness -before long. If she does--why, might there not still be some hope for -you, Pen?" - -Pendleton shook his head in the gloom. - -"I'm afraid not," said he, hopelessly. "Somehow a weak man makes a -great appeal to the woman who has grown to care for him. He arouses -her mother instinct. And Edyth is so strong that her pity--" - -"May induce her to do her utmost to see him through this trouble," -interrupted Ashton-Kirk. "But it may not carry her much further. When -once the thing is over, a reaction may set in. Who knows?" - -But Pendleton refused to be comforted. For a long time they talked of -Edyth Vale, Morris, and the killing of Hume. Finally Pendleton said: - -"I suppose we can't smoke here to-night, can we?" - -"No; the lights might be seen; and we can't tell what sharp eyes are -watching the place." - -Pendleton sighed drearily. - -There were many clocks in the rooms; the policemen must have amused -themselves by winding and setting them; for at the end of each hour -they began to strike, singly and in pairs. The brisk strokes of the -nervous little modern clock mingled with the solemn sonorous beat of -an old New England timepiece whose wooden works creaked and labored -complainingly. Elaborate Swiss chimes pealed from others; through the -darkness, a persistent cuckoo could be heard throwing open a small -shutter and stridently announcing his version of the time. - -It was some time after midnight that Pendleton began to yawn. Then -Ashton-Kirk said: - -"Open some of those blankets, Pen, and lie down. There is no need of -two of us watching to-night; I scarcely expect anything to happen." - -Pendleton did not expect anything, either, but he said: - -"All right, I will, if you'll wake me in a few hours and let me take a -turn at it." - -Ashton-Kirk agreed. Pendleton stretched himself upon the sofa, and -soon his deep breathing told that he was asleep. As the night drew on, -the solitary watcher grew chilled in the unheated rooms and huddled -himself into another blanket; but he sat near the door leading to the -hall, which was slightly ajar; and though his eyes closed sometimes in -weariness, he never lost a sound in the street or a tick of one of the -clocks. Through the entire night he watched and waited almost without -moving; it was not until the dawn of a gray, dirty day began to -somewhat lighten the room that he aroused Pendleton. The latter -expostulated sleepily when he noted the time; but with scarcely a word -the investigator took his place upon the sofa and dropped off to -sleep. - -About nine o'clock he awoke and found his friend arranging their -breakfast upon a small table. - -"I say, Kirk," said Pendleton, admiringly, "you did this thing rather -thoroughly. There's quite a tasty little snack here; and the thermos -bottles have kept the coffee steaming." - -At the water tap in the rear the investigator bathed his hands and -face; then he sat down with his friend and did complete justice to the -breakfast. Afterwards, with their cigars going nicely and a feeling of -comfort stealing over them in spite of the rather uncomfortable night, -Pendleton said: - -"You promised the other night to tell me what made you think that the -murderers had failed to secure the thing they sought. The words that -the promise was couched in made me think that you had also something -to show me, and as we could not light up last night, I've waited -patiently until to-day. Now you must ease my curiosity. Come, tell me -a few things." - -Ashton-Kirk took his cigar from his mouth. - -"I told you," said he, "that the reports of Burgess and Fuller, -together with the conversation we had with Tobin, had enlightened me -upon these points." As he enumerated them, he checked them off with -his fingers: - -"_Why the murder was done._ - -"_The identity of the confederate of Locke._ - -"_That the man would return to the scene of the crime._" - -"Yes," said Pendleton, "those, I think, were the points." - -"The first two," went on the investigator, "I will allow to stand for -a while. But I promised to illustrate for you, and I think I can do -so." - -Ashton-Kirk here arose and passed through the storeroom and kitchen -into the bedroom. - -"The writing upon the step in the hall," said he, facing his friend, -"directed Locke's confederate to look for something behind Wayne's -portrait. As all the pictures of Wayne in the place were broken or -otherwise showed traces of rough handling, it seemed that the thing -desired must have been found. However, I was not sure about that, as -I have told you. - -"If you will recall Tobin's remarks of the other night, you will note -that the only thing he could admire in the man's character was his -fighting spirit. Then it developed that Hume made a boast of having -come by this naturally enough. He claimed descent from one of -Washington's officers. Tobin could not recall the officer's name; but -he related an anecdote of him that was unmistakable. The officer was -General Wayne!" - -"By George!" cried Pendleton. - -"The collection of Wayne portraits was in this way explained. It was -also suggested to me that Hume might be an assumed name--that the -numismatist might have once been known as Wayne, and that Locke had -known him by that name. Of course, it's quite likely that he was not -really a descendant of Wayne. But he probably called himself Wayne -nevertheless. - -"I see," said Pendleton, his hands waving with excitement. "And in the -stress of the moment, Locke wrote the name 'Wayne' upon the step in -candle grease, forgetting that his confederate only knew their -proposed victim as Hume." His eyes rested upon the walls and upon the -sneering, unpleasant portrait of the murdered man. "He meant that the -thing he desired was _there_," indicating the portrait with an -exultant sweep of the arm. "And by George, it must be there still." - -He sprang forward with the evident intention of wrenching the picture -from the wall; but Ashton-Kirk restrained him. - -"Don't," said he. "We'll leave that for our expected visitor." - -"Surely," protested the excited Pendleton, "you don't propose to leave -the thing there! Think of the risk! You might lose it in the end; for, -you know, one never foresees what is to turn up." - -"A fisherman must always risk losing his lure," answered the -investigator composedly. - -They spent the long hours of the day in smoking and talking; and at -intervals they ate the sandwiches and other things which had been -smuggled in in the guise of packages of furs. And finally the shadows -gathered and thickened once again in Christie Place. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE SECOND NIGHT - - -The second night of the vigil in Hume's rooms wore on. Unlike the -preceding one, the two young men were almost entirely silent; when -they did speak, it was in tones so low as to be scarcely above a -whisper. - -There was a taut, indefinable something in the air that kept the -desire for sleep from both; in the brooding darkness they were alert, -watchful, expectant. The tobacco-loving Pendleton afterwards recalled -with surprise that not once did he think of the weed. But when the -queer, mysterious night sounds began to come--those creakings of loose -planks, strainings of unseen timbers and untraceable snappings in the -walls, that are common in old houses--he frequently thought of the -automatic revolver; and the chill of the polished metal always felt -comforting enough. - -The clocks announced the ends of the hours according to their -temperaments; coming in the midst of the total silence, the din seemed -to Pendleton to be terrific; he pictured appalled criminals on their -way through the dark halls, crouching in fear at the sounds. Eleven -o'clock struck, and then twelve with its continued uproar. It seemed a -long time before one and then two sounded. Pendleton's limbs were -beginning to feel loggy and numb because of the chill and the -continued inaction. He had ventured to stir them a little, and was -wrapping the heavy blanket more closely about himself, when he felt -Ashton-Kirk's hand upon his shoulder. - -"Hush-h-h!" said the investigator in a whisper. - -Instantly Pendleton was motionless; he listened intently, but the -silence of the place seemed complete. - -"What is it?" he finally ventured to breathe. - -The hand upon his shoulder tightened warningly; but there came no -other reply. Again Pendleton listened. The door of the showroom stood -open; Ashton-Kirk had placed it so in order that they might catch any -sound that came from the hall. All the other doors leading into the -hall from Hume's apartments were securely locked; anyone who ventured -into the suite must first pass through the showroom where the two -waited and watched. - -After a space Pendleton's attention was rewarded; a faint, far-off -rustling came to him; somehow it gave him the impression of -hesitation, non-assurance, timidity; he was speculating upon the -queerness of this impression when there came a faint, momentary glow -from the hall--mysterious, phosphorescent, unreal; and then it -vanished. Both young men were huddled upon the sofa, which was placed -facing the open door. A huge Spanish screen was drawn before them; but -the black leather was cracked in places; and through these they had a -clear view of the hall. - -A moment later the glow appeared once more; but this time it was -brighter. - -"Someone is on the stairs," reasoned Pendleton, his hand going to his -revolver. "It looks as though he were lighting matches to show the -way." - -Between the sputters of light were spaces of darkness; these were; -filled in by the faint guarded rustling. But as the light upon each -appearance grew brighter, so did the sound become more distinct; and -at length a light resonance, unmistakably a footstep, came from the -hall. - -Then steadily, softly the sound came on through the darkness; nearer -and nearer it drew until at length it became unmistakable. _The -rustling was that of a woman's skirts!_ Then, so it seemed, the -darkness of the doorway grew denser; the soft, quick breathing of the -newcomer became audible; her hands were heard moving over the door -frame as she blindly searched for the door. - -Then, apparently, she learned that the door was open; a deeper breath -showed the relief she felt at this; now she carefully entered the -room. - -Even before Pendleton's brain realized who it must be, he began to -feel a tightening at his heart; and now as he pictured her advancing -with outstretched, groping hands into the darkened room--a room -horrible with crime and secret dread--it was all that he could do to -hold himself in check. He had almost an overmastering desire to spring -up, to cry out to her, to tell her not to fear. - -He was still struggling with this feeling when he became aware that -she had paused; and, also, that Ashton-Kirk was once more gripping his -shoulder with a warning hand. Becoming instantly alert, his senses -perceived a stoppage of everything; the clocks seemed to tick more -faintly, he could no longer hear the woman breathe. There was an -instant that roared with silence; then came the soft, steady padding -of feet descending the stair. - -Then he heard the girl release her breath in a great, trembling -exhalation; the rustle of skirts came quick and sharp in the darkness; -he heard the door through which she had entered the room squeak upon -its hinges and then close with a click that proclaimed it fast. - -After this there was a long pause. Pendleton could hear the faint -breathing of the girl, and thought it rather odd that she did not -catch the sound of his own. He pictured her leaning against the -locked door, her heart throbbing with fear as she listened to the -descending footsteps; stronger and stronger grew his desire to leap up -and assure her that friends were at hand. But at the same time the -warning grip of his companion, who seemed to feel what was in his -mind, also grew stronger and stronger. - -With the closing of the door, the sounds from the stairs had ceased to -reach them. There was a long pause; Pendleton, during this, grew -sensible of a long, wavering mental antenna which he projected into -the shadows; and its delicate sensitiveness told him of the silent -approach of a fearful thing. A long, long time, it seemed to him, but -in reality it was remarkably brief. - -Then the steps were heard, shuffling and secret, in the hall and very -near at hand. A soft, uncertain touch fell upon the smooth glass of -the door; down its length the inquiring fingers traveled; then the -handle was tried, held a moment and quietly released. - -The steps then receded lightly down the hall. - -For some moments all was quiet, then there came the scratch of a match -from the hall, and its accompanying flare, seen through the glass of -the door. A little space more, and a rending sound came to their ears, -followed by the falling of some metallic objects upon the floor. -Pendleton required no explanation of these sounds; it was plain that -the second intruder had come prepared and had forced one of the doors. - -All the communicating doors of the suite had been left open; through -them came the pushing about of furniture and the drawing down of -blinds; then another match flared, followed by a stronger and steadier -light, which showed that the second visitor had lighted the gas. The -light filtered palely through the various rooms into the one in which -the two men and the woman were hidden; by means of this the former -could make the latter out in a dim, uncertain sort of way. She seemed -unusually tall as she moved noiselessly across the floor and peered -cautiously through the communicating doorways. - -[Illustration: WHAT SHE SAW MUST HAVE STARTLED HER] - -What she saw must have startled her, for she drew quickly back, her -hand pressed to her heart. Then softly she retraced her steps; they -heard the door-catch slip quietly back and were conscious that the -door was swung open; the woman then crept inch by inch, so it seemed, -down the hall. - -It was the bedroom door that had been forced; the two watchers noted -the bar of light that slanted from it across the passage. Nearer and -nearer the woman approached to it. Pendleton had at first thought that -she was making for the stairs; but this died away as she passed them, -unheeding. The automatic revolver was in his hand instantly; leaning -toward his friend, he breathed in his ear. - -"She's going in there." - -The blanket slipped from him as he arose to his feet; his legs were -still cramped and stiffened; he felt clumsy and unsure. Ashton-Kirk -evidently agreed that the time had come for action, for he whispered -in reply: - -"Through the rooms! I will take the hall!" - -Pendleton stepped from behind the screen like a shadow. Through the -door leading to the storeroom he had an uninterrupted view of a part -of the bedroom; and across the floor he saw thrown the shadow of a -man. Noiselessly he tip-toed into the kitchen, the revolver held -ready; just outside the bedroom he paused, and drawing to one side, -waited. Then he noted the shadow move slightly, and heard a deep -rumbling voice say in French: - -"You were a devil! Even now as I look at you, you laugh and jibe!" The -shadow upon the floor here swung its arms threateningly. "But laugh -away. I have won, and it is my turn to laugh!" - -Here the shadow slid along and up the wall; peering around the edge of -the door, Pendleton saw a man with massive, stooped shoulders and a -great square head, covered with thick, iron-gray hair; and instantly -he recognized him as the man whom they had seen that night in the -doorway of Locke's workshop. The stranger was standing just under the -portrait of Hume; he gazed up at it, and his big shoulders shook with -laughter. - -"What a mistake to make," he said, still in French. "How was I to know -that the old devil once called himself Wayne!" - -He reached up and took the picture from its hook; with thick, powerful -fingers he tore the backing away, and a flat, compact bundle of papers -was disclosed. The picture was thrown upon the bed, and the man stood -staring at the papers, a wide smile upon his face. - -"So this is the secret, eh? Well, Locke will pay well for it, and it -will be worth all the risks I've taken." - -He was fumbling with a coat pocket as though to stow them away, when -there came a swift, light rush, the packet was torn from his hands, -and Edyth Vale was darting toward the hall door and the stairway -beyond. - -But despite his bulk, the man with the stooped shoulders proved -himself singularly swift. In two leaps he had overtaken her; dragging -her back to the center of the room, he snatched the packet from her in -turn. Regarding her with calm, pitiless eyes, he said in English: - -"I am sorry, mees, that you have come, eh? Eet makes eet mooch harder -for me. And I am of the kind that would rather be off quietly, is it -not? and say no words to no one." - -Edyth Vale, pale of face, but with steady eye, returned his look. - -"What are you going to do?" she asked. - -"I am sorry to do anything," spoke the stranger. "I do not know you, -and you will onderstan', will you not, that I can't leave you -behind--to talk?" - -As he spoke a flashing something appeared from the girl's pocket; he -lifted one huge paw to beat her down; but a clenched hand, protected -by a corded buckskin glove, thudded against his jaw; his knees -weakened, and he sprawled upon the floor. - -"Jimmie!" gasped Edyth Vale. "Jimmie Pendleton!" - -"Oh, Edyth--Edyth!" was all the man could say. He slipped his arm -around her, for she was tottering; and as he helped her to a chair, -Ashton-Kirk quietly entered at the hall door. - -"Miss Vale," said he, "good-evening." - -Without waiting to note if she even gave him a look, he bent over the -fallen man and snapped a pair of handcuffs upon his wrists. - -"A very pretty blow, Pen," said he, admiringly. "Beautifully timed, -and your judgment of distance was excellent." - -He slipped the fallen papers into his pocket and continued: "Keep an -eye on him, for a moment." - -Then he stepped swiftly through the hall; a moment later they heard -him throw up one of the windows overlooking the street, and a whistle -shrilled through the night. - -"Paulson is on duty," said the investigator, returning. "He'll be here -in a jiffy." - -Sure enough, they soon heard heavy steps upon the stairs; and then -Paulson and a fellow patrolman appeared in the doorway. Astonished, -the policeman gazed at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded to them smilingly, then -they turned their gaze upon Pendleton, who was speaking soothing words -to the white-faced girl, who, now that the danger was over, clung to -him tremblingly. But when their eyes centered upon the manacled -stranger who was then dazedly struggling to a sitting position, -Paulson asked: - -"Who is this?" - -"This," answered Ashton-Kirk, "is M. Sagon, a fellow lodger of Antonio -Spatola, formerly a very close friend of the late Mr. Hume, and once a -resident of Bayonne, in France." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -APPROACHING THE FINISH - - -Pendleton spent the night at Ashton-Kirk's; and after breakfast he -wandered into the library, a newspaper in his hand and an inquiring -look on his face. - -The investigator was seated in his usual big chair, buried to the -knees in newspapers, and making vigorous inroads upon the Greek -tobacco. Fuller was just leaving the room as Pendleton entered, and -nodding toward the disappearing form, Ashton-Kirk said: - -"There is some rather interesting news. I have had Locke, as you -perhaps know, under observation for some time. Last night he took the -train at Cordova, and Burgess followed him. When he reached the city, -he went directly to Christie Place and was seen lurking about in the -shadows." - -"Humph," said Pendleton, "what time was this?" - -"Perhaps about eleven o'clock. Burgess, so Fuller tells me, never lost -sight of him. He acted in a queerly hesitating sort of way; finally, -however, he seemed to form a resolution and went to the door of the -Marx house. He was about to pull the bell, then paused and tried the -door instead. It was evidently not locked. He seemed both surprised -and pleased at this; he lost no time, however, but went in at once." - -Pendleton sat down. - -"What do you suppose all this meant?" he asked. - -"Well, we can't be too sure," replied Ashton Kirk, "but I think it -probable that he, also, saw the news of the withdrawal of the police -in the papers. Perhaps he came to Christie Place with the intention of -informing Sagon of the opportunity that then presented itself. Or it -might be that he had hopes of somehow over-reaching his companion in -crime." - -"His lurking about would seem to point rather in that direction," said -Pendleton. - -"And his preferring to enter the lodging house without ringing also -indicates some such idea. As I see it, he hoped to gain the roof -unobserved. He knew the house and the habits of the people quite well. -No doubt he had a plan, and a good one. He's a thinker, is Mr. Locke." - -"If he was noticed, he could indicate that he had called to see M. -Sagon." - -"Exactly. But I very much doubt his gaining the roof. Perhaps, after -all, he was detected; for a few minutes later Burgess saw him leave -the house." - -"Humph!" said Pendleton. Then after some few moments spent in the -examination of his paper he threw it down. "It's full of all sorts of -allusions to monoplanes and such like," grumbled he. "As I had to take -Edyth home last night, and you went bravely away with the police and -Sagon, I find myself, as usual, trailing some distance in the rear." - -Ashton-Kirk regarded the litter of newspapers ruefully: - -"I gave them the heads of the case very plainly," said he, "but as it -was almost the hour for going to press, I suppose they did not get the -finer points of my meaning. Some of them have made a sad mess of it. -However, the evening papers will have a coherent account, I suppose." - -"If you think I am going to wait until the evening papers are issued -to get to the bottom of this thing, you're much mistaken," declared -Pendleton. "I demand a full and detailed explanation immediately." - -Here a tap came upon the door; Stumph entered and handed Ashton-Kirk a -card. - -"Let him come up," said the latter; and, as the man went out, he -continued to Pendleton. "We will both probably be much enlightened -now. It is Allan Morris." - -"Just as you said," spoke Pendleton. "It's really almost like second -sight." - -The investigator laughed. - -"A small feat of reasoning, nothing more," said he. "However, an -enthusiast might find some of the elements of second sight in our -conversation in this room about a week ago." - -Pendleton looked at him questioningly. - -"It was on the morning that you called to announce the coming of Miss -Vale. We were speaking of how it sometimes happened that very innocent -things led to most weighty results; and I remarked, if you will -remember, that your visit might lead to my connection with a murder -that would dwarf some of those which we had spoken of." - -"So you did," agreed Pendleton. "That _is_ rather remarkable, Kirk." - -"And further," smiled the investigator, "I recall that I expressed -great admiration for Marryat's conception of a homicide in the matter -of Smallbones and the hag. The weapon used by Smallbones, it turns -out, was identical in character to the one used by Sagon." - -"A bayonet," cried Pendleton. "By George! So it was." - -Just then Stumph announced Allan Morris. - -The latter was pale and haggard; his clothes were neglected, and there -were some days' beard upon his chin. He seemed astonished at sight of -Pendleton; however, he only nodded. Then he said inquiringly to the -investigator: - -"You are Mr. Ashton-Kirk?" - -"I am. Will you sit down, Mr. Morris?" - -Morris sat down dejectedly. - -"Tobin advised me to come see you," he said. "I refused at first; but -in view of what the newspapers contain this morning, I reconsidered -it." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"If you had, come to me in the first place," said he, "you'd probably -not have fallen into this mess, and you'd have saved yourself a great -deal of suffering." He regarded the young man for a moment, and then -went on. "Miss Vale, I suppose, has told you of her dealings with me." - -"She has," said Morris. "She's been very candid with me in everything. -If I had been the same with her," bitterly, "I should have acted more -like a natural human being. You see, we were to be married; she was -very rich, while I had comparatively nothing. But this in itself -would not have been sufficient to have prevented our wedding for so -long. The fact was that I had gotten myself into trouble through -speculation; I had a fear that my position might even be considered -criminal from some points of view. And I allowed myself to get nervous -over it. - -"However, there was a way by which it was possible for me to -extricate myself. To explain this I'll have to go back some years." - -"Take your own time," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"Well, my father had worked for years perfecting the plans of a -heavier-than-air flying machine," Morris resumed. "At the time of his -death he told me that it was all complete but the constructing, and -that I had millions within my reach. But Hume had the plans--my father -had borrowed money of him--a considerable sum--and had given him the -plans as security. - -"Hume had always derided the idea of the monoplane. Tobin, who knew -them both, tells me that he was forever mocking my father upon the -subject. And when the time came when the plans could be redeemed, Hume -denied having them. There was no receipt, nothing to show that the -transaction had ever occurred. The man declared that the whole thing -was a drunken dream. He had never seen any plans; he had never paid -out any money; he knew nothing about the matter. Time and again the -man reiterated this; and each time, so I've heard, he would go -off into gales of laughter. I have no doubt but that the entire -performance on his part was to afford himself these opportunities; he -seemed to love such things." - -"Was it not possible for your father to duplicate the plans?" - -"At an earlier time it would have meant but a few weeks' application -at most. But at this period the thing was impossible. The last long -debauch seemed to have sapped his intellect; it also was the direct -cause of his death." - -"I see," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"I took the matter up with Hume at once," went on the young man. "But -I had no more success than my father. In the man's eyes, I had but -replaced my father; I was another patient subject for his mockery, -derision and abuse. - -"There were some scattered drawings of the monoplane in father's -office; I began a study of these, thinking to chance upon the -principal idea. But I was unsuccessful. - -"All this, you understand, was before I had met Miss Vale, and before -I was tangled up in the trouble I have just mentioned. - -"The fear began to grow on me that Hume meant to use the plans to his -own advantage; I knew that he had long been familiar with Locke, who -was reputed to be a mechanical genius, and between them, I fancied -they'd take action. I began a watch upon the reports of the Patent -Office, thinking that that would finally give me something tangible to -use against them. However, I never gave up my visits to Hume, or my -efforts to make him admit possession of my father's property. - -"It was during one of these visits that I first met Spatola; and I -was much struck by the performance of his cockatoos. My father had -always held to the idea that the problem of flight would be finally -solved by a study of the birds; this gave me an idea, and I took to -visiting Spatola in his lodgings in Christie Place. He'd have the -cockatoos fly slowly round and round the big attic, and I'd watch them -and make notes. - -"It was about this time that I met Miss Vale and asked her to be my -wife; a very little later, in an effort to raise money, I got into the -financial trouble which I have referred to. After a little the -question of a time for our marriage came up; I was filled with fear -and put it off; this occurred several times, and I was at my wits' -end. I could not marry with that thing hanging over me. Suppose it -should turn out as I feared; imagine the shock to a high spirited girl -to discover that she had married a defaulter. - -"It was then that I turned to the matter of the plans as my only hope; -with a perfected idea I could readily secure a large sum of money in -advance. So I redoubled my efforts to have a settlement with Hume; but -he only derided me as usual. Continued visits to Spatola to study the -flight of the birds, showed me that the Italian was a fine fellow, -well educated and with much feeling and appreciation. We became fast -friends and so, little by little, I told him my story." - -"About the invention?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"Yes." - -The investigator turned to Pendleton. - -"I think," said he, "that I now understand why Spatola grew so -uncommunicative and suspicious toward the end of our interview at City -Hall. We both thought it was because I spoke of shorthand. But it was -perhaps because I mentioned an _invention_ in the way of writing -music. He feared that I was trying to incriminate Mr. Morris in some -way." - -Pendleton nodded. - -"That," said he, "I think explains it." - -"As you no doubt know," went on Morris, after the investigator had -once more given him his attention, "Spatola liked Hume none too well. -And he had reason for his hatred, poor fellow. Well, he became -interested in what I told him; and when he learned that I believed my -father's papers were in all probability somewhere in Hume's -apartments, he suggested that I come to live in Christie Place under -an assumed name. He thought that in time an opportunity would present -itself to cross the roofs some night, enter Hume's place by the -scuttle and so possess myself of the plans. - -"On the day preceding the murder, I had made up my mind to have one -more try with Hume; and if that failed I intended to follow Spatola's -advice, break in and take the plans by force. I was so full of this -resolution that I could not contain myself; I hinted at it to Miss -Vale; and the result of that hint, you know." - -He leaned his face forward in his hands and seemed to give way to a -bitter train of thought. He was evidently despondent. - -"It was also some such hint upon your part that induced her to visit -Locke at Dr. Mercer's place, wasn't it?" - -Morris raised his head and nodded. - -"Yes," he said. "After the murder I suspected Locke at once of having -something to do with it. I told Miss Vale; she went there without my -knowledge--seeing that I had not the courage to go myself," he added -bitterly--"and demanded the plans." - -"And she learned that they were still at Hume's--behind the portrait?" - -"Yes. Locke told her--he was overcome with horror at the murder. He -had merely desired to secure the plans,--having somehow learned their -hiding place. He had no intention of killing Hume." - -"But why did Sagon do it?--he must have had it in mind when he bought -the bayonet at Bernstine's," said Pendleton, looking at Ashton-Kirk. - -"He had. Do you recall how Burgess' report spoke of a league of -smugglers in Europe of which Hume was a leading spirit, and also of -how they had been captured and nearly all but Hume were tried and -convicted?" - -"Yes." - -"Sagon was one of those convicted. The diamonds which Hume tried to -smuggle into this country were to have been turned into money at the -time of the gang's arrest and the proceeds spent in their defense. But -instead of doing this, Hume left his comrades to their fate and -absconded. When Sagon gained his freedom he began a search for Hume, -meaning to have revenge. This search finally led him to Locke as a -person who had known Hume, and who would be likely to be able to tell -where he could be found." - -"Sagon has told you this?" queried Pendleton. - -"Yes; he talked freely, after he saw that his case was hopeless; and -he, too, insisted that Locke did not intend to commit murder. Locke, -even at the time of his meeting Sagon, was looking for someone to aid -him in gaining possession of the Morris plans. The work-shop which -we saw beside Locke's house contained a monoplane in course of -construction; but there was something lacking which he felt Morris's -plans could supply; and so he was anxious to get hold of it by hook or -crook. - -"Sagon, whose purpose from the first was murder, was not at all averse -to combining it with something else. He took the room at Mrs. Marx's -place, after he had perceived that an entrance could probably be made -at Hume's by way of the scuttle. The well dressed 'business guys' that -the machinist on the first floor spoke about to us, were no doubt -Locke, who frequently called upon Sagon, and Mr. Morris here, whom the -man did not suspect of being a lodger. - -"To prove a theory that I had formed, and which I have mentioned in a -vague sort of way," went on Ashton-Kirk, "I asked Sagon why he had -used a bayonet. And it turned out as I had thought. Sagon and Hume had -first met at Bayonne; the greater part of their operations had been -carried on there; the band had been finally rounded up and convicted -there. The bayonet, so legend has it, was first made in Bayonne, and -Sagon conceived that it would be a sort of poetic justice if the -traitor were to die by a weapon so closely connected with the scene of -his treachery." - -There was a pause after this, and then young Morris got up slowly and -painfully. - -"I don't want it to be thought," said he "that I was directly -responsible for Miss Vale's adventure of last night--or for any of the -others, for the matter of that. If I had known at the time that she -proposed visiting Locke's, or Hume's, either upon the night of the -murder, or last night, I would have prevented it." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded kindly; the young man's position evidently -appealed to him. But Pendleton sat rather stiffly in his chair and his -expression never changed. - -"I will now come into possession of whatever value there is in my -father's invention," went on Morris, "and added to that, it turns out -that the--the other thing, of which I stood so much in fear, has -turned out favorably. But," in a disheartened sort of way, "I don't -care much, now that my engagement with Miss Vale is broken." - -"Broken!" exclaimed Pendleton. - -"I saw her this morning," said Morris. "During the past week," he -continued, "it gradually came to me that I was not the sort of man to -make her a fitting husband. I hid like a squirrel while she faced the -dangers that should have been mine. I knew that she realized the -situation as well as I, and I did what I could by making it easy for -her." - -He paused at the door. - -"If there is anything that I can do, or say in the final settlement of -this case," he added, to Ashton-Kirk, "I will gladly place myself at -your services, sir. Good-bye." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE FINISH - - -"For the first time," said Pendleton, as the door closed upon Allan -Morris, "I can feel sorry for him. To lose a girl like Edyth Vale is -indeed a calamity. Think of the courage she's shown--of what she was -willing to do. Why, Kirk, she's one in ten thousand." - -But Ashton-Kirk only nodded; he had arisen upon the departure of -Morris, and was now drawing on a pair of gloves. The splendid -qualities of Miss Vale apparently had little appeal for him at that -moment. - -"Are you ready?" he asked, in a business-like way. - -"Ready?" repeated Pendleton, surprised. - -"To be sure. We can scarcely call this case complete until something -has been done in the matter of Locke." - -"That's so. But, somehow, I had the notion that your men had already -attended to him." - -"I always prefer to finish my work in my own way," said the -investigator. "Osborne, as soon as he heard of Locke, through Sagon, -wanted to take up the trail. But I convinced him that he'd better -leave it to me." - -Pendleton clapped on his hat. - -"I'm with you," said he, "but where do you expect to find him?" - -Ashton-Kirk rang for Stumph and ordered the car; then he replied: - -"We'll more than likely find him at home. Burgess followed him back to -Cordova, last night." - -They went down and climbed into the car, and were soon on the road. - -A little distance from the Mercer Institute they came upon a compact -looking man seated upon the top rail of a fence, chewing at a straw. -He wore heavy, much-splashed boots and a sun-scorched suit of clothes. - -"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, "I see Burgess is still on the job." - -"Burgess," echoed Pendleton. He looked at the man upon the fence in -surprise; except for the very broad shoulders there was no -resemblance. - -However, Burgess grinned amiably through a rather neglected growth of -beard. - -"I expected you along about this time," said he, to the investigator. - -"Is everything all right?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"He's still there," answered Burgess, and he nodded toward a house -with a peaked and slated roof which stood some little distance up an -intersecting road. It was the same house through the window of which -Pendleton had seen Edyth Vale some nights previously, but, somehow, it -seemed strange and unfamiliar in daylight. - -"I can see three sides of it from here," went on Burgess. "And if he -dropped out of one of the windows on the fourth side I could sight him -before he'd gone fifty yards. You may be sure he's there, all right." - -"You've heard of what took place last night, I suppose?" - -Burgess tapped a folded newspaper at his breast pocket. - -"So has Locke," said he. "Apparently his orders are to furnish him -with the papers as soon as they arrive. A man from the Institute -building brought one to him more than an hour ago." - -Just then Ashton-Kirk noted far up the road upon which Locke's house -stood, a very small buggy, drawn by an equally small horse. In the -buggy sat a man whose huge bulk seemed to bulge out beyond its sides. -Arriving before Locke's house, the small horse stopped, as though from -habit. Then with a mighty effort, the fat man rolled out and waddled -to the gate. He pressed and re-pressed the button; but no one -answered. - -Ashton-Kirk looked at his assistant. - -"Are you quite sure that our man is there," asked he. - -Burgess chewed his straw calmly. - -"I'm positive of it," said he. - -The fat man now entered at the gate and going to the front door, tried -it. But it was evidently fast, and he turned away. Hesitating for a -moment, he laboriously approached the work shop, the roof of which -could be seen through the trees. Apparently the result was the same -here, for in a very few minutes he was seen to waddle back to his -buggy and climb in with much effort. Then the small horse ambled -forward while the fat man leaned back in great distress. - -"You recognize him, do you not?" smiled Ashton-Kirk. - -"I do, now," returned Pendleton. "It's our friend Dr. Mercer." - -When the buggy arrived at the spot where the motor-car stood, the -doctor regarded its occupants with some surprise. - -"Good-morning," greeted Ashton-Kirk. - -Painfully, gaspingly the other answered this in kind. The round white -face wore an expression of martyrdom. - -"I am pleased to see you once more," said he. - -"You like driving in the morning, then?" said the investigator. - -The principal's flesh quivered with repulsion. - -"It is an exercise ordered by my physician," he answered. "I protested -against it strongly, but he was obdurate. And I am compelled to do it -before I have had my breakfast," hollowly. "It is scarcely short of -barbarous." - -Here the small horse stretched its neck and shook itself until the -harness rattled. Pendleton looking from master to beast thought they -might exchange places much to the master's ultimate well-being. - -There was a short pause; then Dr. Mercer bent his head toward them. - -"When you visited the institute a few nights ago," said he, "you also, -at my request, visited Professor Locke." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"For some time," proceeded the other, "I have fancied that there -was something wrong with him. Not of a physical nature, as is, -unfortunately the case with myself, but more in a mental way. But -since that night I have been _sure_ that some sort of a derangement -had fixed itself upon him, or is in progress. He can scarcely be -called the same person. More than once I have been afraid," and here -the speaker lowered his voice to a husky whisper, "that he is -unbalanced." - -"That is very grave," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"It has occurred to me," went on the doctor, not without shrewdness, -"that something happened that night which unsettled him." The eyes -seemingly floating in fat, turned themselves first to Pendleton, then -to Ashton-Kirk. "I suppose, though, you know nothing of it?" - -"We noticed that he seemed greatly agitated," replied the -investigator. "And we are alarmed to hear that he seems disturbed." - -"It is our rule that no one leave the institute grounds after -nightfall," said Dr. Mercer, in a troubled voice. "Last night I had -occasion to send for him, but he was gone. This morning I stopped to -reproach him for his absence; but apparently he has not returned." - -"You're mistaken there," put in Burgess. "Look!" - -He indicated the house as he spoke. The small figure of Locke was seen -emerging at the front door; he paused for a moment, peering this way -and that in his near-sighted fashion, then hastily made his way toward -the work-shop. Evidently he had not seen them. - -With great labor and much catching of breath Dr. Mercer had turned -sufficiently to see these things. He seemed greatly astonished. - -"He was there all the time," said he. "It is not possible that he did -not feel the vibrations of the buzzer, for he is very sensitive to -such things." - -His indignation appeared to swell him to even greater proportions -than before. - -"It is an affront," he stated in a choked tone. "It is a deliberate -affront. He felt the buzzer, and he knew it was I. But he did not -consider me of enough importance to trouble himself about." - -Panting he sought to turn the small horse, but in a moment Ashton-Kirk -was out in the road and had the animal by the head. - -"I beg your pardon," said the investigator, "but it would probably be -more beneficial to yourself and others, if you continued your drive -and left Professor Locke to us." - -Amazed beyond ability to stir, the doctor sat and stared. But finally -he found his tongue. - -"Bless my soul and body," exclaimed he with a great wheezing -exhalation. "I scarcely understand this, sir." - -"My dear doctor," said Ashton-Kirk soothingly, "it is not at all -necessary that you do so. The fact is, to state it briefly, there is -a trifling matter for adjustment between Professor Locke and the -commonwealth." - -"The commonwealth!" cried the doctor, and he shook like a great mass -of gelatine. - -"Nothing less. So, you see, it will be as well for you to do as I -suggest." Then turning to Pendleton, Ashton-Kirk continued: "I think -we had better walk the remainder of the way; otherwise we might get -Locke's attention before it is advisable." - -Pendleton jumped down, and without another word to Dr. Mercer, they -set off toward the slate-roofed house by the roadside. However, after -they had gone about fifty yards, Pendleton turned and looked back. He -saw the small horse jogging away, while behind it, helplessly fat and -hopelessly befogged, sat Dr. Mercer, swaying dispiritedly from side to -side. - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton advanced upon the house, they bore in -mind the possibility of Locke being on the watch; so they kept out of -sight as much as possible. - -"It's rather odd, I think, that he hangs on here, knowing that his -part in the murder of Hume must now be known," said Pendleton. "I -rather expected an attempt at escape." - -"That may come later," said the investigator, grimly. "The finish of -a thing of this sort is always a matter for speculation. I have seen -desperate criminals who surrendered like lambs; and I've seen the -other sort give a platoon of police a good day's work in their -taking." - -"Do you think it possible that Locke is one of this latter type?" - -"There is no knowing. But I am inclined to believe that he is." - -Pendleton shook his head. It seemed impossible that this dapper -little man with his peering, short-sighted eyes could be capable of -any determined effort to escape the police when once driven into a -corner. However, Pendleton had ample reason to respect Ashton-Kirk's -judgment; and so when the latter deemed it necessary to approach with -caution, he acted accordingly. - -They paused in front of the house. - -It was now past ten o'clock and the sun was shining brightly; a little -patch of garden, filled with early flowering plants lay between the -house and the wood; all about the work-shop were the tall trees which -they had noticed upon their previous visit. - -"We had better not use the gate," suggested the investigator. "There -might be an attachment of some sort that will give him warning." - -So under cover of the trees they scaled the fence; then they carefully -made their way toward the shop. The windows and door of this were -closed, nothing was stirring. Near the door was scattered some rubbish -and loose paper. The place had an utterly deserted look. - -"Do you think he is there?" asked Pendleton. - -"I will know in a few moments," replied the other. "Wait here." - -Pendleton expected Ashton-Kirk to continue his cautious approach. But -to his surprise the investigator with cool assurance stepped out from -behind a tree and advanced toward the outbuilding; when he reached -the door he opened it and calmly stepped inside. - -The building was in one great room. It had some windows at the side, -but the greater part of its illumination came from a huge skylight. As -he closed the door behind him, Ashton-Kirk had a vague impression of -something huge, made of steel rods and with far-stretching wing-like -projections at the sides. But he had no time to give the mechanism -even a glance; of greater interest was the small figure which sat at a -wide work-table upon which a litter of drawings was scattered. - -It was Locke; and as the slight jar of the closing door reached him he -lifted his eyes and saw the intruder. If Ashton-Kirk expected any -display of fear or other emotion, he was disappointed; upon each of -his previous meetings with Locke the latter had shown great -trepidation; but now he simply nodded quietly and seemed not at all -surprised. - -But as Ashton-Kirk made a step toward him, he rose and raised his hand -in a gesture that was peremptory and unmistakable. The investigator -paused; then Locke pointed to a chair directly before his bench, but -some half dozen yards away; and when Ashton-Kirk smilingly seated -himself, Locke did likewise. - -Then in heavy characters he scrawled upon the back of one of the -blue-prints. - -"I was expecting a visitor, and fancied that it might be you." - -This he held up so that the investigator might read it. Ashton-Kirk -nodded. Again the back of a plan came into service and this time the -investigator read. - -"What has occurred is most unfortunate. I had no hand in it, though, -of course, I do not expect anyone to believe me." - -Here Ashton-Kirk drew a note book from his pocket and was about to -write, but the other stopped him with a gesture. Then the man once -more wrote; carefully, heavily, in order that the other might have no -difficulty in reading it from the distance. - -"Pardon me! But it is not necessary for you to go to any trouble. -Moreover--I beg of you not to think me rude--your opinions in the -matter have no interest for me." - -Ashton-Kirk acknowledged this with a grave nod. The pencil was -instantly at work again. - -"As I have said, I expected a visitor; but I will now add that I did -not expect to be here to receive him." - -Ashton-Kirk looked swiftly into Locke's face as he read this; the -expression was unmistakable, and the investigator leaped to his feet. -But the mute uttered a strange parrot-like cry--evidently the same -that Edyth heard that night in Christie Place--and Ashton-Kirk saw his -hand go swiftly to a button at one side of the work-bench. Instantly -the investigator paused; once more a gesture bade him be seated. - -Slowly he obeyed; and once more Locke began to trace bold characters -upon the stiff paper. This message read: - -"You are a wise man. I had arranged everything before you came in, and -had sat down to make an end of it. This button at my hand once started -an electric apparatus; but now it is connected with a quantity of an -explosive--my own invention, and a terrible one. Believe me, one touch -and everything in this building is in fragments." - -Ashton-Kirk, when he had finished reading, nodded quietly. Again the -mute began to write. - -"I have no ill will toward you," the words ran, "you have two minutes -to leave here, and get safely away." - -When he saw that this had been read, Locke threw down the paper and -took out his watch. Then he pointed toward the door and sat waiting. - -It was strange to see the little man sitting there calmly, with only -the pressure of a finger between him and eternity. But Ashton-Kirk -knew stern resolution too well to mistake the look on the mute's -face. There was nothing to do but to obey. He waved his hand in a -farewell. Locke returned the gesture. Then Ashton-Kirk walked to the -door, opened it and stepped out. - -Pendleton, patiently watching among the trees, saw him emerge and at -once moved toward him; to his amazement the investigator took him by -the arm and broke into a run. - -"What the deuce is the matter now?" asked Pendleton, after they had -passed the gate and were racing down the road. - -"You'll know in a few moments," returned Ashton-Kirk grimly. - -He permitted no pause until they reached the car, the engine of which -had not been stopped. - -"Quick, for your lives!" he ordered, as he leaped in. - -Pendleton and Burgess followed instantly. The car had scarcely begun -its plunge forward when a horrible rending shock staggered them. And -as they sped away the debris of the deaf-mute's work-shop was falling -all about them. - -The evening papers were glaring with the news from Cordova by the -time the two friends were once more alone in Ashton-Kirk's library. -Pendleton seemed to be pondering. - -"I say," said he, at last, "was it Morris or Spatola who remained at -Hume's the night of the murder?" - -"I spoke to Spatola about that," answered Ashton-Kirk. "He said it -was Morris who left first and whom Hume pursued by jeers through the -open window. Morris had, according to his resolve, called at the place -to demand the plans; but Hume was mad with liquor and was even worse -in his manner than usual. Unable to bear it, Morris had rushed out. -Spatola later made his way out by way of the scuttle and across the -roof, as he frequently did. - -"The thing which Spatola had carried under his coat that night was a -diploma which he had received from a musical conservatory in Rome. It -was in a frame and so made considerable bulk. Hume had denied that -afternoon that Spatola had ever studied in this particular -conservatory; frantic with rage, but knowing that he was a fool for -doing it, the Italian had brought his diploma as proof. - -"Morris, under the name of Crawford, occupied a room on the floor -below Spatola; and as soon as the musician entered through the -scuttle, he descended the stairs and went immediately to his friend's -room to console and encourage him. - -"Some time passed, and while they were still talking they heard a step -upon the stairs leading to the attic. As no one lived there but -himself, Spatola looked and in the semi-darkness saw two men -descending. He called and asked who they were, and Sagon's voice -replied that it was he and a friend. They had gone up to have a talk -and smoke a cigar with him; but seeing that he was not in, they had -come down at once. And now, as he was apparently engaged, they would -not trouble him, and with that they disappeared within Sagon's room." - -"Then," said Pendleton, "they had gone up through the attic, across -the roofs, committed the deed, and returned while Spatola was with -Morris?" - -"It would seem so." - -"But suppose that on reaching the attic, upon their return they had -found Spatola there?" - -"Sagon had calculated it all very nicely. One night a week Spatola -went to play with two compatriots at their rooms; with piano, harp and -violin, they gave vent to the harmony that was in them. That was the -night for the trio, and Sagon knew it. But In his rage and his desire -to prove his standing to Hume, Spatola had forgotten it. When he -descended to Morris's rooms, the two criminals thought he had gone to -make his usual visit to his friends. Sagon says he almost lost his -nerve when the Italian confronted them on the stairs." - -"But here's a thing I've not been able to puzzle out. According to -your notion--and you may have proved it since, for all I know--Locke -was not in the showroom during or after the murder. And yet it should -have been he who dropped the little particle from the railroad ticket -upon the desk." - -"It would seem that way," admitted Ashton-Kirk, "but the fact is that -Sagon visited Locke at the Institute and rode to the city with him -that afternoon. The particle may be accounted for in that way." - -"Yes," mused the other, "that's so. But, one thing more. I should have -asked this of Morris himself if he had not been in such a confoundedly -miserable way. Why did he take to hiding immediately after the -murder?" - -"He spent the night in his lodgings at Christie Place; next day the -papers told him that he was suspected. He knew that if he appeared -he'd be arrested; and as he desired to recover the plans before the -murderers escaped with them, he felt that this would be fatal to his -chances. Of course, I am not sure of this; but I think it more than -likely." - -"Speaking of taking chances on the plans," said Pendleton, "you were -willing enough to take pretty long ones on them last night. Why, Sagon -actually had them in his hands." - -Ashton-Kirk drew a flat packet from his pocket. Opening it he showed -that it contained nothing but blank paper. - -"This is what Sagon found behind the portrait," said he, with a -smile. "The real papers I was very careful to remove two days ago. One -moment--that's the telephone." - -Pendleton sat rolling a cigarette and wondering, while Ashton-Kirk -took down the receiver. - -"Well?" said he. Then in a moment his expression changed. "Oh, is it -you? Well, how are you after your exciting experience?" - -Here Pendleton dropped the completed cigarette and listened. - -"You may consider yourself very fortunate to escape with a slight -headache," said Ashton-Kirk. Then there was a pause, and he said, -apparently in answer to a question: "Oh, yes, he's with me now. Will -you speak with him?" - -Pendleton arose and took a step toward the stand. But he halted as if -shot when his friend continued in the transmitter: - -"No?" Pause. "Oh, very well. Good-by." - -Ashton-Kirk hung up the receiver and turned to his friend. - -"So," said Pendleton, in a queer sort of voice, "she doesn't wish to -speak to me." - -"Not over the wire--no. But she wants you to come to her--at once. She -desires to hear all about what she calls the wonderful way we have -handled this case, and she wants to hear it--from you." Ashton-Kirk -looked at his watch. "It is now 10:45. You can get there by eleven if -you rush." - -"Do you call doing that little distance in fifteen minutes rushing?" -The young man's face was radiant and he was making for the door as he -spoke. "If I don't do it in half that time, I'm a duffer." - -Then the door slapped behind him, and Ashton-Kirk heard him bounding -down the stairs. - - - - * * * * * - -Another story in this series is "ASHTON-KIRK AND THE SCARLET SCAPULAR" -(in press) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Ashton-Kirk, Investigator, by John T. 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Mcintyre</title> -<style type="text/css"> - <!-- - body { font-size: 100%; } - p { text-indent: 1.5em; - margin-left: 15%; - margin-right: 15%; - margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; } - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { text-align: center; } - hr { width: 50%; } - hr.short {width: 20%; } - .toc { text-align: center; margin-bottom: 0em; font-size: 80%; } - .note { text-indent: 0em; text-align: center; margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; } - .block {text-indent: 0em; margin-left: 25%} - CENTER { padding: 1em; } - // --> -</style> -</head> -<body> -<pre> -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ashton-Kirk, Investigator, by John T. McIntyre - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Ashton-Kirk, Investigator - -Author: John T. McIntyre - -Release Date: May 10, 2004 [EBook #12314] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASHTON-KIRK, INVESTIGATOR *** - - - - -Produced by Janet Kegg and PG Distributed Proofreaders - - - - - -</pre> -<a name="image-0001"><!--IMG--></a> -<center><img src="images/a-k01.jpg" width="281" height="450" alt= -"'Just As I Thought'"></center> -<!--IMAGE END--> -<hr> -<h1>ASHTON-KIRK</h1> -<h1>INVESTIGATOR</h1> -<br> - -<h3>BY</h3> -<h2>John T. McIntyre</h2> -<p class="note">Author of "In the Dead of Night," &c.</p> -<br> -<p class="note"><small>ILLUSTRATIONS BY</small><br> -RALPH L. BOYER</p> -<p><br> -<br> -</p> -<p class="note">PHILADELPHIA<br> - 1910</p> -<hr> -<br> - -<p class="note">To my Friend<br> - GRANT GIBNEY</p> -<hr> -<a name="2H_ILL"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>INTRODUCTION</h2> -<p>Ashton-Kirk, who has solved so many mysteries, is himself -something of a problem even to those who know him best. Although -young, wealthy, and of high social position, he is nevertheless -an indefatigable worker in his chosen field. He smiles when men -call him a detective. "No; only an investigator," he says.</p> -<p>He has never courted notoriety; indeed, his life has been more -or less secluded. However, let a man do remarkable work in any -line and, as Emerson has observed, "the world will make a beaten -path to his door."</p> -<p>Those who have found their way to Ashton-Kirk's door have been -of many races and interests. Men of science have often been -surprised to find him in touch with the latest discoveries, -scholars searching among strange tongues and dialects, and others -deep in tattered scrolls, ancient tablets and forgotten books -have been his frequent visitors. But among them come many who -seek his help in solving problems in crime.</p> -<p>"I'm more curious than some other fellows, that's all," is the -way he accounts for himself. "If a puzzle is put in front of me I -can't rest till I know the answer." At any rate his natural bent -has always been to make plain the mysterious; each well hidden -step in the perpetration of a crime has always been for him an -exciting lure; and to follow a thread, snarled by circumstances -or by another intelligence has been, he admits, his chief -delight.</p> -<p>There are many strange things to be written of this remarkable -man—but this, the case of the numismatist Hume, has been -selected as the first because it is one of the simplest, and yet -clearly illustrates Ashton-Kirk's peculiar talents. It will also -throw some light on the question, often asked, as to how his -cases come to him.</p> -<p>A second volume that shows the investigator deep in another -mystery, even more intricate and puzzling than this, is entitled -"Ashton-Kirk and the Scarlet Scapular."</p> -<br> - -<hr class="short"> -<h2>CONTENTS</h2> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0001">I. PENDLETON CALLS UPON -ASHTON-KIRK</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0002">II. MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER -CASE</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0003">III. THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL -WAYNE</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0004">IV. STILLMAN'S THEORY</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0005">V. STILLMAN ASKS -QUESTIONS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0006">VI. ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS -ABOUT</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0007">VII. THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL -BAYONET</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0008">VIII. THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO -PLAY THEIR PART</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0009">IX. MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE -KNOWS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0010">X. ASHTON-KIRK ASKS -QUESTIONS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0011">XI. PENDLETON IS VASTLY -ENLIGHTENED</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0012">XII. ANTONIO SPATOLA -APPEARS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0013">XIII. A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN -MORRIS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0014">XIV. MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY -APPEARS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0015">XV. MISS VALE DEPARTS -SUDDENLY</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0016">XVI. STEEL AGAINST -STEEL</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0017">XVII. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE -ROAD</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0018">XVIII. ASHTON-KIRK TELLS -WHY</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0019">XIX. THE TWO REPORTS</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0020">XX. ONE OF THE OLD -SORT</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0021">XXI. ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO -PLAN</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0022">XXII. ASHTON-KIRK IS -ANNOYED</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0023">XXIII. THE SECRET OF THE -PORTRAIT</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0024">XXIV. THE SECOND NIGHT</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0025">XXV. APPROACHING THE -FINISH</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#2HCH0026">XXVI. THE FINISH</a></p> -<br> -<hr class="short"> -<h3>ILLUSTRATIONS</h3> -<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0001">"JUST AS I -THOUGHT"...<small>FRONTISPIECE</small></a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0002">"YOU DO NOT MEAN TO GO -THERE"—</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0004">HE RAPPED SMARTLY ON THE -WINDOW</a></p> -<p class="toc"><a href="#image-0005">WHAT SHE SAW MUST HAVE -STARTLED HER</a></p> -<br> -<hr class="short"> -<h2>Ashton-Kirk, Investigator</h2> -<a name="2HCH0001"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER I</h2> -<h3>PENDLETON CALLS UPON ASHTON-KIRK</h3> -<p>Young Pendleton's car crept carefully around the corner and -wound in and out among the push-cart men and dirty children.</p> -<p>About midway in the block was a square-built house with tall, -small-paned windows and checkered with black-headed brick. It -stood slightly back from the street with ancient dignity; upon -the shining door-plate, deeply bitten in angular text, was the -name "Ashton-Kirk."</p> -<p>Here the car stopped; Pendleton got out, ascended the white -marble steps and tugged at the polished, old-fashioned -bell-handle.</p> -<p>A grave-faced German, in dark livery, opened the door.</p> -<p>"Mr. Ashton-Kirk will see you, sir," said he. "I gave him your -telephone message as soon as he came down."</p> -<p>"Thank you, Stumph," said Pendleton. And with the manner of -one perfectly acquainted with the house, he ascended a massively -balustraded staircase. The walls were darkly paneled; from the -shadowy recesses pictured faces of men and women looked down at -him.</p> -<p>Coming in from the littered street, with its high smells and -crowding, gesticulating people, the house impressed one by its -quiet, its spaciousness, and the evident means and culture of its -owner. Pendleton turned off at the first landing, proceeded along -a passage and finally knocked at a door. Without waiting for a -reply, he walked in.</p> -<p>At the far end of a long, high-ceilinged apartment a young man -was lounging in an easy-chair. At his elbow was a jar of tobacco, -a sheaf of brown cigarette papers and a scattering of books. He -lifted a keen dark face, lit up by singularly brilliant eyes.</p> -<p>"Hello, Pen," greeted he. "You've come just in time to smoke -up some of this Greek tobacco. Throw those books off that chair -and make yourself easy."</p> -<p>One by one Pendleton lifted the books and glanced at the -titles.</p> -<p>"Your morning's reading, if this is such," commented he, "is -strikingly catholic. Plutarch, Snarleyow, the Opium Eater, Martin -Chuzzlewit." Then came a host of tattered pamphlets, bound in -shrieking paper covers, which the speaker handled gingerly. "'The -Crimes of Anton Probst,'" he continued to read, "'The Deeds of -the Harper Family,' 'The Murder of ——'" here he -paused, tossed the pamphlets aside with contempt, sat down and -drew the tobacco jar toward him.</p> -<p>"Some of the results of your forays into the basements of old -booksellers, I suppose," he added, rolling a cigarette with -delicate ease. "But what value you see in such things is beyond -me."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled good-humoredly. He took up some of the -pamphlets and fluttered their illy-printed pages.</p> -<p>"They are not beautiful," he admitted; "the paper could not be -worse and the wood cuts are horrors. But they are records of -actual things—striking things, as a matter of -fact—for a murder which so lifts itself above the thousands -of homicides that are yearly occurring, as to gain a place -outside the court records and newspapers, must have been one of -exceptional execution."</p> -<p>"There is a public which delights in being horrified," said -Pendleton with a grimace. "The things are put out to get their -nickels and dimes."</p> -<p>"No doubt," agreed the other. "And the fact that they are -willing to pay their nickels and dimes is, to my way of thinking, -a proof of the extraordinary nature of the crime chronicled." The -speaker dropped the prints upon the floor and lounged back in his -big chair. "There is Plutarch," he continued; "the account of the -assassination of Caesar is not the least interesting thing in his -biography of that statesman. Indeed, I have no doubt but that the -chronicler thought Caesar's taking off the most striking incident -in his career; that the Roman public thought so is a matter of -history.</p> -<p>"Countless writers have dwelt upon the taking of human life; -some of them were rather commercial gentlemen who always gave an -ear to the demands of their public, and their screeds were -written for the money that they would put in their pockets; but -others, and by long odds the greatest, were fascinated by their -subjects. Both Stevenson and Henley were powerfully drawn by -deeds of blood. Did you know they planned a great book which was -to contain a complete account of the world's most remarkable -homicides? I'm sorry they never carried the thing out; for I -cannot conceive of two minds more fitted to the task. They would -have dressed every event in the grimmest and most subtle horror; -why, the soul would have shuddered at each enormity as shaped and -presented by such masters."</p> -<p>Pendleton regarded his friend with candid distaste.</p> -<p>"You are appalling to-day," said he. "If you think it's the -Greek tobacco, let me know. For I have to mingle with other human -beings, and I'd scarcely care to get into your state of -mind."</p> -<p>The strong, white teeth of Ashton-Kirk showed in a quick -smile.</p> -<p>"The tobacco was recommended by old Hosko," he said, "and -you'll find nothing violent in it, no matter what you find in my -conversation."</p> -<p>"What put you into such a frame of mind, anyway? Something -happened?"</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk shook his head.</p> -<p>"I don't know," said he. "In fact, I have been strangely idle -for the last fortnight. The most exciting things that have -appeared above my personal horizon have been a queer little -edition of Albertus-Magnus, struck off in an obscure printing -shop in Florence in the early part of the sixteenth century, and -a splendid, large paper Poe, to which I fortunately happened to -be a subscriber."</p> -<p>A volume of the Poe and the Albertus-Magnus were lying at -hand; Pendleton ignored the dumpy, stained little Latin volume; -its strong-smelling leather binding and faded text had no -attractions for him. But he took up the Poe and began idly -turning its leaves.</p> -<p>"It is a mistake to suppose that some specific thing must be -the cause of an action, or a train of thought," resumed the -other, from the comfortable depths of his chair. "Sometimes -thousands of things go to the making of a single thought, -countless others to the doing of a single deed. And yet again, a -thing entirely unassociated with a result may be the beginning of -the result, so to speak. For example, a volume of Henry James -which I was reading last night might be the cause of my turning -to the literature of assassination this morning; your friendly -visit may result in my coming in contact with a murder that will -make any of these," with a nod toward the scattered volumes, -"seem tame."</p> -<p>Pendleton threw away his cigarette and proceeded to roll -another.</p> -<p>"It is my earnest desire to remain upon friendly terms with -you, Kirk," stated he, with a smile. "Therefore, I will make no -comment except to say that your last reflection was entirely -uncalled for."</p> -<p>Lighting the cigarette, he turned the tall leaves of the -beautiful volume upon his knee.</p> -<p>"This edition is quite perfection," he remarked admiringly. -"And I'm sorry that I was not asked to subscribe. However," and -Pendleton glanced humorously at his friend, "I don't suppose its -beauty is what attracts you to-day. It is because certain pages -are spread with the records of crime. I notice that this volume -holds both 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue' and the 'Mystery of -Marie Roget.'"</p> -<p>"Right," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "I admit I was browsing among the -details of those two masterpieces when you came in. A great -fellow, Poe. His peculiar imagination gave him a marvelous grasp -of criminal possibilities."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took up the "Confessions of an English -Opium-Eater" and turned the leaves until he came to "Murder -Considered as One of the Fine Arts."</p> -<p>"In some things I have detected an odd similarity in the work -of De Quincey and Poe. Mind you, I say in some things. As to what -entered into the structure of an admirably conceived murder they -were as far apart as the poles. The ideals of the 'Society of -Connoisseurs in Murder' must have excited in Poe nothing but -contempt. A coarse butchery—a wholesale slaughter was -received by this association with raptures; a pale-eyed, -orange-haired blunderer, with a ship carpenter's mallet hidden -under his coat, was hailed as an artist.</p> -<p>"You don't find Poe wasting time on uncouth monsters who roar -like tigers, bang doors and smear whole rooms with blood. His -assassins had a joy in planning their exploits as well as in the -execution of them. They were intelligent, secret, sure. And in -every case they accomplished their work and escaped -detection."</p> -<p>"You must not forget, however," complained Pendleton, "that De -Quincey's assassin, John Williams, was a real person, and his -killings actual occurrences. Poe's workmen were creatures of his -imagination, their crimes, with the possible exception of 'Marie -Roget,' were purely fanciful. The creator of the doer and the -deed had a clear field; and in that, perhaps, lies the -superiority of Poe."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk sighed humorously.</p> -<p>"Perhaps," said he. "At any rate the select crimes are usually -the conceptions of men who have no idea of putting them into -execution. And that, upon consideration, is a fortunate thing for -society. But, at the same time, it is most irritating to a man of -a speculative turn of mind. Fiction teems with most splendid -murders. Captain Marryat, in Snarleyow, created an almost perfect -horror in the attempted slaughter of the boy Smallbones by the -hag mother of Vanslyperken; the lad's reversal of the situation -and his plunging a bayonet into the wrinkled throat, makes the -chapter an accomplishment difficult to displace. Remember -it?"</p> -<p>Pendleton arose and opened one of the windows.</p> -<p>"Even the noise and smell of this street of yours are grateful -after what I have been listening to," said he. Then, after a -moment spent in examining the adjacent outdoors, he added in a -tone of wonderment. "I say, Kirk, this is really a hole of a -place to live! Why don't you move?"</p> -<p>The other arose and joined him at the window. Old-fashioned -streets alter wonderfully after the generations of the elect have -passed; but when Eastern Europe takes to dumping its furtive -hordes into one, the change is marked indeed. In this one -peddler's wagons replaced the shining carriages of a former -day—wagons drawn by large-jointed horses and driven by -bearded men who cried their wares in strange, throaty voices.</p> -<p>Everything exhaled a thick, semi-oriental smell. Dully painted -fire-escapes clung hideously to the fronts of the buildings; -stagnant-looking men, wearing their hats, leaned from bedroom -windows. The once decent hallways were smutted with grimy hands; -the wide marble steps were huddled with alien, unclean -people.</p> -<p>A splendidly spired church stood almost shoulder to shoulder -with the Ashton-Kirk house. Once it had been a place of dignified -Episcopal worship; but years of neglect had made it unwholesome -and cavern-like; and finally it was given over to a tribe of -stolid Lithuanians who stuck a cheaply gilded Greek cross over -the door and thronged the street with their wedding and -christening processions.</p> -<p>"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment's study of the -prospect, "yes, perhaps it <i>is</i> a hole of a place in which -to live. But you see we've had this house since shortly after the -Revolution; four generations have been born here. As I have no -fashionable wife and I live alone, I am content to stay. Then, -the house suits me; everything is arranged to my taste. The -environment may not be the most desirable; but, my visitors are -seldom of the sort that object to externals."</p> -<p>"Well, you have one just now who is not what you might call -partial to such neighborhoods," said Pendleton. "And," looking at -his watch, "you will shortly have another who will be, perhaps, -still less favorably impressed."</p> -<p>"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>He curled himself up upon the deep window sill while Pendleton -went back to his chair and the tobacco.</p> -<p>"It's a lady," resumed Pendleton, the brown paper crackling -between his fingers, "a lady of condition, quality and -beauty."</p> -<p>"It sounds pleasant enough," smiled the other. "But why is she -coming?"</p> -<p>"To consult you—ah—I suppose we might call -it—professionally. No, I don't know what it is about; but -judging from her manner, it is something of no little -consequence."</p> -<p>"She sent you to prepare the way for her, then?"</p> -<p>"Yes. It is Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of James Vale, the -'Structural Steel King,' you remember they used to call him -before he died a few years ago. She was an only child, and except -for the four millions which he left to found a technical school, -she inherited everything. And when you say everything in a case -like this, it means considerable."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded.</p> -<p>"She is a distant relative of mine," resumed Pendleton; "her -mother was connected in some vague way with my mother; and -because of this indefinite link, we've always been"—here he -hesitated for an instant—"well, rather friendly. Last night -we happened to meet at Upton's, and I took her in to dinner. -Edyth is a nice girl, but I've noticed of late that she's not had -a great deal to say. Sort of quiet and big-eyed and all that, you -know. Seems healthy enough, but does a great deal of thinking and -looking away at nothing. I've talked to her for ten minutes -straight, only to find that she hadn't heard a word I'd said.</p> -<p>"So, as you will understand, I did not expect a great deal of -her at dinner. But directly across from us was young -Cartwright—"</p> -<p>"Employed in the Treasury Department?"</p> -<p>"That's the man. Well, he began to talk departmental affairs -with some one well down the table—you know how some of -these serious kids are—and as there seemed to be nothing -else to do, I gave my whole attention to the interesting -performance of Mrs. Upton's cook. I must have been falling into a -dreamy rapture; but at any rate I suddenly awoke, so to speak. To -my surprise Edyth was talking—quite animatedly—with -Cartwright, and about you."</p> -<p>"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk. "That's very pleasant. It is not given -to every man that the mention of him should stir a melancholy -young lady into animation."</p> -<p>"Have you done anything in your line for the Treasury -Department lately?" asked Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Oh, a small matter of some duplicate plates," said -Ashton-Kirk. "It had some interest, but there was nothing -extraordinary in it."</p> -<p>"Well, Cartwright didn't think that. I did not come to in time -to catch the nature of your feat, but he seemed lost in -admiration of your cleverness. He was quite delighted, too, at -securing Edyth's attention. You see, it was a thing he had -scarcely hoped for. So he proceeded to relate all he had ever -heard about you. That queer little matter of the Lincoln -death-mask, you know, and the case of the Belgian Consul and the -spurious Van Dyke. And he had even heard some of the things you -did in the university during your senior year. His recital of -your recovery of the silver figure of the Greek runner which went -as the Marathon prize in 1902 made a great hit, I assure you.</p> -<p>"But when he answered 'No' to Edyth's earnest question as to -whether he were acquainted with you, she lost interest; and when -I promptly furnished the information that I was, he was -forgotten. During the remainder of the dinner I had time for -little else but Edyth's questions. When she learned that you had -taken up investigation as a sort of profession, she was quite -delighted, and before we parted I was asked to arrange a -consultation."</p> -<p>"She will be here this morning, then?" asked Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>Pendleton once more looked at his watch.</p> -<p>"Within a very few minutes," said he.</p> -<a name="2HCH0002"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER II</h2> -<h3>MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE</h3> -<p>It was exactly three minutes later when the continuous tooting -of a horn told of the approach of another motor car along the -crowded street. Then the door-bell rang.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk arose and touched one of a series of buttons in -the wall. Almost instantly a buzzer made sharp reply. He lifted a -tube.</p> -<p>"If it is Miss Edyth Vale," spoke he, "show her up."</p> -<p>A little later a knock came upon the door. The grave faced -German opened it, ushering in an astonishingly lovely girl; tall, -most fashionably attired and with a manner of eager anxiety. Both -men arose.</p> -<p>"Considering that you are under twenty-five," said Pendleton, -"you are remarkably prompt in keeping your engagements, -Edyth."</p> -<p>But the girl did not answer his smile. There was a troubled -look in her brown eyes; she tugged nervously at her gloves to get -them off.</p> -<p>"This is Mr. Ashton-Kirk?" she asked.</p> -<p>"It is," answered Pendleton. "Kirk, this is my cousin, Edyth -Vale."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk gave the girl a chair; she sat down, regarding him -all the time with much interest. The gloves were removed by now; -but she continued plucking at the empty fingers and drawing them -through her hands.</p> -<p>"I have heard of you quite frequently," said she to -Ashton-Kirk, "but did not dream that I would ever be forced to -benefit by your talents. Mr. Pendleton has been kind enough to -arrange this interview at my request; and I desire to consult you -upon a most important matter—a very private matter."</p> -<p>Pendleton caught the hesitating glance which she threw at him -and reached for his hat.</p> -<p>"Edyth," said he, "after all I have done for you, this is very -distressing. I had not expected to be bundled out in this -manner."</p> -<p>She smiled faintly, and nodded.</p> -<p>"Thank you, Jimmie," she said. "You are a nice boy."</p> -<p>After Pendleton had gone, Miss Vale sat for some moments in -silence; and all the time her eyes went from one part of the room -to another, curiously; she seemed to be trying to estimate the -man whom she came to consult by his surroundings.</p> -<p>At one side, rank on rank of books ran from floor to ceiling; -others were scattered about in chairs, on stands and on the -floor. At one spot the wall was racked with glittering, and to -her, strange looking instruments. An open door gave a glimpse of -a second apartment with bare, plastered wall, fitted with tables -covered with sheet lead and cluttered with tanks, grotesquely -swelling retorts, burners, jars and other things that make up a -complete laboratory.</p> -<p>But these told her nothing, except that the man was a student; -and this she had heard before.</p> -<p>So she gave her attention to Ashton-Kirk himself. He stood by -the open window, the morning light beating strongly upon his -dark, keen face, apparently watching the uncouth surging in the -street below.</p> -<p>"He's very handsome and very wealthy," her friend Connie -Bayless had informed her only that morning. "Comes of a very old -family; has the entrée into the most exclusive houses, but -practically ignores society."</p> -<p>"Oh, yes, I know him," her uncle, an eminent attorney, had -told her. "A very unusual young man. I might call him acutely -intellectual, and he is an adept in many out of the way branches -of knowledge. He would make a wonderful lawyer, but has too much -imagination. Thinks more of visionary probabilities than of -tangible facts."</p> -<p>"As an amateur actor," Pendleton had confided to her, "Kirk is -without an equal. If he adopted the stage, he'd make a sensation. -At college he was a most tremendous athlete too—football, -cross-country running, wrestling, boxing. And I'm told that he -still keeps in training. Clever chap."</p> -<p>"I never saw a more splendid natural equipment for languages," -said Professor Hutchinson. "The most sprawling dialect seemed a -simple matter to him; Greek and the oriental tongues were no more -trouble in his case than the 'first reader' is to an intelligent -child."</p> -<p>She had spoken with Mrs. Stokes-Corbin over the telephone. -Mrs. Stokes-Corbin was related to Ashton-Kirk, and her -information was kindly but emphatic.</p> -<p>"My dear," said the lady, "I do hope you haven't fallen in -love with him. No? Well, that's fortunate. He's one of the -dearest fellows in the world, but one of the most extraordinary. -I can't fancy his marrying at all. His ways and moods and really -preposterous habits would drive a wife mad. You can't imagine the -extent of them. He spends days and nights in positively uncanny -chemical experiments. Without a word to anyone he plunges off on -some mysterious errand, to be gone for weeks. They do tell me -that he is to all intents and purposes a policeman. But I really -can't quite credit that, you know. He loves to do things that -others have tried and failed. Even as a boy he was that way. It -was quite discouraging to have a child straighten out little -happenings that we had all given up in despair. Sometimes it was -quite convenient, but I'm not sure that I ever liked it. A -charming talker, my dear; he knows so much to talk about. But -he's eccentric; and an eccentric young man is a frightful burden -to those connected with him."</p> -<p>All these things passed through the mind of Edyth Vale, as she -sat regarding the young man at the window. Finally he lifted his -eyes and turned them upon her—beautiful -eyes—remarkable, full of perception, compelling. As he -caught her intent, inquiring look, he smiled; she colored -slightly, but met his glance bravely.</p> -<p>"Last night I heard you spoken of," she said, "and it occurred -to me that you could aid me."</p> -<p>"I should be glad to," said he. "It sometimes happens that I -can be of service to persons extraordinarily circumstanced. If -you will let me hear your story—for," with a smile, "all -who come to see me as you have done <i>have</i> a story—I -shall be able to definitely say whether your case comes within my -province."</p> -<p>She hesitated a moment, her hands nervously engaged with the -gloves. Then she said, frankly.</p> -<p>"I suppose it is only sensible to speak quite candidly with -you, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, as one does with a lawyer or a -physician."</p> -<p>He nodded.</p> -<p>"Of course," said he.</p> -<p>For another moment she seemed to be turning her thoughts over -and seeking the best means of making a beginning.</p> -<p>"It is very silly of me, I know," she said; "but I feel quite -like the working girl who writes to the correspondence editor of -an evening paper for advice in smoothing out her love affairs." -She bent toward him, the laugh vanishing from her face, a -troubled look taking its place, and continued. "I am to be -married—some day—and it is about that that I wish to -speak to you."</p> -<p>"I realize the difficulties of the subject," spoke Ashton-Kirk -quietly.</p> -<p>"What I am going to tell you, I have never mentioned to anyone -before. It has been three years ago—four years at Christmas -time—since I first met Allan Morris," she said. "Our -engagement so quickly followed that my friends said it was a very -clear case of love at first sight. Perhaps it was!</p> -<p>"However that might be, we were very happy for a time. But -trouble was in store for us. I had always disbelieved in long -engagements, had always been very outspoken against them, in -fact. This is perhaps what made me so quickly notice an absence -of haste on Mr. Morris' part as to the wedding. When the subject -came up, as it naturally would, he seemed to avoid it. At first I -was surprised; but finally I grew annoyed, and spoke my mind very -frankly.</p> -<p>"You see, he is not at all well off, and I am—well I -have a great deal. I thought this might have something to do with -his apparent reluctance. But no, it was something else. As I just -said, I spoke frankly; and he was equally candid, after a -fashion. He said it was quite impossible for us to be married for -some time. There was a something—he did not say -what—which must first be settled. Naturally I grew curious. -I desired to know what it was that so stood in the way of our -happiness. He replied that it was something that must not be -spoken of, and was so very earnest in the matter that I did not -mention it again—for a long time.</p> -<p>"You may think, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that my fiancé was no -very ardent lover. But I was assured, and I do not lack -perception, that he was passionately fond of me. And I still -think so. But as time went by, things did not alter; our wedding -was a vague expectation; even more than before Mr. Morris avoided -mention of anything definite.</p> -<p>"I am not naturally patient; and my rearing as the only child -of an enormously rich man has perhaps added to my impetuousness. -In a burst of temper one day, I broke the engagement, gave him -back his ring and did a number of other rather silly things. But -he was so tragic in his despair—so utterly broken hearted -and white—that I immediately relented and we patched the -matter up once more. That he loved me was plain; but that he -could not marry me—for some mysterious reason—was -even plainer.</p> -<p>"After this I began to notice a change in him. He was rather -silent and given to reverie; he seldom laughed. Sometimes he was -haggard and so wrought up, apparently, that he could scarcely -contain himself. He would pace the floor, evidently with little -realization as to what he was doing. Once he was really -dreadfully agitated. I calmed him as well as I could, and he sat -for a long time, thinking deeply. As I watched him, he sprang to -his feet and dashing his fist upon a table, cried out, -passionately:</p> -<p>"'The black-hearted rascal! He's mocking me!'</p> -<p>"Then like a flash he realized the strangeness of his conduct, -and with anxious, alarmed face, asked my pardon. I felt that this -was an opportunity to put an end to a situation that was growing -intolerable. My persistent questioning gained me something, but, -on the whole, not a great deal.</p> -<p>"The thing that was troubling him was a business matter. In -some way he was in the hands of some one—these are the -indefinite threads that I gathered—a mocking, jeering, -smiling someone whom he hated, but from whom he could not free -himself.</p> -<p>"I began to tell him that there could be nothing strong enough -in itself to prevent our happiness; but he stopped me in such a -way that I did not feel inclined to continue. In an outburst, -filled with denunciations of his enemy and protestations of -devotion to myself, I caught the name of Hume. He had dropped -this inadvertently. I knew it instantly because of the swift look -that he gave me. But I allowed no hint of what I thought to show -in my face. He was more subdued during the remainder of his stay; -the mentioning of the name had startled him, and he was doubtless -afraid that his state of mind would lead him into further -indiscretions.</p> -<p>"As you may suppose, the name—the first tangible thing -that I had learned—was of much interest to me. If I could -but find out who this person was, I could probably get to the -bottom of the matter."</p> -<p>At this point Miss Vale paused; and Ashton-Kirk noted her head -lift proudly.</p> -<p>"Perhaps," she continued, "it might be thought that I had no -right to make such an effort in a matter which Mr. Morris saw fit -to keep from me. Were you thinking that? But I am not a silent -sufferer. I usually make an end of annoying things without delay. -And I would have done so in this case long before, but I was in -love; and I could not bear to see Allan suffer by my -insistence.</p> -<p>"However, here was an opportunity to perhaps aid him; and I -set to work. In a few hours next day I had located every person -of the name of Hume in the city. Mr. Morris is a consulting -engineer. Anyone named Hume who, from his occupation, would be -likely to have dealings with him especially attracted my -attention. There were only a few, and long before the day was -over I had satisfied myself by personal visits at their places of -business that they did not even know him."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled. One of his well-kept hands patted applause -upon the arm of his chair.</p> -<p>"You are strong," said he. "I recognized your type when you -came in. It is a pleasure to have one's judgment so thoroughly -and satisfactorily proven."</p> -<p>Miss Vale looked pleased.</p> -<p>"I am glad that you approve of what I did," she said. "I -confess I had some hesitancy, but not enough to prevent my -carrying out the design. But when the first effort proved without -result, I set about making a study of all the Humes in the -directory. I had my secretary make me a typed list of them, with -their addresses and occupations, and I pored over this for hours -at a time.</p> -<p>"There was one that caught my eye after a while; probably this -was because of the unusualness of his business. The directory -gave him as a numismatist; but I drove by his shop in my car, and -the sign over the window said that he was also a dealer in -curiosities of art.</p> -<p>"This gave me an idea. Mr. Morris is an ardent collector; his -hobby is engraved gems, and for a man of his means his -possessions in this line are quite remarkable. It was easily -within the range of possibility that he had had transactions with -this particular Hume—at least that he was acquainted with -him. The more I thought of this, the more curious I grew; and one -afternoon I paid the place a visit. It is on the second floor, -the entrance is through a side door and up a narrow, dusty -stairway. Then I had to make my way along a dark windowless -passage to the office, or shop in the front.</p> -<p>"This shop was well lighted, and literally stuffed with what -were well termed 'curiosities of art.' I never before saw such -queer carvings, such freakish pottery, such weird and utterly -impossible bric-a-brac. At a table sat a flabby looking man with -a short sandy beard. One glance told me that he was an habitual -drunkard, for he had the sodden look that is unmistakable. But -when he arose and bid me good evening his manner struck me like a -blow in the face. Allan Morris had spoken of a mocking person who -jeered and smiled. And that described this man exactly. There was -mockery in every glance of his dull eyes; every twitch of his -mouth was a fleer; with each gesture he seemed making game of -one; sneering incredulity was stamped all over him."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk leaned forward with keen interest.</p> -<p>"My manner must have betrayed me," the girl went on, "for I -saw an inquiring crease come into his forehead. When he asked the -nature of my business his voice was sharp and insolent.</p> -<p>"I had not thought as to what I should say, what excuse I -should give in this case. But almost instantly my mind was made -up. About the most conspicuous thing in the room was a squat -Japanese idol—a fat, grinning, hideous thing which sat upon -a sort of pedestal near the door. So I laid my hand in it.</p> -<p>"'I was told of this,' said I, examining the idol minutely, -'and came in to see it.'</p> -<p>"'Ah, yes,' said he. But it was plain enough that he did not -believe me.</p> -<p>"I inquired the price of the figure. He named a high one; and -I believe I astonished him by purchasing it without another word. -The idol was delivered late that afternoon. I had it unpacked at -once and placed where Mr. Morris could not fail to see it when he -called."</p> -<p>"A clever plan," commented Ashton-Kirk, admiringly.</p> -<p>"He saw it when he entered the room and greeted me. He was -smiling; and the smile froze on his lips, his face went pale, and -he turned a look upon me that filled me with fear, it was so wan -and startled.</p> -<p>"I had intended telling him the full truth if my ruse -succeeded. But after that look I could not. I convinced him by a -nonchalant manner and story, that I had come by the idol -accidentally. At least I <i>think</i> I convinced him, though I -noticed his watching me steadily from under very level brows more -than once during the evening. But if he had any suspicions that I -was deceiving him, he did not put them into words."</p> -<p>Here Miss Vale paused for a moment. Then she resumed:</p> -<p>"I tried, in various ways, to gain a knowledge of the -relationship between my fiancé and this sneering -shopkeeper; but they were all ineffectual. Mr. Ashton-Kirk, this -occurred fully three months ago, and the situation remains the -same as it was upon that night."</p> -<p>Then with a suddenness that startled the young man she lifted -two trembling hands to her face and began to sob gaspingly. When -she took the hands away there were no signs of tears, but her -beautiful face was drawn with pain and her voice shook as she -said:</p> -<p>"I don't think I can stand it much longer. I beg of you not to -think lightly of my story; for the thing that stands between -Allan Morris and myself is deadly. As I watch him I can see that -his heart is breaking; his health is failing, there is a look of -fear in his eyes." She reached forward and her hand rested upon -the sleeve of Ashton-Kirk. "He is at the mercy of this mocking -monster that I have described to you. It is killing him, and -through him it is killing me. Help me, please."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled reassuringly.</p> -<p>"As far as I can see," said he, "the case is a simple one. -However, it may turn out the reverse. But in either event I can -promise you a swift and energetic attempt to set the matter -right."</p> -<p>"Thank you!" She stood up. "And you will begin to-day?"</p> -<p>"At once!"</p> -<p>"You are kind." She held out her hand; he took it. "Thank you, -again."</p> -<p>Stumph appeared, in answer to the bell. She turned to go.</p> -<p>"There is nothing more that you can tell me?" he inquired.</p> -<p>"Nothing."</p> -<p>"I had supposed that. Your recital sounded pretty -complete."</p> -<p>When the door closed upon her, he stood for a few moments in -the middle of the floor, his head bent forward, his hands behind -him. Then he turned and touched another of the system of -bells.</p> -<p>Immediately a brisk, boyish looking young man presented -himself.</p> -<p>"Fuller," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "I want instant and complete -information upon one Hume, a local numismatist, and Allan Morris, -consulting engineer."</p> -<p>"Very well, sir." And Fuller turned at once, and left the -room.</p> -<a name="2HCH0003"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER III</h2> -<h3>THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL WAYNE</h3> -<p>When Ashton-Kirk returned that evening from the theatre, where -he had gone to witness a much heralded new drama, he sat with a -cigar, in his library; and stretching out his length in great -comfort, he smoked and smiled and thought of what he had seen and -heard.</p> -<p>"The drama as a medium of expression is necessarily limited," -the young man was saying to himself, "and of course, in fitting -human action to its narrow bounds, the dramatist is sometimes -tempted to ignore certain human elements. In spots, the people of -the play acted like puppets; upon seven different occasions, by -actual count, the entire matter would have been cleared up if -someone had sharply spoken his mind. But he did not, and the -thing was allowed to become hopelessly involved because of -it."</p> -<p>He knocked the ashes from his cigar; and a smile came to his -lips.</p> -<p>"It would not have served the purpose of the dramatist, I -suppose; his play would have ended abruptly, and far short of the -prescribed time. He tried to tell a human story and chose an -unhuman method."</p> -<p>There was another pause; the smile now disappeared and a -thoughtful look came into his face.</p> -<p>"And yet," he mused, "is the playwright really so far wrong? -Is his stage story very far removed from actuality after all? In -Miss Edyth Vale, we have a girl of most unusual character, of -splendid education, apparently. And yet in the building of her -own drama she has outstripped the inventor of stage plays in the -matter of hesitancy. Her natural inclination urged her to make a -firm stand; but other feelings proved the stronger, and she held -her tongue much after the fashion of the girl in the play."</p> -<p>He was puffing at a second cigar when there came a knock on -the door, and Fuller entered.</p> -<p>"Well?" said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I thought you'd perhaps like to look over this data before -morning," said the young man, as he laid a number of typed sheets -and a photograph at Ashton-Kirk's elbow. "As you required instant -action I got Burgess on the Hume end of it before noon; after -luncheon I took up Morris myself."</p> -<p>"Thank you," said the other.</p> -<p>"Morris," with a nod toward the photograph, "is rather -uneventful, personally. And it was no very difficult matter to -get the facts concerning him. But Burgess had a much more -interesting time. Hume seems to have lots of color as a -character. Not that there was a great deal shown—the time -was too short. But the indications are promising."</p> -<p>When Fuller had gone, Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began -to read them carefully. They were brief, pointed and evidently -the work of men who were familiar enough with their business to -eliminate all non-essentials. The first one ran:</p> -<p>"Allan Barnett Morris, Consulting Engineer. Specialty, Marine -Construction. Lives at the Crompton Apartments. Born October 15, -1879. Graduate of Cornell; class of 1900. Special honors. -Brilliant student. Was at once engaged by the New England Ship -Building Company. Soon became their right hand man. Resigned in -1905; took offices in the Blake Building. Is much employed by the -Government. Has the reputation of a growing man in his line and -is admitted by competent persons to be an expert.</p> -<p>"He is unmarried and has no relatives. The last of these to -die was his father—a trifle more than three years ago. The -father had a reputation for great brilliancy and hard drinking. -He was an inventor of some note. See the Morris Smoke -Consumer—the Morris Propeller—the Morris Automatic -Brake. But he never made much out of any of these. The appetite -for liquor forced him to surrender, for very little, interests -that made fortunes for other men.</p> -<p>"Young Morris is clear of the drink habit, and is a hard and -persistent worker. He is a member of the University and the -Brookdale Field Clubs; goes into society, and is reported to be -the accepted suitor of Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of the late -James Vale, manufacturer of structural steel."</p> -<p>"A clean bill of health, as far as it goes," commented -Ashton-Kirk. "However, surface inquiries tell very little, -sometimes."</p> -<p>He turned to the remaining pages.</p> -<p>"David Purtell Hume, Numismatist, philatelist, dealer in -objects of art and curiosities. Resides at his place of business, -second floor of 478 Christie Place.</p> -<p>"Hume located in this city in 1899. Where he came from is not -definitely known, but there is some slight cause for supposing -that he is an American who had been living abroad. However, an -examination of the steamship passenger lists for 1898-99 fail to -show his name.</p> -<p>"Is well known in his line and is reputed to be wealthy. Is -much disliked by his neighbors and others in the same trade. Even -those who patronize him have an aversion to him; but as he is an -authority, and his stock always contains rarities, they do not -take their custom elsewhere.</p> -<p>"Hume has been under suspicion upon several occasions. But the -police could gather no positive evidence against him, at any -time. The robbery of the Hailesbury gallery at London, when the -famous Whistler portrait of the Duchess of Winterton was cut from -its frame, was traced almost to his door. But the scent died out -before they could clinch the matter, and he escaped. It was -believed that the thing was planned by him and executed by a -confederate. Several other occurrences of like nature, but of -less importance, have been laid against him. But, if he was -concerned in them, he was always cunning enough to hide his -tracks.</p> -<p>"He is an habitual drinker, of violent temper, and is reputed -to have a positive genius for discovering raw spots in an -acquaintance and goading him for the sheer joy of seeing him -writhe. It is this trait that causes the general dislike for him -in the Christie Place section.</p> -<p>"He is a free liver, spends much money and has a passion for -music."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk laid down the sheets and threw away his cigar.</p> -<p>"As Fuller remarked, Mr. Hume seems to be a colorful -character. And apparently one that would be likely to lead Mr. -Allan Morris a very lively dance if he had a hold of any sort -upon him."</p> -<p>He arose to his feet, a pleased light in his eye, and began -walking up and down the floor.</p> -<p>"It is more than likely that it will prove some trifle that -Morris' fears have lifted to the plane of a tragedy. But, -somehow, the parts of the case seem to fall in a promising -manner. I get a sort of pleasure in anticipating a possible -grapple with Mr. David Purtell Hume."</p> -<p>For a full hour, Ashton-Kirk moved up and down the library, -his eyes half closed, varying expressions appearing and -disappearing upon his face. At length there came a smile of -satisfaction and he paused in his pacing.</p> -<p>"That is probably it," said he. "At any rate it is a very -favorable coincidence. However, I must have more information than -the hurried reports of Burgess and Fuller to be certain. Yes, -this promises to be interesting."</p> -<p>With that he went to his room and to bed.</p> -<p>The dull gray of a damp spring morning was peering in at his -window when he awoke. By the light he knew that it was hours -before his usual time. Something had aroused him; but he could -not say what. He sat up in bed, and as he did so there came the -long continued and smothered ringing of a bell.</p> -<p>"The telephone," said he.</p> -<p>"R-r-r-r-ring-g!" it persisted. And then again: -"R-r-r-r-ring-ing-ing! R-r-r-ring!"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk heard a door open and close softly on the floor -above; then slippered feet came pat-patting down the stairs. The -wild rattle of the bell suddenly stopped; a muffled voice could -be heard protesting dismally against the din. But suddenly the -vague complaint gave way to a higher note.</p> -<p>"Alarm," said Ashton-Kirk. "Something has happened."</p> -<p>He reached up and turned on the electric bulb that hung above -his head; then he drew his feet up under him after the fashion of -a Turk and waited, calmly.</p> -<p>The padded steps swiftly approached his door; a sharp knock -sounded on the panels.</p> -<p>"Well?" demanded the young man.</p> -<p>"There is an urgent call, sir," came the voice of -Stumph—"on the telephone. It's the lady who called -yesterday—Miss Vale."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk slipped from the bed; a step brought him to the -door, which he threw open.</p> -<p>"Very well, Stumph," said he, quietly. "You may go back to -bed."</p> -<p>The grave-faced German went stolidly down the hall; the young -man pulled on a pair of felt slippers; in the library he put the -detached receiver to his ear and spoke evenly:</p> -<p>"Well, Miss Vale?"</p> -<p>There was a small, gasping exclamation from the wire, a sort -of breath-catching flutter of sound such as a person might utter -who had been running hard. Then Edyth Vale, her voice shaking and -filled with fear, said:</p> -<p>"Oh! Is that you! I'm glad—glad!"</p> -<p>"Get a firm grip on yourself," advised Ashton-Kirk. "If -anything has happened we can no doubt remedy it."</p> -<p>There came a series of moaning sobs across the wire; the girl -had evidently broken down and was crying. Ashton-Kirk said -nothing; he waited patiently. Finally she spoke once more.</p> -<p>"What has happened can <i>never</i> be remedied." Then her -voice sank so low that he could scarcely catch the breathless -words. "There has been murder done."</p> -<p>The investigator felt the blood prickle beneath his skin. -However, his voice was steady as he replied; his calmly working -mind shook off the fear which she so strongly suggested.</p> -<p>"Who has been murdered?" he asked.</p> -<p>"The man whom I told you about yesterday—the -numismatist, Hume."</p> -<p>"Ah!" Ashton-Kirk drew in a long breath and his eyes began to -glow. There was an instant's pause, then he said: "The hour is -rather unconventional; but if you will receive me, I'll have you -tell me about this matter privately and at once."</p> -<p>"By all means," she answered, eagerly. "I was about to beg of -you to come."</p> -<p>"In a half hour," said he, briefly. "Good-by."</p> -<p>He hung up the receiver and touched one of the buttons. When -Stumph came, he said:</p> -<p>"Turn the cold water into my bath. Then order the car in -haste."</p> -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> -<p>"Afterwards you can lay out a rough suit, heavy shoes and a -soft hat."</p> -<p>"Instantly, sir."</p> -<p>Within twenty minutes Ashton-Kirk ran down the steps and -sprang into the powerful looking car that awaited him; and well -within the half hour he rang the bell at the marble palace built -by the steel magnate during the last years of his life. A -heavy-eyed man servant admitted him with astonished resentment. -Miss Vale, looking very tall and very pale, met him in the hall. -But for all her pallor she seemed quite collected, even -smiling.</p> -<p>"Oh, I'm so sorry to have brought you out so early and on such -a dismal morning," she said, lightly, leading him into a room at -one side. "I'm sure it is very damp."</p> -<p>She sat down and motioned him to a chair; he studied her with -some surprise; the transition from wild terror to her present -calm was most notable.</p> -<p>"There has been a recovery of poise, evidently," Ashton-Kirk -told himself. "She is still frightened, but for some reason is -anxious to hide it."</p> -<p>"This morning," said Miss Vale, with a laugh that rang -perfectly, "I found that I was only a woman after all. -This—this dreadful thing so startled me that for a time I -did not know what to do. My first impulse was to call you, and I -acted upon it. But," with a pretty gesture of apology, "when I -had recovered myself somewhat, I saw that I had disturbed you -unnecessarily."</p> -<p>"You don't mean that, after all, Hume is not—"</p> -<p>She held up her hand for him to stop. A strong shudder seemed -to run through her; she bent her head so that the light would not -fall too strongly upon her face. In a moment, however, she -recovered.</p> -<p>"Yes, yes," she said, her voice perfectly under control. "He -is dead—shockingly murdered. What I mean is, that while the -event is very dreadful—still, it does not really concern me -more than any other crime of the same nature which we see staring -at us from the columns of the newspapers every day. This man's -being in my mind so much of late caused me to become unnerved -when I heard the news."</p> -<p>"When did it occur?"</p> -<p>"Sometime since midnight."</p> -<p>There was a silence. Miss Vale arose and began to pace the -room. The long white cloak that had draped her fell away; she -wore a ball dress and her arms and shoulders shone splendidly -under the lights.</p> -<p>"How did you hear of it?" asked Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>There was a scarcely perceptible hesitancy; then she -answered:</p> -<p>"Through the newspapers. We were returning from Mrs. Barron's -about three o'clock. The papers had just come out, and I felt a -curiosity to see them wet from the press. When I reached home the -first thing that caught my eye was the account of Hume's -death."</p> -<p>"Did you call me up at once?"</p> -<p>"Yes. As I have said, it was the first thing that occurred to -me. And again I beg your pardon for having disturbed you -uselessly."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk gestured this aside.</p> -<p>"It may be that the affair will turn out to have some -interesting features," said he. "And with that possibility in -view, I am rather pleased than not in having an opportunity of -getting so early upon the ground."</p> -<p>She paused in her pacing, and turned upon him a startled -look.</p> -<p>"You do not mean to go there—to Christie Place," she -said.</p> -<a name="image-0002"><!--IMG--></a> -<center><img src="images/a-k02.jpg" width="281" height="450" alt= -"'You Do Not Mean to Go There'— "></center> -<!--IMAGE END--> -<p>"I may as well. I may be of use." He looked at her for a -moment steadily, then asked: "Do you know of any reason why I -should not go?"</p> -<p>Instantly the startled look vanished; a smile lit up the pale -face, wanly.</p> -<p>"Of course not," she cried. "You are interested in dreadful -happenings—I had forgotten that. I suppose you <i>are</i> -really quite delighted; and instead of my craving pardon I should -be expecting praise, for putting you in the way of this one."</p> -<p>She laughed lightly; a smile flitted across his keen face, as -he rose and said:</p> -<p>"What has happened may make a change in the affairs of Allan -Morris."</p> -<p>She came to him and laid a hand upon his arm. Her coolness won -his admiration.</p> -<p>"I beg of you to forget all that I told you yesterday," she -said. "I had been brooding so long that I had begun to fancy all -sorts of impossible things. I see very clearly now that this man -Hume could have had nothing of any consequence to do with Mr. -Morris. It was a romance—a rather foolish fancy, and a very -wild one."</p> -<p>There was sweet seriousness in her manner; and the lurking -smile still hovered about her lips. It was as though a return to -reason had driven away the fears of the day before—the -alarmed girl had given place to a sensible woman.</p> -<p>But behind all this, Ashton-Kirk could detect something else. -The almost swooning terror of the girl who had spoken to him over -the telephone was still there—held rigidly in check to be -sure, but unquestionably there. While her lips smiled, the eyes -sometimes betrayed her; and there was a tenseness about her that -almost screamed. Her good-by was soft and kindly spoken; she held -out her hand, frankly, and thanked him for his interest. There -was nothing hurried in her manner; it was all smoothly and -leisurely done. And yet he felt that if she had followed the -impulse that filled her, she would have taken him, by the -shoulder and bundled him from the room in order that she might be -alone.</p> -<p>"Alone—to think," he said, as he got into his car at the -curb. "But to think about what?" Aloud he said to the driver: -"Christie Place."</p> -<p>By this time the early workers were beginning to thicken in -the street; street cars were more frequent; the dull night hum of -the city was growing in volume. The spark had set the car's -engine throbbing heavily, and the driver was about to start when -a second vehicle drew up and Ashton-Kirk found himself looking -into the alarmed face of young Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Heavens, Kirk!" cried the newcomer, as he leaped out, "has -anything serious happened?"</p> -<p>"To whom?" asked the investigator, quietly, his eyes fixed -upon the young man's face.</p> -<p>"To Edyth, of course. Has any thing been seen of her?"</p> -<p>"I have just left her; she seemed a bit agitated, but -perfectly well."</p> -<p>A look of relief crossed Pendleton's face.</p> -<p>"Oh!" said he. "All right. I was beginning to think that -something was up. You see," and here he lowered his voice, "I -danced with her about midnight at Mrs. Barron's; about two -o'clock her aunt, Mrs. Page, came to me in great distress and -said she was strangely missing. She had slipped away somewhere -without a word."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked at him keenly.</p> -<p>"Of course it was up to me to find her," said Pendleton; "but -my efforts were without result. Her car was gone, and the man -said Miss Vale had called it about one o'clock; also that she had -driven away in it alone.</p> -<p>"At this news Mrs. Page grew quite ill, and I brought her home -here in my car. Then I departed upon a vague sort of search. As -the matter was to be kept perfectly quiet and I was to ask no -questions of anybody, you can imagine how much chance I had of -doing anything. But if she's at home, it's all right. At sight of -you I thought it had proved to be something alarming and that -they had sent for you."</p> -<p>"I <i>was</i> sent for," said Ashton-Kirk, dryly, "but not to -hunt for Miss Vale. Now jump in here and come along; I've got a -little matter that may be of interest."</p> -<p>"I haven't had breakfast," said Pendleton; "but there's always -something piquant to your little affairs. I'll go you."</p> -<p>He dismissed his own car and climbed into that of his friend. -As they whirled up the street, Ashton-Kirk suddenly directed his -driver to stop. Then he called to a man with a great bundle of -newspapers who stood calling them monotonously upon a corner.</p> -<p>Again the car started with the investigator deep in the sheaf -of papers which he had purchased. Page after page failed to -reveal anything to his practised glance; at length he swept them -to the floor of the car. A smile was upon his lips—the -smile of a man who had received a nod of approval from -Circumstances.</p> -<p>"The first edition of the morning dailies lacks interest," he -said. "A crime of some moment can be committed between midnight -and dawn, and not a line appear in type concerning it until the -later issues."</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at him with mock disapproval.</p> -<p>"One would suppose," said he, "that you had expected to find -some such criminal narrative in those," and he indicated the -discarded newspapers.</p> -<p>"There were reasons why I should," answered Ashton-Kirk. "And -very good reasons, too. But," and he laughed a little, "for all -that, I had an indefinite sort of feeling that I should -<i>not</i> find it. This may sound a trifle queer; but -nevertheless it is true."</p> -<p>"The account was to have been of a murder," accused Pendleton. -"I can see it in your face, so don't take the trouble to deny it. -I had hoped that your plunge into what you styled the 'literature -of assassination' would not last—that a good night's rest -would turn your thoughts into another groove."</p> -<p>"Perhaps it would have been so," said Ashton-Kirk. "But things -have happened in the meantime."</p> -<p>"And you don't appear at all put out that they have done so. -That is possibly the most distressing feature of the business. If -anything, you seem rather pleased. Of course, an odd murder or so -is to be expected in the ordinary course of events; but one -hardly counts upon one's intimates being concerned in them. It is -disconcerting."</p> -<p>He crossed his legs and pursed up his lips.</p> -<p>"If you don't mind," added he, "now that I have expressed -myself, I'll listen to the details of whatever you have in -view."</p> -<p>"There is not a great deal to tell," said Ashton-Kirk. "A man -has been murdered in Christie Place. It happens that I have an -interest in the matter; otherwise I would not think of dipping -into it."</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at him reproachfully.</p> -<p>"After all, then," exclaimed he, "you are but a dilettante! -Assassination in the abstract is well enough, but you have a -disposition to shirk practical examples. I have been -deceived!"</p> -<p>Christie Place was some distance west and ran off from a much -frequented street. It was notable for the wilderness of sign -boards that flared from each side. The buildings were apparently -let out in floors and each lessee endeavored to outdo his -neighbor in proclaiming his business to the passing public. The -lower floors were, for the most part, occupied by small grocers, -dealers in notions, barbers, confectioners and such like.</p> -<p>"What a crowded, narrow little place," commented Pendleton, as -the car turned into the street. The air in the street seemed to -him heavy.</p> -<p>About midway in the block a small group stood about a doorway; -from a window above swung a sign bearing the name of Hume. The -car stopped here; Ashton-Kirk and his friend got out; the group -at the doorway parted and a big man stepped forward.</p> -<p>"Why, hello," said he, cordially. "You're the last person I -was looking for. How did you hear about this?"</p> -<p>"Good morning, Osborne," said Ashton-Kirk, shaking the big -man's hand. "I'm glad to find you in charge. I got it in an -unusual sort of way, and came down to have a look."</p> -<p>Osborne, though in plain clothes, was emphatically a -policeman. His square face, his big frame, his dogged expression, -somehow conveyed the impression as plainly as words.</p> -<p>"It must have been unusual," said he, "because even the -reporters haven't got it yet; headquarters is keeping it quiet -until the chief gets in."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked vastly pleased.</p> -<p>"Excellent," said he to Pendleton. "We'll have a look at the -place before it has lost the atmosphere of the crime." Then to -Osborne: "May we go up?"</p> -<p>"Sure," answered the other readily. "Only don't pull things -around any. That young fellow that they've elected coroner is -awful touchy about such things. He wants to be first always."</p> -<p>"Nothing of importance shall be disturbed," promised -Ashton-Kirk. Then motioning Pendleton to follow, he ascended the -flight that led to the second floor.</p> -<p>It was narrow and dusty, as Miss Vale had said. The walls were -smutted, the hand rail felt greasy, the air was stale. A passage, -dim and windowless, ran the depth of the building; from the front -there came a patch of daylight through a ground glass door. Upon -this latter could be easily read the words:</p> -<p class="note">DAVID P. HUME<br> - NUMISMATIST<br> - PHILATELIST<br> - ART CURIOSITIES</p> -<p>A policeman stood at the head of the stairs smoking a cigar in -an informal way.</p> -<p>"All right," said he, "if Osborne let you come up I've got -nothing to say. He's the boss."</p> -<p>"Have you looked over the place?"</p> -<p>"Just a glance. The floor has been fitted up as an apartment. -Hume occupied all the rooms. The body," pointing to the front -room, "is in there."</p> -<p>"Thanks."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk turned the knob of the door nearest, the one with -the lettering upon it. The room was without windows; the -investigator closed the door and lighted the gas.</p> -<p>"Just a moment," said he.</p> -<p>The door leading to the front room stood wide. He disappeared -through this for a moment; when he returned, his face wore a -tightened expression; his eyes were swift and eager.</p> -<p>"This is a sort of store room, I should say," spoke -Pendleton.</p> -<p>Pictures hung about upon the walls and stood packed in -corners; statues of bronze, marble and plaster were on every -side; brass bas-reliefs, rugs of Eastern design and great price, -antique armor, coin cabinets, ponderous stamp albums, Japanese -paintings and carvings and a host of queer and valuable objects -fairly crammed every inch of space.</p> -<p>"I had heard that Hume was wealthy," commented Ashton-Kirk. -"And this seems to prove it. This room contains value enough to -satisfy a fairly reasonable person."</p> -<p>The two young men passed through into what appeared to be a -kitchen. There was an ill kept range upon one side cluttered with -cooking things. A bare oaken table of the Jacobean period held -the remains of a meal. A massive Dutch side-board, covered with -beautiful carving, stood facing them; every inch of available -space upon it was crowded with bottles, decanters and -glasses.</p> -<p>"The gentleman was not averse to an occasional nip, at any -rate," said Pendleton. "And his taste was rather educated, too," -examining the sideboard's contents carefully. "The best was none -too good for him."</p> -<p>Beyond this again was a bedroom. The bed was a huge Flemish -affair, and also elaborately carved; over it was a spreading -Genoese canopy, which through lack of care had grown dusty and -tattered. Rich old rugs were spread upon the neglected floor; a -beautiful Louis Quinze table had its top covered with discolored -rings made by the bottoms of glasses, and the lighted ends of -cigars had burned spots on it.</p> -<p>"The bed of a prince and the floor coverings of a duke," said -Pendleton with indignation. "And used much as a coal heaver would -use them. Now, this table is really a scandal. If its owner has -been murdered, I don't wonder at it. Some outraged lover of such -things has probably taken the law into his own hands."</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk was paying little attention to the things that -appalled Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Look," said he.</p> -<p>He indicated the walls. Here and there the plaster was broken -as though some fastened object had been violently torn away. At -one place an empty picture frame, its glass smashed, hung askew -from a hook. As Pendleton caught sight of other empty frames -littered about the room, the glass of each broken, their pictures -torn out, he exclaimed in astonishment:</p> -<p>"Hello! Someone has torn them down and smashed them. What an -extraordinary thing to do!"</p> -<p>The pictures, mostly engravings, but with here and there a -painting, were strewn about. Ashton-Kirk carefully gathered them -up and spread them upon the table. They were by various hands, -but unquestionably represented the same person—a handsome, -resolute looking man in the uniform of an officer in the army of -Washington.</p> -<p>"General Anthony Wayne," said Ashton-Kirk, softly.</p> -<p>There was something in the tone that made Pendleton look at -him swiftly. The splendid head was bent over the portraits; -eagerness blazed in the dark eyes; the keen face was rigid with -interest.</p> -<p>"Some drunken freak, do you think?" asked Pendleton, more to -hear his friend's view than anything else.</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk shook his head.</p> -<p>"On the contrary, the thing seems full of a vague meaning," -said he. "There were seventeen pictures upon the walls of this -room; fourteen have been torn down and destroyed; the other three -are undisturbed."</p> -<p>Pendleton gazed at the pictures that remained upon the walls. -Two were of fine looking houses of the colonial type; the third -was the portrait of a man—a man of repulsive, sneering -face, heavy with evil lines and with unusually small eyes.</p> -<p>"If they had destroyed that one it would have had some meaning -to me," commented Pendleton. "But, as it is, I hardly think I -follow you."</p> -<p>"The meaning that I find," replied Ashton-Kirk, "lies in the -fact that the pictures violently used were those of General Wayne -only. Mark that fact. That they were deliberately selected for -destruction is beyond question."</p> -<p>"How do you make that out?"</p> -<p>"It is simple. If this were a mere random stripping of the -room of its pictures, all would have suffered. Look," indicating -a spot in the wall, "here is a place where the plaster is broken. -A hook had been driven here to hold one of the portraits; and the -breaking of the plaster shows that some determination was -required to tear the picture down. Yet—next this—is -an engraving of an old mansion which remains untouched. The next -four again were portraits of the General, and all have been -demolished."</p> -<p>Pendleton nodded.</p> -<p>"That's true," said he. "Whoever did this was after the -Revolutionary hero alone. But why?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled.</p> -<p>"We'll look into matters a little further," said he. "Perhaps -there are facts to be gathered that will shed some light upon the -things that we have already seen."</p> -<p>They repassed through the other rooms; with his hand upon the -frame of the door leading to the show room, Ashton-Kirk -paused.</p> -<p>"Better brace yourself for rather a shocking sight," said he -to his friend.</p> -<p>"Go on," said Pendleton, quietly.</p> -<a name="2HCH0004"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER IV</h2> -<h3>STILLMAN'S THEORY</h3> -<p>There were four good-sized windows in the show room, all -overlooking the street. It was a large, square place, and, as -Miss Vale had said, literally stuffed with odd carvings, pottery -of a most freakish sort, and weird bric-a-brac. Two large modern -safes stood at one side, behind a long show case spread with -ancient coins. At the end of this case was a carpeted space, -railed in and furnished with a great flat-topped desk. Upon the -floor at the foot of the desk, and with three separate streams of -blood creeping away from it, lay the huddled, ghastly figure of a -man.</p> -<p>Pendleton, though he had been warned, felt his breath catch -and his skin grow cold and damp.</p> -<p>"Heavens!" said he, under his breath. "It's the man whose -picture we saw inside there on the wall."</p> -<p>Even the shock of death could not, so it seemed, drive the -sneer from the thick lips; mockery was frozen in the dead -eyes.</p> -<p>"What a beast he must have been," went on Pendleton. "Like a -satyr. I don't think I ever saw just that type of face -before."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk was bending over the body; suddenly he raised -himself.</p> -<p>"There is a heavy bruise on the forehead," said he. "He was -felled first; then bayoneted."</p> -<p>"Bayoneted!" Pendleton peered at the body.</p> -<p>"There it is, sticking from his chest." Ashton-Kirk drew aside -the breast of the dead man's coat and his companion caught sight -of a bronze hilt. The broad, sword-like blade had been driven -completely home.</p> -<p>"If we attempted to move the body," said the investigator, "I -should not be surprised if we found it pinned to the floor. It -took brawn to give that stroke; the man who dealt it made sure of -the job."</p> -<p>With soft, quick steps he crossed the room. The doors of the -safes were locked.</p> -<p>"If the purpose was robbery," said Ashton-Kirk, "the criminal -evidently knew where to look for the most portable and valuable -articles. There seems to be no indication of anything having been -tampered—" He stopped short, his eyes upon a huge vellum -covered tome which lay open upon the floor. He whistled softly -between his teeth. "General Wayne once more!" he said.</p> -<p>The volume, as far as Pendleton could see, was a sort of scrap -book in which had been fastened a great number of prints. Upon -the two pages that they could see, six prints had been affixed by -the corners. Of these, four had been torn out and lay upon the -floor.</p> -<p>"Gambetta and John Bright have been spared," said Ashton-Kirk, -pointing at the book, "but," and he gathered up the fragments of -the mishandled prints, "upon Mad Anthony they laid violent hands -four separate times."</p> -<p>Pendleton wrinkled his brow.</p> -<p>"Now what the deuce can it mean," he asked, vexedly. "Not only -what did the fellow mean who did this, but what did <i>he</i> -mean," pointing at the dead man, "by having so many portraits of -General Wayne?"</p> -<p>"I think something might be found to point the way if we could -only look for it," said Ashton-Kirk, his face alight with -eagerness. "But we'll have to await the coroner's people."</p> -<p>"When will they come?"</p> -<p>The investigator shrugged his shoulders.</p> -<p>"Probably not for hours," he answered. "However, as the -coroner himself appears to be new in the office, he may be more -anxious to get his work over with than the usual official. In the -mean time we'd better go down and have a talk with Osborne. If I -remain here I'll succumb to temptation, go rummaging about and so -get myself into trouble."</p> -<p>He turned the knob of the door with the ground glass panel; -but it was fast. They passed into the store room, and so out into -the hall.</p> -<p>"Any signs of the people from the coroner's office?" asked -Ashton-Kirk of the policeman who stood there.</p> -<p>"Someone just drove up a minute ago," answered the man. "I -hear him down there talking to Osborne now."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk was about to go down when there came a tramping on -the stairs. The big figure of the headquarters detective was -first; after him came a nervous, important looking young man and -a stolid-faced old one.</p> -<p>With a large gesture Osborne laid his hand upon Ashton-Kirk's -shoulder.</p> -<p>"Mr. Stillman," said he to the nervous looking young man, -"this is Mr. Ashton-Kirk. I guess you've heard of him."</p> -<p>The important manner of the young coroner visibly increased as -he held out his hand.</p> -<p>"I have heard of you frequently, sir," he stated, firmly, "and -I am quite delighted to meet you. More especially, sir, at a time -like this."</p> -<p>"A very nasty looking affair," returned the investigator. -"Osborne has been good enough to let me glance about," in -explanation.</p> -<p>"I trust," said Stillman, "that you have disturbed -nothing."</p> -<p>"Except for gathering up a few scattered pictures in the -bedroom, we have done nothing but look," assured Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I find that the exact conditions must remain if we are to -secure even a fairly good idea of the crime's environments," -stated Stillman, nervously. "It is a thing that I insist upon -from the police in every instance."</p> -<p>"Sure, sure," said Osborne. "Headquarters does its best never -to make trouble for you, Mr. Stillman."</p> -<p>The nervous young coroner seemed to be relieved to hear this. -He waved his hand in a gesture that might have meant anything and -turned to the stolid looking, elderly man who accompanied them. -They conversed for a few moments; the stolid man seemed to be -explaining something carefully, to which Stillman listened with -the utmost attention. Osborne bent his head toward -Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"The old party is a left-over in the coroner's office, of many -years' standing," said the detective. "He knows the ropes and -puts the newly elected ones on to the points of the game."</p> -<p>Stillman finally turned; there was an added importance in his -manner, and his nervousness had also increased.</p> -<p>"Mr. Osborne," said he, "please let us have what facts the -police have gathered."</p> -<p>"That won't take long," said Osborne. "Just before -daylight—three o'clock, I think she said—the woman -whom Hume employed to scrub the passage-way and stairs got here. -She has almost a dozen such jobs in the neighborhood, and as she -must have them all done before business begins, she's compelled -to get at it early. She has a key to the street door; so she let -herself in, came up these stairs and started for the far end of -the hall, where there is a water tap. She didn't notice anything -unusual until she returned with her pail filled; then she saw -this door," pointing to that of the store room, "standing -open."</p> -<p>"I see," said Mr. Stillman; and he gazed very hard at the -door.</p> -<p>"Hume, according to the scrub-woman's story," resumed the big -man, "was a queer kind of a chap. You didn't always know just how -to take him. He's lapped up a good bit of booze first and last -and sometimes he's come home pretty well settled. So when the -woman sees the door open, this is the first thing that enters her -mind. But to make sure, she goes into the room and calls him by -name. The room's dark and there's just a touch of daylight coming -in through the open door leading into the front room. So as there -was no answer, she takes a peep in there and sees him on the -floor."</p> -<p>"And is that all she can tell?"</p> -<p>"Yes; except that she bolted down the stairs in a hurry, met -Paulson here," with a nod to the policeman, who had now discarded -his cigar, "and told him what she had seen."</p> -<p>"What is her name and address?"</p> -<p>Osborne consulted a note book.</p> -<p>"Mrs. Dwyer, 71 Cormant Street," read he.</p> -<p>"Please make a note of that," said Stillman to his clerk. "And -send for her later in the day." Then turning once more to -Osborne, he continued. "Before doing anything else we will -endeavor to find out how the criminal gained an entrance."</p> -<p>"That's the way with these Johnnie Newcomers," grumbled -Osborne as Stillman turned once more to his aide. "They want to -do it all. Why don't he go in, look at the body and leave the -police business to the police."</p> -<p>"Too much earnestness may have its drawbacks," said -Ashton-Kirk, "but it is to be preferred to the perfunctory -methods of the accustomed official, for all."</p> -<p>"From your angle, maybe so," said Osborne with a frown; "but -not from ours."</p> -<p>Stillman began rubbing his palms together with what was -intended to be business-like briskness; he stepped up and down -the dark hall, peering right and left. But for all his assumption -of confidence, his nervousness was very apparent.</p> -<p>"You say," said he to Osborne, "that the scrubwoman unlocked -the street door. Very good. That shows that <i>it</i> was fast at -all events. Now what other means are there of entering the -building?"</p> -<p>"None, except by the fire-escapes and windows. But the windows -on this floor are all secured except for those at the front."</p> -<p>"Except for those at the front." The young coroner paused in -his hand rubbing. "Would it not have been possible for the person -or persons who did this murder to enter by one of those?"</p> -<p>"It would have been possible," returned the big headquarters -man, "but no sane person would do it. They'd have to swarm up the -face of the building in full view of anyone that might be passing -at the time."</p> -<p>"Exactly," said Stillman, stiffening under what he was half -inclined to consider a rebuff. "Well, that eliminates <i>that</i> -possibility. Now to the next one. Who occupied the building -besides the murdered man?"</p> -<p>"A man named Berg keeps a delicatessen store on the first -floor. His place in no way communicates with the rest of the -building. The third and fourth floors are used for storage -purposes by a furrier. Except in the spring and fall, so Mrs. -Dwyer tells me, he seldom visits the building."</p> -<p>"Is there any way of getting in from the top of the -house—the roof?" asked the coroner.</p> -<p>A look of something like respect came into Osborne's face. -Clearly the question was one which he considered worth while.</p> -<p>"There is a scuttle," he replied. "The bolt is rusted and -broken; it has probably not been fastened for months, perhaps -years."</p> -<p>"Now we are beginning to come at something," cried Stillman, -well pleased. "In all probability the assassin entered by way of -the scuttle." He turned as though for the approval of the -stolid-faced man. "Eh, Curran? What do you think of that?"</p> -<p>"It looks very like it, Mr. Stillman."</p> -<p>"At all events," spoke the coroner, "we will now examine the -rooms."</p> -<p>He advanced and tried the door of the show room.</p> -<p>"Ah, locked!" said he. He turned and entered the store room, -the others following. The gas was still burning; the coroner -stuck a pair of big-lensed eyeglasses upon his rather high nose -and gazed about him intently.</p> -<p>"There seems to be nothing of an informing nature here," said -he, after a time. "Where is the body?"</p> -<p>Osborne led the way into the front room. After a glance at the -ghastly, huddled figure upon the carpet near the desk, the -coroner took a careful survey of the apartment.</p> -<p>"Did Mr. Hume employ any person to assist him?" he asked.</p> -<p>"The scrub-woman told me that there was a young man here -always when she came during the business day for her wages. A -sort of clerk, she thought."</p> -<p>"He will be able to tell us if anything has been disturbed, no -doubt," remarked Stillman.</p> -<p>Then he examined the body minutely. In the pockets were found -a wallet containing a large sum of money, a massive, -old-fashioned gold watch with a chain running from pocket to -pocket of the waist-coat. Upon the little finger of Hume's left -hand was a magnificent diamond.</p> -<p>"Worth two thousand if it's worth a cent," appraised -Osborne.</p> -<p>"If the criminal had meant robbery these things would -unquestionably have been taken," commented the young coroner. -"Eh, Curran?"</p> -<p>"That is a very safe rule to go by, Mr. Stillman," replied his -assistant, with the utmost stolidity.</p> -<p>Through his big lenses the coroner gazed curiously at the -bronze haft protruding from the dead man's chest.</p> -<p>"A bayonet," said he. "Not a common weapon in a crime like -this. In fact, I should say it was rather in the nature of an -innovation."</p> -<p>"It probably belonged in Hume's stock," suggested Osborne. -"There seems to be about everything here."</p> -<p>But Stillman shook his head.</p> -<p>"We have already about concluded that the intention of the -criminal was not robbery," stated he. "And now, if we make up our -minds that the bayonet belonged to Hume—that the assassin, -in point of fact, came here without a weapon—it must be -that he did not intend murder either."</p> -<p>"Maybe he didn't," ventured Osborne. "There might have been a -sudden quarrel. The person who struck that blow may have grabbed -up the first competent looking thing that came to his hand."</p> -<p>Stillman turned to Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"That sounds reasonable enough, eh?"</p> -<p>"Very much so," replied Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"A bayonet is a most unusual weapon," said the coroner -thoughtfully, readjusting his glasses. "And I think it would be a -most awkward thing to carry around with one. Therefore, it would -be a most unlikely choice for an intending assassin. I am of the -opinion," nervously, "that we may safely say that it was a sudden -quarrel which ended in this," and he gestured with both hands -toward the body.</p> -<p>The safe doors were tried and found locked; a cash register -was opened and found to contain what had been apparently the -receipts of the day before. An examination of the cabinets and -cases disclosed hundreds of ancient coins and other articles the -value of which must have been heavy. But their orderly array had -not been disturbed. A long curtain of faded green material hung -from the wall at one side, as though to screen something from the -sunlight and dust.</p> -<p>"What have we here?" said the coroner.</p> -<p>He stepped across the store and whisked the curtain aside. A -large gilt frame was disclosed; and from it hung the slashed -remains of a canvas.</p> -<p>"Hello!" exclaimed Osborne, with interest. "This begins to -look like one of the old affairs that they say Hume's been mixed -up in. Somebody's tried to cut that picture from the frame."</p> -<p>They examined it carefully. A keen knife had been run around -the top and both sides, close to the frame. The painting hung -down, its gray back displayed forlornly.</p> -<p>Stillman regarded it with great satisfaction.</p> -<p>"Here," said he, "we at least have a possible motive."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took a twisted walking stick from a rack, and with -the end of it, raised the slashed canvas so that its subject -could be seen. It was a heroic equestrian figure of an officer of -the American Revolution. His sword was drawn; his face shone with -the light of battle.</p> -<p>Pendleton was just about to cry out "General Wayne," when the -stick fell from his friend's hand, the canvas dropping to its -former position. While the others were trying to get it into -place once more, Ashton-Kirk whispered to Pendleton:</p> -<p>"Say nothing. This is their turn; let them work in their own -way. I will begin where they have finished."</p> -<p>After a little time spent in a gratified inspection of the -painting, Stillman said:</p> -<p>"But, gentlemen, let us have a look at the other rooms. There -may be something more."</p> -<p>They re-passed through the store room and into the living -room. Nothing here took the coroner's attention, and they entered -the bedroom. Both these last had doors leading into the hall; -upon their being tried they were found to be locked.</p> -<p>The smashed pictures upon the bedroom floor at once took the -eye of Stillman. He regarded the broken places in the plaster and -prodded the slivers of wood and glass with the toe of his shoe -with much complacency.</p> -<p>"This completes the story," declared he. "It is now plain from -end to end. The criminal entered the building from the roof, made -his way down stairs and gained admittance through the door which -the scrub woman found unlocked. His purpose was to steal the -painting in the front room.</p> -<p>"In a struggle with Hume, who unexpectedly came upon him, the -intruder killed him. Not knowing the exact location of the -picture he wanted, he first looked for it here. The light -probably being bad he tore down every picture he could reach in -order to get a better view of it. When, at last, he had found the -desired work, he set about cutting it from its frame. But, before -he had finished, something alarmed him, and he fled without the -prize."</p> -<p>The stolid man listened to this with marked approval. Even -Osborne reluctantly whispered to Pendleton:</p> -<p>"He's doped it out. I didn't think it was in him."</p> -<p>After a little more, the coroner said to his clerk:</p> -<p>"I think that is about all. Curran, see to it that the -post-mortem is not delayed. Put a couple of our men on the case, -have them make extensive inquiries in the neighborhood. Any -persons who appear to possess information may be brought to my -office at three o'clock. Especially I desire to see this Mrs. -Dwyer, Berg, who keeps the store on the ground floor and the -young man who was employed by Hume. I'll empanel a jury later." -He took off his eye-glasses, placed them in a case and, in turn, -carefully slipped this into his pocket. "At three o'clock," he -repeated.</p> -<p>"If I should not be intruding," said Ashton-Kirk, "I should -like to be present."</p> -<p>Stillman smiled with the air of a man triumphant, but who -still desired to show charity.</p> -<p>"I shall be pleased to see you, sir," he said, "then or at any -other time."</p> -<a name="2HCH0005"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER V</h2> -<h3>STILLMAN ASKS QUESTIONS</h3> -<p>It wanted a few minutes of three o'clock when Ashton-Kirk, -still accompanied by the curious Pendleton, walked into the outer -room of the coroner's suite.</p> -<p>"Mr. Stillman will be here at any moment now," said Curran. -Then lowering his voice and making a short little gesture from -the elbow, he added: "These people are the ones he wanted to -see."</p> -<p>As he and Pendleton sat down, Ashton-Kirk looked at the -persons referred to. The first was a thin, wiry little woman, -unmistakably Irish, cleanly dressed and with sharp, inquisitive -eyes. Engaged in a low-pitched conversation with her was a -thick-necked German, heavy of paunch and with a fat, red face. -The third was a spectacled young Jew, poring over a huge volume -which he seemed to have brought with him. He had a tremendous -head of curling black hair; his clothing was shabby. There was a -rapt expression upon his face; plainly nothing existed for him at -that moment outside the pages of his book.</p> -<p>After a brief space, the coroner came in,</p> -<p>"Ah, how do you do, gentlemen," greeted he. He was -good-natured and strove to be easy; but his natural nervousness -clung to him. "I am glad to see you."</p> -<p>He looked at Curran and nodded at the three inquiringly.</p> -<p>"Yes, sir," replied the clerk; "these are the parties."</p> -<p>"Then we will get down to business." He opened a door and -entered an inner room. "Will you come in?" he asked of -Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton.</p> -<p>They followed him at once; and Curran, addressing the little -Irishwoman, said:</p> -<p>"Now, Mrs. Dwyer, this way, please."</p> -<p>She arose briskly and also entered the inner room. Stillman -seated himself at a desk and carefully perched his glasses upon -his nose.</p> -<p>"I perhaps take more trouble than is customary in these -cases," he said to Ashton-Kirk. "It is usual to hear statements, -I believe, only when they are proffered as testimony at the -inquest. But it seems to me that the office should be carried on -in a more thorough way. Preparation, I think, is necessary to get -at the facts."</p> -<p>Then he faced the woman who had taken a chair beside the -desk.</p> -<p>"Your full name, please," said he.</p> -<p>"Honora Dwyer. I'm a widow with four children; I live at 71 -Cormant Street, an' me husban' has been dead these three years," -declared she, in a breath.</p> -<p>Stillman smiled.</p> -<p>"You don't believe in keeping anything back, Mrs. Dwyer, I can -see that," said he. "And a very good trait it is." He leaned back -in his swivel chair and looked at her through the glasses. "You -are the person who discovered the body of Mr. Hume, are you -not?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir, I were," replied Mrs. Dwyer; "and God spare me such -another sight."</p> -<p>"Tell us about it," said the coroner.</p> -<p>"I work as scrub woman for a good many in Christie Place an' -the immejeat neighborhood," said Mrs. Dwyer, genteelly. "But I -always gets to Mr. Hume's first."</p> -<p>"You are quite sure you found the street door locked?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> -<p>"And you noticed nothing unusual about the place?"</p> -<p>"Only the open door to the store room, sir. Mr. Hume was -always particular about closing up, sir. For a man who was in the -habit of taking a sup of drink, sir, I'll say he was <i>very</i> -particular."</p> -<p>"When you noticed the door being open you went in at once, I -suppose?"</p> -<p>"No, sir; I did not. After I got me water, I set down on the -top step to get me breath. When I saw the door stan'nin' open, -thinks I to meself, thinks I; 'Mr. Hume is up early this -mornin'.' But everything was quiet as the grave," in a hushed -dramatic tone. "Sorra the sound did I hear. So I gets up and goes -in. And in the front room I sees him lyin'. Mr. Hume was never a -handsome man, sir; and he'd gained nothing in looks by the end -he'd met with. God save us, how I ever got out into the street, -I'll never know."</p> -<p>She rocked to and fro and fanned herself with her apron.</p> -<p>"It must have been a very severe shock, Mrs. Dwyer," agreed -the coroner. "Now," after a pause, "do you know -anything—however slight, mind you—that would seem to -point to who did this thing?"</p> -<p>Mrs. Dwyer shook her head.</p> -<p>"Me acquaintance with Mr. Hume was a business one only, sir," -she said. "I never set foot into his place further than the hall -except on the days when I went to get me pay—and this -morning, save us from harm!"</p> -<p>"You know nothing of his friends then—of his -habits?"</p> -<p>"There is the Jew boy, outside there, that worked for him. -He's a nice, good mannered little felly, and is the only person I -ever see in the office when I went there, barrin' the boss -himself. As for Mr. Hume's habits, I can say only what everybody -knows. He were drunk when he engaged me, and he were drunk the -last time I seen him alive."</p> -<p>"That will be all, Mrs. Dwyer," said Stillman. "Thank you. -Curran, I'll see the young man next."</p> -<p>As Curran and Mrs. Dwyer went out the young coroner turned to -his two visitors.</p> -<p>"I am still assured that we have the motive for the crime in -the attempt to steal the painting," he said. "But it will do no -harm to get all the light we can upon every side of the matter. -The smallest clue," importantly, "may prove of the utmost value -at the inquest."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smilingly nodded his entire assent to this. Then -Curran showed in the clerk.</p> -<p>The young man still carried the thick volume and, when he sat -down, laid it upon a corner of Stillman's desk. Its back was -turned toward Ashton-Kirk and he noted that it was a work on -anatomy such as first-year medical students use.</p> -<p>"What is your name, please?" asked the coroner.</p> -<p>"Isidore Brolatsky," replied the young man.</p> -<p>"You are, or were, employed by Mr. Hume?"</p> -<p>"As a clerk, yes, sir. I've been with him for some years." -Brolatsky spoke with scarcely a trace of accent. "He didn't pay -much, but then there wasn't much to do, and I had plenty of time -to study."</p> -<p>"Ah," said Stillman, encouragingly. "To study, eh?"</p> -<p>"Yes. I've taken up medicine. There's a college up town that -has night classes. I have been attending the lectures there and -reading during the day. There's a big chance for physicians who -can speak Yiddish. Not only to make money, but to do good."</p> -<p>"I see." The coroner regarded him reflectively for a moment. -"Now, Mr. Brolatsky, having worked for Hume for some years, you -must have picked up some details as to his business and himself. -Suppose you tell us all you know about both."</p> -<p>The dark face of Brolatsky became thoughtful.</p> -<p>"Mr. Hume was a hard man to get along with," he said. "He -seemed ready to quarrel at any time with anybody. I don't recall -a customer ever coming into the store that he didn't have some -kind of trouble with before they went out. But he had a great -knowledge of the things he dealt in. People came from far and -near to get his opinion on items in their collections. His fees," -with appreciation, "were large.</p> -<p>"But there is one thing that I noticed about him. While he -knew all about objects of art, he did not seem to care for them. -He had no love for his trade, no sympathy, I may say, for the -collectors who came to him. I wouldn't be going far from the -truth if I said that he thought them all fools for paying their -money for such things. And I <i>know</i> that he mocked -them."</p> -<p>"Humph!" Stillman looked at Ashton-Kirk, with surprise upon -his face. "That seems odd. Men usually go into Hume's business -through love of it." He turned once more to Brolatsky. "And he -had no hobby of his own, no collection that he fancied more than -another?"</p> -<p>Brolatsky nodded amusedly.</p> -<p>"Yes," he replied. "I was just coming to that. He <i>did</i> -have a collection that he called his own. And he never sold an -item from it as long as I was with him. Indeed, I think if -anybody had offered to buy, he would have come to blows with -him."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk bent forward. For the first time since entering -the room, he spoke.</p> -<p>"And what was the nature of that collection?" he inquired -eagerly.</p> -<p>"Portraits," answered Isidore Brolatsky. "Prints, lithographs, -mezzo-tints, engravings, paintings, it made no difference. And -all of the same person. He had hundreds, I guess, and every one -of them was of General Wayne."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk leaned back in his chair with a faint breath of -triumph.</p> -<p>"When a portrait of General Wayne was offered him," continued -Brolatsky, "he never haggled over it. He paid the price asked and -seemed quite delighted to get it. It was a standing joke in the -trade that if you wanted to get even with Mr. Hume for driving a -hard bargain with you, all you had to do was to offer him a -portrait of General Wayne. I never saw him refuse one. Even if he -had dozens of duplicates, which often happened; still he'd -buy."</p> -<p>A look of great acuteness had settled upon the face of the -young coroner.</p> -<p>"There is a painting at one side of the show room," said he. -"It is under a large green curtain. Is that of General -Wayne?"</p> -<p>"It is," replied the clerk. "And I believe that he valued it -more than anything else that he owned."</p> -<p>Stillman laughed with pleasure.</p> -<p>"Now," said he to his visitors, "we are getting at it, indeed. -Someone probably knew of the value he attached to this painting -and planned to steal it, perhaps for a ransom. Hume has been -suspected of doing this sort of thing himself before now. He was -supposed to have engaged someone to do the actual work, I -believe, as in the case of the Whistler portrait of the Duchess -of Winterton. Suppose this someone," and Stillman rapped his -knuckles upon the edge of the desk excitedly, "took the notion to -go into the picture stealing business of his own account. Hume -himself with his much prized portrait of General Wayne was ready -at hand—and so," with a sweeping gesture, "what has -happened, has happened."</p> -<p>Pendleton, much impressed, looked at Ashton-Kirk. But the -latter's thoughts seemed far away; his eyes were fixed upon the -wall; his expression was of delighted anticipation.</p> -<p>Stillman also noticed this non-attention to his reasoning, and -a little wrinkle of discontent appeared between his brows. So he -turned his gaze upon Brolatsky and spoke rather sharply.</p> -<p>"Now, as to Mr. Hume's intimates? What do you know of -them?"</p> -<p>Isidore Brolatsky shifted in his chair; his long fingers began -to drum upon his knees.</p> -<p>"I have known of the matter of the Whistler portrait," said -he, "but I never knew anything more about it than what I read in -the newspapers. It happened before my time."</p> -<p>"I'm not accusing you," said Stillman. "I'm asking you about -Hume's friends."</p> -<p>The clerk considered.</p> -<p>"There was no one that I ever saw or heard of that you could -call his friend, exactly," said he at length. "He made game of -people too much to have any I guess."</p> -<p>"Had he no associates—no one with whom he spent his -time?"</p> -<p>Brolatsky shook his head.</p> -<p>"Perhaps so; but then I was only in Christie Place during -business hours. I have heard that he frequently went out at -night; but where I do not know."</p> -<p>"Was there no one who came to visit him while you were there -during the day. No one whom he spoke of in an intimate way?"</p> -<p>Again the clerk shook his head. Stillman began to appear -nonplussed. He looked at the other, pondering and frowning -through his glasses.</p> -<p>"Who came most frequently to the store?" he inquired -finally.</p> -<p>"Why, I think Antonio Spatola," said Brolatsky.</p> -<p>"Was he a customer?"</p> -<p>The clerk smiled.</p> -<p>"Oh, no. He's a street musician. You may have seen him often -about the city. He plays the violin and carries some trained -cockatoos upon a perch."</p> -<p>"What was the nature of his business at Hume's?"</p> -<p>"If there was anything that Mr. Hume liked better than strong -drink," said the clerk, "it was music. Antonio Spatola would come -and play to him for hours at a time."</p> -<p>"A lover of music who could stand the playing of a street -musician for hours!" cried Stillman. "That's astonishing."</p> -<p>"But," protested Brolatsky, "Spatola is a splendid musician. -He's studied his instrument under the greatest masters in Paris, -Rome and other European cities. He has played in the finest -orchestras. But he never could keep a position because of his -temper. He's told me himself that when aroused he doesn't know -what he is doing."</p> -<p>"I understand," said the coroner. "What sort of relations -existed between Hume and Spatola outside the music? Were they -friendly?"</p> -<p>"No, sir. I might say just the reverse. For hours, sometimes, -Mr. Hume would lie back in his chair with his eyes closed -listening to the violin. Then, perhaps, he'd get up suddenly, -throw Antonio a dollar or so and tell him to get out. Or maybe -he'd begin to jeer at him. Antonio had an ambition to become a -concert violinist. Ole Bull and Kubelik had made great successes, -he said; and so, why not he?</p> -<p>"This was usually the point Mr. Hume would take up in mocking -him. He'd call him a curbstone fiddler, and say that he ought to -be playing at barn dances and Italian christenings instead of -aspiring to the platform. Spatola would get frantic with rage, -and fairly scream his resentment at these times.</p> -<p>"Often Mr. Hume would have him bring his trained cockatoos. -And while he was making them go through their tricks, Mr. Hume -would call him a mountebank, a side show fakir and other things, -and tell him that he ought to stick to that as a business, for he -could make a living at it, where he would starve as a violinist. -I've often seen Antonio go out trembling and white at the lips -with rage. Several times he's tried to injure Mr. Hume—once -he took out a knife."</p> -<p>"Hah!" said the coroner.</p> -<p>"That was the time Mr. Hume called him 'Mad Anthony.' I also -remember that Mr. Hume pulled aside the curtain and showed him -the large painting of General Wayne, laughing and telling him -that that was another Mad Anthony. He was so successful that day -in arousing Spatola, that always after that, when he was drunk, -he'd call the Italian 'Mad Anthony' and it never failed to -infuriate him.</p> -<p>"Do you know where this man Spatola lives?"</p> -<p>"In Christie Place, sir; just about half a dozen doors from -the store. I believe he rents a garret there, or something."</p> -<p>Stillman seemed struck by this.</p> -<p>"In view of the fact that the building was entered by way of -the scuttle," said he to Ashton-Kirk, "I consider that a most -interesting piece of information."</p> -<p>"It may indeed prove so," was the non-committal reply.</p> -<p>Once more the discontented crease showed itself upon the -coroner's forehead; and again as he turned to Brolatsky, his -voice rose sharply.</p> -<p>"Next to Antonio Spatola, who came most to Hume's place while -you were there?"</p> -<p>"The next most frequent caller," returned the clerk, "was Mr. -Allan Morris."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk, glancing at Pendleton, saw him start.</p> -<p>"And who," queried the coroner, "is Mr. Allan Morris?"</p> -<p>"At first I took him to be a customer," replied Brolatsky. -"And perhaps he was. He talked a great deal at times about -engraved gems and would look at lists and works upon the subject. -But somehow I got the notion that that was not just what he came -for."</p> -<p>"What caused you to think that?" asked the coroner.</p> -<p>"His manner, partly, and then the fact that there seemed -something between Mr. Hume and him—something that I never -understood. Mr. Morris was another one that the boss used to make -game of. Not so much as he would Spatola, but still a good bit. -Mr. Morris always took it with a show of good temper; but -underneath I could see that he too was sometimes furious."</p> -<p>"About what did Hume deride <i>him</i>?"</p> -<p>"That's what I never could quite make out. It always seemed as -though it was something that Mr. Morris wanted. At first I got -the notion that it was something that he wanted to buy and which -Mr. Hume refused to sell; but later I changed my mind. There -seemed to be more to it than appeared on the top. Both were very -secretive about it."</p> -<p>"I understand." Stillman's face wore a puzzled expression; it -was as though this latter development worried him. But in a few -moments he went on: "Do you know where this man Morris is to be -found?"</p> -<p>"Oh, yes. He's quite well known. Has an office in the Blake -Building, and is employed just now, so I've heard, by the Navy -Department."</p> -<p>"You have visited Christie Place to-day?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir."</p> -<p>"Did the police have you look about?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir. And so far as I can see, nothing has been -taken."</p> -<p>"The weapon that Hume was killed with, now. Do you know -anything about it—did it belong to the store?"</p> -<p>"The bayonet? No, sir."</p> -<p>"Are you sure of that?" earnestly.</p> -<p>"Positive. It was my duty to keep a complete list of -everything we had in stock. We had other sorts of arms, but no -such thing as a bayonet."</p> -<p>There were a few more questions, but as they drew out nothing -of interest, Stillman signified to Brolatsky that the interview -was at an end.</p> -<p>"Now, you will go with Mr. Curran to police headquarters on -the next floor," said he, "and tell them what you have told me -about this Antonio Spatola."</p> -<p>Then he opened the door and stepped out.</p> -<p>"Curran," they heard him say, importantly.</p> -<p>"I want you to—" then the door closed, cutting the -sentence short.</p> -<p>Pendleton gazed fixedly at Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I say," said he, "I'm not up in this sort of thing at all. -I've been putting two and two together, and it's led me into a -deuce of a state."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked at him inquiringly; there was expectancy in -the investigator's eyes, but he said nothing.</p> -<p>"Perhaps you'll think that I'm all kinds of a fool," continued -Pendleton, "and maybe I am. But here are the things that I'm -trying to marshall in order. I'll take them just as they -happened." He held up one hand and with the other began to check -off the counts upon his fingers. "Yesterday you have a -visit—a visit of a professional nature—from Edyth -Vale. Last night she strangely disappears for a time. At a most -unconventional hour this morning I find you at her door. Then I -learn that you are on your way to look into the details of a -murder that you had just heard of—somehow. Now I hear that -Allan Morris, Edyth's fiancé, has been, in rather an odd -way, upon familiar terms with the murdered man."</p> -<p>He paused as he checked this last count, still regarding his -friend fixedly.</p> -<p>"I don't claim," he went on, after a moment, "that these -things have anything to do with each other. But, somehow, they've -got together in my mind, and I can't—"</p> -<p>Here the door re-opened and Stillman entered, followed by the -big German.</p> -<p>"Just take a chair, Mr. Berg," said the coroner, seating -himself at the desk and affixing his eyeglasses.</p> -<p>The German lowered his form into the chair indicated and -folded his fat hands across his monstrous paunch.</p> -<p>"Your name in full—is what?" asked Stillman with -formality.</p> -<p>"Franz Berg. I sell me delicatessen at 478 Christie Place. I -haf been there for fifteen years."</p> -<p>"You were acquainted with the murdered man?"</p> -<p>The delicatessen dealer unfolded his hands and waved them -significantly.</p> -<p>"I was aguainted with him—yes. But I was not friendly -with him—no. He is dead, ain't it? Und it's not right to -say someding about the dead. But he was no friend of mine."</p> -<p>"I understand. But tell me, Mr. Berg, how late do you keep -your place open?"</p> -<p>"In the summertime—seven o'clock. But after dose -theaters open, I stays me on the chob till twelve, or later -somedimes. There is one—two—three what you call -burlesque places, right by me; and no sooner do they close up, -than right away those actor peoples come to buy. I do a goot -business, so I keep open."</p> -<p>"Then you were there until midnight last night?"</p> -<p>"More later than that yet."</p> -<p>"Was there any movement of any sort about Hume's place? Did -you see or hear anything?"</p> -<p>The great red face of Berg took on a solemn look.</p> -<p>"It is maybe not ride that I should say somedings," complained -he. "But if the law will not excuse me, I will say it, if it -makes some more trouble or not."</p> -<p>"It is vitally necessary," stated the young coroner, firmly, -"that you tell me everything you know about this matter."</p> -<p>"Well," said the delicatessen dealer, reluctantly, "last night -as I stood by my window looking oudside on the street, I see me -that Italian feller go by und turn in at the side door; a second -lader I hear him go up the steps to Hume's place."</p> -<p>"What Italian fellow do you refer to?"</p> -<p>"He lifs close by me, a few doors away. His name is Spatola, -und he plays the violin the gurb-stones beside."</p> -<p>"What time was it that you saw him?"</p> -<p>"Maybe elefen o'clock. I am not sure. But it was just a little -while before I got me the rush of customers from the -theaters."</p> -<p>"Did you notice his manner? Was there anything unusual in his -looks?"</p> -<p>"I had me only a glimbs of him. He looked about the same as -effer. He was in a hurry, for it rained a liddle; und under his -coat yet he carried his fiddle."</p> -<p>"If it was under his coat, how do you know it was his -fiddle?"</p> -<p>The German scratched his head in a reflective way.</p> -<p>"I don't know it," said he at last. "But he somedimes takes -his instrument inside there, und I just get the notion that it -was so. Yes?"</p> -<p>"When did he come out?"</p> -<p>The man shook his head.</p> -<p>"I don'd know," he said.</p> -<p>"Do you mean that you saw no one come out?"</p> -<p>"No; I <i>did</i> see someone come out. But first I see me -someone else go in."</p> -<p>"Ah! And who was that?"</p> -<p>"I don't know his name; but I had seen him often before. He is -a kind of svell feller. He had a cane und plendy of style."</p> -<p>"And later you saw someone come out. Now, your use of the word -'someone' leads me to think that you do not know whether it was -Spatola or the stranger."</p> -<p>"I don'd," said Berg. "I was busy then. I just heard me -someone rush down the stairs, making plendy noise, und I heard -that drunken Hume lift up a window, stick out his head and call -some names after him. My customers laugh und think it's a joke; -but I am ashamed such a disgracefulness to have around my -business yet."</p> -<p>"If Hume called after the person who left," said Stillman, -acutely, to Ashton-Kirk, "that eliminates one of the callers. It -proves that Hume was still alive after the man had gone."</p> -<p>"That is undoubtedly a fact," replied the investigator.</p> -<p>Stillman turned upon Berg with dignity.</p> -<p>"Surely you must have noticed the man if all that uproar -attended his exit. You must have detected enough to mark a -difference between an exceptionally well-dressed man and an -Italian street musician."</p> -<p>Berg shook his big head.</p> -<p>"It was aboud twelve o'clock in the night-dime, und my -customers besides I had to pay some attention to," stated he.</p> -<p>The coroner was baffled by the man's positiveness.</p> -<p>"Well," said he, resignedly. "What else did you see?"</p> -<p>Berg shook his head once more.</p> -<p>"Nothing else. Putty soon I closed up and went home." Then a -flash of recollection came into his dull face. "As I went down -the street I saw some lights in Hume's windows. One of them -windows was open—maybe the one he sticked his head out of -to call the man names—und I could hear him laughing like he -used to do when he was trying to make a jackass of some -peoples."</p> -<p>The coroner pondered. At length he said:</p> -<p>"This object that Spatola carried under his coat, now. Could -it have been a bayonet?"</p> -<p>"No, no," said Berg with conviction. "It vos too big. It vos -bigger as a half dozen bayonets already."</p> -<p>This seemed the limit of Berg's knowledge of the night's -happenings; a few more questions and then Stillman dismissed him. -The door had hardly closed when the telephone rang. After a few -words, the coroner hung up the receiver and turned to his -visitors.</p> -<p>"I think," said he, with a smile of satisfaction, "that I've -made the police department sit up a little. They talked to all -three of these people before I had them, and didn't seem to get -enough to make a beginning. But just now," and the smile grew -wider, "I've heard that Osborne is on his way to arrest Antonio -Spatola."</p> -<a name="2HCH0006"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER VI</h2> -<h3>ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS ABOUT</h3> -<p>Berg was standing in the corridor waiting for the elevator -when Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton came out. The big German mopped -his face with a handkerchief, and said apologetically:</p> -<p>"A man can only tell what he knows, ain't it?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked at him questioningly, but said nothing.</p> -<p>"To begin dot guess-work business when you are talking to the -law already, it is dangerous," stated Berg in an explanatory -tone.</p> -<p>"Well," said Ashton-Kirk, "sometimes a good, pointed guess is -of great service, Mr. Berg. And," with a laugh, "as I am not the -law and not the least dangerous, suppose you make the one that I -can see you turning over in your mind."</p> -<p>"Oh," said Berg, "you are not the coroner's office in?"</p> -<p>"No; merely interested in this case, that's all."</p> -<p>The delicatessen dealer looked relieved.</p> -<p>"I don't want to get people in trouble," said he, guardedly. -"But this is what I guess. Late every night, about the time I -shut up my place, there is a cab comes und by the curbstone -stands across the street. I will not say what is der place it -stands in front of; that is not my business."</p> -<p>"McCausland's gambling house, perhaps," suggested -Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>The big German looked more relieved than ever.</p> -<p>"Ach, so you know about dot place, eh? All ride. Now I can -speak out and not be afraid to do some harm to nobody." He -lowered his voice still further. "Dot cab came last night as I -was locking my door up, und stands the curbstone by in front of -McCausland's, waiting for a chob. Maybe when I goes away home der -driver he sees what happened at Hume's afterwards, eh?"</p> -<p>"Excellent!" said Ashton-Kirk, his eyes alight. "Thanks for -the hint, Mr. Berg."</p> -<p>The delicatessen dealer lumbered into the elevator which had -stopped; Pendleton was about to follow, but his friend detained -him, and the car dropped downward without them.</p> -<p>"That cab," said Ashton-Kirk, "is sure to be a night-hawk; and -more than likely it is put up at Partridge's. Pardon me a -moment."</p> -<p>There was a telephone booth at one side of the corridor; the -speaker went in and closed the door. After a few moments he came -out.</p> -<p>"Just as I thought," he said, well pleased. "Partridge knew -the cab in a moment. The driver's name is Sams, and he lives at -the place they call the Beehive." He looked at his watch. "It -wants but a few minutes of four," he added, "and a night-hawk -cabby will be just about stirring. The Beehive is only three -blocks away; suppose we go around and look him up."</p> -<p>Pendleton agreed instantly; and after a brisk walk and a -breathless climb, they found themselves on the fourth floor of a -huge brick building where they had been directed by a -meek-looking woman in a dust-cap. A long hall with a great many -doors upon each side, all looking alike, stretched away before -them.</p> -<p>"It's very plain that the only way to find Mr. Sams is to make -a noise," said Ashton-Kirk. And with that he stalked down the -hall, his heels clattering on the bare boards. "Hello," he cried -loudly. "Sams is wanted! Hello, Sams!"</p> -<p>A door opened, and a face covered with thick soap suds and -surmounted by a tangle of sandy hair looked out.</p> -<p>"Hello," growled this person, huskily. "Who wants him?"</p> -<p>"Very glad to see you, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "We have a -small matter of business with you that will require a few moments -of your time. May we come in?"</p> -<p>"Sure," said Sams.</p> -<p>They entered the room, which contained a bed, a trunk, a -wash-stand, and a chair.</p> -<p>"One of you can take the chair; the other can sit on the -trunk," said the hack driver, nodding toward these articles. Then -he proceeded to strop a razor at one of the windows. "Excuse me -if I go on with this reaping. I must go out and feed the horse, -and then get breakfast."</p> -<p>"You breakfast rather late," commented Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I'm lucky to get it at any time, in this business," grumbled -Sams. "Out all night, sleep all day, and get blamed little for -it, at that."</p> -<p>He posed before a small mirror stuck up beside the window and -gave the blade an experimental sweep across his face. Then he -turned and asked inquiringly:</p> -<p>"Did youse gents want anything particular?"</p> -<p>"We'd like to ask a question or two regarding what happened -last night in Christie Place."</p> -<p>The cab driver's forehead corrugated; he closed his razor, -laid it down and shoved his' soapy face toward the speaker.</p> -<p>"Say," spoke he, roughly. "I drives people wherever they wants -to go; but I don't ask no questions."</p> -<p>"It's all right, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "The affair that -I'm looking up happened across the street—at -Hume's—second floor of 478."</p> -<p>"Oh!" Sams stared for a moment, then he took up his razor, -turned his back and went on with his shaving. But there was -expectancy in his attitude; and Ashton-Kirk smiled -confidently.</p> -<p>"While you were drawn up in Christie Place, waiting for a -fare," he asked, "did you hear or see anything at 478?"</p> -<p>"I saw a light on the second floor—something I never saw -before at that hour. And I saw the Dutchman that keeps the store -underneath shutting up. And I heard somebody laughing upstairs," -as a second thought. "I think that's what made me notice the -light."</p> -<p>"Nothing else?"</p> -<p>Sams shaved and considered. He wiped his razor at last, poured -some water in a bowl and doused his face. Then he took up a towel -and began applying it briskly.</p> -<p>The investigator, watching him closely, saw that he was not -trying to recall anything. It was plain that the man was merely -calculating the possibilities of harm to himself and patrons if -he told what he knew.</p> -<p>"There has been a murder," said Ashton-Kirk, quietly, thinking -to jog him along.</p> -<p>Sams threw the towel from him and sat down upon the bed.</p> -<p>"A murder!" said he, his eyes and mouth wide open. "Well, what -do you know about that." He sat looking from one to the other of -them, dazedly, for a space; then he resumed: "Say, I thought -there was something queer about that stunt of hers!"</p> -<p>"Tell us about it," suggested Ashton-Kirk, crossing his legs -and clasping one knee with his hands.</p> -<p>The cabby considered once more.</p> -<p>"There's lots of things that a guy like me sees that look off -color," he said, at length; "but we can't always pass any remarks -about them. It would be bad for business, you see. But this -murder thing's a different proposition, and here's where I tell -it all. Last night while I was waiting in front of McCausland's, -I hears an automobile turn into the street. It was some time -after I got there. I wouldn't have paid much attention to it, but -you see there's a fellow been trying to get my work with a -taxicab, and I thought it was him."</p> -<p>"And it wasn't?"</p> -<p>"No, it was a private car—a Maillard, and there was a -woman driving it."</p> -<p>The chair upon which Pendleton sat was an infirm one; it -creaked sharply as he made a sudden movement.</p> -<p>"She was going at a low speed," proceeded Sams, "and as she -passed Hume's I noticed her look up at the windows. After she -disappeared there wasn't a sound for a while. You see, nobody -hardly ever passes through Christie Place after one o'clock. Then -I hears her coming back. This time she stopped the car, got out -and went to the door that leads into Hume's place. There she -stopped a little, as though she didn't know whether to go in or -not. But at last she went in."</p> -<p>Pendleton coughed huskily at this point; and his friend -glancing at him saw that his face was white.</p> -<p>"And up to that time," said Ashton-Kirk, "are you sure that -there was no movement—no sound—in the front room at -Hume's?"</p> -<p>"As far as I noticed, there wasn't. But a few minutes after I -heard the woman go in, I <i>did</i> hear some sounds."</p> -<p>The man stroked his shaven jaws in the deliberate manner of a -person about to precipitate a crisis. Pendleton leaned toward -him, anxiously.</p> -<p>"What sort of sounds?" he asked.</p> -<p>"There were two," replied the cab driver. "The first was a -revolver shot; the second came right after, and was a kind of a -scream—like that of a parrot."</p> -<p>"And what then?" asked Ashton-Kirk, easily.</p> -<p>"There wasn't anything for a few minutes, anyway. But the -revolver shot had kind of got my attention, so I was taking -notice of the windows. Then suddenly I caught sight of the woman. -You see, the gas-light was near the window and she kind of leaned -over and turned it out. It was only for a time as long as that," -and the man snapped his fingers. "But I saw her plain. Then I -heard her coming down the stairs to the street—almost at a -run. She banged the street door shut after her, jumped into her -car and went tearing away as if she was crazy. I stayed fifteen -minutes before I got a fare; but nothing else happened."</p> -<p>Pendleton's hand closed hard on the edge of the chair he sat -in. There was a moment's silence; then Ashton-Kirk asked:</p> -<p>"Just where was your cab standing at this time?"</p> -<p>"Right in front of McCausland's door."</p> -<p>"And you were on the box?"</p> -<p>"Yes."</p> -<p>The investigator put a piece of money in the man's hand as he -and Pendleton arose and prepared to go.</p> -<p>"Say," said Sam curiously, "I've been in bed all day and ain't -heard a word of anything. Who's been done up?"</p> -<p>"Hume. Stabbed in the chest."</p> -<p>"Shot, you mean."</p> -<p>"No, I mean stabbed. With a bayonet."</p> -<p>The man stared wonderingly.</p> -<p>"G'way," he said.</p> -<p>They bid him good-day and tramped down the three long flights -to the street. Pendleton was silent, and walked with his head -held down.</p> -<p>"We have more than an hour of good daylight left," said his -friend, as they reached the street. "And as I must have a good -unrestricted look at Hume's apartments before everything is -hopelessly changed about, suppose we go there now. We can get a -taxi in the next street."</p> -<p>"Just a moment," said Pendleton. "Before we take another step -in the matter, Kirk, I must ask a question."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk put his hand upon his friend's shoulder.</p> -<p>"Don't," said he. "I know just what the question would be, and -at the present time I can't answer it. At this moment, except for -some few theories that I have yet to verify, I am as much puzzled -as yourself."</p> -<p>"But," and there was a tremble in the speaker's voice, "you -must answer me, old chap—and you must answer now."</p> -<p>The catch in his voice, the expression upon the young man's -face caused Ashton-Kirk to grasp an astonishing fact. The hand -that he had laid upon Pendleton's shoulder tightened as he -answered:</p> -<p>"Yes, Edyth Vale is concerned. As a rule I do not speak of my -clients to others, but in view of what you have already heard and -seen, it would be a waste of words to deny it. But, see here, -there are lots of things we don't know yet about this business. -It may look very different in a few hours. Come."</p> -<p>Pendleton gazed with sober eyes into the speaker's face for a -moment. Then he said:</p> -<p>"Let us get the cab; if you are to go over Hume's rooms before -dark, you haven't any too much time."</p> -<p>At the next corner they signaled a taxicab, and in a short -time they were set down in Christie Place. Paulson, the -policeman, was standing guard.</p> -<p>"How are you?" he greeted them affably.</p> -<p>"Been here all day?" asked Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"Oh, no. Just come on. I'm the third shift since I saw you -last."</p> -<p>"Nobody has been permitted to go upstairs, I presume?"</p> -<p>"Only the coroner's man, who came for the body. And they -touched nothing but the body. Our orders were strong on -that."</p> -<p>"Has anything been heard as the result of the -post-mortem?"</p> -<p>"It showed that Hume was in bad shape from too much drink. -Then he had a hard knock on the head, and the wound in his -chest."</p> -<p>"But there was no sign of a bullet wound?"</p> -<p>"No," said Paulson, surprised. "Nothing like that."</p> -<p>"Just a moment," said the investigator to Pendleton. He -crossed the street, walked along for a few paces, then paused at -the curb and looked back toward Hume's doorway. Then he returned -with quick steps and an alert look in his eyes.</p> -<p>"Now we'll go upstairs," he said.</p> -<p>But before doing so he stopped and examined the lock of the -street door closely; then he mounted the stairs slowly, his -glances seeming to take in everything. At the top he paused, his -head bent, apparently in deep thought. Then he lifted it -suddenly, and laughed exultantly.</p> -<p>"That's it," he said, "I'm quite sure that is it."</p> -<p>"I wouldn't doubt your word for an instant," said Pendleton, -in something like his old voice. "Whatever it is, I'm quite sure -it is if you say so."</p> -<p>The policeman on guard in the hall examined them -carefully.</p> -<p>"All right," said he, after they had explained and he had -verified it by calling to his mate at the street door. "Go right -to work, gents. I'm here to see that nobody gets in from above by -way of the scuttle, and I guess I won't be in the way."</p> -<p>There were three gas branches at intervals along the length of -the dim hall, each with a cluster of four jets. Ashton-Kirk -lighted all three of these and began making a careful examination -of the passage. Along toward the rear was a stairway leading to -the floor above. Next this was a small room in which there was a -water tap. At the extreme end of the hall was a window with a -green shade drawn to the bottom.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk regarded this for a moment intently. Then he -reached up and turned off the gas at the branch nearest the -window. Daylight could now be seen through the blind; the -investigator pointed and said:</p> -<p>"This shows us something. About six inches of the bottom of -the blind is of a decidedly lighter color than the remainder. -This is caused by exposure to the light and indicates that this -blind has seldom been drawn in daylight as it is now."</p> -<p>He drew back the blind and looked at the side nearest the -window. At the top of the faded space was a heavy dark line.</p> -<p>"I'll modify that last statement," said he, with satisfaction. -"I'll go as far as to say, now, that the blind has never been -drawn since it was put up. This thick line marks the part that -lay across the top of the roller, and the dust seems never to -have been disturbed."</p> -<p>The gas was lighted once more.</p> -<p>"Hume did not draw that curtain," said Ashton-Kirk, decidedly. -"He was too careless a man, apparently, to think of such a thing. -The intruders, whoever they were, did it; they had a light, -perhaps, and did not want to be—"</p> -<p>He paused abruptly here, and Pendleton heard him draw his -breath sharply between his teeth; his eyes were fixed upon the -lowermost step of the flight that led to the floor above.</p> -<p>One of the gas branches hung here; its full glare was thrown -downward. Following the fixed gaze of his friend, Pendleton saw -two partly burned matches, the stump of a candle, and some traces -of tallow which had fallen from the latter upon the step. To -Pendleton's amazement, his friend dropped to his knees before -these as a heathen would before an idol. With the utmost -attention he examined them and the step upon which they lay. Then -he arose, enthusiasm upon his face.</p> -<p>"Beautiful!" he cried. "I do not recall ever having seen -anything just like it!" He slapped Pendleton upon the back with a -heavy, hand. "Pen, that stump of candle sheds more light than the -finest arc lamp ever manufactured."</p> -<p>"I'm watching and I'm listening," spoke Pendleton. "Also I'm -agitating my small portion of gray matter. But inspiration, it -seems, is not for me. So I'll have to ask you what these things -tell you."</p> -<p>"Well, they give me a fairly good view of the man who, while -he may not actually have murdered Hume, had much to do with his -taking off." He bent over the lower step once more, then looked -up with a smile upon his face. "What would you say," asked he, -"if I told you that I draw from these things that the gentleman -was short, well-dressed, near-sighted and knew something of the -modern German dramatists."</p> -<p>"I should say," replied Pendleton, firmly, "that you ought to -have your brain looked at. It sounds wrong to me."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk laughed, and started up the stairs toward the -third floor.</p> -<p>"I'll return in a moment," he said. "Don't trouble to come -up."</p> -<p>He was gone but a very little while, and when he returned his -face wore a satisfied look.</p> -<p>"The bolt of the scuttle is broken, just as Osborne said," he -reported. "And anyone who could gain the roof would have little -difficulty in effecting an entrance." He led the way down the -hall, saying as he went: "Now we'll browse around in the rooms -for a while; then we'll be off to dinner."</p> -<p>The storage room was entered first as upon the earlier visit, -but Ashton-Kirk wasted but little time upon it. In the front -room, however, he examined things with a minuteness that amazed -Pendleton. And yet everything was done quickly; like a keen-nosed -hound, the investigator went from one object to another; nothing -seemed to escape him, nothing was too small for his attention. -One of the first things that he did was to get a chair and plant -it against the lettered door that led directly into the hall. At -the top was a gong with a spring-hammer, one of the sort that -rings its warning whenever the door is opened; and this the -investigator examined with care.</p> -<p>He then passed into the railed space where the body had lain -and where the darkened trail of blood still bore ghastly -testimony to what had occurred. The man's singular eyes scanned -the floor, the walls, the flat-topped desk. On this last his -attention again became riveted; and once more Pendleton heard his -breath drawn sharply between his teeth.</p> -<p>"When Hume was struck upon the head," said Ashton-Kirk, after -a moment, "he was standing at this desk. He had just sprung up, -probably upon hearing a sound of some kind. See where the chair -is pushed back against the wall, just as he would have pushed it -had he arisen hastily. When he struck he fell across the desk." -He pointed to a dark trickle of blood down the back of the piece -of furniture in question. "That is the result of the blow upon -the head, and probably flowed from the mouth or nostrils. After -the first senseless lurch the body settled back and slid to the -position in which it was found. Here is a blotting pad, a small -pair of shears, a box of clips and a letter scale upon the floor -where the sliding body dragged them. The top of the desk is of -polished wood; it is perfectly smooth; there are no crevices or -anything of the sort to catch hold of anything. When the body -slipped from it, it must have swept everything with it, cleanly. -And yet," bending forward over the desk and picking up a minute -red particle, "here, directly in the center, we find this."</p> -<p>"What is it?" asked Pendleton, eagerly.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk placed the red particle on his palm and held it -out. It was shaped like a keystone, and had apparently been cut -from something that had been printed upon.</p> -<p>"It is that portion of a railroad ticket which a conductor's -punch bites out, and which litters the floor and the seats in -trains. Have you never had one fall from your clothes after a -railroad journey?"</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at the tiny red fragment, and then at the -desk.</p> -<p>"If Hume fell across the desk, as you've just said," he -remarked, slowly, "and pulled all these other things to the floor -with him—why, Kirk, this bit of card, in the very center of -the polished top,—it must have dropped there -afterwards."</p> -<p>"Exactly," said Ashton-Kirk. "And now, if you don't mind, just -step out into the hall and ask Paulson to come up."</p> -<p>Pendleton did so; and while he was gone, Ashton-Kirk placed -the red fragment carefully in his card-case. When the other -re-entered with Paulson at his heels, he asked:</p> -<p>"Have any of the policemen detailed here been out of town -recently?"</p> -<p>"No," replied Paulson. "There have been five besides myself, -and they have been on duty every day."</p> -<p>"Thank you," said the investigator. And as the policeman went -out, he made his way into the kitchen. Here, however, his -examination was brief, as was that of the bedroom also. At length -he paused, his hands in his pockets, his head thrown back, -satisfaction lighting his dark, keen face.</p> -<p>"That is all, I think," said he. "There have only been a few -pages, but the print has been exceedingly good and the matter of -much interest." He looked at a clock that ticked solemnly upon a -shelf. "We have half an hour to reach my place and dress," he -said. "I'm afraid that we'll be late, and that Edouard will be -annoyed. His cookery is so exquisitely timed that it is scarcely -the better for delay."</p> -<p>"Wait a minute," said Pendleton, grasping his friend's arm. -"What part did Edyth—Miss Vale—play in all this? I -can see you have formed in your mind some sort of completed -action. Where does she come into it?"</p> -<p>"Completed!" Ashton-Kirk smiled into the pale, set face of his -friend. "You give me too much credit, old chap. I have some -undoubted scenes from the drama; but most of the remainder are -merely detached lines and bits of stage business. As to Miss -Vale," here the smile vanished, "I have been unable to make up my -mind just how far she is concerned, if at all. However, perhaps -twenty-four hours will make it all clear enough. In the meantime -I will say this to you: Don't jump to harsh conclusions, Pen. You -know this young lady well. How far do you suppose she would go to -the perpetrating of a downright crime?"</p> -<p>"Not a step!" answered Pendleton, promptly.</p> -<p>"Then," said Ashton-Kirk, "until we know positively that she -has done so, stick to that."</p> -<a name="2HCH0007"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER VII</h2> -<h3>THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL BAYONET</h3> -<p>As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton sat in the former's library that -evening after dinner, there came a knock upon the door and Fuller -entered briskly. In his hand he carried a paper parcel which he -laid upon a stand at the investigator's elbow.</p> -<p>"This is the bayonet, sir," said he. "Mr. Stillman, the -coroner, objected to letting me have it at first, but changed his -mind after I had talked to him for a while."</p> -<p>"Did you take the photograph to Berg in Christie Place?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir. He recognized it at once as that of the person in -question."</p> -<p>"And you made inquiries upon the other point?"</p> -<p>"I did. Neither Mr. Stillman nor any of the men who removed -the body of Hume have been out of town within a week. I also -questioned Mr. Osborne; his answer was the same. Brolatsky's -reply was similar; and he also said that Hume had not ridden on a -railroad in years."</p> -<p>"That will be all, Fuller; thank you."</p> -<p>The brisk young man had reached the door when the investigator -added:</p> -<p>"One moment."</p> -<p>He scribbled something upon a pad, tore off the leaf and -handed it to his aid.</p> -<p>"Look these things up at once."</p> -<p>Fuller took the paper, glanced at it and then replied:</p> -<p>"Very well, sir."</p> -<p>Seated in his big chair with the jar of Greek tobacco and -sheaf of brown paper wrappers before him, Ashton-Kirk did not -display any haste in removing the covering from the bayonet that -had let the life out of the art dealer. Rather he sank deeper -into the arms of the chair; the cigarette end became gray and -dead between his fingers; the strangely brilliant eyes closed as -though he had fallen asleep.</p> -<p>But Pendleton, who understood his friend's ways, knew better; -the keen, swift-moving mind was but arranging the developments of -the day, weighing them, giving to each its proper value. A little -later and the eyes would unclose, more than likely alight with -some new idea, some fresh purpose drawn from his reflections.</p> -<p>And as Pendleton waited he, too, fell into a musing state and -also began marshaling the facts as <i>he</i> saw them. -Ashton-Kirk, during dinner, had told him those regarding the -visit of Edyth Vale the day before.</p> -<p>"Pen, you know I don't usually do this," the investigator had -informed him. "But as you know so much already, and your feelings -in the matter being what they are, I think it best that you -should know more."</p> -<p>And now Pendleton, as he rolled and consumed cigarette after -cigarette, went over the facts as they had been laid before -him.</p> -<p>"And Morris," said he to himself, as he reached the end of his -friend's recital; "now what sort of a mess has Allan Morris got -himself into? And after he had got into it, why in heaven's name -didn't he keep quiet about it? What good could come from Edyth's -knowing it?"</p> -<p>Then the fact that Morris had apparently tried to keep his -secret from Miss Vale presented itself. But Pendleton dismissed -it with contempt.</p> -<p>"Tried!" he said to himself. "Of course; but how? By marching -up and down the floor. By a great parade of tragic despair; by -sighs and the wringing of his hands. I've always suspected Morris -of being a bit theatrical—and now I am sure of it."</p> -<p>He roused himself for a moment, lighted a fresh cigarette and -settled back once more.</p> -<p>"I'm not Kirk by any means," he reflected, "and this sort of -thing is altogether out of my line. But it seems clear that -Edyth—after leaving here yesterday—received some -unexpected news. When she was here, consulting Kirk, she was, to -all appearances, in a quandary—helpless. She did not know -how to proceed; she understood nothing. But her darting off alone -that way after midnight proves that some sort of a crisis had -come up. She had heard something—more than likely through -Morris. He probably," with great contempt, "became hysterical -again, couldn't contain himself and blabbed -everything—whatever it was."</p> -<p>Then he burst out aloud, angrily.</p> -<p>"She went to Hume's last night because she had reason to think -Morris would be there. And if the truth were known, Morris -<i>was</i> there."</p> -<p>"My dear fellow," said the voice of Ashton-Kirk, "the truth, -upon that particular point, at least, is known. Allan Morris was -at Hume's last night. He was the man whom Berg saw enter after -the musician."</p> -<p>"How do you know?" asked Pendleton, astonished.</p> -<p>"Fuller, with a report which he recently made upon Morris, -handed me a photograph of that gentleman. While we were at -dinner, Berg identified the portrait as being that of Hume's -secret visitor."</p> -<p>"I was right, then. Edyth <i>did</i> go there expecting to -meet him—to protect him, perhaps. If you knew her as well -as I do, Kirk, you'd realize that it's just the sort of thing -she'd do. But," positively, "she did not find him there."</p> -<p>"What makes you think that? There was still one of Hume's -visitors left, when she got there. It may have been Morris."</p> -<p>"It was Spatola," answered Pendleton, with conviction. "The -scream of the cockatoo which came from Hume's rooms when the -pistol was discharged proves it. When Spatola went in, Berg said -he was carrying something under his coat. Brolatsky told the -coroner this morning that the Italian sometimes brought his -trained birds with him when he called at Hume's. That's what he -had last night."</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk shook his head.</p> -<p>"At this time," he said, "it will scarcely do to be positive -on some things. Indications are plenty, but they must be worked -out. I have some theories of my own upon the very point that you -have just covered, but I will not venture a decided statement -until I have proven them to the limit. It's the only safe -way."</p> -<p>Pendleton discontentedly hitched forward in his chair.</p> -<p>"I thought," said he, "that you worked entirely by putting -this and that together."</p> -<p>"That is precisely what I do," returned Ashton-Kirk. "But I -have found, through experience, that there must be no loose ends -left to hang. Such things are treacherous; you never know when -they'll trip you up and upset all your calculations." He paused a -moment and regarded his friend steadfastly. Then he continued. -"But, just now, I think we had better not trouble ourselves about -Edyth Vale and Allan Morris. To be sure, the latter's connection -with the affair is peculiar; Miss Vale's visit to Hume's last -night, the sounds which Sams heard immediately after she had gone -in—her turning out of the gas and hurried flight, are also -strange and significant enough. But they are perhaps the very end -of the story; and it is best never to begin at the end."</p> -<p>"Is there any way by which you can begin at what you think is -the beginning?" asked the other.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took up the parcel which Fuller had laid at his -elbow.</p> -<p>"Here is one way," he answered. "Let us see where it leads -us."</p> -<p>He stripped off the wrapper, and the bayonet which had killed -the numismatist was revealed, blood-clotted and ugly. Carefully -the investigator examined the broad, powerful blade and heavy -bronze hilt.</p> -<p>"A Schwartz-Michael, just as I thought," he said.</p> -<p>"The maker's name is upon it then?" said Pendleton.</p> -<p>But the other shook his head.</p> -<p>"No," said he. "But it happens that I have given some -attention to arms, and the bayonet, though a weapon that is -passing, came in for its share."</p> -<p>He balanced the murderous-looking thing in his hand and -proceeded.</p> -<p>"There are not many types of bayonets. The first was what they -called a 'Plug,' because it was made to fit into the muzzle of a -flint, or match-lock. Then there was the socket bayonet, the ring -bayonet and an improved weapon invented by an English officer -named Chillingworth which met with much favor in the armies of -Europe. But the latest development is the sword bayonet, of which -this is an example. Its form is a great improvement over the -older makes; it is an almost perfect side arm as well, having a -cutting edge, a point, and a grip exactly like that of a sword. -There are a number of makes of this type; the Schwartz-Michael is -one of the least known of these. Upon its being placed on the -market it was adopted by three governments—Bolivia, Servia, -and Turkey—and there it stopped."</p> -<p>He laid the weapon upon the table and settled himself back in -his chair.</p> -<p>"It struck me when I first saw the thing," he went on, "that -it was a little singular that a Schwartz-Michael should even find -its way into the United States. Now, it would not surprise me to -find an English revolver in Patagonia, or an American rifle in -Thibet, because they are universally known and used. Any one -might carry them. But a bayonet is different, of course; it is a -strictly military arm, and its utility is limited. That a -criminal should select one with which to commit a murder is -unusual; and, further; the fact that the make is one never -introduced into the United States is rather remarkable."</p> -<p>"It is—a little," agreed Pendleton.</p> -<p>"It is a small thing, but all clews are small things. Now -there are many ways in which such a weapon might find its way -into the country; but I took the most likely of these as a -beginning. Before I dressed for dinner, I ran over a rather -complete card-index system which I maintain; and within a few -minutes learned that the republic of Bolivia had, within the past -year, changed both the rifle and bayonet used by its army."</p> -<p>"Well?" asked Pendleton, with interest.</p> -<p>"When a nation makes such a change, the discarded arms are -usually bought up by some large speculator or dealer in such -things. And in the course of time they find their way to the -military goods dealers who exist all over the world."</p> -<p>Here Fuller entered the room, and Ashton-Kirk turned to him -inquiringly.</p> -<p>"Well?"</p> -<p>"In the morning <i>Standard</i> of April 9th," announced the -young man, "I find an advertisement of Bernstine Brothers -relative to a sale of condemned army equipment."</p> -<p>"Is anything specified?"</p> -<p>"They considered it important that high-power modern rifles -were to be sold at a very small price. And they also lay some -stress upon the fact that the stuff had been in use by the -Bolivian army."</p> -<p>Pendleton saw a look of satisfaction come into his friend's -eyes. But there was no other evidence of anything unusual.</p> -<p>"And now," said the investigator, quietly, "with regard to -this other matter."</p> -<p>"I find that there are two schools for mutes in this section," -answered Fuller. "But both are some distance out of town."</p> -<p>The satisfaction in Ashton-Kirk's singular eyes deepened.</p> -<p>"Excellent," said he.</p> -<p>"One is on the main line—Kittridge Station; the other is -on the Hammondsville Branch at a place called Cordova."</p> -<p>"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>And when the door had once more closed behind his aid, the -investigator continued to Pendleton:</p> -<p>"I figured upon some of the equipment reaching here. Military -goods houses, such as Bernstine's, usually advertise each lot -they receive; and I considered it possible that the murderer -might have been attracted by this notice and procured the weapon -from them. If he did, we may get some trace of him by inquiring -at Bernstine's. But," flinging his arms wide and yawning as -though weary of the subject, "that is work for to-morrow. -To-night we will rest and prepare for what is to come. But in the -meantime," arising with enthusiasm, "let me show you a first -edition of the 'Knickerbocker's History of New York' which I -picked up recently."</p> -<p>He went to his book-shelves and took down two faded volumes. -With eager hands Pendleton took them from him.</p> -<p>"Original covers!" cried he. "Binding unbroken; in perfect -condition inside; not a spot or a stain anywhere." Then he -regarded his friend with undisguised envy. "Kirk," said he, -"you're a lucky dog. You can dig up more good things than anybody -else that I know."</p> -<a name="2HCH0008"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER VIII</h2> -<h3>THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO PLAY THEIR PART</h3> -<p>Next morning Ashton-Kirk lounged in a comfortable window-seat, -almost knee-deep in newspapers. The published accounts of the -assassination were, in some instances, very sensational. -Drawings, by special artists of persons concerned, were much in -evidence, also half-tones of the exterior of 478 Christie Place. -The names of Osborne and Stillman figured largely in the types; -but what interested the investigator most was a portrait of the -musician—the violinist, Antonio Spatola, and the story of -his arrest.</p> -<p>The pictured face was that of a young man with a great head of -curling hair. The features were regular, the expression eager and -appealing.</p> -<p>"I would have pronounced him a musician, even if I had not -heard that he was one," said Ashton-Kirk. "The head and face -formations have all the qualities." Then he ran over the story of -Spatola's arrest and the causes that led up to it. At the finish -he smiled. "They have tried and convicted him on the first page. -If there was any way for them to do it, they'd execute him in the -evening editions and print his dying words in the sporting extra. -But," and he nodded his head appreciatively, "Osborne has a good -case against him, at that."</p> -<p>Both the clerk, Isidore Brolatsky, and Berg seemed to have -talked freely to the newspapermen. The character of Hume was -treated in a highly colored manner. The visits of the Italian -musician to the numismatist, his ambition to shine as another -Kubelik, his ungovernable temper, the high words that followed -Hume's frequent sneers at his ambition and the fact that he once -drew a knife upon his tormentor, were presented in full. But what -appealed to the space-writers most was Brolatsky's story of how -Hume had once called Spatola "Mad Anthony," and afterward showed -him the portrait of General Wayne.</p> -<p>"This apparently drove him frantic," wrote one reporter, "and, -noting this, Hume frequently applied the name to him, and more -than likely displayed the portrait as well. The last time that -Spatola visited Hume was upon the night of the murder. He -evidently went to regale the numismatist with music; for the -delicatessen dealer, Berg, saw under his coat what was evidently -his violin. During the course of the concert, Hume probably -resumed his sneers; unable any longer to bear it, the Italian -apparently struck him down, and then in blind rage of resentment, -smashed and otherwise destroyed every one of the Wayne portraits -he could find."</p> -<p>Fuller came in with another newspaper just about this time and -Ashton-Kirk showed him the story.</p> -<p>"The <i>Standard</i>, then, seems to ignore the theory held by -Osborne and Stillman that the murder was done in an attempt to -steal the portrait found partly cut from the frame," said the -assistant after studying the account. Then, inquiringly, he -added: "What do you think of it, sir?"</p> -<p>"As a piece of sensational writing, I have no fault to find -with it," said the investigator. "But the <i>Standard's</i> young -man is no deep thinker. The single fact that Hume was a lover of -real music should have shown him that his theory was wrong."</p> -<p>Fuller considered a moment.</p> -<p>"I don't think I quite get that," said he.</p> -<p>"It is simple enough. Hume being sensitive to harmony, asked -Spatola very frequently to play for him; and, according to -Brolatsky, paid him rather well for each performance. To furnish -good music, Spatola must have not only talent, but also a violin -that was at least fairly good."</p> -<p>"Yes, sir, I see that."</p> -<p>"Having a violin that was at least fairly good, Spatola, being -a poor man, would take care of it. He would carry it in a -case—he would especially do so in wet or damp weather. And -it rained on the night of the murder. If he carried his violin in -a case, there was no need of his putting it under his coat. And, -another thing, a violin case is of such size as to prevent its -being so carried, isn't it?"</p> -<p>Fuller nodded.</p> -<p>"I think that's very good," said he.</p> -<p>"It would have been a very easy thing for the -<i>Standard's</i> man to have made a few inquiries as to whether -Spatola used a violin case or no. If he had done so, I am -inclined to think that the answers would have been in the -affirmative. But there is another and more vital point upon which -I would base an objection to the reporter's theory. He says that, -goaded into a rage, Spatola struck his tormentor down. But he -forgets that If the murderer did not visit Hume's with the -intention of doing murder, it was rather a freakish thing for him -to provide himself with a bayonet. However, that is a point that -I discussed with Mr. Stillman yesterday; at first he was inclined -to assume a somewhat similar position."</p> -<p>"But the broken and cut portraits?" questioned Fuller.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled a little.</p> -<p>"Probably I shall be able to properly account for them when I -return from a little trip that I am about to take to-day," said -he. "That is," as a sort of afterthought, "if some things turn -out as I think they will."</p> -<p>Fuller unfolded the newspaper that he had brought in.</p> -<p>"It is a late edition of the <i>Star</i>," he said. "The paper -seems to have scored a beat, for it has some developments that -may put a different face upon everything."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took the sheet, and as he glanced at the flaring -headlines, he whistled softly. The lines read:</p> -<p class="note"><big>"MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN A MOTOR CAR!</big></p> -<p class="note">"She Visits 478 Christie Place on the Night of -Murder!<br> - "DID A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN'S HAND DEAL THE DEADLY BLOW?<br> - "A New Element Added to the Hume Sensation!"</p> -<p>"The <i>Star</i> man seems to have struck up an acquaintance -with Sams," said Ashton-Kirk, with interest. He thought for a -moment, and then added to Fuller:</p> -<p>"Tell Stumph when Miss Edyth Vale arrives to show her here at -once."</p> -<p>"Oh, you have been expecting her then?"</p> -<p>"No: I have not. But I am now."</p> -<p>After Fuller left the room, the investigator turned eagerly to -the <i>Star's</i> leaded narrative. This laid great stress upon -the evident wealth and dazzling beauty of the mysterious midnight -visitor in Christie Place; and second only to her did they -feature the well-dressed stranger whom Berg had seen enter at -Hume's door before he had closed his own place for the night. The -revolver shot that had followed the woman's entrance and the -parrot-like scream which had, in turn, followed that, lost -nothing in the telling.</p> -<p>"Who was the woman? That is the mystery," the newspaper said -in conclusion. "The hack driver caught but a glimpse of her, and -in the excitement of the moment failed to take the number of the -car. But that the latter was a Maillard he is positive. There are -several headquarter's men following up the clew as this goes to -press; and startling developments are expected at any moment.</p> -<p>"As to the second man whom the fancy grocer, Berg, saw go into -Hume's, there is a well-founded belief that he is very well known -in select circles and had called at Hume's frequently upon a -matter concerning which both he and Hume were always very -secretive. The <i>Star</i> called up both his apartments and his -office, but he had not been seen at either place on the day after -the murder. The clubs of which he is a member were resorted to, -but with no more success. As this gentleman is known to be -engaged to the beautiful heiress of a huge fortune, the -<i>Star's</i> well-known special writer, Nancy Prindeville, was -detailed to get her statement. But a man servant stated that his -mistress had given positive orders that she could not be -seen."</p> -<p>The investigator threw down the paper.</p> -<p>"Well," said he to himself with a shrug, "that makes it a -little annoying for the young lady. The fact that they refer to -Morris when they speak of a young man 'well known in select -circles' will be plain to everyone, for the facts of Morris' -visits have been rather well exploited in all the other papers. -And as newspaper men are not without daring in their conjectures, -I wonder how long it will be before one of them openly associates -the 'beautiful unknown' with Allan Morris' betrothed. I would, I -think, offer even money that the thing is hinted at before -night."</p> -<p>He sat for some time in the midst of the scattered sheets -thinking deeply; then he pressed the bell call, and Fuller -presented himself.</p> -<p>"I want you to take up the investigation of Hume and Allan -Morris where you left off the other day. Put Burgess, O'Neill and -any others that you desire on the matter. I want <i>complete</i> -information, and I want it <i>quickly</i>."</p> -<p>"Yes, sir," answered Fuller.</p> -<p>"Follow up anything that promises results concerning Morris' -father. Especially find out if he ever knew Hume. Get every fact -that can be gathered about the latter. You, or rather Burgess, -hinted in the preliminary report that it was thought that he had -at one time lived abroad. If it is possible, establish that fact. -In any event, go into his history as deeply as you can."</p> -<p>"Very well," said Fuller, with the easy manner of a person -accustomed to carrying out difficult orders.</p> -<p>As the young man went out at one door, Stumph knocked upon -another; then Miss Edyth Vale, very pale, but entirely composed, -was shown into the room.</p> -<a name="2HCH0009"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER IX</h2> -<h3>MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS</h3> -<p>Ashton-Kirk arose, kicked aside the litter of newspapers, and -placed a chair for his visitor.</p> -<p>"Your man told me that I was expected," she said. "How did you -know that I would come this morning?"</p> -<p>"I knew that you'd be sure to read the newspapers," said he. -"And I was pretty confident as to the effect the <i>Star's</i> -account would have."</p> -<p>She sat down quietly and for a few moments did not speak. A -slight trembling of the lower lip was the only indication of the -strain under which she was laboring. Finally she said:</p> -<p>"I am very sorry that I deceived you yesterday morning."</p> -<p>He waved his hand lightly.</p> -<p>"I was not deceived; so there was no harm done," he -explained.</p> -<p>She began tugging nervously at her gloves, much as she had -done a few mornings before. Her face was still composed; but deep -in her beautiful eyes was an expression of fear.</p> -<p>"I might have known that I could not do it," she said. "But -the impulse came to me to deny everything as the easiest and -safest way out of it all; and I obeyed it. I was not calm enough -to consider the possible harm that it might do. However," and her -firm voice broke a little, "I suppose the newspapers would have -ferreted out the facts in any event."</p> -<p>"They are very keen in the pursuit of anything that promises a -good story," agreed the investigator. "But if you had given me -the facts as you intended doing when you called me on the 'phone -yesterday morning, I'd have had twenty-four hours start of them, -at least."</p> -<p>She leaned toward him earnestly.</p> -<p>"I am going to be frank with you now," she said. "And perhaps -it is not yet too late. I <i>did</i> intend telling you -everything when I telephoned you, but, as I have said, the -impulse came to hide it, instead!"</p> -<p>"It was fear," said Ashton-Kirk, "and was, perhaps, perfectly -natural under the circumstances."</p> -<p>"When I left you two mornings ago," said Miss Vale, "I felt -easier in my mind than I had in months before. From what I had -heard of you, I felt sure that the little problem which I had set -you would prove absurdly simple. This feeling clung to me all -day; I was light and happy, and astonished my aunt, Mrs. Page, by -consenting to go with her to Mrs. Barron's that night, a thing -that I had been refusing to do for a long time.</p> -<p>"Late in the afternoon, Allan—Mr. Morris—came. As -soon as I saw him I knew that something had happened or was about -to happen. There was no color in his face; his eyes had a -feverish glitter, his voice was high pitched and excited. But I -did not let him see that I noticed this. I talked to him quietly -about a score of things; and by a most circuitous route -approached the matter that interested me most—our -marriage.</p> -<p>"To my surprise he plunged into the subject with the greatest -eagerness. Before that, as I have told you, he always did his -best to avoid it; the least mention of it seemed to sadden him, -to cause him pain. But now he discussed it excitedly; apparently -it was no longer a dim, far-off thing, but one which he saw very -clearly. As you may imagine, I was both astonished and delighted. -But this was only at first. In a little while I noticed something -in his tone, in his manner, in his feverish eyes that I did not -like."</p> -<p>She paused for a moment; Ashton-Kirk clasped his knee with -both hands and regarded her with interest.</p> -<p>"It was a sort of subdued fierceness," continued Miss -Vale—"as though he were setting his face against some -invisible force and defying it. When he mentioned our happiness -that was to be, I could see his hands close tightly, I could read -menace in the set of his jaw. As he was going, he said to me:</p> -<p>"'There has been something—a something that you've never -been able to understand—keeping us apart. But it is about -at an end. Human nature endures a great deal, sometimes, but it's -endurance does not last forever. To-night, my dear, puts an end -to my endurance. I am going to show what I should have shown long -ago—that I'm a man.'</p> -<p>"Then he went away, and I was frightened. All sorts of -possibilities presented themselves to me—vague, indefinite, -formless terrors. I tried to shake them off, but could not. It -became firmly fixed in my mind that something was going to -happen—that Allan was about to—to—" here the -steady voice faltered once more, "to take a step that would bring -danger upon him.</p> -<p>"And that night I went to Mrs. Barron's as I had promised. I -talked to people—I laughed—I even danced. But never -for a moment did the fear cease gripping at my heart. At last I -could stand it no longer. I felt that I must go to where this -danger was confronting Allan; and as the house in Christie Place -was the first that arose in my mind, I went there.</p> -<p>"I saw the cab upon the opposite side of the street; and the -driver of it looked at me so hard that I drove on without -stopping, as the newspaper states. But my courage came back in a -few moments; I returned and went in."</p> -<p>"You halted on the stairs," said Ashton-Kirk. "Why?"</p> -<p>"Because I saw a light moving about in the hallway above," -answered Miss Vale. Then she added: "But how did you know that I -stopped upon the stairs?"</p> -<p>"I did not know it," replied Ashton-Kirk. "In his story the -cab driver says you entered at Hume's door and went upstairs. I -have found that the position which his cab occupied at the time -was fully fifteen feet west of Hume's doorway, making it -impossible for him to see whether you went up at once, or not. In -the face of what immediately followed your entrance, or rather, -what is said to have followed it, I thought it reasonable to -suppose that you had stopped!"</p> -<p>"Thank you," said Miss Vale.</p> -<p>"You say there was a light moving about; but what else did you -see?"</p> -<p>"Nothing."</p> -<p>"But you heard something?"</p> -<p>"Yes; the revolver shot, and then the dreadful cry that -followed it."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk unclasped his hands from about his knee, placed -them upon the arms of his chair and leaned forward.</p> -<p>"But between the two—after the shot, and before the cry, -you heard a door close," he said.</p> -<p>She gave a little gasp of surprise.</p> -<p>"I did," she said. "I remember it distinctly now that you -mention it. It closed sharply, but not very loudly."</p> -<p>The investigator leaned back and began drumming upon the arm -of his chair with his long supple fingers.</p> -<p>"Experience never quite takes away that comfortable feeling of -satisfaction that the proving of a theory gives one," said he. "I -suppose it is a sort of reward that Nature reserves for -effort."</p> -<p>And he smiled at his beautiful visitor's puzzled look, and -went on:</p> -<p>"The cab driver says that the cry resembled that of a parrot -or cockatoo. What do you think?"</p> -<p>"It was not unlike their scream," said Miss Vale. "But I was -too much startled to think of comparing it to anything at the -time!"</p> -<p>"What happened after you heard this cry?"</p> -<p>"I waited for some little time, part way up the stairs. Then -the light which I had seen glancing over the walls and across the -ceiling, seemed to halt and die down. After this there was a -pause, a stoppage of everything, and fear took possession of me. -Suppose Allan had really intended visiting the -place—suppose he had preceded me—suppose something -dreadful had just happened—something in which he had had a -part!</p> -<p>"Filled with thoughts like these, I ascended the remaining -stairs. There was a light shining through the lettered glass of -the door at the front; but the hall was deserted; the far end was -thick with shadows. I tried the door where the light was, but it -was fast; the door nearest the stairs was open; I entered by -that, and passed into the front room through a communicating -doorway. Then I saw the—the body, turned out the light, ran -stumbling through the rooms and down the stairs."</p> -<p>"Why did you turn out the light?" asked the investigator.</p> -<p>"I don't know. Partly, I suppose, to shut the awful thing upon -the floor from my sight—and partly—"</p> -<p>She stopped, but Ashton-Kirk completed the sentence for -her.</p> -<p>"And partly with the confused idea that you might hide the -deed from public gaze and in that way save Allan Morris from the -consequences of his crime," said he.</p> -<p>At this she sprang up, her hands outstretched appealingly; the -fear now plain in her face.</p> -<p>"No, no!" she cried. "He is not guilty! He did not do it!"</p> -<p>"My dear young lady," said Ashton-Kirk, soothingly, "control -yourself. Don't forget that before this thing is ended you will -probably need all the self-command you can summon." Then as she -resumed her seat, he added: "I did not say that he was guilty. I -was merely telling you of the formless thought that you had in -mind when you turned out the light."</p> -<p>She sat staring at him, the horror of it all still in her -eyes. Then she nodded her head slowly, and said in a husky -voice.</p> -<p>"Yes; that is what I thought, and that is why I called you on -the telephone. I thought you would pity me and show me some way -of covering it all up. But after I had your promise to come, I -was seized with the fear that you might—that you might -betray him. That is, I suppose, the real reason why I tried to -deceive you. In my terror I myself thought Allan guilty. But, of -course, now that I have had time to calmly think it over, I know -he was not—that he <i>couldn't</i> be! No one who knows him -will believe he did it."</p> -<p>"What reason had you for thinking that he might be -guilty?"</p> -<p>"His manner during the afternoon before the murder. He seemed -so fiercely resolved, so different from his usual self."</p> -<p>"I understand. And what makes you think now that he is -innocent?"</p> -<p>"I believe it because I understand his nature," said Miss -Vale, earnestly. "He might be finally aroused—under -provocation he might even be violent. But he could never do a -thing like this—it is too utterly horrible."</p> -<p>"You have judged that it was probably he who was seen to go -into Hume's before the murder?"</p> -<p>"Yes."</p> -<p>"Hume was alive when Berg closed up his shop; he was dead when -you entered his showroom a half hour or so later. Therefore he -must have met his death while the cab driver Sams sat on his box -across the street. Now, while Morris was seen to go in, it is not -at all positive that he was the man who came out. We are not -<i>sure</i> that he was not present when the crime was -committed."</p> -<p>Miss Vale reared her head proudly.</p> -<p>"Is it possible," she said, "that you are trying to fix this -deed upon Allan Morris?"</p> -<p>"I am trying to find the real truth," answered Ashton-Kirk, -gravely.</p> -<p>"The police," said Miss Vale, "according to the newspapers, -thought that the criminal gained admission by way of the roof. -This may or may not be so; but I think it is pretty evident that -he made his way out in that manner. I was on the stairs while he -was in the hall. He fled, but as he did not pass me, he must have -gone upwards. If Allan Morris had done this murder he would not -have thought of this; not knowing the section, he would have been -ignorant as to where the roof would lead. But if Spatola were the -man who remained, it would have been different. Do the papers not -say that he lives in a garret, or loft, in the same block? How -easy it would have been for him to pass out upon the roof of 478 -after the crime and then over the housetops of the block until he -came to a scuttle which perhaps led into his very attic?"</p> -<p>"That," said Ashton-Kirk, "is very well conceived. But it has -one weakness. You are not sure that the murderer <i>did</i> -ascend to the roof after the crime. He may have been lurking in -the shadows which you say were lying so thickly at the end of the -hall. He may have been watching you as you discovered the body, -while you ran down the hall once more and down the stairs. To be -sure, you slammed the door behind you; and so locked it. But like -all spring or latch locks, it could be readily opened from the -inside. No one else came out while the cab driver waited; but -that was only for another fifteen minutes, according to his own -statement. The murderer could easily have waited until he had -gone and then slipped out, also locking the door after him."</p> -<p>Miss Vale sat staring at the speaker dumbly for a space; then -she asked in a dry, expressionless way:</p> -<p>"And do you really think this is what happened?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk shook his head.</p> -<p>"No," said he. "I merely mentioned it to show you that it is -difficult to be sure of anything in a matter like this until," -with a smile, "you <i>are</i> sure. It is one of the things that -may have happened; but it is also open to question. A criminal -whose crime has been discovered does not ordinarily linger upon -the scene. You had just fled with the terror of the thing fresh -upon you. How did he know but that you might scream it out to -everyone you met."</p> -<p>Again she looked at him mutely. Then she said:</p> -<p>"What, then, is your theory of the crime?"</p> -<p>"I have a number of possibilities at this moment," he said. -"Of course, there is one to which I give the preference; but -until a thing is proven beyond question, it is my rule never to -outline my theories."</p> -<p>Before Miss Vale left she had implored him to do all he could -to clear the matter up, for her sake and for Morris's. "Of -course," she said in conclusion, "I now understand that the -entire matter will get into the papers. It is too late to prevent -that. But it is not too late for you to fix the guilt where it -belongs. And I have every confidence that you will do it. If I -had not," and her voice quavered pitifully, "I don't know what I -should do."</p> -<p>"I will do what I can. Success sometimes comes -easily—sometimes one is forced to fight hard for it. But -rest assured that I will do what I can."</p> -<p>She was going; he held the library door open for her while the -grave-faced Stumph waited in the hall.</p> -<p>"It will, perhaps, be necessary for me to see Mr. Morris -sometime during the course of the day," said Ashton-Kirk, as an -afterthought. "Would it be convenient for you to let him know -that I can be seen at six?"</p> -<p>The fear that his soothing words had driven from her eyes, -swept back into them; he saw her tremble and steady herself -against the door-frame.</p> -<p>"I cannot let him know," she said. "I have not seen him -since—since the time I have mentioned. I have waited, -telephoned, sent messages, even gone in person. But I could not -find him. No one seems to know anything of his whereabouts."</p> -<a name="2HCH0010"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER X</h2> -<h3>ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS</h3> -<p>For some time after Miss Vale had gone, Ashton-Kirk stood at -one of the windows and looked down at the sordid, surging, dirty -crowd in the street. The worn horses went dispiritedly up and -down; the throaty-voiced men clamored strangely through their -beards; children played in the black ooze of the gutters; women -bundled in immense knitted garments and with their heads wrapped -in shawls, haggled over scatterings of faded, weak looking -vegetables. The vendors grew frantic and eloquent in their -combats with these experienced purchasers; their gestures were -high, sharp and loaded with protest.</p> -<p>Then Pendleton came. He was burdened with newspapers and wore -an excited look.</p> -<p>"I brought these, thinking that perhaps you had not seen -them," he exclaimed, throwing the dailies among the others upon -the floor. "But I note that your morning's reading has been very -complete. Now tell me, Kirk, what the mischief do you think of -all this?"</p> -<p>"I suppose, you refer to the published reports of the Hume -case?"</p> -<p>"Of course! As far as I am concerned, there is not, just now, -any other thing of consequence on earth." Then he struck the -table with his fist. "And it's all the fault of that -cur—Allan Morris! Every bit of it! There is not a space -writer or amateur detective on a single paper in the city that -hasn't his nose to the ground at this minute, hunting the trail. -They are all at it. I stopped at the Vale's on my way here, but -they told me she was not at home. From the top step to the curb, -on my way out, I was stopped four times by stony-faced young men -all anxious to make good with their city editors. 'Was I a friend -of the family? Did Miss Vale seem at all upset by the matter? -Where was Allan Morris? What brought him so frequently, as -Brolatsky said, to see Hume?' I believe they'd have come over the -back of my car even after I started, if I had given but an -encouraging look."</p> -<p>"The evening papers will be a trial to Miss Vale for the next -few days."</p> -<p>"Well, don't neglect the morning issues, if you are going to -mention any. In to-morrow's <i>Star</i> there will be a portrait -of Edyth four columns wide and eight inches high. I'll expect -such expressions as 'beautiful society girl,' 'a recent -debutante,' 'heiress to the vast fortune of the late structural -steel king,' 'charming manner and brilliant mind.' And at those -odd times when they are not praising her gowns, her wealth or her -good looks, they'll be rather worse than insinuating that she -knows all about the crime—if she didn't commit it -herself!"</p> -<p>He paced up and down the floor, his huge motoring coat -flapping distressfully about his legs. His face was flushed.</p> -<p>"If I had Morris here," he threatened, "I'd show him a few -things, the pup!" Then suddenly he stopped his tramping and faced -his friend. "But now that it is as it is," he demanded, "what are -we going to do about it?"</p> -<p>"There are quite a number of very sensible things for us to -do," replied Ashton-Kirk, good-humoredly. "And the first of them -is to keep our tempers—the second to keep cool."</p> -<p>"All right," sulked Pendleton. "I know well enough that I need -to do both. But what next?"</p> -<p>"Is your car still outside?"</p> -<p>"Yes."</p> -<p>"Good. We'll have a little use for it to-day, if you're not -otherwise engaged."</p> -<p>"Kirk," said Pendleton, earnestly, "until this matter is -settled, don't hesitate to command me. I know that I'm not -generally credited with much serious purpose; but even the -lightweight feels things—sometimes."</p> -<p>Within half an hour, Ashton-Kirk, in a perfectly fitting, -carefully pressed suit of gray, tan shoes and a light colored -knock-about cap, led the way down to the car. As they got in, he -said:</p> -<p>"We'd better go to Bernstine's first. It's the nearest and on -our way to the station."</p> -<p>A twenty minute's run through a baffling maze of vehicles -brought them to the curb before a store with a very conspicuous -modern front of plate glass and metal. Inside they inquired for -one of the Messrs. Bernstine; and upon one of the gentlemen -presenting himself, Ashton-Kirk handed him his card. Mr. -Bernstine was stout, bald and affable.</p> -<p>"I have heard of you, sir," said he, "and I am delighted to be -of service!"</p> -<p>"Within the last few weeks," said Ashton-Kirk, "you have had a -sale of rifles and other things condemned by the military -authorities of Bolivia."</p> -<p>Mr. Bernstine wrinkled his smooth forehead in reflection.</p> -<p>"Bolivia?" said he. "Now let me see." He pondered heavily for -a few moments and then sighed. "You see," he explained, "we sell -so many lots, from so many different places, that we can hardly -keep the run of them. But our books will show," proudly; -"everything we do is in our books."</p> -<p>He looked down the long, table-crowded store and called -loudly:</p> -<p>"Sime!"</p> -<p>Sime instantly put in an appearance. He was small, -sandy-haired and freckled; he wore an alert expression and -carried a marking pencil behind his ear.</p> -<p>"This is our shipping and receiving clerk," said Mr. -Bernstine. "He's up to everything around the place." Then he -lowered his voice and jerked his fat thumb toward the newcomer -secretly, addressing Pendleton: "Clever! Just full of it."</p> -<p>Sime listened to Ashton-Kirk's question attentively.</p> -<p>"Yes," he said, in answer, "we had some of that stuff lately. -Sold well, too, considering the time of the year." He pulled open -a drawer and took out a fat, canvas-covered book. "Two gross -rifles; one hundred gross cartridges." He closed the book, tossed -it into the drawer and then slid the drawer shut. "There were a -few bayonets, too. About half a dozen."</p> -<p>With his round, fat countenance shining with admiration, Mr. -Bernstine once more caught Pendleton's eye.</p> -<p>"Just full of it," he murmured, sotto voce. "As full as he can -be."</p> -<p>"The bayonets," said Ashton-Kirk, "are what we are after. They -were all sold, I suppose?"</p> -<p>"Yes," replied Sime. "I remember, when the last one went, -saying to one of our men that we were lucky. You see, bayonets -don't sell very well except to military companies; and -<i>they</i> are not organizing every day."</p> -<p>"Do you know who bought them?"</p> -<p>Sime took the marking pencil from behind his ear and proceeded -to scratch his head with its point. Mr. Bernstine watched him -anxiously. But when the shipping clerk pulled open the drawer -once more, the employer's face lighted up.</p> -<p>"Ah!" said he to Pendleton. "The books! Now we'll have -it."</p> -<p>"They were all taken away by the people who bought them," -announced Sime, after a great flipping of ink spattered pages, -"All except one."</p> -<p>"And that one—"</p> -<p>"It went by our boy. It was sold to Mr. Cartwright the artist, -and was sent to his studio up here in Fifth St. But there was -another—the last one that we had," suddenly, "and now that -I get thinking of it, I remember we had some trouble about it. -The man that bought it was a Dago."</p> -<p>Pendleton darted a swift look at Ashton-Kirk, but the -investigator's expression never changed. He looked steadily at -the clock.</p> -<p>"When he asked for the bayonet," proceeded Sime, "I knew we -had one left, but I could not just lay my hands on it. He paid -for it and I said we'd send it to him. He started to give me his -address, and then changed his mind and said he'd come back -again."</p> -<p>"And he did?"</p> -<p>"Yes; the same afternoon. I had found the thing by that time -and he took it with him."</p> -<p>"You don't recall the address?"</p> -<p>To his employer's evident mortification, Sime shook his -head.</p> -<p>"Look in the books," suggested Mr. Bernstine with confidence. -"Look in the books."</p> -<p>"It ain't there," answered Sime. "He said he'd come back, so I -didn't put it down."</p> -<p>"Was it Christie Place?"</p> -<p>Sime pointed at Ashton-Kirk with his pencil.</p> -<p>"You've got it," said he. "That was it, sure enough."</p> -<p>"And you think the man was an Italian?"</p> -<p>"Well, he talked and looked like one. Rather well educated -too, I think."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk thanked the clerk, and the now beaming Mr. -Bernstine, and with Pendleton left the place.</p> -<p>"Well," said Pendleton, as they climbed into the car, "this -about fixes the thing, doesn't it? The musician, Antonio Spatola, -is the guilty man, beyond a doubt."</p> -<p>The investigator settled back after giving the chauffeur his -next stop.</p> -<p>"Beyond a doubt," said he, "is rather an extreme expression. -The fact that the bayonet was purchased by an Italian who gave -his address as Christie Place is not enough to convict Spatola. -All sorts of people live in that street, and there are perhaps -other Italians among them."</p> -<p>Pendleton called out to the chauffeur to stop.</p> -<p>"We'll settle that at once," said he. "Spatola's picture is in -the papers. We'll ask the clerk if it is that of the man to whom -he sold the weapon."</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk restrained him.</p> -<p>"I thought of the published portraits while Sime was -speaking," said he. "And I also thought that it was very -fortunate that neither he nor his employer were readers of the -newspapers."</p> -<p>"How do you know that they are not?"</p> -<p>"If they had read to-day's issues they would have at once -connected the Italian who purchased the bayonet with the one who -is said to have used it—wouldn't they; especially as both -Italians lived on the same street? Bernstine and Sime said -nothing because they suspect nothing. And, as I have said, this -is fortunate, because, suspecting nothing, they will continue," -with a smile, "to say nothing. If the police or reporters got -this, they'd swoop down on the trail and perhaps spoil -everything!"</p> -<p>"But Bernstine or his clerk will hear of the matter sooner or -later," complained Pendleton. "And the police and reporters will -then get in on the thing anyhow."</p> -<p>"But there will be a delay," said his friend. "And that may be -what we need just now. Perhaps a few hours will mean success. You -can never tell. The best that we could get by explaining matters -to Sime would be a positive identification of Spatola, or the -reverse. And we can get that from him at any time. So you see, we -lose nothing by waiting."</p> -<p>"I guess that's so," Pendleton acknowledged, and again the car -started forward. At the huge entrance to a railroad station they -drew up once more.</p> -<p>Within, Ashton-Kirk inquired for the General Passenger Agent -and was directed to the ninth floor. The agent was a slim little -man with huge whiskers of snowy whiteness, and a most dignified -manner.</p> -<p>"Oh, yes," he said, after glancing at the investigator's card. -"I have heard of you, of course. Who," with a little bow, "has -not? Indeed, if I remember aright, this road had the honor to -employ you a few years ago in a matter necessitating some little -delicacy of handling. Am I not right?"</p> -<p>"And I think it was you," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly, "who -provided me with some very clearly cut facts which were of -considerable service."</p> -<p>The little General Passenger Agent looked pleased and smoothed -his beautiful whiskers softly.</p> -<p>"I was most happy," said he.</p> -<p>"Just now," said Ashton-Kirk, "I am engaged in a matter of -some consequence, and once more you can be of assistance to -me."</p> -<p>"Sit down," invited the other, readily. "Sit down, and command -me."</p> -<p>Both Pendleton and the investigator sat down. The latter said -to the passenger agent:</p> -<p>"I understand that every railroad has a system by which it can -tell which conductor has punched a ticket."</p> -<p>"Oh, yes. A very simple one. You see the hole left by each -punch is different. One will cut a perfectly round hole, another -will be square, still another will be a triangle, and so on, -indefinitely."</p> -<p>From his card case, Ashton-Kirk produced the small red -particle which he had found upon the desk of the murdered -man.</p> -<p>"Here is a fragment cut from a ticket," he said. "It is shaped -like a keystone. I should like to know, if you can tell me, what -train is taken out by the conductor who uses the keystone -punch."</p> -<p>The agent touched a signal and picked up the end of a -tube.</p> -<p>"The head ticket counter," said he. "At once." Then he laid -down the tube and continued to his visitors. "He is the man who -can supply that sort of information instantly."</p> -<p>The ticket counter was a heavy-set young man, in spectacles -and with his hair much rumpled. He peered curiously at the -strangers.</p> -<p>"Does any conductor on our lines use a punch which cuts out a -keystone?" inquired the General Passenger Agent.</p> -<p>"Yes, Purvis," replied the heavy young man. "Runs the -Hammondsville local."</p> -<p>"I am obliged to you both," said Ashton-Kirk. "This little -hint may be immensely valuable to me. And now," to the agent, "if -I could have a moment with Conductor Purvis, I would be more -grateful to you than ever."</p> -<p>"His train is out in the shed now," said the ticket counter, -looking at his watch. "Leaves in eight minutes."</p> -<p>"I'm sorry that I can't have him up here for you," said the -passenger agent. "Just now that is impossible. But," inquiringly, -"couldn't you speak to him down on the platform?"</p> -<p>"Of course," replied Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>He and Pendleton arose; the little man with the large white -whiskers was thanked once more, as was the heavy young man with -the rumpled hair.</p> -<p>"You'll find the Hammondsville train at Gate E," the latter -informed them.</p> -<p>Then the two shot down to the platform level and made their -way toward Gate E.</p> -<a name="2HCH0011"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XI</h2> -<h3>PENDLETON IS VASTLY ENLIGHTENED</h3> -<p>The Hammondsville local was taking on its passengers. It was a -sooty train, made up of three coaches and a combination baggage -and smoking car. The gateman pointed out its conductor, inside, -and the two approached him.</p> -<p>He was a spare, elderly man with a wrinkled, shrewd face, and -a short, pointed manner of speech.</p> -<p>"Oh, the General Passenger Agent sent you?" said he, examining -them. "All right. What's wanted?"</p> -<p>"Your train stops at a station called Cordova, does it -not?"</p> -<p>"It stops at every station on the run. Cordova's one of -them."</p> -<p>"There is an institution at Cordova, I believe?"</p> -<p>"For deaf and dumb kids—yes."</p> -<p>"Of course some of the people from there ride in and out with -you at times."</p> -<p>"I don't get many of the youngsters. But the folks that run -the place often come to the city."</p> -<p>"You are acquainted with them, of course. I mean in the way -that local conductors come to be acquainted with their regular -riders."</p> -<p>Purvis grinned.</p> -<p>"Say," said he. "It's hard to get acquainted with some of them -asylum people. There's only a couple of them that can talk!"</p> -<p>"I see." Pendleton noted Ashton-Kirk's dark eyes fixed -steadfastly upon the man's face as though he desired to read the -remainder from his expression. "There is one of them," continued -the investigator, "whom perhaps you have noticed. He's rather a -small man, and wears thick glasses. He also dresses very -carefully, and he wears a silk hat."</p> -<p>"Oh, yes," said the conductor, "I know him. He goes in and out -quite often. Very polite too. Always says good day with his -fingers; if the train is crowded, he's a great little fellow for -getting up and giving his seat to the ladies."</p> -<p>"Have you ever heard his name?"</p> -<p>"Yes. It's Locke. He's some kind of a teacher."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk thanked the man, and with Pendleton walked through -the gate. As they were descending the stairs to the street, -Pendleton said:</p> -<p>"And now he wears a silk hat, does he? But you have not made -sure of the man. You forgot to inquire if Mr. Locke favored the -German dramatists."</p> -<p>For a moment Ashton-Kirk looked puzzled, then he burst into a -laugh.</p> -<p>"Ah," said he, "you remember that."</p> -<p>"Of course I remember it. How can I forget it? You go prancing -about so like a conjurer that there's not a moment that I don't -expect something. If you finish by dragging the murderer from -your sleeve, I'll not be at all astonished. Your methods lead me -to expect some such a finale."</p> -<p>"To explain each step as I take it," said the investigator, -"would be much more difficult than the work itself. However the -time has now arrived for me to enlighten you somewhat upon this -point, at least. I am quite convinced that this man Locke played -a leading part in the murder of Hume. He is in a manner -definitely placed, and I can speak of him without fracturing any -of my prejudices."</p> -<p>They got into the car, and Ashton-Kirk continued to the -chauffeur:</p> -<p>"Christie Place." Then to Pendleton, he added as the machine -started, "I want to make some inquiries at the house where -Spatola lived; and in order to make the matter clearer, we'll -just drop in at 478."</p> -<p>As they proceeded along at a bounding pace, the investigator -related to Pendleton what had passed between Edyth Vale and -himself a few hours before. Pendleton drew a great breath of -relief.</p> -<p>"Of course I knew that her part in the matter was something -like that," he said, "but I'm glad to hear it, just the same." He -looked at his friend for a moment and then continued: "But how -did you know that Edyth heard a door close immediately after the -pistol shot?"</p> -<p>They had just drawn up in front of Hume's, and as Ashton-Kirk -got out, he said:</p> -<p>"If you had only used your eyes as we were going over the -place," said he, "you'd have no occasion to ask that -question."</p> -<p>There was a different policeman at the door; but fortunately -he knew the investigator and they were allowed to enter at once. -When about half way up the stairs, Ashton-Kirk said:</p> -<p>"This, I think, is about the place where Miss Vale stopped -when she saw the light-rays moving across the ceiling and wall of -the hall. You get the first glimpse of those from this point. -Remain here a moment and I'll try and reproduce what she -heard—with the exception of the cry."</p> -<p>Pendleton obediently paused upon the stairs; Ashton-Kirk went -on up and disappeared. In a few moments there came a sharp, -ringing report, and Pendleton, dashing up the stairs, saw his -friend standing holding open the showroom door—the one with -Hume's name painted upon it.</p> -<p>"It's the bell," said Ashton-Kirk, pointing to the gong at the -top of the door frame. "When I examined it this morning I saw -that it was screwed up too tight, and knew that it would make a -sound much like a pistol shot to ears not accustomed to it."</p> -<p>Pendleton stared in amazement at the simplicity of the -thing.</p> -<p>"I see," said he. "While Edyth stood listening on the stairs -someone opened this door!"</p> -<p>"Yes; someone unacquainted with the place. Otherwise he would -have known of the bell."</p> -<p>"But how did you know that Edyth heard a door close?"</p> -<p>"Whoever rang the bell closed the door after him. It has a -spring lock like the street door; and was locked when Miss Vale -tried it a few moments later."</p> -<p>"You say that the ringing of the bell shows the person who -rang the bell to have been unacquainted with the place. I think -you must be wrong here. Spatola is acquainted with the place; he -was here at the time. This is proven by the scream of the -frightened cockatoo which followed the ringing of the bell."</p> -<p>"It was not a cockatoo that made the sound," said Ashton-Kirk. -"Give me a moment and I think I can convince you of that."</p> -<p>The gas in the hall was lighted; the investigator stopped at -the foot of the stairs leading to the fourth floor.</p> -<p>"Persons," he continued, "who secretly enter buildings, as a -rule never trust to the lighting apparatus of the buildings. One -reason for this is that it is not under their -control—another that they cannot carry their light about -with them."</p> -<p>He pointed to the lowermost step of the flight; there, as -before, were the stump of candle, the burnt matches, the traces -of tallow upon the wood.</p> -<p>"There were two or more men concerned in this crime," -proceeded Ashton-Kirk, "and that is the method of lighting that -they chose—a candle."</p> -<p>"Two men! How do you know that?" asked Pendleton.</p> -<p>"You shall see in a moment," replied the investigator. Then he -continued: "And the candle was used not only for -illumination—it served another purpose, and so supplied me -with the first definite information that my searching had given -me up to that time."</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at the discouraged little candle end, with -its long black wick, the two charred splinters of pine wood and -the eccentric trail of tallow droppings. Then he shook his -head.</p> -<p>"How you could get enlightenment from those things is beyond -me," he said. "But tell me what they indicated."</p> -<p>"The candle and the match-sticks count for little," said -Ashton-Kirk. "It is the tracings of melted tallow that possess -the secret. Look closely at them. At first glance they may seem -the random drippings of a carelessly held light. But a little -study will show you a clearly defined system contained in -them."</p> -<p>"Well, you might say there were three lines of it," said -Pendleton, after a moment's inspection.</p> -<p>"Right," said Ashton-Kirk. "Three lines there are, and each -follows a row of tack heads. These latter were, apparently, once -driven in to hold down a step-protector of some sort which has -since become worn out and been removed."</p> -<p>The speaker took a pad of paper and a pencil from his pocket. -Across the pad he drew three lines one under the other. Then with -another glance at the candle droppings upon the step, he made a -copy of them that looked like this:</p> -<a name="image-0003"><!--IMG--></a> -<center><img src="images/clue.gif" width="241" height="150" alt= -"drawing of clue"></center> -<!--IMAGE END--> -<p>Pendleton bent over the result under the flare of the gas -light; and as he looked his eyes widened.</p> -<p>"Why," cried he, "they look like a stenographer's -word-signs."</p> -<p>"Good!" said Ashton-Kirk. "And that, my dear fellow, is -exactly what they are. There, scrawled erratically in dripping -tallow, is a three word sentence in Benn Pitman's phonetic -characters. It is roughly done, and may have occupied some -minutes; but it is well done, and in excellent German. I'll write -it out for you."</p> -<p>Then he wrote on the pad in big, plain Roman letters:</p> -<p class="block">HINTER<br> - WAYNE'S<br> - BILDNISSE</p> -<p>"There it is," said the investigator, "done into the German -language, line for line. Brush up your knowledge now; let me see -you turn it into English."</p> -<p>Pendleton, whose German was rusty from long disuse, pondered -over the three words. Suddenly a light shot across his face; then -his eyes were in a blaze.</p> -<p>"<i>Behind Wayne's Portrait!</i>"</p> -<p>He fairly shouted the words. Astonishment filled him; he was -trembling with excitement.</p> -<p>"By Heaven," he gasped, "you have it, Kirk. Now I understand -the smashing of the portraits of General Wayne. There was -something of value hidden behind one of them—between the -picture and the back! But what?"</p> -<p>"It was nothing of any great bulk; the hiding place indicated -points that out, surely," said Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "A -document of some sort, perhaps."</p> -<p>Pendleton stood for a moment, lost in the wonder of the -revelation; then his mind began to work once more.</p> -<p>"But I can't understand the writing of the thing upon the -step," said he.</p> -<p>"It was the fact that it was written that proved to me that -there were at least two men concerned. One knew the hiding place -of the coveted object; and this is how he conveyed the -information to his companion," pointing to the step.</p> -<p>"But," protested Pendleton, "why did he not put it into words? -Surely it would have been much easier?"</p> -<p>"Not for this particular person. As it happens, he was a -mute."</p> -<p>Again Pendleton's eyes opened widely; then recollection came -to him and he said:</p> -<p>"It was Locke—the man concerning whom you were making -inquiries of the railroad conductor!"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded, and replied.</p> -<p>"And it was he who shrieked when the door of the showroom -opened. The out-cry of a deaf-mute, if you have ever heard one, -has the same squawking, senseless sound as that of a psittaceous -bird like the parrot or cockatoo."</p> -<p>"But," said Pendleton, "the fact that the man who scrawled -these signs upon the step <i>was</i> a deaf-mute, scarcely -justifies the eccentricity of the thing. Why did he not use a -pencil, as you have done?"</p> -<p>"I can't say exactly, of course. But did it never happen that -you were without a pencil at a time when you needed one rather -urgently?"</p> -<p>"This thing has sort of knocked me off my balance, I suppose," -said Pendleton, rather bewildered. "Don't expect too much of me, -Kirk." He stuffed his hands in his pockets dejectedly and -continued: "You now tell me that this man was a mute. Yesterday -you said he was small, that he was near-sighted, that he was well -dressed and knew something of the modern German dramatists. You -also told the conductor that he wore thick glasses and a silk -hat. Now, I suppose I'm all kinds of an idiot for not -understanding how you know these things about a man you never -saw. But I confess it candidly; I <i>don't</i> understand."</p> -<p>"It all belongs to my method of work," said Ashton-Kirk. "It's -simple enough when you go about it the right way. I have already -given you my reasons for thinking the man who did this," pointing -to the step, "to be a mute. I judged that he was of small stature -because he chose the bottom step upon which to trace his word -signs. Even an ordinary sized man would have selected one higher -up."</p> -<p>"All right," said Pendleton. "That looks good to me, so -far."</p> -<p>"The deductions that he was well dressed and also near-sighted -were from the one source. His hat fell off while he was tracing -the signs; that showed me that he was forced to stoop very close -to his work in order to see what he was about. You see that, -don't you?"</p> -<p>"How did you know his hat fell off?" asked Pendleton, -incredulously.</p> -<p>"Mrs. Dwyer is evidently paid to clean only the hall and lower -stairway," replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "And that she sticks -closely to that arrangement is shown by the condition of this -upper flight. The dust upon the step is rather thick. If you will -notice," and he indicated a place on the second step, "here is a -spot where a round, flat object rested. That this object was a -silk hat is positive. You can see the sharp impress of the nap in -the dust; here is the curl in the exact center of the crown as -seen in silk hats only. And men who wear silk hats are usually -well-dressed men."</p> -<p>"But how can you be at all sure that the hat fell off? Isn't -it possible that he took it off and laid it there?"</p> -<p>"Possible—yes—but scarcely probable. A -well-dressed man is so from instinct. And his instinctive -neatness would hardly permit him to put his well-kept hat down in -the dust."</p> -<p>"Go on," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"The stairs have been used since the hat fell there; but the -dust has not been disturbed. There is a hand-rail on the other -side of the flight, and consequently, all went up and down on -that side."</p> -<p>"I can understand the thick glasses," said Pendleton, "his -being near-sighted suggested those. But what made you think he -cared for the modern German dramatists?"</p> -<p>"That was a hazard, merely," and the investigator laughed.</p> -<p>"He knew German and was apparently a man of intelligence. No -man who combines these two things can fail of admiration of -Hauptmann, Sudermann and their brothers of the pen. And then a -mute who knew shorthand well enough to have such ready recourse -to it, struck me as being unusual. They all know the digital sign -language; but German and phonography classed him as one above the -ordinary. This knowledge brought the suggestion of an -institution. Then came the suggestion that he might be an -instructor in such an institution. The fragment from the railroad -ticket hinted that the institution might be out of town. Fuller's -research placed two such institutions. The ticket counter at the -railroad office narrowed it down to one. The conductor of the -train all but put his hand on the man."</p> -<p>There was a short silence. Then Pendleton drew a long -breath.</p> -<p>"Well, Kirk," said he. "I don't mind admitting that you have -me winging. I'll tell you now it's clever; but if I can think of -a stronger word later, I'll work it in instead."</p> -<p>"We have a pretty positive line on one of the criminals, and -we will now turn to the other," said the investigator, briskly. -"It was this other who committed the murder. The infirmities of -Locke, the mute, made it impossible for him to venture into the -rooms. The risks for a deaf and short-sighted man would be too -great. Danger might creep upon him and he neither hear nor see -it. For some reason which I have not yet discovered, but it may -have been distrust, he had not informed his confederate as to the -whereabouts of the object of their entrance. When they got as far -as this hall, he concluded to do so; but as neither man had a -pencil, he conveyed the information as shown; then the -confederate entered Hume's apartments by the door which Mrs. -Dwyer found open. This, by an oversight, may have been left -unlocked, or the criminals may have had a key. However, that does -not affect the case one way or another.</p> -<p>"It is my opinion that Hume was seated at his desk at this -time and heard the intruder enter the storage room; then pushing -back his chair as we saw it, he arose. The criminal, however, -sprang upon and struck him so expertly that he collapsed without -a sound. Then the bayonet came into play.</p> -<p>"A search followed for the thing desired—a search, -short, sharp and savage. The murderer either found what he -sought, or the footsteps of Miss Vale upon the stairs frightened -him. At any rate he pulled open the showroom door—the one -with the gong; Locke, still in the hall, screamed and both fled -up these stairs to the roof and away."</p> -<p>Pendleton had waited patiently until his friend finished. Then -he said, with a twinkle in his eye:</p> -<p>"You say the murderer opened the show room door, the gong rang -and then Locke screamed. Now, old chap, that's not possible. If -Locke is deaf, he couldn't hear the gong; and so there would be -no occasion for him to cry out."</p> -<p>"I think if you'll go back over what I've really said," spoke -Ashton-Kirk, "you will find that I have made no mention of Locke -crying out because of the gong. I said the murderer opened the -door that has the gong. Then Locke screamed, not because he heard -anything, but because of the sight he saw."</p> -<p>"Ah!"</p> -<p>"He caught a glimpse of Hume upon the floor—as we saw -him."</p> -<p>"You think, then, that Locke's intentions were not -murder?"</p> -<p>"At the present time I am led to think so. The confederate -either was forced to kill to save himself, or he had nursed a -private scheme of revenge. And the ferocity of the blow with the -bayonet inclines me to prefer the latter as a theory."</p> -<p>"That brings us back to both Morris and Spatola," said -Pendleton, gravely. "By all accounts both bore Hume a bitter -grudge. But the fact that both criminals escaped by the roof -shows familiarity with the neighborhood, as Miss Vale pointed out -to you. This seems to point to Spatola."</p> -<p>"So does the purchase of the bayonet, and in the same -indefinite fashion," said Ashton-Kirk. "But come, we motored to -Christie Place more to inquire about this same Italian than -anything else. So let's set about it."</p> -<p>They thanked the policeman in charge and left the building. As -they proceeded down the street toward the house in which the -newspapers had informed them Spatola lived, the investigator -paused suddenly.</p> -<p>"I think," said he, "it would be best for us to first see -Spatola himself, and ask a few questions. This might give us the -proper point of view for the remainder."</p> -<p>And so they once more got into the car; and away they sped -toward the place where the violinist was confined.</p> -<a name="2HCH0012"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XII</h2> -<h3>ANTONIO SPATOLA APPEARS</h3> -<p>Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton were admitted to the cell room at -the City Hall without question; but a distinct surprise awaited -them there. Through a private door leading from the detectives' -quarters they saw the bulky form of Osborne emerge; and at his -heels were Bernstine and his sandy-haired clerk.</p> -<p>When Osborne caught sight of Ashton-Kirk he expanded into a -wide smile of satisfaction.</p> -<p>"Hello!" greeted he. "Glad to see you. You're just in time to -see me turn a new trick. Here's the people that Spatola bought -the bayonet from. How does that strike you?"</p> -<p>But Bernstine leaned over and said something in a low tone; -and the smile instantly departed.</p> -<p>"Oh," said Osborne, ruefully, "<i>this</i> is the party who -called to see you, is it?" Then turning to Ashton-Kirk he asked: -"How did you get onto this bayonet business?"</p> -<p>"Just through thinking it over a little, that's all," answered -the investigator.</p> -<p>Mr. Bernstine now approached the speaker, a hurt look upon his -face.</p> -<p>"Mr. Ashton-Kirk," said he, "why did you not tell us about -this piece of business? Why did you not enlighten us? How -<i>could</i> you go away and leave us in the dark? We are very -much occupied, and have little time to look at the newspapers. It -was only by accident that Sime happened to see one." Lowering his -voice, he added: "There's a smart fellow for you; he saw the -whole thing in an instant. And so we came right here to do what -we can to help justice." He squared his shoulders -importantly.</p> -<p>"He's seen the bayonet and is prepared to swear to it," stated -Osborne, elated.</p> -<p>"What of the picture of Spatola in the paper?" asked the -investigator. "Does he recognize that?"</p> -<p>Osborne's face fell once more.</p> -<p>"These half-tones done through coarse screens are never any -good," said he. "They'd make Gladstone look like Pontius Pilate. -He's going to have a look at the man himself, and that'll settle -it."</p> -<p>With that a turnkey was dispatched; and in a few moments he -returned, accompanied by a half dozen prisoners; one was a slim, -dark young man with a nervous, expressive look, and a great -tangle of curling black hair. The face was haggard and drawn; the -eyes were frightened; the whole manner of the man had a piteous -appeal.</p> -<p>Osborne turned to Sime.</p> -<p>"Look them over carefully," directed he. "Take your time."</p> -<p>"I don't need to," answered the freckled shipping clerk. He -pointed to the dark young man. "That's the man of the picture; -but I never seen him before, anywhere."</p> -<p>Osborne put his fingers under his collar and pulled as though -to breathe more freely; then he motioned another attendant to -take the remaining prisoners away.</p> -<p>"I see," said he. "He was too foxy to buy the thing himself. -He sent someone else." Then he fixed his eye on the prisoner and -continued: "We've got the bayonet on you; so you might as well -tell us all about it."</p> -<p>"I don't understand," said Spatola, anxiously.</p> -<p>"The easier you make it for us, the easier it will be for -you," Osborne told him. "If you make us sweat, fitting this thing -to you, we'll give you the limit. Don't forget that."</p> -<p>"I have done nothing," said Spatola, earnestly. "I have done -nothing. And yet you keep me here. Is there not a law?"</p> -<p>"There is," said Osborne, grimly. "That's what I'm trying to -tell you about. Now, who bought the bayonet?"</p> -<p>"The bayonet?" Spatola stared.</p> -<p>"The bayonet that Hume was killed with."</p> -<p>With a truly Latin gesture of despair, the Italian put his -hands to his forehead.</p> -<p>"Always Hume," he said. "Always Hume! I can not be free of -him. He was evil!" in a sort of shrill whisper. "Even when he is -dead, I am mocked by him. He was all evil! I believe he was a -devil!"</p> -<p>"That was no reason why you should kill him," said Osborne in -the positive manner of the third degree.</p> -<p>"I did not kill him," protested Spatola. "There were many -times when it was in my heart to do so. But I did not do it!"</p> -<p>"I've heard you say all that before," stated Osborne, wearily. -Then to the turnkey: "Take him away, Curtis."</p> -<p>"Just a moment," interposed Ashton-Kirk. "I came here to have -a few words with this prisoner, and by your leave, I'll speak to -him now."</p> -<p>"All right," replied Osborne. "Help yourself."</p> -<p>He led Bernstine and Sime out of the cell room; the turnkey, -with professional courtesy, moved away to a safe distance, and -Ashton-Kirk turned to the Italian.</p> -<p>"You were once first violin with Karlson," said he. "I -remember you well. I always admired your art."</p> -<p>An eager look came into the prisoner's face.</p> -<p>"I thank you," he said. "It is not many who will remember in -me a man who once did worthy things. I am young," with despair, -"yet how I have sunken."</p> -<p>"It is something of a drop," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "From a -position of first violin with Karlson to that of a street -musician. How did it happen?"</p> -<p>Sadly the young Italian tapped his forehead with one long -finger.</p> -<p>"The fault," he declared, "is here. I have not the—what -do you call it—sense? What happened with Karlson happened a -dozen times before—in Italy, in France, in Spain. I have -not the good sense!"</p> -<p>But justification came into his eyes, and his hands began to -gesticulate eloquently.</p> -<p>"Karlson is a Swede," with contempt. "The Swedes know the -science of music; but they are hard; they are seldom artists; -they cannot express. And when one of this nation—a man with -the ice of his country in his soul—tried to instruct me how -to play the warm music of my own Italy, I called him a fool!"</p> -<p>"I see," said the investigator.</p> -<p>"I am to blame," said Spatola, contritely. "But I could not -help it. He <i>was</i> a fool, and fools seldom like to hear the -truth."</p> -<p>"The Germans, now," said Ashton-Kirk, insinuatingly, "are -somewhat different from the Swedes. Were you ever employed under -a German conductor?"</p> -<p>"Twice," replied the violinist, with a shrug. "Nobody can deny -the art of the Germans. But they have their faults. They say they -know the violin. And they do; but the Italian has taught them. -The violin belongs to Italy. It was the glory of Cremona, was it -not? The tender hands of the Amatis, of Josef Guarnerius, of old -Antonio Stradivari, placed a soul within the wooden box; and that -soul is the soul of Italy!"</p> -<p>"Haupt, a German, wrote a treatise on the violin," said -Ashton-Kirk. "If you would read that—"</p> -<p>"I have read it," cried Spatola. "I have read it! It is like -that," and he snapped his fingers impatiently.</p> -<p>"But you've probably read a translation in the English or -Italian," insisted the investigator, smoothly. "And all -translations lose something of their vitality, you know."</p> -<p>"I have read it in the German," declared the Italian; "in his -own language, just as he wrote it. It is nothing."</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at Ashton-Kirk admiringly; the manner in -which his friend had established the fact that Spatola knew the -German language seemed to him very clever. But Ashton-Kirk made -no sign other than that of interest in the subject upon which -they talked.</p> -<p>"A race that has given the world such musicians as Wagner, -Beethoven and Mozart," said he, "must possess in a tremendous -degree the musical sense. The German knowledge of tone and its -combinations is extraordinary; and their music in turn is as -complex as their psychology and as simple as the improvisation of -a child."</p> -<p>Spatola seemed surprised at this apparent warmth; he looked at -Ashton-Kirk questioningly.</p> -<p>"And, with all their scholarship, the Germans are so -practical," went on the latter. "Only the other day I came upon a -booklet published in Leipzig that dealt with the difficulty a -composer sometimes encounters in getting the notes on paper when -a melody sweeps through his brain. The writer claimed that the -world had lost thousands of inspirations because of this, and to -prevent further loss, he proffered an invention—a system -of—so to speak—musical shorthand."</p> -<p>A sullen look of suspicion came into Spatola's face; he -regarded the speaker from under lowered brows.</p> -<p>"Perhaps you don't quite understand the value of such an -invention," proceeded Ashton-Kirk. "But if you had a knowledge of -stenography, and the short cuts it—"</p> -<p>But the Italian interrupted him brusquely.</p> -<p>"I know nothing of such things," said he, "and what is more I -don't want to know anything of them." Then in a sharp, angry -tone, he added: "What do you want of me? I am not acquainted with -you. Why am I annoyed like this? Is it always to be -so—first one and then another?"</p> -<p>At this sudden display of resentment, the turnkey -approached.</p> -<p>"I will go back to my cell," Spatola told him, "and please do -not bring me out again. My nerves are bad. I have been worried -much of late and I can't stand it."</p> -<p>The turnkey looked at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded his head. And, -as Spatola was led gesticulating away, Pendleton said in a low -tone of conviction:</p> -<p>"I tell you, Kirk, there's your man. Besides the other things -against him, he knows German."</p> -<p>"But what of the phonographic signs?"</p> -<p>"He knows them also. His manner proved it. As soon as you -mentioned shorthand he became suspicious and showed uneasiness -and anger. I tell you again," with an air, of finality, "he's -your man."</p> -<a name="2HCH0013"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XIII</h2> -<h3>A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN MORRIS</h3> -<p>From the City Hall the car headed for Christie Place once -more; it halted some half dozen doors from Hume's and the -occupants got out.</p> -<p>The first floor was used by a dealer in second-hand machinery, -but at one side was a long, dingy entry with a rickety, twisting -flight of stairs at the end. Ashton-Kirk rang the bell here, and -while they waited a man who had been seated in the open door of -the machine shop got up and approached them.</p> -<p>He wore blue overalls and a jumper liberally discolored by -plumbago and other lubricants; a short wooden pipe was held -between his teeth, and a cloth cap sat upon the back of his -head.</p> -<p>"Looking up the Dago?" asked he with a grin. He jerked a dirty -thumb toward the stairs.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded; the man took the wooden pipe from his -mouth, blew out a jet of strong-smelling smoke and said:</p> -<p>"I knowed he'd put a knife or something into somebody, some -day. These people with bad tempers ought to be chained up -short."</p> -<p>"Do you know him well?" inquired the investigator.</p> -<p>"Been acquainted with him ever since he's been living -here—and that's going on three years."</p> -<p>"Did he have many visitors, do you know?"</p> -<p>The man in the cloth cap pulled at his pipe reflectively.</p> -<p>"I can't just say," he replied. "But I've been -thinking—" he paused here and examined both young men -questioningly. Then he asked: "You're detectives, ain't you?"</p> -<p>"Something of that sort," replied Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>The man grinned at this.</p> -<p>"Oh, all right," said he. "You don't have to come out flat -with it if you don't want to. I ain't one of the kind that you've -got to hit with a mallet to make them catch on to a thing." Here -the wooden pipe seemed to clog; he took a straw from behind his -ear and began clearing the stem carefully. At the same time he -added: "As I was saying, I've been thinking."</p> -<p>"That," said Ashton-Kirk, giving another tug at the unanswered -bell, "is very commendable."</p> -<p>"And queer enough, it's been about visitors—here," and -the man pointed with the straw toward the doorway. "Funny kind of -people too, for a house like this."</p> -<p>"Take a cigar," said Ashton-Kirk. "That pipe seems out of -commission." Then, as the man put the pipe away in the pocket of -his jumper and lighted the proffered cigar, he added: "What do -you mean by 'funny kind of people?'"</p> -<p>The cigar well lighted, the man in the overalls drew at it -with gentle relish.</p> -<p>"There's a good many kinds of funny people," said he. "Some of -them you laugh at, and others you don't. These that I mean are -the kind you don't. Now, Mrs. Marx, the woman that keeps this -place, is all right in her way, but it ain't no swell place at -that. Her lodgers are mostly fellows that canvass for different -kinds of things; they wear shiny coats and their shoes are mostly -run down at the heels. So when I see swell business looking guys -coming here I got to wondering who they were. That's only -natural, ain't it?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded, but before he could reply in words there -came a clatter upon the rickety stairs at the far end of the -entry. A thin, slipshod woman with untidy hair and a sharp face -paused on the lower step and looked out at them.</p> -<p>"What do you want?" she demanded, shrilly.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk, followed by Pendleton, stepped inside and -advanced down the entry.</p> -<p>"Are you Mrs. Marx?" he inquired.</p> -<p>"Yes," snapped the woman. "What do you want?"</p> -<p>"A little information."</p> -<p>"You're a reporter!" accused the sharp-faced woman. "And let -me tell you that I don't want nothing more to say to no -reporters."</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk soothingly denied the accusation.</p> -<p>"I dare say you've been bothered to death by newspaper men," -spoke he. "But we assure you that—"</p> -<p>"It don't make no difference," stated the woman, rearing her -head until her long chin pointed straight at them. "I ain't got -nothing to say to nobody. I don't want to get into no -trouble."</p> -<p>"The only way you can possibly get into trouble in this -matter," said the investigator, "is to conceal what you know. An -attempt to hide facts is always considered by the police as a -sort of admission of complicity."</p> -<p>The woman at this lifted a corner of a soiled apron and -applied it to her eyes.</p> -<p>"Things is come to a nice pass," she said, vainly endeavoring -to squeeze a tear from eyes to which such things had long been -strangers, "when a respectable woman can't mind her own business -in her own house."</p> -<p>At this point, Pendleton, who looked discreetly away, caught -the rustle of a crisp bill; and when Mrs. Marx spoke again, her -tone had undergone a decided change.</p> -<p>"But of course," she said, "if the law asks me anything, I -must do the best I can. I've kept a rooming house for a good many -years now, gentlemen, and this is the first time I have had any -notoriety. It is, I assure you."</p> -<p>As Ashton-Kirk had seen at a second glance, Mrs. Marx was a -lady fully competent to confront any situation that might arise; -so he wasted no time in soothing her injured feelings.</p> -<p>"We desire any information that you can give us regarding your -lodger, Antonio Spatola," said he. "Tell us all you know about -him."</p> -<p>"He wasn't a bad-hearted young man," said the landlady, "but -for all that I wish I'd never seen him. If I hadn't then I'd -never had this disgrace come on me."</p> -<p>Here she made another effort with the corner of her apron; but -it was even more unsuccessful than the first. She gave it up and -went on acidly.</p> -<p>"Mr. Spatola came here almost three years ago. He was engaged -in one of the vaudeville theaters near here—in the -orchestra—and he rented my second story front at six -dollars a week. Except for the fact that he <i>would</i> play -awfully shivery music at all hours of the night, I was glad to -have him. He was quiet and polite; he paid regularly and," -smoothing back the untidy hair, "he gave a kind of tone to the -house.</p> -<p>"But then he lost his position. Had a fight, I understand, -with somebody. For a long time he had no work; he moved from the -second story-front at six dollars a week into the attic at two. -When he could get no place, he went on the street and played; -afterwards he got the trained birds. I didn't like this much. It -didn't do the house no good to have a street fiddler living in -it; and then the birds were a regular nuisance with their noise. -But he paid regular, and after a while he took to keeping the -birds in a box in the loft, so I put up with it."</p> -<p>"We'll look at his room, if you please," said the -investigator.</p> -<p>Complainingly, the woman led the way up the infirm staircase. -At the fourth floor she pushed open a door and showed them into a -long loft-like room with high ceiling and mansard windows. There -came a squawking and fluttering from somewhere above as they -entered.</p> -<p>"Them's the cockatoos," said the landlady. "They miss Mr. -Spatola very much. When I go to feed them with the stale bread -and seed he has here for them, would you believe it, they'll -hardly eat a thing."</p> -<p>The room was without a floor covering. Upon some rough -shelves, nailed to the wall, were heaps of music. A violin case -also lay there. There were a few chairs, a cot-bed, and a neat -pile of books upon a table. Ashton-Kirk ran over these quickly; -they were mostly upon musical subjects, and in Italian. But some -were Spanish, English, German and French.</p> -<p>"He was the greatest hand for talking and reading languages," -said Mrs. Marx, wonderingly. "I don't think there was any kind of -a nationality that he couldn't converse with. Mr. Sagon that -lives on the floor below says that his French was elegant, and -Mr. Hertz, my parlor lodger, used to just love to talk German -with him. He said his German was so <i>high</i>."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk opened the violin case and looked at the -instrument within.</p> -<p>"Spatola always carried his violin in this when he went out, I -suppose?" he said, inquiringly.</p> -<p>"Oh, yes; <i>that</i> one he did. But the one on the wall -there," pointing to a second instrument hanging from a peg, "he -never took much care of that. It's the one he played on the -street, you see."</p> -<p>Her visitors followed the gesture with interest.</p> -<p>"That was just to clinch a point I made with Fuller this -morning," said the investigator to Pendleton, in explanation. -Then to Mrs. Marx he continued: "Mr. Spatola had visitors from -time to time, had he not?"</p> -<p>But the woman shook her head.</p> -<p>"Sometimes he had a pupil who came in the evening. But they -never came more than once or twice; he generally called them -thick-heads after a little, and told them they'd better go back -to the grocery or butcher's shop where they belonged."</p> -<p>"Are you quite sure that no one else ever called upon -him?"</p> -<p>The woman nodded positively.</p> -<p>"I'm certain sure of it," she said. "I remember saying more -than once to my gentlemen on the different floors, that Mr. -Spatola must be awfully lonely sometimes. Mr. Crawford would -often come up here and smoke with him and play a game or two of -Pedro. Mr. Hertz tried it a couple of times; but him and Mr. -Spatola couldn't hit it very well."</p> -<p>"How many lodgers have you?"</p> -<p>"I have rooms for nine. Just now there are seven. But only -four are steadies—Mr. Hertz, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Sagon and -Mr. Spatola. Mr. Hertz is an inspector of the people who canvass -for the city directory; he took the parlor after Mr. Spatola gave -it up. He drinks a little, but he's a perfect gentleman for all -that. Mr. Crawford is a traveling man, and is seldom home; but he -pays in advance, so I don't never worry about him. Mr. Sagon is -what they call an expert. He can't speak much English yet, but -sometimes even the government," in an awed tone, "sends for him -to come to the customs house to tell them how much diamonds are -worth, that people bring in. He works for Baum Brothers and -Wright. The others," bulking them as being of no consequence, -"are all gentlemen who are employed on the directory under Mr. -Hertz."</p> -<p>"Have you any Italian lodgers other than Mr. Spatola?"</p> -<p>The woman shook her head.</p> -<p>"No," she said, "and I don't want none, if this is the way -they carry on."</p> -<p>"Are there any other rooming houses in the street?"</p> -<p>"No, sir. It's only a block long, and I know every house in -it. I'm the only one as takes lodgers."</p> -<p>"Are there any Italians in business in the block, or employed -in any of the business places?"</p> -<p>Mrs. Marx again shook her head positively.</p> -<p>"Not any."</p> -<p>"You speak of a Mr. Sagon. Of what nationality is he?"</p> -<p>"Oh, he's French, but he's lived a long time in Antwerp. -That's where he learned the diamond business. And he must have -lived in other places in Europe; Mr. Spatola says he has spoken -of them often."</p> -<p>Just then there came from below the sound of a heavy voice, -singing. The words were French and the intonation here and there -was strange to Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"Who is that?" he asked.</p> -<p>"It's Mr. Sagon," replied the woman. "He's the greatest one -for singing them little French songs."</p> -<p>"Ah, I have it," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment. "He's a -Basque, of course. I couldn't place that accent at first."</p> -<p>A narrow, ladder-like flight of stairs was upon one side. -Ashton-Kirk mounted these and found himself in a smaller loft; a -number of well-kept cockatoos, in cages, set up a harsh screaming -at sight of him. Opening a low door he stepped out upon a tin -roof. Mrs. Marx and Pendleton had followed him, and the former -said:</p> -<p>"The police was up here looking. They said Mr. Spatola came -through the trap-door at Hume's place that night and walked along -the roofs and so down to his own room."</p> -<p>"That would he very easily done," answered Ashton-Kirk, as his -eye took in the level stretch of roofs.</p> -<p>After a little more questioning to make sure that the landlady -had missed nothing, they thanked her and left the house. At his -door they saw the man in the cloth cap and overalls. A second and -very unwieldy man, with a flushed, unhealthy looking face, had -just stopped to speak to him.</p> -<p>He supported himself with one hand on the wall.</p> -<p>"Hello!" called the machinist to Ashton-Kirk; and as the two -approached him, he said to the unwieldy man: "I stopped you to -tell you these gents had gone in. They're detectives."</p> -<p>"Oh," said the man, with interest in his wavering eye. "That -so." He regarded the two young men uncertainly for a moment; and -then asked: "Did Mrs. Marx tell you anything?"</p> -<p>"She didn't seem to know much," answered the investigator.</p> -<p>The unwieldy man swayed to and fro, an expression of cunning -gathering in his face. The machinist winked and whispered to -Pendleton:</p> -<p>"I don't know his name, but he's one of the lodgers."</p> -<p>"Marx," declared the unwieldy man, "is a fine lady. But," with -an elaborate wink, "she knows more'n she tells sometimes." The -wavering eye tried to fix the investigator, but failed signally. -"It don't do," he added wisely, "to tell everything you -know."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk agreed to this.</p> -<p>"Marx could tell you something, maybe," said the man. "And -then maybe she couldn't. But, I know <i>I</i> could give you a -few hints if I had the mind—and maybe they'd be valuable -hints, too." Here he drew himself up with much dignity and -attempted to throw out his chest. "I'm a gentleman," he declared. -"My name's Hertz. And being a gentleman, I always try and conduct -myself like one. But that's more'n some other people in Marx's -household does."</p> -<p>"Yes?"</p> -<p>"Yes, sir. When a gentleman tries to be friendly, I meets him -half-way. But that fellow," and he shook a remonstrating finger -at the door of the lodging-house, "thinks himself better'n other -people. And mind you," with a leer, "maybe he's not as good."</p> -<p>"Who do you mean—the Dago?" asked the machinist.</p> -<p>"No; I mean Crawford. A salesman, eh?" The speaker made a -gesture as though pushing something from him with contempt. -"Fudge! Travels, does he? Rot! He can't fool me. And then," with -energy, "what did he used to do so much in Spatola's garret, eh? -What did they talk about so much on the quiet? I ain't saying -nothing about nobody, mind you. I'm a gentleman. My name's Hertz. -I don't want to get nobody into trouble. But if Crawford was such -a swell as not to want to speak to a gentleman in public, why did -he hold so many pow-wows in private with Spatola? That's what I -want to know."</p> -<p>Seeing that the man's befogged intellect would be likely to -carry him on in this strain for an indefinite time, Ashton-Kirk -and Pendleton were about to move on. But they had not gone more -than a few yards when the investigator paused as though struck -with an idea. He stepped back once more and drew a photograph -from his pocket.</p> -<p>"Do you know who this is?" he asked, abruptly, holding it -up.</p> -<p>The unwieldy man swayed gently and waveringly regarded the -portrait.</p> -<p>"Sure!" said he surprisedly, "it's Crawford."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk rejoined his friend; and as they made their way to -the waiting automobile, the latter said;</p> -<p>"That is a step ahead of me, Kirk, I think. Where did you get -a portrait of this man Crawford?"</p> -<p>By way of an answer the investigator held up the photograph -once more. Pendleton gave a gasp of amazement.</p> -<p>"Allan Morris," said he. "<i>Allan Morris, by George!</i>"</p> -<a name="2HCH0014"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XIV</h2> -<h3>MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARS</h3> -<p>Edouard, Ashton-Kirk's cook, was astonished and somewhat -grieved that day to receive orders that dinner was to be served -an hour earlier than usual. And Stumph, grave and immobile, was -betrayed into an expression of astonishment when his master and -guest sat down to the same dinner in their work-a-day attire.</p> -<p>And at best Edouard's delicate art that day received but scant -attention. Stumph could hardly conceive of a more important thing -than the proper and gentlemanly eating of one's dinner. -Nevertheless other things engaged the attention of the two young -men; they talked earnestly and in incomprehensible terms; -mysterious allusions were sprinkled thickly through it all.</p> -<p>"I do not think," Stumph told the mortified Edouard in the -kitchen, "that Mr. Pendleton has tasted the flavor of a single -thing he has eaten. He listens to Mr. Ashton-Kirk talk; he is -surprised at everything that he is told; there is a trembling in -his hands, he is so eager. No, I don't know what it's about. But -then, I never know what Mr. Ashton-Kirk is about. He is a very -remarkable gentleman."</p> -<p>And no sooner was the dinner completed than Ashton-Kirk's big -French car was brought to the door and both young men got into -it.</p> -<p>"You've looked up the road to Cordova?" inquired Ashton-Kirk -of the chauffeur.</p> -<p>"Yes, sir," answered the man. "Very good road and almost -parallel with the railroad. No trouble getting there by -dark."</p> -<p>"All right. Get there as soon as you can."</p> -<p>They cut into a broad asphalted avenue, which eventually led -them through the north suburbs into the country. The April dusk -was settling upon the fields as they raced along; in the isolated -houses, lights were beginning to twinkle; there was a swaying -among the trees and roadside bush; the hum of the flying car must -have been borne long distances; for far away people raised their -heads from the finishing tasks of the day to look at it as it -flashed by.</p> -<p>Pendleton lay back comfortably digesting his dinner, and -ticking off in his mind the case which engrossed him so much.</p> -<p>"It all tapers down to this," he said to himself. "Hume was -murdered by Locke and a confederate in order that they might gain -possession of something, the nature of which is unknown. Kirk is -confident of Locke; I think he'd even go so far as to give him -into custody, if he had the tangible proofs that the police -require.</p> -<p>"But he lacks enthusiasm in the matter of the confederate. To -my mind, it's Spatola or Morris, or both. Both bore Hume no good -will. Morris has been spending at least part of his time with -Spatola under an assumed name; they are known to have been very -much engaged in some secret matter. Both visited Hume's on the -night of the murder. An Italian purchased the weapon with which -the deed was done. A German sentence was written in shorthand by -Locke for his confederate. Spatola admits he knows German; he -grows suspicious when shorthand is mentioned. And to wind it up, -Morris has not been seen at his apartments, his office, or by his -friends, since the murder was committed."</p> -<p>At a little unpainted railroad station, the investigator broke -in on Pendleton's thoughts by calling on the chauffeur to stop. -There were the usual signboards on each side of the structure, -announcing that the place was Cordova; and there was the usual -knot of loungers that are always to be found about such places -watching with interest the incoming trains.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk called to one of these. He was a lanky fellow in a -wide-brimmed hat and with a sheep-like look of complacency.</p> -<p>"What's the best way to Dr. Mercer's place?" asked -Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>The lanky man reflected.</p> -<p>"There's three or four ways of getting there," he stated. "You -can go up the pike and turn at Harbison's store; or you can turn -down the lane along there a piece and go along until you come -to—"</p> -<p>"Which is the nearest?"</p> -<p>"I ain't never passed no judgment on that; but I think the -clay road down toward Plattville would get you there the -quickest—if you didn't get stuck in the ruts."</p> -<p>"I think we'd better stick to the pike," suggested -Pendleton.</p> -<p>"The pike's the best road," said the lanky man. "All the -people from Mercer's place use it when they drive here to the -station."</p> -<p>Once more the big French car, now with its lamps lighted, sped -along the road; about a mile further on they came to the store -referred to by the man as Harbison's. Here they received -instructions as to how to proceed, by the store-keeper; and after -running about four miles along an indifferent wagon road, they -caught the twinkle of many lights off in the middle of a wide -clearing.</p> -<p>"That must be it," said the investigator. "We'll leave the car -here; to flash up to the door in the quiet of the evening would -attract more attention than would be good for us, perhaps."</p> -<p>It was now quite dark, but they found a gate a trifle farther -on which opened readily; and so they proceeded along a walk -toward a building which lay blinking at them with its yellow -eyes. A deep-throated dog scented them from off in the distance -and gave tongue. As they drew near to the institution they heard -a man calling to the brute to be still. A little further on the -man himself suddenly appeared from around the corner of a -building with a lantern; he flashed this in their faces as he -said:</p> -<p>"Well, sirs, this is against the rules. We have no visitors -except on Saturdays; and then only within reasonable hours."</p> -<p>"We would like to speak to Dr. Mercer," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"Dr. Mercer is at dinner," explained the man with the lantern. -"He don't like it much if he's disturbed at such times."</p> -<p>"We will wait until he has finished; we are in no great -hurry."</p> -<p>The man seemed puzzled as to how to act. With the light held -aloft so that not a feature escaped him, he examined them -closely. Apparently he could see nothing with which to find -fault; and so he sighed in a perplexed fashion.</p> -<p>"He does not care to have people wait for him," complained the -man. "He gets very angry if he is worried by such things while -dining."</p> -<p>"You need not announce us until he is through," said -Ashton-Kirk, composedly.</p> -<p>The man hesitated; but finally resolved upon a course and led -them up a flight of stone steps and into a wide hall. The night -was raw and a brisk fire of pine knots burning in an -old-fashioned hall fireplace, made the place very -comfortable.</p> -<p>"If you will be seated, gentlemen," requested their guide, "I -will tell Dr. Mercer of your presence as soon as he has -finished."</p> -<p>They seated themselves obligingly in a couple of low, heavy -chairs near the fire; and then the man left them. The hall was -high and rather bare: the hardwood floor shone brilliantly under -the lights; save for the faint murmur of voices from a near-by -room, everything was still.</p> -<p>"I should imagine that a place of this sort wouldn't be at all -noisy," observed Pendleton, in a heavy attempt at jocularity.</p> -<p>Except for a word now and then, they waited in silence for a -half hour; then a door opened and steps were heard in the hall. -Both turned and saw a remarkably small man, perhaps well under -five feet, dressed with great care and walking with a quick -nervous step. His head was very large and partly bald, rearing -above his small frame like a great, bare dome; he carried a silk -hat in his hand, and peered abstractedly through spectacles of -remarkable thickness.</p> -<p>"Locke," breathed Pendleton, as his heart paused for a moment -and then went on with a leap.</p> -<p>The little man apparently did not see them until he was almost -beside them; then he paused with a start, and his eyes grew -owlish behind the magnifying lenses as he strove to make them -out. That he did not recognize them seemed to worry him; his -thin, gray face seemed to grow grayer and thinner; with a -diffident little bow he passed on and out at the front door.</p> -<p>"Not a very formidable looking criminal," commented -Ashton-Kirk, quietly. "However, you can seldom judge by -appearances. The most astonishing crime that ever came to my -notice was perpetrated by the meekest and most conventional man I -had ever seen."</p> -<p>They waited for still another space, and then the man who had -shown them in presented himself. He was now without the lantern, -but wore a melancholy look.</p> -<p>"Dr. Mercer will see you," said he in a low voice. "He is very -much vexed at being disturbed. He'll remember it against me for -weeks." He appeared very much disturbed.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk placed a coin in the speaker's hand; this seemed -to have a bracing effect, for he led them into his employer's -presence in a brighter frame of mind. Dr. Mercer was seated at -the table in his dining-room. A napkin was tucked in his collar, -his fat hands were folded across his stomach, and he was -breathing heavily.</p> -<p>"Gentlemen," spoke he, rolling his eyes around to them, "I -trust you will pardon my not rising. But to exert myself after -dining has a most injurious result sometimes. My digestion is -painfully impaired; the slightest excitement causes me the utmost -suffering."</p> -<p>"I appreciate the fact that we are intruding at a most -inconvenient time," said Ashton-Kirk. "And I beg of you to accept -our apologies."</p> -<p>The eyes of Dr. Mercer, which had the appearance of swimming -in fat, were removed from his visitors, and fixed themselves -longingly upon a great dish filled with a steaming, heavy-looking -pudding. His breath labored in his chest as he replied:</p> -<p>"The hour <i>is</i> somewhat unusual; but as it happens I have -about finished my dinner, and if your errand is not of a stirring -nature, I should be pleased to have you state it."</p> -<p>The man placed chairs in such a position that the doctor would -not have to stir to fully observe his visitors. This done he was -about to withdraw; but his employer stopped him at the door.</p> -<p>"Haines," complained he, "you have not taken my order for -breakfast."</p> -<p>The man paused and seemed much abashed at his neglect.</p> -<p>"I really beg your pardon, sir," said he. And with that he -produced a pencil and a small book and stood ready.</p> -<p>"I will have one of those trout that I purchased to-day," -directed the doctor. "Let it be that large, fine one that I was -so pleased with," his swimming eyes ready to float out of his -head with anticipation. "Then I would like some new-laid eggs, -some hot cakes, and perhaps a small piece of steak, if there is -any that is tender and tasty. And mind you," in an nervous -afterthought, "tell Mrs. Crane to have it but rarely done. I will -not tolerate it dry and without flavor." He pondered awhile, -apparently much moved by this painful possibility; then he added: -"I may as well have a cereal to begin with, I suppose. And that -will be all with the exception of a few slices from the cold -roast and some white rolls."</p> -<p>Carefully Haines had taken this down; and after he had read it -over at his employer's order and noted a few alterations and -additions, he departed. For a few moments the doctor's eyes were -closed in expectant rapture; his breathing grew so stertorous -that his callers were becoming alarmed; but he spoke at last, -reluctantly, resentfully.</p> -<p>"I am now ready to hear you, gentlemen, if you please. And -kindly remember that I prohibit anything of an exciting nature at -this time."</p> -<p>"We have heard your school highly spoken of," said -Ashton-Kirk. "And have come to make some inquiries before making -up our minds."</p> -<p>"Ah," breathed Dr. Mercer, solemnly, "you have an afflicted -one. Too bad! Tut, tut, tut, too bad!"</p> -<p>"There are many institutions of the sort," proceeded the -investigator. "But for the most part they stop at the threshold, -so to speak, of knowledge."</p> -<p>Dr. Mercer roused himself so far as to unclasp his hands and -point with one finger at the speaker.</p> -<p>"Sir," said he, in a voice full of grave significance, "they -seldom reach the threshold. A large majority of them are -conducted by dishonest persons. Afflicted youth left in their -charge are rarely properly directed—they rarely acquire -that digital dexterity so necessary to success in their limited -lives. The isolated brain, so to call it, is seldom more than -half awakened. Unless it is intelligently approached, the shadows -are never thoroughly dispelled."</p> -<p>Here he paused, panting distressedly; his eyes were filled -with reproach as he relapsed into his first attitude; and his -manner was that of one who mutely begged that no further tasks be -thrust upon him.</p> -<p>"The difference in institutions of this type lies mainly in -the methods employed, I believe," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"In the methods—and in the persons who apply them," -replied Dr. Mercer in a smothered tone.</p> -<p>"To be sure. I have heard something of your teaching staff. It -is a very excellent one, is it not?"</p> -<p>"The best in the world." The soft, fat, white hands of the -doctor again unclasped themselves; and this time both of them -were employed in a faintly traced gesture. "We employ scientists. -We do not stop at what you have correctly called the threshold. -We explore the entire structure of the intellect. Our Professor -Locke, himself an afflicted one, is a man of vast -erudition—a scholar of an advanced type, a philosopher -whose adventures into the field of psychology and natural science -is widely known. He has charge of the practical work of the -Mercer Institute, and under him its results are positive and -unique."</p> -<p>"We have heard of Professor Locke," and, drily, "have seen -some of his work."</p> -<p>"If you had stated your business before—ah—coming -in to me," spoke the doctor, "you might have had an opportunity -of consulting him. He left for his cottage immediately after -dining."</p> -<p>"He does not live here, then?"</p> -<p>"Not in this building—no. There is a detached cottage at -the far end of the grounds which he occupies. If you'd like to -see him," and the heavy jowls of the speaker trembled with -eagerness, "Haines will show you there at once."</p> -<p>"If it is no trouble," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly.</p> -<p>"Not in the least." The doctor rang for his man, and when he -entered, said: "These gentlemen would like to speak to Professor -Locke. Show them the way to his house. And, gentlemen," to the -callers, with anxiety, "the professor can arrange everything with -you. It is my habit to nod for a half hour after dinner. My -system has grown to expect it, and if I am deprived of it, I -suffer considerably in consequence."</p> -<p>"We will not trouble you again, doctor," Ashton-Kirk assured -him. "Thank you, and good-night."</p> -<p>Once more outside, the man led them along a foot-path that -seemed to cut the institution grounds in two. The rays of his -lantern danced along the carefully kept lawn; the shadowy trees -seemed to move backward and forward, as the thin beams wavered -among them.</p> -<p>"The professor lives a good piece away," the man informed -them. "Away over on the county road."</p> -<p>"Prefers to be alone, eh?"</p> -<p>"I suppose so, sir. And then he has his laboratory and -work-shop there, well away from interruption. He don't like to be -much disturbed while he is engaged in his studies."</p> -<p>"Few of us do," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Quite right, sir."</p> -<p>They walked along in silence for a time; then they caught a -clear humming noise from some distance ahead.</p> -<p>"A motor car," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"It's on the county road," said the man with the light. "We -always hear them when the wind blows from that direction."</p> -<p>After some fifteen minutes' steady walking they saw a long -twinkling shaft of light coming from among the trees.</p> -<p>"That's the house," said Haines. "I hope the professor ain't -busy; you wouldn't believe what a blowing up he can give a body -with his fingers when he's vexed. I'd almost rather have the -doctor himself; though, as a rule, the professor is a very nice -gentleman."</p> -<p>The house was a brick structure of two stories and dimly -lighted on the lower floor. Near by was a long, shed-like -building, the windows of which were brilliantly lighted.</p> -<p>"He's at work," said Haines, in a troubled tone. "And in the -shop too! If it was even the laboratory, it wouldn't be so bad. -But he <i>does</i> get so interested in the shop. That machine -means more to him, whatever it is, than anything else about the -place."</p> -<p>There came a harsh burring sound from within both the shop and -the house. Haines seemed surprised.</p> -<p>"Visitors," he said. "He seldom has one; and I never knew any -to come at night before."</p> -<p>They saw the figure of Locke cross one of the shed windows -toward a door. And just then Ashton-Kirk stumbled rather heavily -against Haines; the lantern dropped to the ground and was -extinguished.</p> -<p>"I beg your pardon," said the investigator in a rueful tone; -then he began to rub his shins. "That was rather hard, whatever -it was."</p> -<p>The door of the building opened and Locke appeared; his great -bald head shone in the light that streamed after him; and it was -thrust forward as he strove to penetrate the darkness ahead.</p> -<p>"He feels the vibrations of those buzzers," Haines told them, -"and knows right away when anyone wants to get in."</p> -<p>He began fumbling with the lantern as Locke disappeared; but -Ashton-Kirk said to him:</p> -<p>"You need not light that. We can see very well. And, on second -thought, you need not wait, either. We can introduce ourselves to -Professor Locke without troubling you further."</p> -<p>"Thank you, sir," said the man, vastly relieved. "They all -have queer dispositions, you see, and I don't like to trouble -them."</p> -<p>At once Haines made his way back along the path by which they -had approached; some distance away they saw him kindle his -lantern, and then watched the yellow spark as it glanced fitfully -away across the grounds.</p> -<p>The cottage and work-shop of Professor Locke appeared to be -set back some little distance from what Haines had called the -county road; a grove of tall trees thickened the shadows all -about, and it was into these trees that the professor had -gone.</p> -<p>"The buzzer must have the button that sounds it attached to a -gate opening upon the road," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>They stood for a short time in silence; then Pendleton nudged -his friend with an elbow.</p> -<p>"Look," he whispered. "There at the door of the shed."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk did so. And he was just in time to see a large, -iron-gray head, a craggy, powerful face, and a pair of thick -shoulders; the expression and attitude were those of a man -listening intently. Almost instantly, as Ashton-Kirk's gaze fell -upon him, the man withdrew.</p> -<p>"Humph," exclaimed Pendleton under his breath. "Who's that, I -wonder?"</p> -<p>They waited for some time longer in silence. But the little -man did not return, nor did the head appear again at the shop -door. Ashton-Kirk appeared puzzled.</p> -<p>"Locke intended returning at once," he said to Pendleton. -"Otherwise he would have closed his work-shop door." Then his -eyes wandered toward the house, and his grip closed tightly upon -his companion's arm. "Look," whispered he, in his turn.</p> -<p>Pendleton's gaze flew toward the house. The lower windows had -been dimly lighted when they approached; but now the glow from -them was high and brilliant. In one of the rooms they saw Locke; -he was striding up and down, his hands clinched and gesturing, -his face upturned, writhing hideously. Seated at a table, calmly -engaged in examining something traced upon a sheet of paper, and -apparently not paying the slightest attention to the -gesticulating man, was a young woman. And Pendleton felt himself -grow suddenly faint and sick as he recognized Edyth Vale.</p> -<a name="2HCH0015"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XV</h2> -<h3>MISS VALE DEPARTS SUDDENLY</h3> -<p>For a moment there was a silence between the two men; then -Ashton-Kirk said, dryly:</p> -<p>"Miss Vale has, apparently, not been altogether frank with us -in this matter."</p> -<p>"You think then—" began Pendleton in a voice of terror. -But Ashton-Kirk stopped him.</p> -<p>"I think many things," said he. "But they are neither here nor -there. Facts are what count. Put the circumstances together for -yourself and see where they lead you. Miss Vale has been from the -first mixed up more or less in this crime. She explained. As far -as I knew the explanation was made in good faith. Now we find her -here in this lonely place, quietly engaged with a man whom I have -convinced myself is one of Hume's murderers."</p> -<p>There was another pause; this time it was Pendleton who broke -the silence.</p> -<p>"As you say," spoke he, in a strange, throaty sort of tone, -"she has not been quite frank. Take all the circumstances -together and they seem to point—"</p> -<p>He paused as though quite unable to finish. Ashton-Kirk laid a -hand upon his shoulder.</p> -<p>"Imagination is a thing that is vitally necessary in this sort -of work," said he. "But it must be held in check by reason. The -great trouble with an amateur is that he reasons up to a certain -point; then he allows his imagination to take a long leap toward -a result. The upshot is that his results have seldom anything to -support them. The correct method, I think, is to allow the -imagination to scurry ahead in the way that is natural to it; but -reason must follow close behind, proving each step of the way. To -be sure, you may have theories, hypotheses, ideas without end, -but you must never take them for granted. Select each in its -turn, place it in a tube as the chemist does, add a few drops of -reason, and you may produce a fact. It is the only way to go -about it. Once a man becomes fixed in a belief, be there ever so -little foundation for it, his mind stops revolving the subject; -further procedure is hopeless."</p> -<p>"I understand all that well enough," said Pendleton. "But," -and he waved his hand toward the house, "what does <i>this</i> -mean?"</p> -<p>"I don't know," said Ashton-Kirk. "And neither do you. -So—that being the case—there is but one thing to -do—find out."</p> -<p>They gazed toward the window once more, Miss Vale had -apparently mastered the contents of the paper, and was now -engaged in writing rapidly. As the young men watched, she -stopped, read carefully what she had written, and then handed it -to Locke. The mute carried the paper to the light, and holding it -very near to his eyes read it with much attention; then he tore -it into strips, placed it upon the red coals of a stove which -stood near him and watched it burn. Facing Miss Vale, his fingers -began to fly rapidly in intricate signs. This only lasted a -moment, however; for he stopped, gestured passionately, seized a -pad of paper and began to write.</p> -<p>While he was thus engaged, Ashton-Kirk said to Pendleton in a -low tone:</p> -<p>"Remain here for a moment."</p> -<p>Then slowly, carefully, the investigator made his way toward -the window through which Miss Vale and Locke were to be seen.</p> -<p>Heavy beams of light shot across the ground from the windows; -but here and there were trails of shadow. He clung to these until -he had reached the shelter of the walls; then to Pendleton's -amazement he stepped directly in front of the window through -which the two were to be seen, rapped smartly upon the glass, and -remained standing in full view, of the two in the room.</p> -<a name="image-0004"><!--IMG--></a> -<center><img src="images/a-k03.jpg" width="272" height="450" alt= -"He Rapped Smartly on the Window"></center> -<!--IMAGE END--> -<p>Pendleton saw the pad drop from Locke's hands; he saw the mute -wheel as he felt the vibrations and stare at the window, his eyes -puckered and straining. He also saw Miss Vale rise, saw her hands -thrown out in a gesture much like despair; and also he heard the -cry that she uttered, muffled by the confines of the room, but -full of fear. Then the room was plunged into darkness; an instant -later a door was heard to open; the sound of quick-moving feet -came to him; there followed the pulsations of a motor and the -racing of a car away into the night.</p> -<p>"She's off," breathed the young man, and there was undoubted -relief in the knowledge. "She's off, and I really believe that's -what Kirk was after."</p> -<p>He walked toward the house and found his friend standing in -the shadows.</p> -<p>"Well," chuckled the investigator, "it did not take her long -to make up her mind, eh?"</p> -<p>"You had some motive in doing that," accused Pendleton. "What -was it?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk was about to reply; but just then the small figure -of Locke made its appearance. He carried a lantern and was -approaching with stumbling steps, his eyes peering and blinking -in their efforts to pierce the gloom. Not until he was well upon -the two did he make them out; then he halted, lifted the light -above his head and surveyed them intently.</p> -<p>In the rays of the lantern Ashton-Kirk smiled urbanely, and -bowed. The supple fingers of the mute writhed inquiringly.</p> -<p>"Each of them forms itself into a wild note of interrogation," -said Pendleton. "They are fairly screaming questions at you."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk smiled even more agreeably at Locke and shook his -head. Then he went through the pantomime of one writing, and -finished by pointing to the house.</p> -<p>Carefully, eagerly, fearfully, the mute examined them; his -near-sighted eyes and the wavering light must have made it all -but impossible for him to make them out. However, he at length -motioned for them to follow him, and started back by the way -which he had come. But after a few steps he halted. He indicated -that they were to remain where they were; then he went to the -shed-like building, closed the door and locked it, placing the -key in his pocket.</p> -<p>"It would seem," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that we are not to be -trusted implicitly."</p> -<p>"Also," replied Pendleton, "that there is something of value -in the shed."</p> -<p>Returning, Locke led the way to a door upon the other side of -the house. Showing them into a small room furnished with books -and scientific apparatus and evidently a study, he set down the -lantern and with a sign bade them be seated. Upon their doing so -he produced a small pad of paper and a pencil; handing these to -Ashton-Kirk he stood peering at them expectantly. With the swift, -accurate touch of an expert, the investigator wrote in the Pitman -shorthand:</p> -<p>"We ask pardon if we have startled you."</p> -<p>Then he tore off the sheet and handed it to Professor Locke. -The man seemed surprised at the medium selected by his visitor; -nevertheless he quickly traced the following in the same -characters.</p> -<p>"Who are you? What is your errand?"</p> -<p>"We were sent to you by Dr. Mercer," replied Ashton-Kirk with -flying pencil. "Our business is to secure the admission of a new -pupil."</p> -<p>Locke read this and regarded them for a moment, -doubtfully.</p> -<p>"Why did you not press the button at the door?" he demanded in -writing.</p> -<p>"I hardly expected you to have such a thing as a bell," -answered Ashton-Kirk, on the pad. "And so, seeing you, I -attracted your attention as best I could."</p> -<p>Professor Locke read this and stood with his pencil poised, -when the buzzer sounded harshly; he went at once into the hall; -they heard him open the door; and in a few moments he returned, -followed by Haines.</p> -<p>The fingers of the two flashed their signals back and forth; -then a look of relief came into Locke's face; he even smiled, and -nodded understandingly at the two young men.</p> -<p>"I beg pardon, gentlemen," said Haines. "But when I got back -to the hall, Dr. Mercer made me return and make sure that you had -got to see the Professor."</p> -<p>"Thanks," replied the investigator. "We had not the slightest -difficulty."</p> -<p>"I'm glad to hear it, sir," said the man. "Good-night to -you."</p> -<p>He flashed the same wish to the mute, who answered readily; -then he went out and through the window they saw his light again -go bobbing away in the darkness. Then the professor began to -write once more.</p> -<p>"I beg your pardon," was his message in long-hand. "The man -tells me that it was quite as you say. But I must confess I was a -trifle startled."</p> -<p>"The lady," wrote Ashton-Kirk, "seemed startled, too."</p> -<p>For the fraction of a moment the mute halted in his reply. -Then the pencil with much assurance formed the following:</p> -<p>"It was my niece. She was about to go just as you came; so do -not reproach yourself for having driven her away."</p> -<p>For some time the penciled conversation continued between the -two; but as it was all based upon the fanciful pupil whom the -investigator stated he desired to place in Dr. Mercer's care, -Pendleton paid little heed to it. At last, however, they bid the -Professor good-by, and left him upon the threshold, his massive -head nodding his adieus, his frail little body sharply outlined -by the glow from the hall.</p> -<p>The two had reached their own car around on the other road -before Pendleton spoke. Then he inquired:</p> -<p>"Well, have you learned anything from him?"</p> -<p>"I think I can say 'yes' to that," answered the other. "But -I'm not yet sure. I'll have to put it to the proof first, -according to the formula which I gave you a half hour ago. If it -succeeds, I'll tell you what it is; if it does not, I'll say -nothing, and it will go upon the scrap heap devoted to broken -fancies. And now, Dixon," to the chauffeur, "we'll go home."</p> -<a name="2HCH0016"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XVI</h2> -<h3>STEEL AGAINST STEEL</h3> -<p>Shortly before noon next day, Ashton-Kirk, in an immaculate -morning suit, was ushered into the presence of Miss Edyth Vale. -If he expected confusion, embarrassment or anything of that sort, -he was disappointed; for she greeted him eagerly and with -outstretched hand.</p> -<p>"This is a surprise," she said.</p> -<p>He held her hand and looked meaningly at her.</p> -<p>"My appearances <i>are</i> sometimes surprising," he said. -"But I usually select the night for them; the effect is better -then, you see."</p> -<p>She smiled into his eyes.</p> -<p>"I have no doubt but that you are dreadfully mysterious," she -said. "But please sit down."</p> -<p>She seated herself near the window; holding a book in her -hand, she fluttered the leaves to and fro.</p> -<p>"The composure," thought the investigator, as he sat down, "is -somewhat overdone."</p> -<p>"I wonder," said Miss Vale, looking at the book, "if you are -an admirer of Ibsen." And as he nodded, she proceeded with a -slight smile. "I know that he is scarcely the usual thing for a -spring morning. But there are times when I simply can't resist -him."</p> -<p>"He's a strong draught at any time," said Ashton-Kirk. "But -his tonic quality is undoubted."</p> -<p>"His disciples claim that for him, at any rate," she answered. -"But sometimes I question its truth. Where is the tonic effect of -'Rosmersholm?' I think it full of terrors." She shuddered and -added: "The White Horses will haunt me for weeks."</p> -<p>"It's the atmosphere of crime," said he. "That quiet home on -the western fiords reeks with it."</p> -<p>She made a gesture of repulsion.</p> -<p>"It's ghastly!" she exclaimed. "And, somehow, one feels it -from the very first—before a word is spoken. Imagine -Rebecca at the window, watching through the plants to see if -Rosmer uses the footbridge from which his wife once leaped to her -death." She paused a moment, her eyes upon the open pages; then -lifting her head, she asked: "What do you think of Rebecca?"</p> -<p>"A tremendous character—of wonderful strength. It was -just such proud, dark, purposeful souls that Byron delighted to -draw; but the only one in literature to whom I can fully liken -her is the wife of Macbeth. There was the same ambition—the -same ruthless will—the same disregard of everything that -stood in her way. And, like Cawdor's wife, she weakened in the -end."</p> -<p>She regarded him fixedly.</p> -<p>"Would you call it weakness?" she asked.</p> -<p>"She fell in love with Johannes, did she not? That was -weakness—for her. She herself recognized it as such."</p> -<p>The girl looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.</p> -<p>"That is true," she said.</p> -<p>"Some of the world's most daring and accomplished criminals -have been women," he went on. "But Nature never intended woman to -be the bearer of burdens; there is a weakness in her soul -structure somewhere; she usually sinks under the consciousness of -guilt."</p> -<p>"More so than men, do you think?"</p> -<p>"As a rule—yes."</p> -<p>She put down the book and clasped her hands in her lap.</p> -<p>"There is no need to sympathize with Rebecca," she said. "She -was brave and strong, even in her love for Johannes. But he," and -there was a note in her voice that recalled the night he had -listened to it over the telephone, "he was different. There is no -more dreadful thing in the play, to me, than the character of -Rosmer. To think of him sitting quietly in that charnel house, -prospering in soul, growing sleek in thought, becoming stored -with high ideas. Perfect peace came to him in spite of the -stern-faced portraits which shrieked murder from the walls. He -dreamed of freeing and ennobling mankind, and all the time Fate -was weaving a net about him that was to drag him from the mill -bridge after his dead wife."</p> -<p>"Kroll knew him," said the investigator. "And he said Rosmer -was easily influenced. It is usually men of that type who are -drawn into the vortex which swirls at every door."</p> -<p>Her face was a little pale; but she now arose with a laugh and -began rubbing her finger-tips with a handkerchief.</p> -<p>"I think we'd better remove the dust of the Norwegian," she -said; "and I make a vow never to read him again—in the -morning." She stood looking down at her caller, good-humoredly -and continued: "I suppose it is my fault, but you have a -dreadfully gloomy expression. Or maybe," as an afterthought, "you -ate an unwholesome dinner last night. Were you at the Perrings, -by any chance?"</p> -<p>He shook his head, his keen eyes searching her face.</p> -<p>"No," said he, "I had much more important matters on -hand."</p> -<p>She held up her hand.</p> -<p>"It was something about this Hume affair," she said.</p> -<p>"Yes," he replied.</p> -<p>The smile was now gone; she leaned back against a heavy table, -her fingers tightly clasping its edge.</p> -<p>"I have been trying to forget that dreadful thing," she said. -"I've stopped looking at the papers, because I would be sure to -see it mentioned. And," with never a faltering in her eyes, -"because I might be reminded of it in some other way, I now -remain indoors."</p> -<p>"Last night was an exception, perhaps," suggested he, -smoothly.</p> -<p>"Last night?" There was a questioning look in her beautiful -eyes; the finely posed head with its crown of bright hair bent -toward him inquiringly.</p> -<p>An expression of chagrin crept into his face.</p> -<p>"You were not out last night, then?" said he.</p> -<p>"What makes you think so?" smilingly. "It was dreadfully dull -here, too. But then," with a shrug, "anything is better than a -constant reminder of that Christie Place affair."</p> -<p>He nodded understandingly.</p> -<p>"I suppose it <i>is</i> very distressing." He frowned gloomily -at the tips of his shoes and she could see that he bit his lip -with vexation. After a moment or two, he said: "It's very -strange; but I was quite sure I saw you last night."</p> -<p>"Yes?" Her tone was one of careless interest.</p> -<p>"However," he went on, "I had but a glimpse of the lady; and -could easily have been mistaken." He wore a baffled look, but -smiled as he got up. "And," said he, "my visit of this morning -was based upon the sight I fancied I had of you last night."</p> -<p>She laughed amusedly.</p> -<p>"It was something interesting," she said. "Please tell me -about—but, no, no," hastily. "If it has anything to do with -the Hume case, I'd rather not hear it."</p> -<p>She had pressed the bell call for the footman, when he -said:</p> -<p>"Mr. Morris still keeps himself well concealed, I note."</p> -<p>Like a tigress leaping to defend her young, she met the -accusation.</p> -<p>"Mr. Morris has done no wrong," she declared, spiritedly. "And -there is no need of his concealing himself."</p> -<p>"Of course I will not say as to that." His voice was soothing -and low. "But he makes a mistake in not coming forward. His name, -you have noticed, has already appeared in the papers in direct -connection with the murder."</p> -<p>He glanced at her keenly once more.</p> -<p>"It may be that he has gone away upon some urgent business," -she said. "And the chances are that he has not heard anything of -the matter."</p> -<p>"If he had gone away on business, don't you think he would -have mentioned it to someone?"</p> -<p>"Perhaps he did not think it necessary. And again, maybe he -did not expect to be gone so long. Such things frequently happen, -you know."</p> -<p>"They do," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "But in the case of Allan -Morris, they somehow fail to fit. I am convinced that he is in -hiding."</p> -<p>She regarded him steadily for a moment; then she said:</p> -<p>"You are convinced, you say?"</p> -<p>"I am."</p> -<p>"May I ask upon what your conviction is based?"</p> -<p>"Not now—no."</p> -<p>There was another pause; the man was at the door, ready to -show the investigator out.</p> -<p>"Perhaps," and her tone was very low, "you even fancy that you -know his hiding-place."</p> -<p>"Not just yet," said he, "but in a few hours at most, I -will."</p> -<p>Her lips formed the good-by as he stood in the doorway; but -she made no sound. And Ashton-Kirk as he walked down the hall, -smiled quietly to himself.</p> -<a name="2HCH0017"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XVII</h2> -<h3>WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD</h3> -<p>About half an hour after Ashton-Kirk had left the Vale -mansion, a Maillard car drew up before the door. As it did so, an -Italian laborer arose from the curb not far away where he had -been comfortably seated with his back against a tree; then -throwing his arms wide in a luxurious yawn, he started leisurely -down the street.</p> -<p>Five minutes later, a veiled, dust-coated female figure -descended the step; the driver of the Maillard was dismissed, and -Miss Vale composedly took his place at the wheel. As the car -started forward, the gauntleted hands guided it firmly; the -steady eyes were set straight ahead as the lever was pushed first -to one speed and then another.</p> -<p>And as the rapid pulse of the motor was borne along the quiet -avenue, the Italian laborer calmly appeared from around a corner, -pushing a powerful-looking motor cycle before him. Another moment -and the machine was sounding its wild fusillade; the Italian sped -away in the same direction as the Maillard, his battered soft hat -set jauntily upon the back of his head, his gay-colored -neckkerchief streaming in the wind.</p> -<p>The car kept to the avenue for a long time; but finally in the -far suburbs it made a sharp turn to the left and a few miles -further on shot into a broad highway that ran parallel with the -railroad.</p> -<p>Bending forward so as to offer the least resistance to the -wind, the Italian's swarthy face relaxed at this; his fine white -teeth showed in a smile.</p> -<p>"Cordova, I think," muttered he, in very good English. "If -not, then somewhere very near to it."</p> -<p>Once upon the highway, which was hard, level and practically -deserted, the Maillard increased its speed. Eddies of dust curled -in its wake; its hum resembled that of a gigantic top; its -shining brass and smooth gloss made it look like a streak of -light. But the motor cycle was of the best; its compact, powerful -mechanism answered bravely to each call that was made upon it by -the dark-faced man in the saddle; its explosions had merged into -one long volley.</p> -<p>At a small and not very firm-looking bridge the Maillard -slowed down; apparently for the first time Miss Vale heard the -cycle in the rear, for she turned and gave it a quick look. But -the dust of her own progress hung thickly in the air and she -could not see very clearly. Passing the bridge at a low rate of -speed, she turned again. The dark face of the rider, his battered -hat and flying 'kerchief seemed to satisfy her; for once more she -gave attention to her course, and again the car increased its -speed. A mile or two further on there was a rather broken stretch -of road and she was forced to slow down. As the sound of her own -vehicle diminished, she, as before, caught the volleying of the -motor cycle; and as she turned the eyes that looked through the -veil were intent and searching.</p> -<p>This time she appeared not so well satisfied, for upon -reaching the end of the broken stretch, she drew her car to one -side and stopped. As the hammering explosions of the motor cycle -grew plainer and plainer she sat rigidly erect upon her seat, her -face turned directly ahead. But a close observer would have noted -a slow movement of her right hand among the folds of the dust -coat; and if he was also an experienced observer he would have -immediately understood that Miss Vale did not venture alone and -unarmed upon the road.</p> -<p>However, the Italian never even gave her a glance as he came -up; his machine flew by with a swirl, amid a crashing crescendo; -then it disappeared in the dust of the distance.</p> -<p>But Miss Vale, when she once more resumed her journey, had not -gone much more than a mile when she came upon the same swarthy -son of the south and his vociferous machine. But the latter was -now silent enough; it leaned against a fence, and its rider knelt -beside it, a wrench in his hand, testing its parts carefully and -intently.</p> -<p>The Maillard was less than a quarter of a mile away when Miss -Vale caught the rapid series of explosions once more. With a -quick glance ahead, she threw the lever forward and the car tore -along at a breathless rate. Fences ran by in a giddy staggering -line; trees seemed merged into one tangle of branches; the dust -arose in solid towers behind her. However, she held to this but a -scant five minutes; her breath was short when she decreased the -power; the hands upon the wheel shook a little, but her head was -held erect, her face was still purposefully set forward.</p> -<p>Above the decreasing hum of her car, came the swift, brave -shocks of the motor cycle. But, if there was a dread that fell to -tightening at her heart, she showed it little. The Maillard still -bore swiftly on; she did not once turn her head.</p> -<p>A little further on there came into view a post with a series -of white, pointing sign-boards, that indicated a cross-roads. -When still a hundred yards from this the car stopped once more; -again the Italian flew by; again he vanished, this time around a -bend beyond the cross-roads. But once hidden by the bend, he -stopped and got down; the smile again appeared upon his face, the -brilliant teeth shone good-naturedly.</p> -<p>"A simple little ruse," he said to himself. "And one that I've -seen used with effect more than once. Evidently Miss Vale has her -wits about her."</p> -<p>Leaning against his machine he waited and listened. From -around the bend came the low sound of the Maillard; nearer and -nearer it came for a time; then it began to recede. At this the -Italian remounted; the explosions of his motor were muffled as he -went swiftly along upon the way by which he had come. At the -cross-roads he slowed up and examined the ground. Deep in the -dust was the broad impress of the tires, showing the car to have -taken the turn to the left. Then swiftly the cycle turned into -the same road and took up the trail once more.</p> -<p>Some three miles further on, the track veered back toward the -highway along a badly cut dirt road.</p> -<p>"Slow going for a heavy car," said the pursuer calmly. "It -will not be long before I sight it again."</p> -<p>There was a hard, beaten footpath at one side of the road; -taking to this, the man on the motor cycle found it easy -traveling enough. Shortly after, he caught the laborings of the -Maillard as it made its way through the binding ruts; then he -slowed down and ran easily along the path, content, apparently, -to keep in sound of the chase.</p> -<p>But upon finally reaching the highway, he increased his speed -until he sighted the dust of the car; this he hung to like a -beagle, but never once allowed the car itself to come into -view.</p> -<p>At last the sounds of the Maillard ceased and the pall of dust -thinned and dissolved itself in the air. The motor cycle ran -swiftly on until the car, now at a standstill, became visible; -then the Italian got down, took out a pair of field-glasses and -swept the highway before him.</p> -<p>What he saw must have satisfied him that there would be no -more use for his machine for a time, at least; for he pushed it -to a place where there was a break in a fence and concealed it -behind a musty-looking corn shock, left from the fall before. -Then placing the glass under his arm he walked guardedly along -the road in the direction of Miss Vale's car.</p> -<p>Some distance further on there was a tall swamp maple growing -by the roadside; it was an easy task to mount into its branches -from the top fence-rail; then resting snugly in a high fork, he -leveled his glass and proceeded to scan the scene before him.</p> -<p>Miss Vale had descended from her car; her veil was raised, and -she was gingerly picking at the mechanism with hands sheathed in -canvas gloves. With apparent intentness she took out tools; small -parts were inspected minutely. And yet, for all that, there was -something unusual in her manner; every now and then she would -lift her head, casually, so it seemed, and glance away across the -fields.</p> -<p>"And always to the right," murmured the man in the tree-top, -after a little.</p> -<p>At once the big glass swept around in that direction.</p> -<p>"A house," added the watcher, with great satisfaction.</p> -<p>The building was almost buried in a thick growth of trees; its -white sides and red roof shone in the sun through branches abud -with April.</p> -<p>Suddenly, in the midst of her labor, Miss Vale paused; her -manner changed, the tools were dropped, the parts lost interest. -Facing the house, she yawned, with arms thrown wide after the -manner of one much wearied with a task; then she took off the -gloves, unpinned her hat and smoothed her hair. This was gone -through with careful elaboration and afterwards there was a -pause; the girl then gathered up the things, got into the -machine, placed the hat upon the seat beside her, went careening -away with never a backward glance.</p> -<p>But the man in the tree seemed in no haste to follow; instead -he covered the distant house with his glass and waited patiently. -Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour and finally -an hour. At the end of that time, however, a figure emerged from -the trees about the house and walked hastily toward the road; the -eyes of the watcher glistened, his fine teeth shone in an -appreciative smile.</p> -<p>Reaching the road where the car had stopped, the newcomer, who -was young, well-dressed and rather good-looking, suddenly paused, -stooped and lifted something from the ground. He held in his -hands the work gloves of Miss Vale, which she had dropped after -taking them off. For a moment the young man stood looking at them -as though hesitating what to do; then he turned, went to the -roadside and placed them carefully upon the top rail of the -fence. Then trudging along on his way, he unsuspectingly passed -beneath the maple which concealed the man with the glass.</p> -<p>When he was out of sight, the Italian slipped down the tree -and ran lightly along the road to the place where the gloves lay. -He took up one and looked within; but it was empty. However, in -the thumb of the next was a slip of paper which bore a single -line of writing:</p> -<p>"Tobin Rangnow."</p> -<p>Studying this for a moment, the Italian made a copy of it. -Then he slipped it back into the thumb of the glove and replaced -both exactly as they were; after which he made his way back to -the motor cycle, and mounting, went flying toward the city.</p> -<a name="2HCH0018"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XVIII</h2> -<h3>ASHTON-KIRK TELLS WHY</h3> -<p>It was about four in the afternoon, and young Pendleton sat in -Ashton-Kirk's big chair, reading the newspapers and waiting. -Finally he rang a bell and Stumph gravely appeared.</p> -<p>"Are you sure that he said three?" asked Pendleton.</p> -<p>"<i>About</i> three, sir," replied the man.</p> -<p>"Oh! I suppose he's been detained then. That will be all, -Stumph!"</p> -<p>When the man disappeared, Pendleton lighted a cigar and -resumed his reading. The Hume case was still holding its place as -the news feature of the day. Nothing had occurred to equal it in -sensation; and the huge headings flared across the front pages, -undiminished and undismayed.</p> -<p>"Why," screamed the <i>Standard</i>, in a perfect frenzy of -letter press, "did Miss Edyth Vale visit Hume on the night of the -murder?"</p> -<p>The girl's name had crept into the paper on the day before; -with each edition it appeared in larger type; and that afternoon -the <i>Standard</i> was printing it in red ink. Allan Morris was -not neglected; on the contrary, he figured a very close second to -his betrothed in the types.</p> -<p>"<i>Where is Allan Morris?</i>"</p> -<p>One paper asked this question perhaps fifty times on each -page. It peered at one in square, heavy-faced type from the -bottoms of columns and between articles. There were interviews -with his clerks; the opinions of his stenographer were given in -full, together with her portrait; and what his man servant had to -say was treated as being of great consequence.</p> -<p>Another sheet, which made a point of appealing to the tastes -of the vast foreign element of the city, grew very indignant as -to the arrest of Antonio Spatola.</p> -<p>"Why," it inquired, "is this man detained and no attempt made -to take those higher up into custody? If the Police Department is -so ready to incarcerate a poor musician, why should it hesitate -upon the threshold of the rich man's mansion?—or the rich -woman's, for the matter of that?"</p> -<p>This item incensed Pendleton beyond measure; he threw the -paper aside and stormed up and down the room.</p> -<p>"Of all the blatant wretched twaddle I ever did read," he -exclaimed, "this is positively the worst. Why, the rag would have -the police arrest Edyth—arrest her for—"</p> -<p>"Well," demanded a sharp, aggressively pitched voice, "what -for you make-a da blame, eh? Da cops pinch-a Spatola, and for -why, eh? Because he's da wop, da Ginney, da Dago and got-a no -friends."</p> -<p>At the first word Pendleton had whirled about in astonishment, -and faced the speaker, who stood in the doorway, pointing with -one hand in the attitude of melodrama.</p> -<p>"Well," asked the young man, "who the deuce are you?"</p> -<p>By way of an answer the other burst into a laugh that showed -his brilliant teeth; then he threw off his battered soft hat and -gayly colored handkerchief, after which he sank into the chair -which Pendleton had lately vacated.</p> -<p>"Pen," said he, in an altered voice, "if you appreciate my -friendship at all, give me one of the blackest cigars in the case -over there."</p> -<p>Pendleton stared for a moment; then a grin crept over his face -and he said:</p> -<p>"Oh, it's you, is it?" He went to the cabinet and took out a -box. "Here's a brand that looks like black Havana," he said. "And -now, what the dickens are you doing in that rig?"</p> -<p>"I've been taking a long ride in the country—on a motor -cycle," answered Ashton-Kirk, crossing his shabbily clothed legs -and striking a match. "Any time you feel disinclined to face your -meals, Pen, I recommend you heartily to do the same. It is a -greater bracer. At this moment I really believe I could do -complete justice to even the very best culinary thoughts of our -friend, Dr. Mercer."</p> -<p>Pendleton sat down and regarded his friend with questioning -eyes.</p> -<p>"It wasn't to acquire an appetite that you made up this way. -You've been working."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk comfortably blew one smoke-ring through another -before he answered.</p> -<p>"Will you be surprised to hear that I have been following Miss -Edyth Vale on a little voyage to the neighborhood of -Cordova?"</p> -<p>"Again!"</p> -<p>"But this time she did not pay a visit to Professor Locke. -To-day the favored one was Allan Morris."</p> -<p>"Morris! Then she knows where he is?"</p> -<p>"So it would seem."</p> -<p>"But she told you the other day that she did not."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders.</p> -<p>"Things happen swiftly and unexpectedly," said he. "Perhaps -she did <i>not</i> know it then."</p> -<p>"And perhaps she did not know Locke or his whereabouts, -either," said Pendleton, with bitter irony.</p> -<p>"Who knows?" replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "At any rate, it -was just a supposition that led to my labors of to-day."</p> -<p>"I don't think I understand," said Pendleton, after a -moment.</p> -<p>"Last night," said the investigator, "you asked me if I had -learned anything from Professor Locke. And I replied to the -effect that I thought I had. Now," after a pause, devoted to the -grateful smoke, "when one sees a girl circumstanced as Miss Vale -assuredly is in this case, paying a secret visit to a man who is -rather more than suspected of the murder, what does one -suppose?"</p> -<p>"That she is leagued with him, somehow," replied Pendleton, -reluctantly.</p> -<p>"Exactly. But on the other hand, when the same girl, upon -sight of us, rushes off and leaves the man to face us without -giving him a hint as to who we are, what does one suppose?"</p> -<p>But Pendleton rose gloomily and strode over to the window.</p> -<p>"I don't know," said he.</p> -<p>"One supposes," proceeded Ashton-Kirk, "that she has not much -interest in him." Here Pendleton faced about again. "If she had -been leagued with him, as you put it, you may be sure that she -would have managed to warn him in some way as to our identity. -But that she had not done so, the mute's manner told me as -plainly as words could have done. Seeing this, I began figuring -what it meant. If she was not associated with Locke in the crime, -why was she there? Immediately came the answer—through -Morris. But, when I saw her last, she denied any knowledge of -Morris's whereabouts. Then I reasoned, she had seen him in the -interim."</p> -<p>"That's it," cried Pendleton, as he stepped forward and -slapped the table with his palm; "that's it, beyond a doubt! He's -managed to get word to her; she's seen him; he's told her all or -part of the truth; and once more she's trying to help him. Why, -Kirk, I'll venture to say," hot with indignation, "that she was -led to visit this little scoundrel Locke, last night, much as she -was led to visit Hume's place on the night of the -murder—completely in the dark, and merely with some sort of -a vague notion of protecting Morris."</p> -<p>"Perhaps you are right, but I can't exactly say. But that she -has seen Morris I have made quite sure."</p> -<p>"How?"</p> -<p>"Last night when I appeared at Locke's window, I established a -reason for calling upon her this morning, also I laid a -foundation for what followed. Before the call I made certain -preparations for a quick change of front," with a gesture that -called attention to his costume; "in our conversation, I managed -to tell her that Morris's hiding place was discovered. Then I -left. As I expected, she at once called her car and set off to -warn him; and I followed close behind upon the motor cycle."</p> -<p>"I see, I see. And did you get sight of him?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded. Then he proceeded to relate the story of -the noon-day run to the country house which Morris had selected -as a hiding place. When he had finished, Pendleton sat frowning -blackly.</p> -<p>"Secret signals," said he. "He fears discovery so much that he -has forbidden her approaching the house. A regular code has been -arranged, eh? And the gloves were dropped in the road purposely; -he slipped his answer into one of them; on her way back she -discovers her supposed loss, looks for the gloves, and finds -them. It is quite ornate," with a bitter sneer.</p> -<p>Then he took from the investigator's hand the card upon which -he had copied the message of Allan Morris.</p> -<p>"Tobin Rangnow," he read. Then looking up he inquired with a -wan smile. "More secret writing, eh? Or is it a man's name?"</p> -<p>"There is a decided Irish flavor to Tobin," answered -Ashton-Kirk. "But Rangnow is unfamiliar to me; and if it is a -name at all, it is of Eastern European origin. In that case," -laughing, "it could scarcely be expected to share the honors with -Tobin."</p> -<p>He took the card from Pendleton and looked at it thoughtfully. -Then he glanced up in a satisfied sort of way:</p> -<p>"As you suggested, Miss Vale no doubt returned, recovered her -gloves and read the message," said he. "As she had just warned -him that his hiding place was discovered, it is only natural to -suppose that his answer would have something to do with his -future movements."</p> -<p>"That seems likely enough," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Look here; if we put a comma between the two words," went on -the investigator, taking out a pencil and doing so, "the thing -takes on the appearance of a name and address."</p> -<p>Once more he gave the card to Pendleton; then rising he went -to the telephone stand and took up the directory. Skimming -rapidly through this he paused at a page and went down its -columns carefully. Then with a laugh he slapped it shut.</p> -<p>"We have it," declared he. "When we so desire, we can call at -an apartment house known as the 'Rangnow' and inquire for Mr. -Tobin. And when we see that gentleman we shall be looking upon -one in the confidence of Allan Morris."</p> -<p>There was a long pause on the part of Pendleton. Ashton-Kirk -rang for Stumph and directed him to turn the water into his bath, -and get him out some fresh linen. It was after the man had gone -that Pendleton spoke.</p> -<p>"When you came in, Kirk," he said, "you said something which -conveyed the notion that you would not be much astonished if the -police took up the Hume matter with Edyth Vale."</p> -<p>"It is only the fact that the newspapers were first in -discovering her apparent connection with it, that has kept -Osborne and his fellows from visiting her before this. Jealousy, -you know, does many strange things."</p> -<p>Pendleton did not reply; he bent his head and covered his face -with his hands. Ashton-Kirk went on:</p> -<p>"The reasonable thing for her to do would be to come forward -and tell the plain truth."</p> -<p>Pendleton roused himself.</p> -<p>"But don't you see that that is the very thing that her brave -nature will not do? She's protecting Morris; and she'll go on -protecting him, no matter what the consequence to herself."</p> -<p>"In that event," said the investigator slowly, "we can not be -in too great a hurry in removing the cause that keeps Morris in -hiding."</p> -<p>"You'll have a task in that," said Pendleton. "As far as I can -see, the man is up to his eyes in the crime; and that's why he is -lying low."</p> -<p>"I have warned you before now against jumping at conclusions," -said the other, quietly. "Allan Morris may be a confederate of -Locke's, or he may not. We have yet to establish the fact either -way. And now, pardon me while I take a plunge and get into -something presentable."</p> -<a name="2HCH0019"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XIX</h2> -<h3>THE TWO REPORTS</h3> -<p>After dinner the two young men settled themselves in the -library: Stumph served their coffee and they renewed their -acquaintance with the Greek tobacco. After a little time there -came a knock upon the door.</p> -<p>"Come," called Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>A short man with remarkable breadth of shoulder and depth of -chest entered; he was smooth shaven and salient of jaw and wore -the air of one who was not easily balked in anything that he -undertook.</p> -<p>"How are you, Burgess?" said the investigator.</p> -<p>"Good-evening," returned Burgess. He advanced and laid some -neatly folded sheets at the elbow of his employer. "Fuller was -busy and I thought I'd bring these in myself. It's my report on -Hume."</p> -<p>"Ah, thank you."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began running his eye -through them. "As you get deeper into this record, did Hume keep -his promise?"</p> -<p>Burgess smiled.</p> -<p>"As to possibilities, do you mean? Why, yes. Indeed, I rather -think he exceeded them." The man lit the cigar which the -investigator handed him and drew at it appreciatively. "I went it -alone on the first day; but after that I took O'Neill and Purvis -on. Between us, we managed to get at something pretty -definite."</p> -<p>"Has Fuller finished with Morris?"</p> -<p>"He is typing his report at this moment. It will be ready in a -half hour, I should think."</p> -<p>"Please tell him to bring it in as soon as it is -finished."</p> -<p>Burgess nodded and went out. Ashton-Kirk continued to dip into -the report here and there.</p> -<p>"Among three of them," said Pendleton, "they should have -sifted the man's life and adventures pretty well."</p> -<p>As Ashton-Kirk continued to scan the pages, a peculiar -expression slowly came into his eyes.</p> -<p>"They seem to have done so, indeed. And rather cleverly, too, -I think. Would you care to hear the report?"</p> -<p>"By all means," eagerly.</p> -<p>The sheets were shifted into their proper order once more. -Then Ashton-Kirk read:</p> -<br> -<p class="note">"'<i>A Further Investigation into the Affairs of -David Purtell Hume</i>.</p> -<p>"'No record was to be had of Hume, beyond his settlement in -the city in 1899. People in the same line of business were -questioned closely; and those who knew anything of him at all -clung to the idea that he was an American who had lived for many -years abroad.</p> -<p>"'So we had another look at the old passenger lists of the -steamships; but this time we went further back. We knew that the -simple ruse of a fictitious name would cover Hume completely; but -it seemed the only thing to do, and we set at it systematically. -In the records of the steamer <i>Baltic</i> of the Netherlands -Steamship Company for the year 1897, we came upon the name of "D. -Purtell." Without much hope of learning anything definite after -such a lapse of time, I inquired after this passenger.</p> -<p>"'Luck was with us in the shape of an old clerk with a long -memory. He faintly recalled something of the man, and after some -talk got out still another book. And there it was! D. Purtell, so -it seemed, had been involved in an attempt to smuggle a quantity -of diamonds.</p> -<p>"'Our next step was to visit the customs people. Their records -were very complete. They even had a portrait of Purtell, which -proved him to have been Hume beyond a doubt. Only a trifle of -evidence had been secured against him—not enough to -convict—and they were forced to release him. This seems to -have been Hume's specialty.</p> -<p>"'However, through the customs services of other countries, -they had learned quite a lot about him. The authorities of -Holland, Spain and France knew him as one of the leading spirits -in a system of smuggling that had been going on for years. Once -Hume had been located in Antwerp, once at Hamburg, and for a long -time at Bayonne. This system of contraband had been broken up -just before he had been arrested by the United States service. A -number of the criminals had been convicted; but Hume, with his -usual luck, had escaped once more, because of lack of evidence -against him.</p> -<p>"'Nothing could be learned of the movements of Hume between -his arrest on the <i>Baltic</i> and his location here as a dealer -in the curiosities of art. And after his going into business -here, he kept to himself a great deal.</p> -<p>"'But the drink habit caused him to frequent certain resorts, -and it was at one of these that he first met Richard Morris, -father to Allan Morris!'"</p> -<p>"Ah!" said Pendleton. "So Hume knew Morris's father."</p> -<p>"I asked Fuller, in giving him his instructions, to have this -fact established, if he could," said Ashton-Kirk. "That both Hume -and the elder Morris were heavy drinkers caused me to think it -possible."</p> -<p>"Is that all there is to the report?"</p> -<p>"Almost." The investigator turned to the pages once more, and -proceeded: "'Hume and the elder Morris became quite intimate and -were often seen together. But what it was that formed the bond -between them, no one knows, unless it be a deaf mute named Locke, -who was frequently seen in their society and who seemed upon -close terms with both. But within a year after their first -meeting, Hume broke with Morris. This must have been serious, for -it caused a marked enmity to spring up between them. A number of -people recall that Richard Morris frequently made threats against -the other—threats of personal violence and also of the law. -But before anything could come of these, if he really meant them, -he died.</p> -<p>"'Thinking that Locke might be able to throw some light on -this phase of the case, we have endeavored to locate him. Up to -this time we have met with no success; but we hope to learn -something of him at an early date.'"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk laid the sheets down upon the table.</p> -<p>"There follows a list of the names of the people who have -supplied this information and their addresses," said he. "Burgess -is very thorough in his work."</p> -<p>"Outside the fact that Hume was a scoundrel—which we -knew before—and that he was acquainted with Locke and Allan -Morris's father, what does this report tell you?"</p> -<p>There was discontent in Pendleton's voice as he asked this -question, and the investigator smiled as he made answer:</p> -<p>"That Hume knew the elder Morris supplies us with a theory as -to the possible part which the younger Morris has taken in this -drama. Whatever passed between Hume and the father has probably -been taken up by the son."</p> -<p>"Why, yes," said Pendleton. "I hadn't thought of that."</p> -<p>"Another thing," added Ashton-Kirk: "The report has swung like -the needle of a compass, and indicated a fact that my imagination -suggested days ago."</p> -<p>"And that is—"</p> -<p>"That Hume once lived in the French town of Bayonne."</p> -<p>Pendleton frowned impatiently.</p> -<p>"I don't know what ever made you imagine that," he said. "But -now that you find that it is so, of what service is it?"</p> -<p>"We will speak of that later," answered Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>Pendleton was about to say something more, but just then -Fuller knocked and entered.</p> -<p>"The report on Allan Morris," said he.</p> -<p>"Ah, thanks." The investigator took the compactly typed -sheets, and then he continued: "Tell Burgess that he need not -bother about the man Locke whom he mentions. Say that I have -already located him."</p> -<p>"Very well," and Fuller left the room.</p> -<p>For a space there was no sound save that which came from the -street and the rustle of the pages as Ashton-Kirk went through -them.</p> -<p>"Well," asked Pendleton, finally. "What now?"</p> -<p>"Morris," replied his friend, "does not develop like Hume. -Fuller suspected that he'd prove colorless, and so it has turned -out. However, I'll read what he says. It's headed:</p> -<br> -<p class="note">"'<i>A Second Report on Allan Morris</i></p> -<p>"'A very careful inquiry failed to uncover anything in -connection with this young man's personal affairs that was not -mentioned in my first report on the same subject. He has led a -very even, uneventful life, attending strictly to business and -making every movement count in the direction of distinction as a -marine engineer.</p> -<p>"'However, there has been something in his manner for the last -few years that has attracted the attention of those who knew him -best or came in contact with him. This took the various forms of -eagerness of manner, irritability, long fits of reveries, a -feverish desire for work. At his place of business I learned that -he has for some time had a deep interest in the reports of the -patent office. His clerks say that he'd read these for hours at a -time; one of them told me of how he (the clerk) once forgot to -call Morris's attention to the report until the day after its -arrival. Morris has always been very tolerant with his employees, -but that day he burst out in a fury and threatened to discharge -them all.</p> -<p>"'Richard Morris, father to Allan, was a most erratic genius, -as my first report indicated. His propeller, his smoke-consumer, -and his automatic brake were valuable commercial properties, but -had all slipped from his control. Toward the end of his life he -engaged in the perfection of an invention of which he talked a -great deal and of which he declared that he alone would reap the -benefit.</p> -<p>"'As Burgess will already have told you, Richard Morris knew -Hume. The latter was a frequent visitor to a shop which the -inventor maintained in the outskirts, as was the mute Locke. I -have talked with an old mechanic who worked for Morris at the -time; he told me that the inventor had made a stubborn fight -against the drink habit and seemed likely to conquer it up to the -time that he became acquainted with Hume. After this, however, he -became as much a slave to it as ever. The invention, or whatever -it was, never got beyond the paper stage; for thereafter Richard -Morris spent his days in sleep and his nights at the once famous -Coffin Club.'"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk arose eagerly.</p> -<p>"There is more," said he, "but it is scarcely of interest." -Placing the report upon the table, he added: "You have heard of -the Coffin Club, Pen?"</p> -<p>"Of course. It met in an underground place somewhere, didn't -it? And if I remember right, it was fitted up like the -Café Au Mort in Paris."</p> -<p>"Something of the sort." The investigator went to a huge card -system and pulled out a drawer labeled "TO." "But I recall it -best by the steward whose philosophy and Irish turns of speech -were so frequently quoted by the newspapers during the heydey of -the establishment. Can you recall his name?"</p> -<p>"I know whom you mean," answered Pendleton, "but the name has -slipped me."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk paused in the fingering of the cards.</p> -<p>"It was Tobin," said he. "It came to me that it was, but I -wanted to be sure." He pushed the drawer into place, looked at -his friend inquiringly, and added: "Suppose we go around to the -'Rangnow' and see him?"</p> -<a name="2HCH0020"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XX</h2> -<h3>ONE OF THE OLD SORT</h3> -<p>Pendleton looked at his friend in bewilderment.</p> -<p>"You don't mean to say that the philosopher of the Coffin Club -and this Tobin of young Morris's are the same," cried he.</p> -<p>"I only <i>think</i> they are," said Ashton-Kirk quietly. "But -we can make sure by paying a short visit to the apartment -house."</p> -<p>"Now?"</p> -<p>"There is no time like the present."</p> -<p>And so the end of a half hour found them stepping out of a cab -at the extreme west end of the city. It was only a little after -nine o'clock, but the streets were almost deserted; the arc-lamps -clicked and hissed lonesomely; rows of darkened windows and -shadowy doorways ran away on both sides.</p> -<p>"There is the place we want," said the investigator, pointing -at an illuminated sign which hung out over the sidewalk some -little distance away.</p> -<p>When they reached the place, they found it was rather a large -building of the modern type; pushing open the swinging doors and -making their way through a brilliantly lighted passage, they -found themselves in an equally brilliant office.</p> -<p>Here they saw a dozen or more men seated in tilted chairs; all -wore their hats and for the most part smoked cigars. Behind a -polished counter on which rested a nickeled cash register and a -huge book, stood a white-haired man with a smooth Irish face and -a pair of gold eyeglasses hanging by a black cord. The air was -heavy with disputation; long-tailed words boomed sonorously; -red-faced and earnest, one of the occupants of the chairs -assailed the man behind the counter; with soft, sweeping, -eloquent gestures the latter defended himself.</p> -<p>"And what," demanded he, placing his hands upon the shining -top of the counter and shoving his head forward inquiringly, "is -all this that we do be hearing about your suffragette? Who is -she? What is she? The newspapers are filled to the top with her, -but sorra the sight of her did I ever see. If she has any -existence outside of the comic supplement, gentlemen, I'd like to -have ye show me where. Did ye ever hear a whisper of her till she -began to send herself by registered mail and chain herself to -lamp posts? Niver the one of ye! Is your wife a suffragette? -She's not. Is your mother? No. Your sister? Again it's no. Then -who is it that composes the great army of female ballot seekers? -Is it the cook? The chambermaid? The woman that does the plain -sewing? I'll wager 'tis not. They have too much to do already; -it's not looking for additional burdens they are. Then where does -this advanced woman flourish and have her being?" Here one hand -went up and descended with a slap. "In the mansions of the rich," -he declaimed positively; "in the lap of luxury. Among the -feminine descendants of successful gum shoe men!"</p> -<p>Here the man with the flushed face attempted to speak; but an -eloquent sweep of both hands silenced him.</p> -<p>"They have nothing to do," stated the orator, "but to invent -ways of pleasing themselves. Monkey dinner parties, diamonds, -automobiles and boxes on the grand tier have no more attraction; -private yachts and other women's husbands have grown -<i>passé</i>. They want a new toy, and faith, nothing will -please them but the destinies of the nation. Their reasoning is -simple and direct. If a man who wheels scrap iron at a blast -furnace is competent to handle the—"</p> -<p>At this point the speaker was interrupted by Ashton-Kirk -advancing to the counter.</p> -<p>"Pardon me," said the investigator, "but can you tell me where -I can find Mr. Tobin? Is he in?"</p> -<p>A look of great dignity came upon the face of the other; and -he drew himself up stiffly.</p> -<p>"You are speaking to him, sir," replied he.</p> -<p>"I thought so," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "My old friend Dan -O'Connor has mentioned you so often that I felt sure that I -recognized the manner."</p> -<p>The dignity vanished from Mr. Tobin's face, and the stiffness -of demeanor fell from him instantly.</p> -<p>"Do you know Dan?" asked he, eagerly. "Ah, there is the lad -for you. A credit to his country and to his name. Faith, he is -the best judge of whiskey in the city, and has a heart as large -and as mellow as a barrel of it."</p> -<p>"If it would not be putting you about in any way, we'd like a -few moments in private with you."</p> -<p>At once Mr. Tobin touched a button. A young man presented -himself, and to him the conducting of the house was transferred -for the time being. Then the two friends were led into a small -sitting-room, where chairs were placed for them, and Mr. Tobin -seated himself opposite them with some expectation.</p> -<p>"Since I became manager here," explained he, "I seldom hear of -any of the old lads. Ye see, it's so far from the center of the -city," regretfully, "they seldom get along this way, so they -do."</p> -<p>"Yes, I suppose they cling to their old haunts," said -Ashton-Kirk. "Dan sticks to his school of boxing these days, -pretty closely. I often drop in for a round or two with him. He's -as clever as ever, but he's slowing up."</p> -<p>Tobin shook his white head sadly.</p> -<p>"Tut, tut, tut," said he. "And do you tell me that! Faith, -he's a young man yet—not much over sixty—and what -call have he to be takin' on the ways and manners of age? Even as -late as the last year of the Coffin Club he was as swift as the -light."</p> -<p>"He frequently spoke of that club to me," observed the other. -"A queer place, I understand."</p> -<p>Tobin nodded.</p> -<p>"Queer enough," he answered, "and the members was as queer in -some ways. Nothing would do them, but they must spend their time -underground, sitting at tables shaped like coffins, and drinking -their liquor out of mugs shaped like skulls. I was steward there -a long time, and got good pay; but I never approved of the -notion. It always seemed like divilment to me, did that."</p> -<p>"Some very well known people frequented it, did they not?"</p> -<p>"Many's the time I've seen the governor of the state himself, -sitting there with a mug in his fist. The liquors was of the -best, do you see," with a pleased light in his eyes. "I know -that, for it were meself that selected them. And a good sup of -drink is a great attraction, so it is."</p> -<p>"I don't think that can be successfully denied," admitted the -investigator. "Some very brilliant men have proved it to their -sorrow."</p> -<p>"True for ye," said Tobin. "Don't I know it? We had actors and -writers and editors—the cream of their -professions—and every one of them a devotee, so to speak, -of Bacchus. Sure, the finer the intellect, the greater the sup of -drink appeals to them, if it does at all. One of the greatest -frequenters of the club was a man whose inventions," with a -grandiloquent gesture, "revolutionized the industries of the -world. And when he was mellow with it, boys o' boys, but he could -discourse! His name was Morris," added the speaker, "and he was -the father of the young man whose name has been mixed up with -this Hume affair which is so occupying the public mind just -now."</p> -<p>"Indeed."</p> -<p>There was a pause: Tobin's mobile face looked back upon the -past; his eyes had an introspective light in them.</p> -<p>"To think," said he, "how the natures of men differ. Some are -like the gods of old, and others again are like—well, like -anything you choose to call them. And yet," with philosophic -speculation, "these two widely diversified types are sometimes -friends. To the surprise of everyone they occasionally take up -with one another. It's hard to say why, but it is so."</p> -<p>"I've noticed it myself," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>Tobin nodded.</p> -<p>"Never," said he, "did I see it so exemplified as in the case -of Richard Morris and this felly who has just been killed. Never -were two men more unlike; but sorra such an intimacy did I ever -see afore, as there was between them. Morris when he had the -drink in him was a poet. His ideas soared to the starry skies; he -flew about upon the wings of the wind; faith I believe he thought -the sun was not beyond his reach. But Hume was a divil! God save -us, that I should say the like about any human creature; but he -had the imp in him, for many's the time I see it grinning and -looking out at his two eyes."</p> -<p>"I've heard it said that he was an unpleasant sort of chap," -agreed the other.</p> -<p>"Unpleasant," said Tobin, "does not do credit to his -capabilities, though 'tis a good word enough. There was never a -man came into the Coffin Club, during the five years that I were -there, that looked as though the place fitted him, but Hume. The -others were like bad little boys who wouldn't take a dare. But -Hume was just right. To see him lift one of the stone skulls to -his lips and grin over it at you, would make your blood run cold. -And bless us and save us, gentlemen, how he would jeer and snarl -and laugh all at the one time. Many's the time I've listened to -poor Morris rave and paint his pictures of what he was going to -do in times to come; and on the other side of the coffin-table, -Hume would urge him on, leerin' and grinnin' like Satan himself, -and making all manner of game of him. Bedad, me gorge rose at it -more than once, and it was all I could do to keep from takin' him -by the scruff of the neck and throwin' him intil the street."</p> -<p>"Almost every man has some spark of good in his nature, -however faint," said Ashton-Kirk. "And Hume may have had one, -too, though no one seems to have discovered it."</p> -<p>Tobin smiled and returned:</p> -<p>"An Irishman always has a good deal of respect for the -fighting strain, no matter if it be in a man, or a beast, or a -bird. Old Nick himself must be a grand, two-handed man, and as -such we must give him credit. And 'twas the same way with this -felly Hume. He had real fighting blood, so he had; and sorra the -man ever undertook to impose on him the second time."</p> -<p>"And as a true Celt, you held this to be a credit mark," -laughed Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I did. And, indeed, he seemed to consider it so himself, -though he was not one to care a snap what others thought of him. -But often he'd boast of the stock he came from. Fighters they -were to the core, he said, fighters who never knew when they were -whipped, and who'd go on fighting while they had a leg to stand -on, an eye to see, and an arm to strike a blow."</p> -<p>Tobin here paused and stroked his smooth-shaven chin, -reflectively.</p> -<p>"He claimed descent from someone who was rated a real man in -his day," he continued. "'Twas an officer, I think, who fought -with—faith, yes," smiling in recollection, "at the side of -sorra the one less than Washington himself."</p> -<p>Pendleton, listening with dwindling interest, saw -Ashton-Kirk's hand clench, and saw a gleam shoot into his eyes. -Then he saw him bend toward Tobin, his elbows on his knees, his -clenched hands beneath his chin.</p> -<p>"Ah," said the investigator, and his voice was calmer than -Pendleton remembered ever hearing it before, "he claimed a -pedigree, did he? And from a Revolutionary officer. Such things -are always interesting. It's a pity you can't remember the -soldier's name."</p> -<p>Tobin pondered.</p> -<p>"I can't," confessed he, at length; "but there is one thing -that I remember hearing Hume tell about him; it seemed laughable -at the time, and I suppose that's why it's stuck to me. It seems -that the supposed ancestor were a great felly for dress, and -expected the like of all the men under him; and though he often -had niver a crust of bread to put into their mouths, he always -managed to have a pinch of white powder for them to dress their -hair."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk laughed suddenly, and leaned back in his chair. -The gleam died out of his eyes, and a twinkle of satisfaction -replaced it.</p> -<p>"That," said he, "sounds amusing enough to be true. Mr. Hume's -ancestor was at least consistent. But," and his tone changed, "we -must not keep you from your duties, Mr. Tobin, and so we'll get -to the matter in hand."</p> -<p>"If it is not hurrying you," agreed Tobin.</p> -<p>"A while ago," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "you mentioned young Allan -Morris; and during your conversation you have led me to think -that you were his father's friend."</p> -<p>"I were," said Tobin. "He were a decent man."</p> -<p>"Then perhaps your friendship extends to the son as well."</p> -<p>"Perhaps it does," and a note of perceptible caution crept -into Tobin's voice.</p> -<p>"I am glad to hear it," said the investigator. "He seems badly -in need of friends of the right sort just now; and I am -confident, Mr. Tobin, that you are of that sort."</p> -<p>"A man who has disappeared as completely as this one has -done," stated Tobin, "is out of the reach of even the best of -friends."</p> -<p>"Have you not heard from him since the murder?"</p> -<p>"No," replied the other with a readiness that carried -conviction.</p> -<p>"Then you will, and before long." Ashton-Kirk arose and stood -looking into the old man's face. "Perhaps it will be to-night; -but it will be by to-morrow night at latest. And when you do you -can best show your friendship for him by telling him not to be a -fool."</p> -<p>"You mean," said Tobin, shrewdly, "that I'm to advise him to -give over hiding?"</p> -<p>"Exactly."</p> -<p>"I'll do that willingly enough, if I hear of him. An innocent -man has no call to hide himself like a rat. But," inquiringly, -"after I tell him that, what will I do?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took out a card; handing it to the other, he -said:</p> -<p>"Ask him to come see me."</p> -<p>Tobin gave the card one glance, then his face lit up and his -hand went out.</p> -<p>"Let me shake your hand, sir," said he. "And I'll tell the lad -what you say with a heart and a half."</p> -<a name="2HCH0021"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXI</h2> -<h3>ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO PLAN</h3> -<p>As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton left the "Rangnow," the latter -said:</p> -<p>"You surely do not suppose that Morris will call on you?"</p> -<p>"Why not?"</p> -<p>"It does not sound reasonable."</p> -<p>"A day or two ago I would have said the same. But things are -taking on a different aspect. And with their change, Morris will -change. He had no idea of what was to come, or he would not have -done what he has done."</p> -<p>"No criminal would," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders at this, but made no direct -reply.</p> -<p>"And now if these newspapers, with all their pointed -references to Edyth Vale, do not make the man come forward," he -went on, "what is about to happen—say within the next -forty-eight hours—will be sure to do so."</p> -<p>Pendleton turned a surprised look upon him.</p> -<p>"You think, then, that something unusual is about to -happen?"</p> -<p>"I <i>know</i> there is," was the quiet reply. "To-night, old -chap, has been most prolific in results. It has indicated why the -murder was done; it has suggested the identity of the actual -murderer; it has even pointed out the spot upon which we shall -finally take him."</p> -<p>"You really mean all that?" cried Pendleton, -incredulously.</p> -<p>"I do."</p> -<p>"Then you must have learned it at some time while I was -not—" here Pendleton paused, and then proceeded in another -tone. "But you have <i>not</i> been out of my sight since dinner. -Everything you have heard, I have heard; all that you have seen, -I have seen."</p> -<p>"Just so," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>There was a pause; they walked along toward the place where -they were to get a street car. At length Pendleton spoke once -more.</p> -<p>"And from the rather bald reports of your two assistants, and -the talk of this man, Tobin, you have gathered these most vital -facts?"</p> -<p>"We can hardly call them facts as yet," said the other; "but I -have every confidence that we can do so within the time -specified."</p> -<p>A gong sounded sharply and a car crossed the street. Pendleton -placed his hand upon his friend's shoulder.</p> -<p>"Kirk," said he, "I am not going to ask another question. I'm -just going to wait, and if it turns out as you say, I'll never -question a statement of yours as long as I live. I'll swallow -them all as the Mussulman swallows the Koran."</p> -<p>They boarded the car and Ashton-Kirk settled himself in a -corner. His arms were folded across his chest, his head gradually -sank forward. To all appearances he was asleep; but Pendleton -knew that he was merely turning over some plan of action that -would, in a little time, begin to reveal itself.</p> -<p>However, he was not prepared for such quick action as -resulted; for suddenly Ashton-Kirk jumped up, glanced out at the -car window, then darted to the platform and leaped off. Pendleton -followed at once, and came up with him part way down an -intersecting street.</p> -<p>"Where to now?" he asked.</p> -<p>"City Hall," replied Ashton-Kirk, briefly.</p> -<p>It was no great distance to the municipal buildings; they shot -up in the elevator and entered the police department.</p> -<p>"I'd like to see Superintendent Weagle," said the investigator -to the officer who came forward to speak to them.</p> -<p>"He's just getting ready to go home," answered the man, "but -I'll see what I can do."</p> -<p>The superintendent of police happened to be in an obliging -humor, and they were shown into his office a few moments later. -Weagle stood in the middle of the floor, drawing on a light -over-coat; the end of a black cigar was clenched between his -teeth.</p> -<p>"How are you?" greeted he. "Anything doing in my line?"</p> -<p>"Not just yet," replied Ashton-Kirk, "but I have some -hopes."</p> -<p>The official laughed.</p> -<p>"We all have them," said he. "If we didn't we might as well -put up the shutters." He threw the cigar end away and wiped his -stubby moustache with a large handkerchief. "You've come for -something," said he. "What is it? My wife and kiddies are -expecting me, and I must get home."</p> -<p>"How long are you going to maintain the police guard at 478 -Christie Place?" inquired the investigator.</p> -<p>"I hadn't thought of it," replied the superintendent. -"However, we are in the habit of keeping such details up for some -little time. Another thing, there is a lot of valuable stuff -there which must be looked after."</p> -<p>"Beginning with to-morrow night," said Ashton-Kirk, "I want -you to withdraw your men. And further, I want your permission for -my friend Mr. Pendleton and myself to watch in their place."</p> -<p>The official opened his eyes at this.</p> -<p>"Well," said he, after a moment's silence, "I don't just -understand your reasons; and the thing is most unusual. But," and -he nodded his head approvingly, "I've always noticed that you -have reasons behind everything you do, and if this thing is -expected to throw any further light on the Hume case, why, it -shall be as you say."</p> -<p>"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk. "Unless I am much mistaken it -will close the matter finally as far as your department is -concerned, and put the whole thing up to the District -Attorney."</p> -<p>"You mean," said the superintendent with interest, "that -you've got something new on Spatola—and perhaps on Morris -and the girl!"</p> -<p>"I mean," answered Ashton-Kirk, "that I hope to place the -murderers of the numismatist Hume in your hands in a few -days—whoever they may be."</p> -<p>Weagle waved his hand.</p> -<p>"That's all we want," said he with a laugh. "Give us the right -ones and we'll make no complaint. And now, if you have nothing -more to say, I'll say good-night."</p> -<p>They parted with the superintendent in the corridor; then -Ashton-Kirk led the way into a room where some police officials -and a number of young men were lounging about.</p> -<p>"Oh, how are you?" greeted a stout sergeant, affably. "And -how's the work?"</p> -<p>While the investigator was speaking to the sergeant, one of -the alert-looking young men approached.</p> -<p>"Pardon," said he. "But is there anything you'd like to say to -the <i>Star?</i>"</p> -<p>"No," replied Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"You are working on the Hume case, are you not?" asked the -reporter with professional insistence.</p> -<p>"Oh, I have had a little interest in it as an outsider, that -is all," returned the other. "However," as he was passing through -with Pendleton, "I can give you a piece of official police news -on the case, which I just got from the superintendent. After -to-night the guard will be removed from Hume's place. Weagle -thinks the regular policeman on the beat is all that is needed -from now on."</p> -<p>As they left the building by the main door, Pendleton -said:</p> -<p>"A little while ago, I rashly promised to ask no more -questions. If you'll release me from that, I'll unburden myself -of one or two which will otherwise keep me awake to-night."</p> -<p>"Go ahead," said Ashton-Kirk with a smile.</p> -<p>"Why," asked Pendleton, "do you want the police called off at -Hume's? and why should we place ourselves on watch instead?"</p> -<p>"At the very first we made up our minds that the men who -murdered Hume were in search of something, didn't we? Up to this -time I have been unable to say whether they had succeeded or not. -Now, however, I am convinced that they failed."</p> -<p>"Ah!"</p> -<p>"To-morrow the newspapers will announce that Hume's place is -to be no longer guarded. It may be that the criminals are -desperate enough to venture another visit in order to gain -possession of the thing they covet. If they do, we shall be -awaiting them."</p> -<p>"But how do you know that they failed of their object on the -night of the murder?"</p> -<p>"You and I," said Ashton-Kirk, laughingly, "are perhaps going -to spend considerable time in Christie Place, beginning with -to-morrow evening. And while there we may find it dull enough, -old boy; a little amusement of a practical sort might not be -found out of place. So I'll not answer your question now; I'll -allow it to stand until to-morrow night; and then I'll give it to -you, compact and complete, with practical illustrations as I go -along."</p> -<a name="2HCH0022"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXII</h2> -<h3>ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED</h3> -<p>On the following day, at about noon, Ashton-Kirk's big French -car glided up to the curb before the Vale house. A man with a -thick neck and a small head nodded to the investigator; another -waved a hand from across the street.</p> -<p>"Plain-clothes men," he murmured, "and at watch upon the -house. That means that this matter can be brought to an end none -too soon for Miss Vale's comfort."</p> -<p>He was getting out of his car when a brace of eager reporters -accosted him.</p> -<p>"The <i>Standard</i> would like to have you say a few words -for publication," said one.</p> -<p>"The <i>Herald</i> will give you what space you require for a -statement at any time you see fit to make use of it," declared -the other.</p> -<p>"I'm very sorry," said Ashton-Kirk, brushing a speck of dust -from an immaculate sleeve, "but I have nothing to say that would -interest your city editors, or the public. I have no doubt but -that the police officials will be glad to acquaint you with -anything new that has transpired—if there has been anything -new."</p> -<p>The newspaper men pulled wry faces.</p> -<p>"The police hang onto the Italian musician and profess to -think he's the guilty party," said one. "If they have taken any -steps beyond this, before to-day, we have not known of it."</p> -<p>"Why have the detectives been placed to watch Miss Vale's -house?" asked the other. "And what has Osborne gone in to talk -about?"</p> -<p>"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, with interest, "Osborne is within, is -he?"</p> -<p>"Yes; and why are you going in? What has been learned -regarding Miss Vale's connection with the case that has not -already been made public?"</p> -<p>"I would hardly undertake to answer that last," laughed -Ashton-Kirk. "So much has been made public in one way and another -that I haven't been able to keep track of it all. My own visit is -merely a friendly call. Why Mr. Osborne is here I, of course, -cannot say."</p> -<p>Leaving the newspaper men disappointed and dissatisfied, the -investigator rang the bell and was admitted. In the hall, pulling -on his gloves, was Osborne.</p> -<p>"Hello!" exclaimed the latter. "So you thought you'd have a -try, too, eh?"</p> -<p>The big man's tone showed that he was none too well pleased -with his own visit; he jerked at his gloves viciously, and his -brow was creased with vexation. And seeing that the other was -disposed to do nothing more than nod, he went on:</p> -<p>"Well, you'll have to have a lot better luck than I've had, to -have any at all. Miss Vale, it seems, is a young lady who knows -very well how to say nothing. I've been here something like an -hour and have put her through a regular third degree; but I've -had my labor for my pains, as the saying is. She has told me -nothing except her opinion of the newspapers and the police."</p> -<p>"Miss Vale will see you, sir," said the man servant, -returning.</p> -<p>"And so you've given it up?" queried the investigator of -Osborne.</p> -<p>The big headquarters man shrugged his shoulders.</p> -<p>"Hardly," said he. "I've set a time on the thing. We scarcely -like to go to extremes, as you perhaps know; but unless a clean -breast of the matter is made, as far as the party knows," -modifying his language because of the listening servant, "the -same party will know what the inside of a cell is like by this -time to-morrow."</p> -<p>"You really mean to make an arrest?"</p> -<p>"If we are forced to—yes."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk followed him to the door:</p> -<p>"Extend the time limit," suggested he. "Make it the day after -to-morrow, and," elevating his brows, "I don't think that you'll -need to do anything unpleasant."</p> -<p>"Ah," said Osborne, "you're onto something!" He regarded the -other questioningly for a moment, then broke into a grin. "No use -to ask what it is, I suppose? I thought not. Well," reflectively, -and in a lowered tone, "it won't do any harm to oblige you, if -the front office is willing. The party can't make a move that we -won't know about; and the fact is, I've just advised that no -going out of any kind be ventured on. So long, and good -luck."</p> -<p>The door closed behind Osborne, and then Ashton-Kirk followed -the soft-footed servant down the hall, up the stairs and into the -presence of Edyth Vale.</p> -<p>The girl received him smilingly.</p> -<p>"I'm getting to be a regular occurrence," said he, as he sat -down.</p> -<p>"But a welcome one, nevertheless," she returned. "Indeed, if -it were not for certain other depressing circumstances, I'd find -your visits dreadfully exciting."</p> -<p>"I suppose Osborne is one of the circumstances referred to. I -just met him in the hall, and he seemed to be quite in a state of -mind. What have you been saying to him?—or rather," -smiling, "what have you <i>not</i> been saying to him?"</p> -<p>"He came on what he calls 'police business,'" smiled Miss -Vale. "I considered it quite an alarming expression, and said so; -but that made no impression on him, for he proceeded with a -string of wonderfully conceived questions that must have covered -my life from birth to the present time."</p> -<p>"The police have about the same method for each case—a -sort of bullying insistence that breaks down denial by sheer -weight."</p> -<p>"I have read of it, frequently, in complaining articles in -both magazines and newspapers. I think I have even seen it very -earnestly compared to the Inquisition." The smile was still upon -the girl's lip, but as she continued, her voice shook a little. -"However, I never thought to go through even a part of it -myself."</p> -<p>"What the police <i>say</i> may be embarrassing and -mortifying," said Ashton-Kirk gravely, "but it is nothing at all, -compared with what they might <i>do</i>."</p> -<p>Miss Vale drew in her breath in a little gasp of terror; but -she made an effort to conceal it with a laugh.</p> -<p>"I know what you mean," she said, lightly. "You think that -they might go so far as to take me into custody as an accessory -to the crime, or even as the actual criminal."</p> -<p>"Mr. Osborne told me that such was their intention, if you do -not explain clearly your connection with the case. I don't think -that the Department is at all anxious to draw you into the -matter; but some of the newspapers, as you no doubt have noted, -have grown very insistent. They say that a poor musician is -jailed instantly, while the woman of fashion, who is perhaps -equally guilty, is allowed to go free. Such ways of putting -things have a great effect upon public opinion; the politicians -who conduct the municipal departments know this, and always move -to protect themselves, no matter in what direction the movement -takes them."</p> -<p>"Then," said Miss Vale, "you really think they will do as Mr. -Osborne said?"</p> -<p>"I have no doubt of it—if the matter is not cleared up -before the time arrives for them to act."</p> -<p>The girl arose and went to a window as though to look out; the -investigator saw her hand pressed to her heart, and noted the -trembling that had seized her. Yet, when she faced him once more, -a moment or two later, she made a brave attempt to smile as -before.</p> -<p>"I think this is too bad of you," she said. "Your point of -view is almost as pessimistic as the detectives', or the -newspapers'. I had expected comfort and encouragement."</p> -<p>"And I came to give it—if you'll allow me," said -Ashton-Kirk, quietly.</p> -<p>She looked at him for a moment, then both hands went out in a -mock despairing gesture, and she laughed. But the laugh was -unmistakably forced, and a keen ear for such things would have -detected a pathetic little catch in it.</p> -<p>"Now," she said, "you are becoming mysterious. However, I -suppose I must not complain, for it is entirely in character with -your profession, isn't it?"</p> -<p>He disregarded both the observation and the tone; there was a -slight pucker between his keen eyes that spoke of impatience and -resentment.</p> -<p>"Mr. Osborne has been very plain with you, Miss Vale," said -he, "you have perhaps become accustomed to it in a measure. So I -shall not hesitate to follow in his footsteps. I am going to make -you face some very plain facts."</p> -<p>"Mercy!" She laughed. "Mercy, Mr. Ashton-Kirk. I had not -thought that you could be so deliberately cruel!"</p> -<p>"In the first place, Miss Vale," he began, paying not the -slightest attention to her laughter or the mocking light in her -eyes, "if you had continued as you began, this matter would have -been cleared up before this, the newspapers would never have -printed your name in connection with it, and you would have been -spared the mortification of a detective at your doorstep."</p> -<p>"Is there one—outside?"</p> -<p>"There are several. If you venture out you will be followed -wherever you go."</p> -<p>The girl sank into a chair in a limp, rumpled sort of way; -somehow the idea of surveillance affected her more than anything -else. Her face became ashen; her hands shook distressfully as she -clasped them tightly together.</p> -<p>"When you allowed the fears and desires of Allan Morris to -cloud your reason, you made a mistake. You admitted as much when -you came to me after the murder; but instantly, upon seeing him -again, you were as before. He was struck with fear, and he -communicated his terror to you; as before you dreaded to trust -anyone—even myself."</p> -<p>"I think you are inclined to take a great deal for granted," -said Miss Vale. But in spite of the words, her eyes were wide -with alarm.</p> -<p>"He told you of the deaf-mute, Locke," said Ashton-Kirk; "and -also other things, which seem to have induced you to visit Locke -at the Institute near Cordova on the night before last."</p> -<p>Miss Vale elevated her brows in surprise; her attitude was one -of wonderment.</p> -<p>"I don't think I understand."</p> -<p>"And you did not seem to understand yesterday when I called -upon you. You fancied that I was not sure that I had seen you, -and had come expecting you to admit the visit to Locke. And as I -went away, you also fancied that you had thrown me off the -scent." He smiled at the recollection, in spite of his evident -resentment of her position. "But the fact of the matter was that -I knew your fiancé had been the cause of your visit to the -mute. You had seen Morris, you knew where he was, and I thought -it would be a useful thing for me to be also acquainted with his -whereabouts."</p> -<p>"But," protested Miss Vale in a faint voice, but still acting -her chosen role to the best of her gifts, "if I had known and -desired to conceal his whereabouts, surely you did not expect me -to tell you of it."</p> -<p>"Not directly. But, if you remember, I dropped a hint that his -hiding-place was about to be discovered. This was true; you were -about to disclose it. I had only to wait and follow as you rushed -off to warn him."</p> -<p>She leaned back in her chair and regarded him strangely, but -he proceeded with evenness:</p> -<p>"Your work upon the road was very clever; I congratulate you -upon it. But it was scarcely sufficiently inspired to deceive an -old hand."</p> -<p>Here he waited, apparently expecting her to speak. But as she -did not take advantage of the pause, he went on:</p> -<p>"I called this morning to acquaint you with these things and -to advise you on your future course. I must admit that I rather -admire your steadfastness in following out what Allan Morris has -desired of you; however, it is a great mistake for a strong -nature to submit to the clamorings of a weaker one."</p> -<p>She sat suddenly erect; protest was in her eyes, and one hand -went up in denial. But, though her lips opened as though she were -about to speak, no words came; once more she sank back in the -chair with the air of one compelled to admit a bitter truth.</p> -<p>"I am not so sure as to how deep Morris is in this murder," -continued the investigator, "but I have some ideas on the -subject. On the other hand I am quite sure that you are promised -to aid him, and that you feel duty bound to do so to the end, -according to his not very wise instructions."</p> -<p>He arose and stood looking down at her kindly.</p> -<p>"My advice to you," he went on—"and I speak with a fair -knowledge of the facts—is that you do nothing more. Be -content with what you have attempted; allow me to act for you in -anything further which you have in mind. Or, if you cannot give -me your confidence, let me carry the thing on in my own way, as -you proposed at the first."</p> -<p>There was a pause of some length; then the girl spoke.</p> -<p>"I am just a trifle bewildered at all this," she said; "and I -really cannot say, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that I altogether follow -you."</p> -<p>He smiled, but the disapproving wrinkle still showed between -his eyes.</p> -<p>"I see that you are still determined to hold to your -attitude," he said. "I am sorry, of course, but then one is -called upon at times to do as one thinks best, and I suppose that -is what you are doing." He turned toward the door, and she arose -and touched the bell. "Good-by."</p> -<p>"Good-by," she returned.</p> -<p>He stood for a moment in the doorway regarding her with -mingled annoyance and admiration. As he caught the steps of the -approaching servant in the hall, he said:</p> -<p>"Possibly I can save you some little trouble. You need not -call at the Rangnow Apartments. Up to last night, Allan Morris -had not notified Mr. Tobin as to his new hiding-place. However, -if you feel that you <i>must</i> see him, you can call at my -place at this hour on the day after to-morrow. I am not sure, of -course, but it occurs to me that he will be there."</p> -<a name="2HCH0023"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXIII</h2> -<h3>THE SECRET OF THE PORTRAIT</h3> -<p>The morning papers had all announced the fact that the detail -of police would that day be withdrawn from the scene of the -murder in Christie Place. With them it had been a mere -matter-of-fact news item, but with the evening sheets it was -different. They had had time to digest the matter, and their view -of the order was one of surprise. Two or three allowed this -feeling to expand itself into headlines of some size; a few also -commented on the situation editorially.</p> -<p>Superintendent Weagle had been interviewed. He stated that he -could not be expected to maintain a detail at 478 indefinitely; -even with the police withdrawn from within, so he maintained, the -place would be as effectually guarded as were other buildings. -What more was required?</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk read all this with some satisfaction in the late -afternoon.</p> -<p>"They have given the thing even more publicity than I had -hoped for," he said, as he helped Pendleton in the details of a -rough-looking costume which that worthy was donning. "It must be -a bad day for news, and they have plenty of space. At any rate, -anyone who is at all interested in the fact, is now aware that -after six o'clock this evening, 478 Christie Place will be -unguarded, except for the regular patrolman. Of course," with a -glance at Pendleton and another in a mirror at himself, "if a -brace of rough-looking characters are hidden away within, there -will only be a few who know it."</p> -<p>He opened a drawer and took out two black shining objects; the -short barrels and blocky shapes told Pendleton that they were -automatic revolvers.</p> -<p>"They will throw ten slugs as thick as your little finger -while you're winking your eye as many times," said -Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>They each slipped one of the squat, formidable weapons into a -hip pocket; then they made their way out at the rear of the -house. With the collars of their sack coats turned up and their -long visored cloth caps pulled down, they hurried along among the -dull-eyed throngs that bartered and quarreled and sought their -own advantage.</p> -<p>And when, in the uncertain dusk, a wagon drew up at 478 and -two sack-coated, cloth-capped men began carrying parcels up the -stairs, is it any wonder that Berg, watching from the window of -his delicatessen store, said to his clerk:</p> -<p>"Dot furrier that rents der rooms by der third floor is -putting some more things in storage over the summer, yet."</p> -<p>And when the wagon finally drove away, neglectfully leaving -the two men behind, it is not surprising that the fancy grocer -did not notice it. And, then, when the two policemen who had been -on duty during the afternoon, came out, carelessly left the door -unlocked, looked up to make sure that they had left none of the -windows open, and then strode away with a satisfied air that -follows a duty well done, who so keenly watched as to -suspect?</p> -<p>The shadows on the second floor lengthened and grew grayer; -they thickened in the corners; pieces of furniture grew vague and -monstrous as the darkness began to cling to them and their -outlines became lost; suits of armor loomed menacingly out of the -gloom, the last rays of light striking palely upon helm or -gorget; hideous gods of wood and stone smiled evilly at the two -watchers.</p> -<p>"There was food in the bundles which we carried up, then," -commented Pendleton, as he lay back on the old claw-footed -sofa.</p> -<p>"Yes," answered his friend. "The person or persons whom we -expect will hardly come to-night, though we, of course, don't -know; if they fail to appear we shall be forced to stick close to -these rooms during the whole of to-morrow and also to-morrow -night. Perhaps it will even be longer."</p> -<p>"In that case," said Pendleton, a little disconsolately, "the -eatables will be very welcome. But I hope we won't have to stay -long enough to finish them."</p> -<p>"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, "I've let you in for too hard a -task in this, Pen?"</p> -<p>The other rose up instantly.</p> -<p>"You couldn't give me too much to do in this matter," declared -he, earnestly. "I would do it alone if you were not here, and I -had brains enough, Kirk. The thing must <i>end</i>. If it goes on -much longer and I keep seeing those infernal insinuations in the -papers, I'll go completely off my chump."</p> -<p>There was a little silence; then Ashton-Kirk said:</p> -<p>"I never knew that you were—ah—this way, old chap, -until the other day. How long has it been going on?"</p> -<p>"Why, for years, I think," answered Pendleton. "Being very -distantly related, Edyth and I saw quite a deal of each other -when she was a slip of a girl. And she was a stunner, Kirk, even -then. Kid-like, I fancied I'd get it all over with when the -proper time came; but somehow I never got around to it. She -turned out to be a dickens of a strong character, you see; and -she expected so much of life that I got the notion that perhaps I -wasn't just the right sort of fellow to realize her ideals.</p> -<p>"You know, old boy, there are times when a man thinks quite a -bit of himself. This is more especially so before he's -twenty-five. But then again there are times when he sees his bad -points only, and then of all the unutterable dolts in the -universe, he gets the notion that he is the worst. When we were -at college and I held down that third base position and hit 320 -in the first season, I was chesty enough. I suppose you remember -it. And when I came into my money and began to make collections -of motor cars, yachts and such things, I thought I had taken life -by the ears and was making it say 'uncle.'</p> -<p>"Well, we're only grown-up boys, after all. I recall that I -thought I'd dazzle Edyth with my magnificence, just as Tom Sawyer -did the little girl with the two long braids of yellow -hair—do you remember? And it was after I discovered that -she was not to be dazzled that I sort of gave up. I wasn't -anybody—I never would be anybody; and Edyth would be the -sort of woman who would expect her husband to take the front at a -jump. And no sensible person could imagine me at the front of -anything, unless it was a procession on its way to the -bow-wows."</p> -<p>"I think," said Ashton-Kirk, "that you began to prostrate -yourself before your idol; and when a man takes to that, he -always gets to thinking meanly of himself. The attitude has much -to do with the state of mind, I imagine. Miss Vale is a -courageous, capable girl; but you can never tell what sort of a -man a woman will select for a husband. Girls have fancies upon -the subject, and give voice to them sometimes; but it is the man -they choose and not the one they picture to whom you must give -your attention."</p> -<p>"I suppose that is true enough," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Miss Vale's evident strength awed you," went on the other. -"And then your timidity began to magnify her qualities. No woman -is what she seems to be to the man who loves her. Miss Vale is -not so difficult to please as you thought. I fancy that her -engagement to young Morris proves that."</p> -<p>"There you have it," cried Pendleton. "That's it, Kirk! I've -stood aside, considering myself unworthy, and allowed a fellow to -slip by me who is as colorless as water. Allan Morris is no more -fit to be her husband than—" at loss for a simile he halted -for a moment, and then burst out: "Oh, he's impossible!"</p> -<p>"So far as we have tested him, certainly," agreed Ashton-Kirk, -"he has shown no great strength of character."</p> -<p>"He's acted like a frightened child all through this affair. -He's mixed up in it, and through his weakness allowed Edyth to -also entangle herself. Again and again he's run to her, or called -to her, to tell her of some fresh complication that he'd gotten -his frightened self into; and to protect him, she has dared and -done what would have frightened an ordinary woman into fits."</p> -<p>"I think," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that she has realized his -position, to some extent, at least. The fact that he is weak has, -I think, dawned upon her already; she may also see his evident -selfishness before long. If she does—why, might there not -still be some hope for you, Pen?"</p> -<p>Pendleton shook his head in the gloom.</p> -<p>"I'm afraid not," said he, hopelessly. "Somehow a weak man -makes a great appeal to the woman who has grown to care for him. -He arouses her mother instinct. And Edyth is so strong that her -pity—"</p> -<p>"May induce her to do her utmost to see him through this -trouble," interrupted Ashton-Kirk. "But it may not carry her much -further. When once the thing is over, a reaction may set in. Who -knows?"</p> -<p>But Pendleton refused to be comforted. For a long time they -talked of Edyth Vale, Morris, and the killing of Hume. Finally -Pendleton said:</p> -<p>"I suppose we can't smoke here to-night, can we?"</p> -<p>"No; the lights might be seen; and we can't tell what sharp -eyes are watching the place."</p> -<p>Pendleton sighed drearily.</p> -<p>There were many clocks in the rooms; the policemen must have -amused themselves by winding and setting them; for at the end of -each hour they began to strike, singly and in pairs. The brisk -strokes of the nervous little modern clock mingled with the -solemn sonorous beat of an old New England timepiece whose wooden -works creaked and labored complainingly. Elaborate Swiss chimes -pealed from others; through the darkness, a persistent cuckoo -could be heard throwing open a small shutter and stridently -announcing his version of the time.</p> -<p>It was some time after midnight that Pendleton began to yawn. -Then Ashton-Kirk said:</p> -<p>"Open some of those blankets, Pen, and lie down. There is no -need of two of us watching to-night; I scarcely expect anything -to happen."</p> -<p>Pendleton did not expect anything, either, but he said:</p> -<p>"All right, I will, if you'll wake me in a few hours and let -me take a turn at it."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk agreed. Pendleton stretched himself upon the sofa, -and soon his deep breathing told that he was asleep. As the night -drew on, the solitary watcher grew chilled in the unheated rooms -and huddled himself into another blanket; but he sat near the -door leading to the hall, which was slightly ajar; and though his -eyes closed sometimes in weariness, he never lost a sound in the -street or a tick of one of the clocks. Through the entire night -he watched and waited almost without moving; it was not until the -dawn of a gray, dirty day began to somewhat lighten the room that -he aroused Pendleton. The latter expostulated sleepily when he -noted the time; but with scarcely a word the investigator took -his place upon the sofa and dropped off to sleep.</p> -<p>About nine o'clock he awoke and found his friend arranging -their breakfast upon a small table.</p> -<p>"I say, Kirk," said Pendleton, admiringly, "you did this thing -rather thoroughly. There's quite a tasty little snack here; and -the thermos bottles have kept the coffee steaming."</p> -<p>At the water tap in the rear the investigator bathed his hands -and face; then he sat down with his friend and did complete -justice to the breakfast. Afterwards, with their cigars going -nicely and a feeling of comfort stealing over them in spite of -the rather uncomfortable night, Pendleton said:</p> -<p>"You promised the other night to tell me what made you think -that the murderers had failed to secure the thing they sought. -The words that the promise was couched in made me think that you -had also something to show me, and as we could not light up last -night, I've waited patiently until to-day. Now you must ease my -curiosity. Come, tell me a few things."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk took his cigar from his mouth.</p> -<p>"I told you," said he, "that the reports of Burgess and -Fuller, together with the conversation we had with Tobin, had -enlightened me upon these points." As he enumerated them, he -checked them off with his fingers:</p> -<p>"<i>Why the murder was done.</i></p> -<p>"<i>The identity of the confederate of Locke.</i></p> -<p>"<i>That the man would return to the scene of the -crime.</i>"</p> -<p>"Yes," said Pendleton, "those, I think, were the points."</p> -<p>"The first two," went on the investigator, "I will allow to -stand for a while. But I promised to illustrate for you, and I -think I can do so."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk here arose and passed through the storeroom and -kitchen into the bedroom.</p> -<p>"The writing upon the step in the hall," said he, facing his -friend, "directed Locke's confederate to look for something -behind Wayne's portrait. As all the pictures of Wayne in the -place were broken or otherwise showed traces of rough handling, -it seemed that the thing desired must have been found. However, I -was not sure about that, as I have told you.</p> -<p>"If you will recall Tobin's remarks of the other night, you -will note that the only thing he could admire in the man's -character was his fighting spirit. Then it developed that Hume -made a boast of having come by this naturally enough. He claimed -descent from one of Washington's officers. Tobin could not recall -the officer's name; but he related an anecdote of him that was -unmistakable. The officer was General Wayne!"</p> -<p>"By George!" cried Pendleton.</p> -<p>"The collection of Wayne portraits was in this way explained. -It was also suggested to me that Hume might be an assumed -name—that the numismatist might have once been known as -Wayne, and that Locke had known him by that name. Of course, it's -quite likely that he was not really a descendant of Wayne. But he -probably called himself Wayne nevertheless.</p> -<p>"I see," said Pendleton, his hands waving with excitement. -"And in the stress of the moment, Locke wrote the name 'Wayne' -upon the step in candle grease, forgetting that his confederate -only knew their proposed victim as Hume." His eyes rested upon -the walls and upon the sneering, unpleasant portrait of the -murdered man. "He meant that the thing he desired was -<i>there</i>," indicating the portrait with an exultant sweep of -the arm. "And by George, it must be there still."</p> -<p>He sprang forward with the evident intention of wrenching the -picture from the wall; but Ashton-Kirk restrained him.</p> -<p>"Don't," said he. "We'll leave that for our expected -visitor."</p> -<p>"Surely," protested the excited Pendleton, "you don't propose -to leave the thing there! Think of the risk! You might lose it in -the end; for, you know, one never foresees what is to turn -up."</p> -<p>"A fisherman must always risk losing his lure," answered the -investigator composedly.</p> -<p>They spent the long hours of the day in smoking and talking; -and at intervals they ate the sandwiches and other things which -had been smuggled in in the guise of packages of furs. And -finally the shadows gathered and thickened once again in Christie -Place.</p> -<a name="2HCH0024"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXIV</h2> -<h3>THE SECOND NIGHT</h3> -<p>The second night of the vigil in Hume's rooms wore on. Unlike -the preceding one, the two young men were almost entirely silent; -when they did speak, it was in tones so low as to be scarcely -above a whisper.</p> -<p>There was a taut, indefinable something in the air that kept -the desire for sleep from both; in the brooding darkness they -were alert, watchful, expectant. The tobacco-loving Pendleton -afterwards recalled with surprise that not once did he think of -the weed. But when the queer, mysterious night sounds began to -come—those creakings of loose planks, strainings of unseen -timbers and untraceable snappings in the walls, that are common -in old houses—he frequently thought of the automatic -revolver; and the chill of the polished metal always felt -comforting enough.</p> -<p>The clocks announced the ends of the hours according to their -temperaments; coming in the midst of the total silence, the din -seemed to Pendleton to be terrific; he pictured appalled -criminals on their way through the dark halls, crouching in fear -at the sounds. Eleven o'clock struck, and then twelve with its -continued uproar. It seemed a long time before one and then two -sounded. Pendleton's limbs were beginning to feel loggy and numb -because of the chill and the continued inaction. He had ventured -to stir them a little, and was wrapping the heavy blanket more -closely about himself, when he felt Ashton-Kirk's hand upon his -shoulder.</p> -<p>"Hush-h-h!" said the investigator in a whisper.</p> -<p>Instantly Pendleton was motionless; he listened intently, but -the silence of the place seemed complete.</p> -<p>"What is it?" he finally ventured to breathe.</p> -<p>The hand upon his shoulder tightened warningly; but there came -no other reply. Again Pendleton listened. The door of the -showroom stood open; Ashton-Kirk had placed it so in order that -they might catch any sound that came from the hall. All the other -doors leading into the hall from Hume's apartments were securely -locked; anyone who ventured into the suite must first pass -through the showroom where the two waited and watched.</p> -<p>After a space Pendleton's attention was rewarded; a faint, -far-off rustling came to him; somehow it gave him the impression -of hesitation, non-assurance, timidity; he was speculating upon -the queerness of this impression when there came a faint, -momentary glow from the hall—mysterious, phosphorescent, -unreal; and then it vanished. Both young men were huddled upon -the sofa, which was placed facing the open door. A huge Spanish -screen was drawn before them; but the black leather was cracked -in places; and through these they had a clear view of the -hall.</p> -<p>A moment later the glow appeared once more; but this time it -was brighter.</p> -<p>"Someone is on the stairs," reasoned Pendleton, his hand going -to his revolver. "It looks as though he were lighting matches to -show the way."</p> -<p>Between the sputters of light were spaces of darkness; these -were; filled in by the faint guarded rustling. But as the light -upon each appearance grew brighter, so did the sound become more -distinct; and at length a light resonance, unmistakably a -footstep, came from the hall.</p> -<p>Then steadily, softly the sound came on through the darkness; -nearer and nearer it drew until at length it became unmistakable. -<i>The rustling was that of a woman's skirts!</i> Then, so it -seemed, the darkness of the doorway grew denser; the soft, quick -breathing of the newcomer became audible; her hands were heard -moving over the door frame as she blindly searched for the -door.</p> -<p>Then, apparently, she learned that the door was open; a deeper -breath showed the relief she felt at this; now she carefully -entered the room.</p> -<p>Even before Pendleton's brain realized who it must be, he -began to feel a tightening at his heart; and now as he pictured -her advancing with outstretched, groping hands into the darkened -room—a room horrible with crime and secret dread—it -was all that he could do to hold himself in check. He had almost -an overmastering desire to spring up, to cry out to her, to tell -her not to fear.</p> -<p>He was still struggling with this feeling when he became aware -that she had paused; and, also, that Ashton-Kirk was once more -gripping his shoulder with a warning hand. Becoming instantly -alert, his senses perceived a stoppage of everything; the clocks -seemed to tick more faintly, he could no longer hear the woman -breathe. There was an instant that roared with silence; then came -the soft, steady padding of feet descending the stair.</p> -<p>Then he heard the girl release her breath in a great, -trembling exhalation; the rustle of skirts came quick and sharp -in the darkness; he heard the door through which she had entered -the room squeak upon its hinges and then close with a click that -proclaimed it fast.</p> -<p>After this there was a long pause. Pendleton could hear the -faint breathing of the girl, and thought it rather odd that she -did not catch the sound of his own. He pictured her leaning -against the locked door, her heart throbbing with fear as she -listened to the descending footsteps; stronger and stronger grew -his desire to leap up and assure her that friends were at hand. -But at the same time the warning grip of his companion, who -seemed to feel what was in his mind, also grew stronger and -stronger.</p> -<p>With the closing of the door, the sounds from the stairs had -ceased to reach them. There was a long pause; Pendleton, during -this, grew sensible of a long, wavering mental antenna which he -projected into the shadows; and its delicate sensitiveness told -him of the silent approach of a fearful thing. A long, long time, -it seemed to him, but in reality it was remarkably brief.</p> -<p>Then the steps were heard, shuffling and secret, in the hall -and very near at hand. A soft, uncertain touch fell upon the -smooth glass of the door; down its length the inquiring fingers -traveled; then the handle was tried, held a moment and quietly -released.</p> -<p>The steps then receded lightly down the hall.</p> -<p>For some moments all was quiet, then there came the scratch of -a match from the hall, and its accompanying flare, seen through -the glass of the door. A little space more, and a rending sound -came to their ears, followed by the falling of some metallic -objects upon the floor. Pendleton required no explanation of -these sounds; it was plain that the second intruder had come -prepared and had forced one of the doors.</p> -<p>All the communicating doors of the suite had been left open; -through them came the pushing about of furniture and the drawing -down of blinds; then another match flared, followed by a stronger -and steadier light, which showed that the second visitor had -lighted the gas. The light filtered palely through the various -rooms into the one in which the two men and the woman were -hidden; by means of this the former could make the latter out in -a dim, uncertain sort of way. She seemed unusually tall as she -moved noiselessly across the floor and peered cautiously through -the communicating doorways.</p> -<a name="image-0005"><!--IMG--></a> -<center><img src="images/a-k04.jpg" width="276" height="450" alt= -"What She Saw Must Have Startled Her"></center> -<!--IMAGE END--> -<p>What she saw must have startled her, for she drew quickly -back, her hand pressed to her heart. Then softly she retraced her -steps; they heard the door-catch slip quietly back and were -conscious that the door was swung open; the woman then crept inch -by inch, so it seemed, down the hall.</p> -<p>It was the bedroom door that had been forced; the two watchers -noted the bar of light that slanted from it across the passage. -Nearer and nearer the woman approached to it. Pendleton had at -first thought that she was making for the stairs; but this died -away as she passed them, unheeding. The automatic revolver was in -his hand instantly; leaning toward his friend, he breathed in his -ear.</p> -<p>"She's going in there."</p> -<p>The blanket slipped from him as he arose to his feet; his legs -were still cramped and stiffened; he felt clumsy and unsure. -Ashton-Kirk evidently agreed that the time had come for action, -for he whispered in reply:</p> -<p>"Through the rooms! I will take the hall!"</p> -<p>Pendleton stepped from behind the screen like a shadow. -Through the door leading to the storeroom he had an uninterrupted -view of a part of the bedroom; and across the floor he saw thrown -the shadow of a man. Noiselessly he tip-toed into the kitchen, -the revolver held ready; just outside the bedroom he paused, and -drawing to one side, waited. Then he noted the shadow move -slightly, and heard a deep rumbling voice say in French:</p> -<p>"You were a devil! Even now as I look at you, you laugh and -jibe!" The shadow upon the floor here swung its arms -threateningly. "But laugh away. I have won, and it is my turn to -laugh!"</p> -<p>Here the shadow slid along and up the wall; peering around the -edge of the door, Pendleton saw a man with massive, stooped -shoulders and a great square head, covered with thick, iron-gray -hair; and instantly he recognized him as the man whom they had -seen that night in the doorway of Locke's workshop. The stranger -was standing just under the portrait of Hume; he gazed up at it, -and his big shoulders shook with laughter.</p> -<p>"What a mistake to make," he said, still in French. "How was I -to know that the old devil once called himself Wayne!"</p> -<p>He reached up and took the picture from its hook; with thick, -powerful fingers he tore the backing away, and a flat, compact -bundle of papers was disclosed. The picture was thrown upon the -bed, and the man stood staring at the papers, a wide smile upon -his face.</p> -<p>"So this is the secret, eh? Well, Locke will pay well for it, -and it will be worth all the risks I've taken."</p> -<p>He was fumbling with a coat pocket as though to stow them -away, when there came a swift, light rush, the packet was torn -from his hands, and Edyth Vale was darting toward the hall door -and the stairway beyond.</p> -<p>But despite his bulk, the man with the stooped shoulders -proved himself singularly swift. In two leaps he had overtaken -her; dragging her back to the center of the room, he snatched the -packet from her in turn. Regarding her with calm, pitiless eyes, -he said in English:</p> -<p>"I am sorry, mees, that you have come, eh? Eet makes eet mooch -harder for me. And I am of the kind that would rather be off -quietly, is it not? and say no words to no one."</p> -<p>Edyth Vale, pale of face, but with steady eye, returned his -look.</p> -<p>"What are you going to do?" she asked.</p> -<p>"I am sorry to do anything," spoke the stranger. "I do not -know you, and you will onderstan', will you not, that I can't -leave you behind—to talk?"</p> -<p>As he spoke a flashing something appeared from the girl's -pocket; he lifted one huge paw to beat her down; but a clenched -hand, protected by a corded buckskin glove, thudded against his -jaw; his knees weakened, and he sprawled upon the floor.</p> -<p>"Jimmie!" gasped Edyth Vale. "Jimmie Pendleton!"</p> -<p>"Oh, Edyth—Edyth!" was all the man could say. He slipped -his arm around her, for she was tottering; and as he helped her -to a chair, Ashton-Kirk quietly entered at the hall door.</p> -<p>"Miss Vale," said he, "good-evening."</p> -<p>Without waiting to note if she even gave him a look, he bent -over the fallen man and snapped a pair of handcuffs upon his -wrists.</p> -<p>"A very pretty blow, Pen," said he, admiringly. "Beautifully -timed, and your judgment of distance was excellent."</p> -<p>He slipped the fallen papers into his pocket and continued: -"Keep an eye on him, for a moment."</p> -<p>Then he stepped swiftly through the hall; a moment later they -heard him throw up one of the windows overlooking the street, and -a whistle shrilled through the night.</p> -<p>"Paulson is on duty," said the investigator, returning. "He'll -be here in a jiffy."</p> -<p>Sure enough, they soon heard heavy steps upon the stairs; and -then Paulson and a fellow patrolman appeared in the doorway. -Astonished, the policeman gazed at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded to -them smilingly, then they turned their gaze upon Pendleton, who -was speaking soothing words to the white-faced girl, who, now -that the danger was over, clung to him tremblingly. But when -their eyes centered upon the manacled stranger who was then -dazedly struggling to a sitting position, Paulson asked:</p> -<p>"Who is this?"</p> -<p>"This," answered Ashton-Kirk, "is M. Sagon, a fellow lodger of -Antonio Spatola, formerly a very close friend of the late Mr. -Hume, and once a resident of Bayonne, in France."</p> -<a name="2HCH0025"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXV</h2> -<h3>APPROACHING THE FINISH</h3> -<p>Pendleton spent the night at Ashton-Kirk's; and after -breakfast he wandered into the library, a newspaper in his hand -and an inquiring look on his face.</p> -<p>The investigator was seated in his usual big chair, buried to -the knees in newspapers, and making vigorous inroads upon the -Greek tobacco. Fuller was just leaving the room as Pendleton -entered, and nodding toward the disappearing form, Ashton-Kirk -said:</p> -<p>"There is some rather interesting news. I have had Locke, as -you perhaps know, under observation for some time. Last night he -took the train at Cordova, and Burgess followed him. When he -reached the city, he went directly to Christie Place and was seen -lurking about in the shadows."</p> -<p>"Humph," said Pendleton, "what time was this?"</p> -<p>"Perhaps about eleven o'clock. Burgess, so Fuller tells me, -never lost sight of him. He acted in a queerly hesitating sort of -way; finally, however, he seemed to form a resolution and went to -the door of the Marx house. He was about to pull the bell, then -paused and tried the door instead. It was evidently not locked. -He seemed both surprised and pleased at this; he lost no time, -however, but went in at once."</p> -<p>Pendleton sat down.</p> -<p>"What do you suppose all this meant?" he asked.</p> -<p>"Well, we can't be too sure," replied Ashton Kirk, "but I -think it probable that he, also, saw the news of the withdrawal -of the police in the papers. Perhaps he came to Christie Place -with the intention of informing Sagon of the opportunity that -then presented itself. Or it might be that he had hopes of -somehow over-reaching his companion in crime."</p> -<p>"His lurking about would seem to point rather in that -direction," said Pendleton.</p> -<p>"And his preferring to enter the lodging house without ringing -also indicates some such idea. As I see it, he hoped to gain the -roof unobserved. He knew the house and the habits of the people -quite well. No doubt he had a plan, and a good one. He's a -thinker, is Mr. Locke."</p> -<p>"If he was noticed, he could indicate that he had called to -see M. Sagon."</p> -<p>"Exactly. But I very much doubt his gaining the roof. Perhaps, -after all, he was detected; for a few minutes later Burgess saw -him leave the house."</p> -<p>"Humph!" said Pendleton. Then after some few moments spent in -the examination of his paper he threw it down. "It's full of all -sorts of allusions to monoplanes and such like," grumbled he. "As -I had to take Edyth home last night, and you went bravely away -with the police and Sagon, I find myself, as usual, trailing some -distance in the rear."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk regarded the litter of newspapers ruefully:</p> -<p>"I gave them the heads of the case very plainly," said he, -"but as it was almost the hour for going to press, I suppose they -did not get the finer points of my meaning. Some of them have -made a sad mess of it. However, the evening papers will have a -coherent account, I suppose."</p> -<p>"If you think I am going to wait until the evening papers are -issued to get to the bottom of this thing, you're much mistaken," -declared Pendleton. "I demand a full and detailed explanation -immediately."</p> -<p>Here a tap came upon the door; Stumph entered and handed -Ashton-Kirk a card.</p> -<p>"Let him come up," said the latter; and, as the man went out, -he continued to Pendleton. "We will both probably be much -enlightened now. It is Allan Morris."</p> -<p>"Just as you said," spoke Pendleton. "It's really almost like -second sight."</p> -<p>The investigator laughed.</p> -<p>"A small feat of reasoning, nothing more," said he. "However, -an enthusiast might find some of the elements of second sight in -our conversation in this room about a week ago."</p> -<p>Pendleton looked at him questioningly.</p> -<p>"It was on the morning that you called to announce the coming -of Miss Vale. We were speaking of how it sometimes happened that -very innocent things led to most weighty results; and I remarked, -if you will remember, that your visit might lead to my connection -with a murder that would dwarf some of those which we had spoken -of."</p> -<p>"So you did," agreed Pendleton. "That <i>is</i> rather -remarkable, Kirk."</p> -<p>"And further," smiled the investigator, "I recall that I -expressed great admiration for Marryat's conception of a homicide -in the matter of Smallbones and the hag. The weapon used by -Smallbones, it turns out, was identical in character to the one -used by Sagon."</p> -<p>"A bayonet," cried Pendleton. "By George! So it was."</p> -<p>Just then Stumph announced Allan Morris.</p> -<p>The latter was pale and haggard; his clothes were neglected, -and there were some days' beard upon his chin. He seemed -astonished at sight of Pendleton; however, he only nodded. Then -he said inquiringly to the investigator:</p> -<p>"You are Mr. Ashton-Kirk?"</p> -<p>"I am. Will you sit down, Mr. Morris?"</p> -<p>Morris sat down dejectedly.</p> -<p>"Tobin advised me to come see you," he said. "I refused at -first; but in view of what the newspapers contain this morning, I -reconsidered it."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded.</p> -<p>"If you had, come to me in the first place," said he, "you'd -probably not have fallen into this mess, and you'd have saved -yourself a great deal of suffering." He regarded the young man -for a moment, and then went on. "Miss Vale, I suppose, has told -you of her dealings with me."</p> -<p>"She has," said Morris. "She's been very candid with me in -everything. If I had been the same with her," bitterly, "I should -have acted more like a natural human being. You see, we were to -be married; she was very rich, while I had comparatively nothing. -But this in itself would not have been sufficient to have -prevented our wedding for so long. The fact was that I had gotten -myself into trouble through speculation; I had a fear that my -position might even be considered criminal from some points of -view. And I allowed myself to get nervous over it.</p> -<p>"However, there was a way by which it was possible for me to -extricate myself. To explain this I'll have to go back some -years."</p> -<p>"Take your own time," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"Well, my father had worked for years perfecting the plans of -a heavier-than-air flying machine," Morris resumed. "At the time -of his death he told me that it was all complete but the -constructing, and that I had millions within my reach. But Hume -had the plans—my father had borrowed money of him—a -considerable sum—and had given him the plans as -security.</p> -<p>"Hume had always derided the idea of the monoplane. Tobin, who -knew them both, tells me that he was forever mocking my father -upon the subject. And when the time came when the plans could be -redeemed, Hume denied having them. There was no receipt, nothing -to show that the transaction had ever occurred. The man declared -that the whole thing was a drunken dream. He had never seen any -plans; he had never paid out any money; he knew nothing about the -matter. Time and again the man reiterated this; and each time, so -I've heard, he would go off into gales of laughter. I have no -doubt but that the entire performance on his part was to afford -himself these opportunities; he seemed to love such things."</p> -<p>"Was it not possible for your father to duplicate the -plans?"</p> -<p>"At an earlier time it would have meant but a few weeks' -application at most. But at this period the thing was impossible. -The last long debauch seemed to have sapped his intellect; it -also was the direct cause of his death."</p> -<p>"I see," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I took the matter up with Hume at once," went on the young -man. "But I had no more success than my father. In the man's -eyes, I had but replaced my father; I was another patient subject -for his mockery, derision and abuse.</p> -<p>"There were some scattered drawings of the monoplane in -father's office; I began a study of these, thinking to chance -upon the principal idea. But I was unsuccessful.</p> -<p>"All this, you understand, was before I had met Miss Vale, and -before I was tangled up in the trouble I have just mentioned.</p> -<p>"The fear began to grow on me that Hume meant to use the plans -to his own advantage; I knew that he had long been familiar with -Locke, who was reputed to be a mechanical genius, and between -them, I fancied they'd take action. I began a watch upon the -reports of the Patent Office, thinking that that would finally -give me something tangible to use against them. However, I never -gave up my visits to Hume, or my efforts to make him admit -possession of my father's property.</p> -<p>"It was during one of these visits that I first met Spatola; -and I was much struck by the performance of his cockatoos. My -father had always held to the idea that the problem of flight -would be finally solved by a study of the birds; this gave me an -idea, and I took to visiting Spatola in his lodgings in Christie -Place. He'd have the cockatoos fly slowly round and round the big -attic, and I'd watch them and make notes.</p> -<p>"It was about this time that I met Miss Vale and asked her to -be my wife; a very little later, in an effort to raise money, I -got into the financial trouble which I have referred to. After a -little the question of a time for our marriage came up; I was -filled with fear and put it off; this occurred several times, and -I was at my wits' end. I could not marry with that thing hanging -over me. Suppose it should turn out as I feared; imagine the -shock to a high spirited girl to discover that she had married a -defaulter.</p> -<p>"It was then that I turned to the matter of the plans as my -only hope; with a perfected idea I could readily secure a large -sum of money in advance. So I redoubled my efforts to have a -settlement with Hume; but he only derided me as usual. Continued -visits to Spatola to study the flight of the birds, showed me -that the Italian was a fine fellow, well educated and with much -feeling and appreciation. We became fast friends and so, little -by little, I told him my story."</p> -<p>"About the invention?" asked Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"Yes."</p> -<p>The investigator turned to Pendleton.</p> -<p>"I think," said he, "that I now understand why Spatola grew so -uncommunicative and suspicious toward the end of our interview at -City Hall. We both thought it was because I spoke of shorthand. -But it was perhaps because I mentioned an <i>invention</i> in the -way of writing music. He feared that I was trying to incriminate -Mr. Morris in some way."</p> -<p>Pendleton nodded.</p> -<p>"That," said he, "I think explains it."</p> -<p>"As you no doubt know," went on Morris, after the investigator -had once more given him his attention, "Spatola liked Hume none -too well. And he had reason for his hatred, poor fellow. Well, he -became interested in what I told him; and when he learned that I -believed my father's papers were in all probability somewhere in -Hume's apartments, he suggested that I come to live in Christie -Place under an assumed name. He thought that in time an -opportunity would present itself to cross the roofs some night, -enter Hume's place by the scuttle and so possess myself of the -plans.</p> -<p>"On the day preceding the murder, I had made up my mind to -have one more try with Hume; and if that failed I intended to -follow Spatola's advice, break in and take the plans by force. I -was so full of this resolution that I could not contain myself; I -hinted at it to Miss Vale; and the result of that hint, you -know."</p> -<p>He leaned his face forward in his hands and seemed to give way -to a bitter train of thought. He was evidently despondent.</p> -<p>"It was also some such hint upon your part that induced her to -visit Locke at Dr. Mercer's place, wasn't it?"</p> -<p>Morris raised his head and nodded.</p> -<p>"Yes," he said. "After the murder I suspected Locke at once of -having something to do with it. I told Miss Vale; she went there -without my knowledge—seeing that I had not the courage to -go myself," he added bitterly—"and demanded the plans."</p> -<p>"And she learned that they were still at Hume's—behind -the portrait?"</p> -<p>"Yes. Locke told her—he was overcome with horror at the -murder. He had merely desired to secure the plans,—having -somehow learned their hiding place. He had no intention of -killing Hume."</p> -<p>"But why did Sagon do it?—he must have had it in mind -when he bought the bayonet at Bernstine's," said Pendleton, -looking at Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"He had. Do you recall how Burgess' report spoke of a league -of smugglers in Europe of which Hume was a leading spirit, and -also of how they had been captured and nearly all but Hume were -tried and convicted?"</p> -<p>"Yes."</p> -<p>"Sagon was one of those convicted. The diamonds which Hume -tried to smuggle into this country were to have been turned into -money at the time of the gang's arrest and the proceeds spent in -their defense. But instead of doing this, Hume left his comrades -to their fate and absconded. When Sagon gained his freedom he -began a search for Hume, meaning to have revenge. This search -finally led him to Locke as a person who had known Hume, and who -would be likely to be able to tell where he could be found."</p> -<p>"Sagon has told you this?" queried Pendleton.</p> -<p>"Yes; he talked freely, after he saw that his case was -hopeless; and he, too, insisted that Locke did not intend to -commit murder. Locke, even at the time of his meeting Sagon, was -looking for someone to aid him in gaining possession of the -Morris plans. The work-shop which we saw beside Locke's house -contained a monoplane in course of construction; but there was -something lacking which he felt Morris's plans could supply; and -so he was anxious to get hold of it by hook or crook.</p> -<p>"Sagon, whose purpose from the first was murder, was not at -all averse to combining it with something else. He took the room -at Mrs. Marx's place, after he had perceived that an entrance -could probably be made at Hume's by way of the scuttle. The well -dressed 'business guys' that the machinist on the first floor -spoke about to us, were no doubt Locke, who frequently called -upon Sagon, and Mr. Morris here, whom the man did not suspect of -being a lodger.</p> -<p>"To prove a theory that I had formed, and which I have -mentioned in a vague sort of way," went on Ashton-Kirk, "I asked -Sagon why he had used a bayonet. And it turned out as I had -thought. Sagon and Hume had first met at Bayonne; the greater -part of their operations had been carried on there; the band had -been finally rounded up and convicted there. The bayonet, so -legend has it, was first made in Bayonne, and Sagon conceived -that it would be a sort of poetic justice if the traitor were to -die by a weapon so closely connected with the scene of his -treachery."</p> -<p>There was a pause after this, and then young Morris got up -slowly and painfully.</p> -<p>"I don't want it to be thought," said he "that I was directly -responsible for Miss Vale's adventure of last night—or for -any of the others, for the matter of that. If I had known at the -time that she proposed visiting Locke's, or Hume's, either upon -the night of the murder, or last night, I would have prevented -it."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded kindly; the young man's position evidently -appealed to him. But Pendleton sat rather stiffly in his chair -and his expression never changed.</p> -<p>"I will now come into possession of whatever value there is in -my father's invention," went on Morris, "and added to that, it -turns out that the—the other thing, of which I stood so -much in fear, has turned out favorably. But," in a disheartened -sort of way, "I don't care much, now that my engagement with Miss -Vale is broken."</p> -<p>"Broken!" exclaimed Pendleton.</p> -<p>"I saw her this morning," said Morris. "During the past week," -he continued, "it gradually came to me that I was not the sort of -man to make her a fitting husband. I hid like a squirrel while -she faced the dangers that should have been mine. I knew that she -realized the situation as well as I, and I did what I could by -making it easy for her."</p> -<p>He paused at the door.</p> -<p>"If there is anything that I can do, or say in the final -settlement of this case," he added, to Ashton-Kirk, "I will -gladly place myself at your services, sir. Good-bye."</p> -<a name="2HCH0026"><!-- H2 anchor --></a> -<h2>CHAPTER XXVI</h2> -<h3>THE FINISH</h3> -<p>"For the first time," said Pendleton, as the door closed upon -Allan Morris, "I can feel sorry for him. To lose a girl like -Edyth Vale is indeed a calamity. Think of the courage she's -shown—of what she was willing to do. Why, Kirk, she's one -in ten thousand."</p> -<p>But Ashton-Kirk only nodded; he had arisen upon the departure -of Morris, and was now drawing on a pair of gloves. The splendid -qualities of Miss Vale apparently had little appeal for him at -that moment.</p> -<p>"Are you ready?" he asked, in a business-like way.</p> -<p>"Ready?" repeated Pendleton, surprised.</p> -<p>"To be sure. We can scarcely call this case complete until -something has been done in the matter of Locke."</p> -<p>"That's so. But, somehow, I had the notion that your men had -already attended to him."</p> -<p>"I always prefer to finish my work in my own way," said the -investigator. "Osborne, as soon as he heard of Locke, through -Sagon, wanted to take up the trail. But I convinced him that he'd -better leave it to me."</p> -<p>Pendleton clapped on his hat.</p> -<p>"I'm with you," said he, "but where do you expect to find -him?"</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk rang for Stumph and ordered the car; then he -replied:</p> -<p>"We'll more than likely find him at home. Burgess followed him -back to Cordova, last night."</p> -<p>They went down and climbed into the car, and were soon on the -road.</p> -<p>A little distance from the Mercer Institute they came upon a -compact looking man seated upon the top rail of a fence, chewing -at a straw. He wore heavy, much-splashed boots and a sun-scorched -suit of clothes.</p> -<p>"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, "I see Burgess is still on the -job."</p> -<p>"Burgess," echoed Pendleton. He looked at the man upon the -fence in surprise; except for the very broad shoulders there was -no resemblance.</p> -<p>However, Burgess grinned amiably through a rather neglected -growth of beard.</p> -<p>"I expected you along about this time," said he, to the -investigator.</p> -<p>"Is everything all right?" asked Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"He's still there," answered Burgess, and he nodded toward a -house with a peaked and slated roof which stood some little -distance up an intersecting road. It was the same house through -the window of which Pendleton had seen Edyth Vale some nights -previously, but, somehow, it seemed strange and unfamiliar in -daylight.</p> -<p>"I can see three sides of it from here," went on Burgess. "And -if he dropped out of one of the windows on the fourth side I -could sight him before he'd gone fifty yards. You may be sure -he's there, all right."</p> -<p>"You've heard of what took place last night, I suppose?"</p> -<p>Burgess tapped a folded newspaper at his breast pocket.</p> -<p>"So has Locke," said he. "Apparently his orders are to furnish -him with the papers as soon as they arrive. A man from the -Institute building brought one to him more than an hour ago."</p> -<p>Just then Ashton-Kirk noted far up the road upon which Locke's -house stood, a very small buggy, drawn by an equally small horse. -In the buggy sat a man whose huge bulk seemed to bulge out beyond -its sides. Arriving before Locke's house, the small horse -stopped, as though from habit. Then with a mighty effort, the fat -man rolled out and waddled to the gate. He pressed and re-pressed -the button; but no one answered.</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked at his assistant.</p> -<p>"Are you quite sure that our man is there," asked he.</p> -<p>Burgess chewed his straw calmly.</p> -<p>"I'm positive of it," said he.</p> -<p>The fat man now entered at the gate and going to the front -door, tried it. But it was evidently fast, and he turned away. -Hesitating for a moment, he laboriously approached the work shop, -the roof of which could be seen through the trees. Apparently the -result was the same here, for in a very few minutes he was seen -to waddle back to his buggy and climb in with much effort. Then -the small horse ambled forward while the fat man leaned back in -great distress.</p> -<p>"You recognize him, do you not?" smiled Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"I do, now," returned Pendleton. "It's our friend Dr. -Mercer."</p> -<p>When the buggy arrived at the spot where the motor-car stood, -the doctor regarded its occupants with some surprise.</p> -<p>"Good-morning," greeted Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>Painfully, gaspingly the other answered this in kind. The -round white face wore an expression of martyrdom.</p> -<p>"I am pleased to see you once more," said he.</p> -<p>"You like driving in the morning, then?" said the -investigator.</p> -<p>The principal's flesh quivered with repulsion.</p> -<p>"It is an exercise ordered by my physician," he answered. "I -protested against it strongly, but he was obdurate. And I am -compelled to do it before I have had my breakfast," hollowly. "It -is scarcely short of barbarous."</p> -<p>Here the small horse stretched its neck and shook itself until -the harness rattled. Pendleton looking from master to beast -thought they might exchange places much to the master's ultimate -well-being.</p> -<p>There was a short pause; then Dr. Mercer bent his head toward -them.</p> -<p>"When you visited the institute a few nights ago," said he, -"you also, at my request, visited Professor Locke."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk nodded.</p> -<p>"For some time," proceeded the other, "I have fancied that -there was something wrong with him. Not of a physical nature, as -is, unfortunately the case with myself, but more in a mental way. -But since that night I have been <i>sure</i> that some sort of a -derangement had fixed itself upon him, or is in progress. He can -scarcely be called the same person. More than once I have been -afraid," and here the speaker lowered his voice to a husky -whisper, "that he is unbalanced."</p> -<p>"That is very grave," said Ashton-Kirk.</p> -<p>"It has occurred to me," went on the doctor, not without -shrewdness, "that something happened that night which unsettled -him." The eyes seemingly floating in fat, turned themselves first -to Pendleton, then to Ashton-Kirk. "I suppose, though, you know -nothing of it?"</p> -<p>"We noticed that he seemed greatly agitated," replied the -investigator. "And we are alarmed to hear that he seems -disturbed."</p> -<p>"It is our rule that no one leave the institute grounds after -nightfall," said Dr. Mercer, in a troubled voice. "Last night I -had occasion to send for him, but he was gone. This morning I -stopped to reproach him for his absence; but apparently he has -not returned."</p> -<p>"You're mistaken there," put in Burgess. "Look!"</p> -<p>He indicated the house as he spoke. The small figure of Locke -was seen emerging at the front door; he paused for a moment, -peering this way and that in his near-sighted fashion, then -hastily made his way toward the work-shop. Evidently he had not -seen them.</p> -<p>With great labor and much catching of breath Dr. Mercer had -turned sufficiently to see these things. He seemed greatly -astonished.</p> -<p>"He was there all the time," said he. "It is not possible that -he did not feel the vibrations of the buzzer, for he is very -sensitive to such things."</p> -<p>His indignation appeared to swell him to even greater -proportions than before.</p> -<p>"It is an affront," he stated in a choked tone. "It is a -deliberate affront. He felt the buzzer, and he knew it was I. But -he did not consider me of enough importance to trouble himself -about."</p> -<p>Panting he sought to turn the small horse, but in a moment -Ashton-Kirk was out in the road and had the animal by the -head.</p> -<p>"I beg your pardon," said the investigator, "but it would -probably be more beneficial to yourself and others, if you -continued your drive and left Professor Locke to us."</p> -<p>Amazed beyond ability to stir, the doctor sat and stared. But -finally he found his tongue.</p> -<p>"Bless my soul and body," exclaimed he with a great wheezing -exhalation. "I scarcely understand this, sir."</p> -<p>"My dear doctor," said Ashton-Kirk soothingly, "it is not at -all necessary that you do so. The fact is, to state it briefly, -there is a trifling matter for adjustment between Professor Locke -and the commonwealth."</p> -<p>"The commonwealth!" cried the doctor, and he shook like a -great mass of gelatine.</p> -<p>"Nothing less. So, you see, it will be as well for you to do -as I suggest." Then turning to Pendleton, Ashton-Kirk continued: -"I think we had better walk the remainder of the way; otherwise -we might get Locke's attention before it is advisable."</p> -<p>Pendleton jumped down, and without another word to Dr. Mercer, -they set off toward the slate-roofed house by the roadside. -However, after they had gone about fifty yards, Pendleton turned -and looked back. He saw the small horse jogging away, while -behind it, helplessly fat and hopelessly befogged, sat Dr. -Mercer, swaying dispiritedly from side to side.</p> -<p>As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton advanced upon the house, they -bore in mind the possibility of Locke being on the watch; so they -kept out of sight as much as possible.</p> -<p>"It's rather odd, I think, that he hangs on here, knowing that -his part in the murder of Hume must now be known," said -Pendleton. "I rather expected an attempt at escape."</p> -<p>"That may come later," said the investigator, grimly. "The -finish of a thing of this sort is always a matter for -speculation. I have seen desperate criminals who surrendered like -lambs; and I've seen the other sort give a platoon of police a -good day's work in their taking."</p> -<p>"Do you think it possible that Locke is one of this latter -type?"</p> -<p>"There is no knowing. But I am inclined to believe that he -is."</p> -<p>Pendleton shook his head. It seemed impossible that this -dapper little man with his peering, short-sighted eyes could be -capable of any determined effort to escape the police when once -driven into a corner. However, Pendleton had ample reason to -respect Ashton-Kirk's judgment; and so when the latter deemed it -necessary to approach with caution, he acted accordingly.</p> -<p>They paused in front of the house.</p> -<p>It was now past ten o'clock and the sun was shining brightly; -a little patch of garden, filled with early flowering plants lay -between the house and the wood; all about the work-shop were the -tall trees which they had noticed upon their previous visit.</p> -<p>"We had better not use the gate," suggested the investigator. -"There might be an attachment of some sort that will give him -warning."</p> -<p>So under cover of the trees they scaled the fence; then they -carefully made their way toward the shop. The windows and door of -this were closed, nothing was stirring. Near the door was -scattered some rubbish and loose paper. The place had an utterly -deserted look.</p> -<p>"Do you think he is there?" asked Pendleton.</p> -<p>"I will know in a few moments," replied the other. "Wait -here."</p> -<p>Pendleton expected Ashton-Kirk to continue his cautious -approach. But to his surprise the investigator with cool -assurance stepped out from behind a tree and advanced toward the -outbuilding; when he reached the door he opened it and calmly -stepped inside.</p> -<p>The building was in one great room. It had some windows at the -side, but the greater part of its illumination came from a huge -skylight. As he closed the door behind him, Ashton-Kirk had a -vague impression of something huge, made of steel rods and with -far-stretching wing-like projections at the sides. But he had no -time to give the mechanism even a glance; of greater interest was -the small figure which sat at a wide work-table upon which a -litter of drawings was scattered.</p> -<p>It was Locke; and as the slight jar of the closing door -reached him he lifted his eyes and saw the intruder. If -Ashton-Kirk expected any display of fear or other emotion, he was -disappointed; upon each of his previous meetings with Locke the -latter had shown great trepidation; but now he simply nodded -quietly and seemed not at all surprised.</p> -<p>But as Ashton-Kirk made a step toward him, he rose and raised -his hand in a gesture that was peremptory and unmistakable. The -investigator paused; then Locke pointed to a chair directly -before his bench, but some half dozen yards away; and when -Ashton-Kirk smilingly seated himself, Locke did likewise.</p> -<p>Then in heavy characters he scrawled upon the back of one of -the blue-prints.</p> -<p>"I was expecting a visitor, and fancied that it might be -you."</p> -<p>This he held up so that the investigator might read it. -Ashton-Kirk nodded. Again the back of a plan came into service -and this time the investigator read.</p> -<p>"What has occurred is most unfortunate. I had no hand in it, -though, of course, I do not expect anyone to believe me."</p> -<p>Here Ashton-Kirk drew a note book from his pocket and was -about to write, but the other stopped him with a gesture. Then -the man once more wrote; carefully, heavily, in order that the -other might have no difficulty in reading it from the -distance.</p> -<p>"Pardon me! But it is not necessary for you to go to any -trouble. Moreover—I beg of you not to think me -rude—your opinions in the matter have no interest for -me."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk acknowledged this with a grave nod. The pencil was -instantly at work again.</p> -<p>"As I have said, I expected a visitor; but I will now add that -I did not expect to be here to receive him."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk looked swiftly into Locke's face as he read this; -the expression was unmistakable, and the investigator leaped to -his feet. But the mute uttered a strange parrot-like -cry—evidently the same that Edyth heard that night in -Christie Place—and Ashton-Kirk saw his hand go swiftly to a -button at one side of the work-bench. Instantly the investigator -paused; once more a gesture bade him be seated.</p> -<p>Slowly he obeyed; and once more Locke began to trace bold -characters upon the stiff paper. This message read:</p> -<p>"You are a wise man. I had arranged everything before you came -in, and had sat down to make an end of it. This button at my hand -once started an electric apparatus; but now it is connected with -a quantity of an explosive—my own invention, and a terrible -one. Believe me, one touch and everything in this building is in -fragments."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk, when he had finished reading, nodded quietly. -Again the mute began to write.</p> -<p>"I have no ill will toward you," the words ran, "you have two -minutes to leave here, and get safely away."</p> -<p>When he saw that this had been read, Locke threw down the -paper and took out his watch. Then he pointed toward the door and -sat waiting.</p> -<p>It was strange to see the little man sitting there calmly, -with only the pressure of a finger between him and eternity. But -Ashton-Kirk knew stern resolution too well to mistake the look on -the mute's face. There was nothing to do but to obey. He waved -his hand in a farewell. Locke returned the gesture. Then -Ashton-Kirk walked to the door, opened it and stepped out.</p> -<p>Pendleton, patiently watching among the trees, saw him emerge -and at once moved toward him; to his amazement the investigator -took him by the arm and broke into a run.</p> -<p>"What the deuce is the matter now?" asked Pendleton, after -they had passed the gate and were racing down the road.</p> -<p>"You'll know in a few moments," returned Ashton-Kirk -grimly.</p> -<p>He permitted no pause until they reached the car, the engine -of which had not been stopped.</p> -<p>"Quick, for your lives!" he ordered, as he leaped in.</p> -<p>Pendleton and Burgess followed instantly. The car had scarcely -begun its plunge forward when a horrible rending shock staggered -them. And as they sped away the debris of the deaf-mute's -work-shop was falling all about them.</p> -<p>The evening papers were glaring with the news from Cordova by -the time the two friends were once more alone in Ashton-Kirk's -library. Pendleton seemed to be pondering.</p> -<p>"I say," said he, at last, "was it Morris or Spatola who -remained at Hume's the night of the murder?"</p> -<p>"I spoke to Spatola about that," answered Ashton-Kirk. "He -said it was Morris who left first and whom Hume pursued by jeers -through the open window. Morris had, according to his resolve, -called at the place to demand the plans; but Hume was mad with -liquor and was even worse in his manner than usual. Unable to -bear it, Morris had rushed out. Spatola later made his way out by -way of the scuttle and across the roof, as he frequently did.</p> -<p>"The thing which Spatola had carried under his coat that night -was a diploma which he had received from a musical conservatory -in Rome. It was in a frame and so made considerable bulk. Hume -had denied that afternoon that Spatola had ever studied in this -particular conservatory; frantic with rage, but knowing that he -was a fool for doing it, the Italian had brought his diploma as -proof.</p> -<p>"Morris, under the name of Crawford, occupied a room on the -floor below Spatola; and as soon as the musician entered through -the scuttle, he descended the stairs and went immediately to his -friend's room to console and encourage him.</p> -<p>"Some time passed, and while they were still talking they -heard a step upon the stairs leading to the attic. As no one -lived there but himself, Spatola looked and in the semi-darkness -saw two men descending. He called and asked who they were, and -Sagon's voice replied that it was he and a friend. They had gone -up to have a talk and smoke a cigar with him; but seeing that he -was not in, they had come down at once. And now, as he was -apparently engaged, they would not trouble him, and with that -they disappeared within Sagon's room."</p> -<p>"Then," said Pendleton, "they had gone up through the attic, -across the roofs, committed the deed, and returned while Spatola -was with Morris?"</p> -<p>"It would seem so."</p> -<p>"But suppose that on reaching the attic, upon their return -they had found Spatola there?"</p> -<p>"Sagon had calculated it all very nicely. One night a week -Spatola went to play with two compatriots at their rooms; with -piano, harp and violin, they gave vent to the harmony that was in -them. That was the night for the trio, and Sagon knew it. But In -his rage and his desire to prove his standing to Hume, Spatola -had forgotten it. When he descended to Morris's rooms, the two -criminals thought he had gone to make his usual visit to his -friends. Sagon says he almost lost his nerve when the Italian -confronted them on the stairs."</p> -<p>"But here's a thing I've not been able to puzzle out. -According to your notion—and you may have proved it since, -for all I know—Locke was not in the showroom during or -after the murder. And yet it should have been he who dropped the -little particle from the railroad ticket upon the desk."</p> -<p>"It would seem that way," admitted Ashton-Kirk, "but the fact -is that Sagon visited Locke at the Institute and rode to the city -with him that afternoon. The particle may be accounted for in -that way."</p> -<p>"Yes," mused the other, "that's so. But, one thing more. I -should have asked this of Morris himself if he had not been in -such a confoundedly miserable way. Why did he take to hiding -immediately after the murder?"</p> -<p>"He spent the night in his lodgings at Christie Place; next -day the papers told him that he was suspected. He knew that if he -appeared he'd be arrested; and as he desired to recover the plans -before the murderers escaped with them, he felt that this would -be fatal to his chances. Of course, I am not sure of this; but I -think it more than likely."</p> -<p>"Speaking of taking chances on the plans," said Pendleton, -"you were willing enough to take pretty long ones on them last -night. Why, Sagon actually had them in his hands."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk drew a flat packet from his pocket. Opening it he -showed that it contained nothing but blank paper.</p> -<p>"This is what Sagon found behind the portrait," said he, with -a smile. "The real papers I was very careful to remove two days -ago. One moment—that's the telephone."</p> -<p>Pendleton sat rolling a cigarette and wondering, while -Ashton-Kirk took down the receiver.</p> -<p>"Well?" said he. Then in a moment his expression changed. "Oh, -is it you? Well, how are you after your exciting experience?"</p> -<p>Here Pendleton dropped the completed cigarette and -listened.</p> -<p>"You may consider yourself very fortunate to escape with a -slight headache," said Ashton-Kirk. Then there was a pause, and -he said, apparently in answer to a question: "Oh, yes, he's with -me now. Will you speak with him?"</p> -<p>Pendleton arose and took a step toward the stand. But he -halted as if shot when his friend continued in the -transmitter:</p> -<p>"No?" Pause. "Oh, very well. Good-by."</p> -<p>Ashton-Kirk hung up the receiver and turned to his friend.</p> -<p>"So," said Pendleton, in a queer sort of voice, "she doesn't -wish to speak to me."</p> -<p>"Not over the wire—no. But she wants you to come to -her—at once. She desires to hear all about what she calls -the wonderful way we have handled this case, and she wants to -hear it—from you." Ashton-Kirk looked at his watch. "It is -now 10:45. You can get there by eleven if you rush."</p> -<p>"Do you call doing that little distance in fifteen minutes -rushing?" The young man's face was radiant and he was making for -the door as he spoke. "If I don't do it in half that time, I'm a -duffer."</p> -<p>Then the door slapped behind him, and Ashton-Kirk heard him -bounding down the stairs.</p> -<br> -<hr> -<p>Another story in this series is "ASHTON-KIRK AND THE SCARLET -SCAPULAR" (in press)</p> -<hr class="short"> - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Ashton-Kirk, Investigator, by John T. 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McIntyre - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Ashton-Kirk, Investigator - -Author: John T. McIntyre - -Release Date: May 10, 2004 [EBook #12314] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASHTON-KIRK, INVESTIGATOR *** - - - - -Produced by Janet Kegg and PG Distributed Proofreaders - - - - - - -[Illustration: "JUST AS I THOUGHT"] - - -ASHTON-KIRK -INVESTIGATOR - - -By - -John T. McIntyre - -Author of "In the Dead of Night," &c. - - -ILLUSTRATIONS BY -RALPH L. BOYER - - -PHILADELPHIA -1910 - - - To my Friend - GRANT GIBNEY - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -Ashton-Kirk, who has solved so many mysteries, is himself something of -a problem even to those who know him best. Although young, wealthy, -and of high social position, he is nevertheless an indefatigable -worker in his chosen field. He smiles when men call him a detective. -"No; only an investigator," he says. - -He has never courted notoriety; indeed, his life has been more or less -secluded. However, let a man do remarkable work in any line and, as -Emerson has observed, "the world will make a beaten path to his door." - -Those who have found their way to Ashton-Kirk's door have been of many -races and interests. Men of science have often been surprised to find -him in touch with the latest discoveries, scholars searching among -strange tongues and dialects, and others deep in tattered scrolls, -ancient tablets and forgotten books have been his frequent visitors. -But among them come many who seek his help in solving problems in -crime. - -"I'm more curious than some other fellows, that's all," is the way he -accounts for himself. "If a puzzle is put in front of me I can't rest -till I know the answer." At any rate his natural bent has always been -to make plain the mysterious; each well hidden step in the -perpetration of a crime has always been for him an exciting lure; and -to follow a thread, snarled by circumstances or by another -intelligence has been, he admits, his chief delight. - -There are many strange things to be written of this remarkable -man--but this, the case of the numismatist Hume, has been selected as -the first because it is one of the simplest, and yet clearly -illustrates Ashton-Kirk's peculiar talents. It will also throw some -light on the question, often asked, as to how his cases come to him. - -A second volume that shows the investigator deep in another mystery, -even more intricate and puzzling than this, is entitled "Ashton-Kirk -and the Scarlet Scapular." - - - - - CONTENTS - - CHAPTER - I. PENDLETON CALLS UPON ASHTON-KIRK - II. MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE - III. THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL WAYNE - IV. STILLMAN'S THEORY - V. STILLMAN ASKS QUESTIONS - VI. ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS ABOUT - VII. THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL BAYONET - VIII. THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO PLAY THEIR PART - IX. MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS - X. ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS - XI. PENDLETON IS VASTLY ENLIGHTENED - XII. ANTONIO SPATOLA APPEARS - XIII. A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN MORRIS - XIV. MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARS - XV. MISS VALE DEPARTS SUDDENLY - XVI. STEEL AGAINST STEEL - XVII. WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD - XVIII. ASHTON-KIRK TELLS WHY - XIX. THE TWO REPORTS - XX. ONE OF THE OLD SORT - XXI. ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO PLAN - XXII. ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED - XXIII. THE SECRET OF THE PORTRAIT - XXIV. THE SECOND NIGHT - XXV. APPROACHING THE FINISH - XXVI. THE FINISH - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - "JUST AS I THOUGHT" ... FRONTISPIECE - "YOU DO NOT MEAN TO GO THERE" - HE RAPPED SMARTLY ON THE WINDOW - WHAT SHE SAW MUST HAVE STARTLED HER - - - - -Ashton-Kirk, Investigator - - -CHAPTER I - -PENDLETON CALLS UPON ASHTON-KIRK - - -Young Pendleton's car crept carefully around the corner and wound in -and out among the push-cart men and dirty children. - -About midway in the block was a square-built house with tall, -small-paned windows and checkered with black-headed brick. It stood -slightly back from the street with ancient dignity; upon the shining -door-plate, deeply bitten in angular text, was the name "Ashton-Kirk." - -Here the car stopped; Pendleton got out, ascended the white marble -steps and tugged at the polished, old-fashioned bell-handle. - -A grave-faced German, in dark livery, opened the door. - -"Mr. Ashton-Kirk will see you, sir," said he. "I gave him your -telephone message as soon as he came down." - -"Thank you, Stumph," said Pendleton. And with the manner of one -perfectly acquainted with the house, he ascended a massively -balustraded staircase. The walls were darkly paneled; from the -shadowy recesses pictured faces of men and women looked down at him. - -Coming in from the littered street, with its high smells and crowding, -gesticulating people, the house impressed one by its quiet, its -spaciousness, and the evident means and culture of its owner. -Pendleton turned off at the first landing, proceeded along a passage -and finally knocked at a door. Without waiting for a reply, he walked -in. - -At the far end of a long, high-ceilinged apartment a young man was -lounging in an easy-chair. At his elbow was a jar of tobacco, a sheaf -of brown cigarette papers and a scattering of books. He lifted a keen -dark face, lit up by singularly brilliant eyes. - -"Hello, Pen," greeted he. "You've come just in time to smoke up some -of this Greek tobacco. Throw those books off that chair and make -yourself easy." - -One by one Pendleton lifted the books and glanced at the titles. - -"Your morning's reading, if this is such," commented he, "is -strikingly catholic. Plutarch, Snarleyow, the Opium Eater, Martin -Chuzzlewit." Then came a host of tattered pamphlets, bound in -shrieking paper covers, which the speaker handled gingerly. "'The -Crimes of Anton Probst,'" he continued to read, "'The Deeds of the -Harper Family,' 'The Murder of ----'" here he paused, tossed the -pamphlets aside with contempt, sat down and drew the tobacco jar -toward him. - -"Some of the results of your forays into the basements of old -booksellers, I suppose," he added, rolling a cigarette with delicate -ease. "But what value you see in such things is beyond me." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled good-humoredly. He took up some of the pamphlets -and fluttered their illy-printed pages. - -"They are not beautiful," he admitted; "the paper could not be worse -and the wood cuts are horrors. But they are records of actual -things--striking things, as a matter of fact--for a murder which so -lifts itself above the thousands of homicides that are yearly -occurring, as to gain a place outside the court records and -newspapers, must have been one of exceptional execution." - -"There is a public which delights in being horrified," said Pendleton -with a grimace. "The things are put out to get their nickels and -dimes." - -"No doubt," agreed the other. "And the fact that they are willing to -pay their nickels and dimes is, to my way of thinking, a proof of the -extraordinary nature of the crime chronicled." The speaker dropped the -prints upon the floor and lounged back in his big chair. "There is -Plutarch," he continued; "the account of the assassination of Caesar -is not the least interesting thing in his biography of that statesman. -Indeed, I have no doubt but that the chronicler thought Caesar's -taking off the most striking incident in his career; that the Roman -public thought so is a matter of history. - -"Countless writers have dwelt upon the taking of human life; some of -them were rather commercial gentlemen who always gave an ear to the -demands of their public, and their screeds were written for the money -that they would put in their pockets; but others, and by long odds the -greatest, were fascinated by their subjects. Both Stevenson and Henley -were powerfully drawn by deeds of blood. Did you know they planned a -great book which was to contain a complete account of the world's most -remarkable homicides? I'm sorry they never carried the thing out; for -I cannot conceive of two minds more fitted to the task. They would -have dressed every event in the grimmest and most subtle horror; why, -the soul would have shuddered at each enormity as shaped and presented -by such masters." - -Pendleton regarded his friend with candid distaste. - -"You are appalling to-day," said he. "If you think it's the Greek -tobacco, let me know. For I have to mingle with other human beings, -and I'd scarcely care to get into your state of mind." - -The strong, white teeth of Ashton-Kirk showed in a quick smile. - -"The tobacco was recommended by old Hosko," he said, "and you'll find -nothing violent in it, no matter what you find in my conversation." - -"What put you into such a frame of mind, anyway? Something happened?" - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"I don't know," said he. "In fact, I have been strangely idle for the -last fortnight. The most exciting things that have appeared above my -personal horizon have been a queer little edition of Albertus-Magnus, -struck off in an obscure printing shop in Florence in the early part -of the sixteenth century, and a splendid, large paper Poe, to which I -fortunately happened to be a subscriber." - -A volume of the Poe and the Albertus-Magnus were lying at hand; -Pendleton ignored the dumpy, stained little Latin volume; its -strong-smelling leather binding and faded text had no attractions for -him. But he took up the Poe and began idly turning its leaves. - -"It is a mistake to suppose that some specific thing must be the cause -of an action, or a train of thought," resumed the other, from the -comfortable depths of his chair. "Sometimes thousands of things go to -the making of a single thought, countless others to the doing of a -single deed. And yet again, a thing entirely unassociated with a -result may be the beginning of the result, so to speak. For example, a -volume of Henry James which I was reading last night might be the -cause of my turning to the literature of assassination this morning; -your friendly visit may result in my coming in contact with a murder -that will make any of these," with a nod toward the scattered volumes, -"seem tame." - -Pendleton threw away his cigarette and proceeded to roll another. - -"It is my earnest desire to remain upon friendly terms with you, -Kirk," stated he, with a smile. "Therefore, I will make no comment -except to say that your last reflection was entirely uncalled for." - -Lighting the cigarette, he turned the tall leaves of the beautiful -volume upon his knee. - -"This edition is quite perfection," he remarked admiringly. "And I'm -sorry that I was not asked to subscribe. However," and Pendleton -glanced humorously at his friend, "I don't suppose its beauty is what -attracts you to-day. It is because certain pages are spread with the -records of crime. I notice that this volume holds both 'The Murders in -the Rue Morgue' and the 'Mystery of Marie Roget.'" - -"Right," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "I admit I was browsing among the details -of those two masterpieces when you came in. A great fellow, Poe. His -peculiar imagination gave him a marvelous grasp of criminal -possibilities." - -Ashton-Kirk took up the "Confessions of an English Opium-Eater" and -turned the leaves until he came to "Murder Considered as One of the -Fine Arts." - -"In some things I have detected an odd similarity in the work of De -Quincey and Poe. Mind you, I say in some things. As to what entered -into the structure of an admirably conceived murder they were as far -apart as the poles. The ideals of the 'Society of Connoisseurs in -Murder' must have excited in Poe nothing but contempt. A coarse -butchery--a wholesale slaughter was received by this association with -raptures; a pale-eyed, orange-haired blunderer, with a ship -carpenter's mallet hidden under his coat, was hailed as an artist. - -"You don't find Poe wasting time on uncouth monsters who roar like -tigers, bang doors and smear whole rooms with blood. His assassins had -a joy in planning their exploits as well as in the execution of them. -They were intelligent, secret, sure. And in every case they -accomplished their work and escaped detection." - -"You must not forget, however," complained Pendleton, "that De -Quincey's assassin, John Williams, was a real person, and his killings -actual occurrences. Poe's workmen were creatures of his imagination, -their crimes, with the possible exception of 'Marie Roget,' were -purely fanciful. The creator of the doer and the deed had a clear -field; and in that, perhaps, lies the superiority of Poe." - -Ashton-Kirk sighed humorously. - -"Perhaps," said he. "At any rate the select crimes are usually the -conceptions of men who have no idea of putting them into execution. -And that, upon consideration, is a fortunate thing for society. But, -at the same time, it is most irritating to a man of a speculative turn -of mind. Fiction teems with most splendid murders. Captain Marryat, in -Snarleyow, created an almost perfect horror in the attempted slaughter -of the boy Smallbones by the hag mother of Vanslyperken; the lad's -reversal of the situation and his plunging a bayonet into the wrinkled -throat, makes the chapter an accomplishment difficult to displace. -Remember it?" - -Pendleton arose and opened one of the windows. - -"Even the noise and smell of this street of yours are grateful after -what I have been listening to," said he. Then, after a moment spent in -examining the adjacent outdoors, he added in a tone of wonderment. "I -say, Kirk, this is really a hole of a place to live! Why don't you -move?" - -The other arose and joined him at the window. Old-fashioned streets -alter wonderfully after the generations of the elect have passed; but -when Eastern Europe takes to dumping its furtive hordes into one, the -change is marked indeed. In this one peddler's wagons replaced the -shining carriages of a former day--wagons drawn by large-jointed -horses and driven by bearded men who cried their wares in strange, -throaty voices. - -Everything exhaled a thick, semi-oriental smell. Dully painted -fire-escapes clung hideously to the fronts of the buildings; -stagnant-looking men, wearing their hats, leaned from bedroom windows. -The once decent hallways were smutted with grimy hands; the wide -marble steps were huddled with alien, unclean people. - -A splendidly spired church stood almost shoulder to shoulder with the -Ashton-Kirk house. Once it had been a place of dignified Episcopal -worship; but years of neglect had made it unwholesome and cavern-like; -and finally it was given over to a tribe of stolid Lithuanians who -stuck a cheaply gilded Greek cross over the door and thronged the -street with their wedding and christening processions. - -"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment's study of the prospect, -"yes, perhaps it _is_ a hole of a place in which to live. But you see -we've had this house since shortly after the Revolution; four -generations have been born here. As I have no fashionable wife and I -live alone, I am content to stay. Then, the house suits me; everything -is arranged to my taste. The environment may not be the most -desirable; but, my visitors are seldom of the sort that object to -externals." - -"Well, you have one just now who is not what you might call partial to -such neighborhoods," said Pendleton. "And," looking at his watch, "you -will shortly have another who will be, perhaps, still less favorably -impressed." - -"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk. - -He curled himself up upon the deep window sill while Pendleton went -back to his chair and the tobacco. - -"It's a lady," resumed Pendleton, the brown paper crackling between -his fingers, "a lady of condition, quality and beauty." - -"It sounds pleasant enough," smiled the other. "But why is she -coming?" - -"To consult you--ah--I suppose we might call it--professionally. No, I -don't know what it is about; but judging from her manner, it is -something of no little consequence." - -"She sent you to prepare the way for her, then?" - -"Yes. It is Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of James Vale, the 'Structural -Steel King,' you remember they used to call him before he died a few -years ago. She was an only child, and except for the four millions -which he left to found a technical school, she inherited everything. -And when you say everything in a case like this, it means -considerable." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"She is a distant relative of mine," resumed Pendleton; "her mother -was connected in some vague way with my mother; and because of this -indefinite link, we've always been"--here he hesitated for an -instant--"well, rather friendly. Last night we happened to meet at -Upton's, and I took her in to dinner. Edyth is a nice girl, but I've -noticed of late that she's not had a great deal to say. Sort of quiet -and big-eyed and all that, you know. Seems healthy enough, but does a -great deal of thinking and looking away at nothing. I've talked to her -for ten minutes straight, only to find that she hadn't heard a word -I'd said. - -"So, as you will understand, I did not expect a great deal of her at -dinner. But directly across from us was young Cartwright--" - -"Employed in the Treasury Department?" - -"That's the man. Well, he began to talk departmental affairs with some -one well down the table--you know how some of these serious kids -are--and as there seemed to be nothing else to do, I gave my whole -attention to the interesting performance of Mrs. Upton's cook. I must -have been falling into a dreamy rapture; but at any rate I suddenly -awoke, so to speak. To my surprise Edyth was talking--quite -animatedly--with Cartwright, and about you." - -"Ah!" said Ashton-Kirk. "That's very pleasant. It is not given to -every man that the mention of him should stir a melancholy young lady -into animation." - -"Have you done anything in your line for the Treasury Department -lately?" asked Pendleton. - -"Oh, a small matter of some duplicate plates," said Ashton-Kirk. "It -had some interest, but there was nothing extraordinary in it." - -"Well, Cartwright didn't think that. I did not come to in time to -catch the nature of your feat, but he seemed lost in admiration of -your cleverness. He was quite delighted, too, at securing Edyth's -attention. You see, it was a thing he had scarcely hoped for. So he -proceeded to relate all he had ever heard about you. That queer little -matter of the Lincoln death-mask, you know, and the case of the -Belgian Consul and the spurious Van Dyke. And he had even heard some -of the things you did in the university during your senior year. His -recital of your recovery of the silver figure of the Greek runner -which went as the Marathon prize in 1902 made a great hit, I assure -you. - -"But when he answered 'No' to Edyth's earnest question as to whether -he were acquainted with you, she lost interest; and when I promptly -furnished the information that I was, he was forgotten. During the -remainder of the dinner I had time for little else but Edyth's -questions. When she learned that you had taken up investigation as a -sort of profession, she was quite delighted, and before we parted I -was asked to arrange a consultation." - -"She will be here this morning, then?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -Pendleton once more looked at his watch. - -"Within a very few minutes," said he. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -MISS EDYTH VALE STATES HER CASE - - -It was exactly three minutes later when the continuous tooting of a -horn told of the approach of another motor car along the crowded -street. Then the door-bell rang. - -Ashton-Kirk arose and touched one of a series of buttons in the wall. -Almost instantly a buzzer made sharp reply. He lifted a tube. - -"If it is Miss Edyth Vale," spoke he, "show her up." - -A little later a knock came upon the door. The grave faced German -opened it, ushering in an astonishingly lovely girl; tall, most -fashionably attired and with a manner of eager anxiety. Both men -arose. - -"Considering that you are under twenty-five," said Pendleton, "you are -remarkably prompt in keeping your engagements, Edyth." - -But the girl did not answer his smile. There was a troubled look in -her brown eyes; she tugged nervously at her gloves to get them off. - -"This is Mr. Ashton-Kirk?" she asked. - -"It is," answered Pendleton. "Kirk, this is my cousin, Edyth Vale." - -Ashton-Kirk gave the girl a chair; she sat down, regarding him all -the time with much interest. The gloves were removed by now; but she -continued plucking at the empty fingers and drawing them through her -hands. - -"I have heard of you quite frequently," said she to Ashton-Kirk, "but -did not dream that I would ever be forced to benefit by your talents. -Mr. Pendleton has been kind enough to arrange this interview at my -request; and I desire to consult you upon a most important matter--a -very private matter." - -Pendleton caught the hesitating glance which she threw at him and -reached for his hat. - -"Edyth," said he, "after all I have done for you, this is very -distressing. I had not expected to be bundled out in this manner." - -She smiled faintly, and nodded. - -"Thank you, Jimmie," she said. "You are a nice boy." - -After Pendleton had gone, Miss Vale sat for some moments in silence; -and all the time her eyes went from one part of the room to another, -curiously; she seemed to be trying to estimate the man whom she came -to consult by his surroundings. - -At one side, rank on rank of books ran from floor to ceiling; others -were scattered about in chairs, on stands and on the floor. At one -spot the wall was racked with glittering, and to her, strange looking -instruments. An open door gave a glimpse of a second apartment with -bare, plastered wall, fitted with tables covered with sheet lead and -cluttered with tanks, grotesquely swelling retorts, burners, jars and -other things that make up a complete laboratory. - -But these told her nothing, except that the man was a student; and -this she had heard before. - -So she gave her attention to Ashton-Kirk himself. He stood by the open -window, the morning light beating strongly upon his dark, keen face, -apparently watching the uncouth surging in the street below. - -"He's very handsome and very wealthy," her friend Connie Bayless had -informed her only that morning. "Comes of a very old family; has the -entree into the most exclusive houses, but practically ignores -society." - -"Oh, yes, I know him," her uncle, an eminent attorney, had told her. -"A very unusual young man. I might call him acutely intellectual, and -he is an adept in many out of the way branches of knowledge. He would -make a wonderful lawyer, but has too much imagination. Thinks more of -visionary probabilities than of tangible facts." - -"As an amateur actor," Pendleton had confided to her, "Kirk is without -an equal. If he adopted the stage, he'd make a sensation. At college -he was a most tremendous athlete too--football, cross-country running, -wrestling, boxing. And I'm told that he still keeps in training. -Clever chap." - -"I never saw a more splendid natural equipment for languages," said -Professor Hutchinson. "The most sprawling dialect seemed a simple -matter to him; Greek and the oriental tongues were no more trouble in -his case than the 'first reader' is to an intelligent child." - -She had spoken with Mrs. Stokes-Corbin over the telephone. Mrs. -Stokes-Corbin was related to Ashton-Kirk, and her information was -kindly but emphatic. - -"My dear," said the lady, "I do hope you haven't fallen in love with -him. No? Well, that's fortunate. He's one of the dearest fellows in -the world, but one of the most extraordinary. I can't fancy his -marrying at all. His ways and moods and really preposterous habits -would drive a wife mad. You can't imagine the extent of them. He -spends days and nights in positively uncanny chemical experiments. -Without a word to anyone he plunges off on some mysterious errand, to -be gone for weeks. They do tell me that he is to all intents and -purposes a policeman. But I really can't quite credit that, you know. -He loves to do things that others have tried and failed. Even as a boy -he was that way. It was quite discouraging to have a child straighten -out little happenings that we had all given up in despair. Sometimes -it was quite convenient, but I'm not sure that I ever liked it. A -charming talker, my dear; he knows so much to talk about. But he's -eccentric; and an eccentric young man is a frightful burden to those -connected with him." - -All these things passed through the mind of Edyth Vale, as she sat -regarding the young man at the window. Finally he lifted his eyes and -turned them upon her--beautiful eyes--remarkable, full of perception, -compelling. As he caught her intent, inquiring look, he smiled; she -colored slightly, but met his glance bravely. - -"Last night I heard you spoken of," she said, "and it occurred to me -that you could aid me." - -"I should be glad to," said he. "It sometimes happens that I can be of -service to persons extraordinarily circumstanced. If you will let me -hear your story--for," with a smile, "all who come to see me as you -have done _have_ a story--I shall be able to definitely say whether -your case comes within my province." - -She hesitated a moment, her hands nervously engaged with the gloves. -Then she said, frankly. - -"I suppose it is only sensible to speak quite candidly with you, Mr. -Ashton-Kirk, as one does with a lawyer or a physician." - -He nodded. - -"Of course," said he. - -For another moment she seemed to be turning her thoughts over and -seeking the best means of making a beginning. - -"It is very silly of me, I know," she said; "but I feel quite like the -working girl who writes to the correspondence editor of an evening -paper for advice in smoothing out her love affairs." She bent toward -him, the laugh vanishing from her face, a troubled look taking its -place, and continued. "I am to be married--some day--and it is about -that that I wish to speak to you." - -"I realize the difficulties of the subject," spoke Ashton-Kirk -quietly. - -"What I am going to tell you, I have never mentioned to anyone before. -It has been three years ago--four years at Christmas time--since I -first met Allan Morris," she said. "Our engagement so quickly followed -that my friends said it was a very clear case of love at first sight. -Perhaps it was! - -"However that might be, we were very happy for a time. But trouble was -in store for us. I had always disbelieved in long engagements, had -always been very outspoken against them, in fact. This is perhaps what -made me so quickly notice an absence of haste on Mr. Morris' part as -to the wedding. When the subject came up, as it naturally would, he -seemed to avoid it. At first I was surprised; but finally I grew -annoyed, and spoke my mind very frankly. - -"You see, he is not at all well off, and I am--well I have a great -deal. I thought this might have something to do with his apparent -reluctance. But no, it was something else. As I just said, I spoke -frankly; and he was equally candid, after a fashion. He said it was -quite impossible for us to be married for some time. There was a -something--he did not say what--which must first be settled. Naturally -I grew curious. I desired to know what it was that so stood in the way -of our happiness. He replied that it was something that must not be -spoken of, and was so very earnest in the matter that I did not -mention it again--for a long time. - -"You may think, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that my fiance was no very ardent -lover. But I was assured, and I do not lack perception, that he was -passionately fond of me. And I still think so. But as time went by, -things did not alter; our wedding was a vague expectation; even more -than before Mr. Morris avoided mention of anything definite. - -"I am not naturally patient; and my rearing as the only child of an -enormously rich man has perhaps added to my impetuousness. In a burst -of temper one day, I broke the engagement, gave him back his ring and -did a number of other rather silly things. But he was so tragic in -his despair--so utterly broken hearted and white--that I immediately -relented and we patched the matter up once more. That he loved me was -plain; but that he could not marry me--for some mysterious reason--was -even plainer. - -"After this I began to notice a change in him. He was rather silent -and given to reverie; he seldom laughed. Sometimes he was haggard and -so wrought up, apparently, that he could scarcely contain himself. He -would pace the floor, evidently with little realization as to what he -was doing. Once he was really dreadfully agitated. I calmed him as -well as I could, and he sat for a long time, thinking deeply. As I -watched him, he sprang to his feet and dashing his fist upon a table, -cried out, passionately: - -"'The black-hearted rascal! He's mocking me!' - -"Then like a flash he realized the strangeness of his conduct, and -with anxious, alarmed face, asked my pardon. I felt that this was an -opportunity to put an end to a situation that was growing intolerable. -My persistent questioning gained me something, but, on the whole, not -a great deal. - -"The thing that was troubling him was a business matter. In some way -he was in the hands of some one--these are the indefinite threads that -I gathered--a mocking, jeering, smiling someone whom he hated, but -from whom he could not free himself. - -"I began to tell him that there could be nothing strong enough in -itself to prevent our happiness; but he stopped me in such a way that -I did not feel inclined to continue. In an outburst, filled with -denunciations of his enemy and protestations of devotion to myself, I -caught the name of Hume. He had dropped this inadvertently. I knew it -instantly because of the swift look that he gave me. But I allowed no -hint of what I thought to show in my face. He was more subdued during -the remainder of his stay; the mentioning of the name had startled -him, and he was doubtless afraid that his state of mind would lead him -into further indiscretions. - -"As you may suppose, the name--the first tangible thing that I had -learned--was of much interest to me. If I could but find out who this -person was, I could probably get to the bottom of the matter." - -At this point Miss Vale paused; and Ashton-Kirk noted her head lift -proudly. - -"Perhaps," she continued, "it might be thought that I had no right to -make such an effort in a matter which Mr. Morris saw fit to keep from -me. Were you thinking that? But I am not a silent sufferer. I usually -make an end of annoying things without delay. And I would have done -so in this case long before, but I was in love; and I could not bear -to see Allan suffer by my insistence. - -"However, here was an opportunity to perhaps aid him; and I set to -work. In a few hours next day I had located every person of the name -of Hume in the city. Mr. Morris is a consulting engineer. Anyone named -Hume who, from his occupation, would be likely to have dealings with -him especially attracted my attention. There were only a few, and long -before the day was over I had satisfied myself by personal visits at -their places of business that they did not even know him." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled. One of his well-kept hands patted applause upon -the arm of his chair. - -"You are strong," said he. "I recognized your type when you came -in. It is a pleasure to have one's judgment so thoroughly and -satisfactorily proven." - -Miss Vale looked pleased. - -"I am glad that you approve of what I did," she said. "I confess I had -some hesitancy, but not enough to prevent my carrying out the design. -But when the first effort proved without result, I set about making a -study of all the Humes in the directory. I had my secretary make me a -typed list of them, with their addresses and occupations, and I pored -over this for hours at a time. - -"There was one that caught my eye after a while; probably this was -because of the unusualness of his business. The directory gave him as -a numismatist; but I drove by his shop in my car, and the sign over -the window said that he was also a dealer in curiosities of art. - -"This gave me an idea. Mr. Morris is an ardent collector; his hobby is -engraved gems, and for a man of his means his possessions in this line -are quite remarkable. It was easily within the range of possibility -that he had had transactions with this particular Hume--at least that -he was acquainted with him. The more I thought of this, the more -curious I grew; and one afternoon I paid the place a visit. It is on -the second floor, the entrance is through a side door and up a narrow, -dusty stairway. Then I had to make my way along a dark windowless -passage to the office, or shop in the front. - -"This shop was well lighted, and literally stuffed with what were well -termed 'curiosities of art.' I never before saw such queer carvings, -such freakish pottery, such weird and utterly impossible bric-a-brac. -At a table sat a flabby looking man with a short sandy beard. One -glance told me that he was an habitual drunkard, for he had the -sodden look that is unmistakable. But when he arose and bid me good -evening his manner struck me like a blow in the face. Allan Morris had -spoken of a mocking person who jeered and smiled. And that described -this man exactly. There was mockery in every glance of his dull eyes; -every twitch of his mouth was a fleer; with each gesture he seemed -making game of one; sneering incredulity was stamped all over him." - -Ashton-Kirk leaned forward with keen interest. - -"My manner must have betrayed me," the girl went on, "for I saw an -inquiring crease come into his forehead. When he asked the nature of -my business his voice was sharp and insolent. - -"I had not thought as to what I should say, what excuse I should give -in this case. But almost instantly my mind was made up. About the most -conspicuous thing in the room was a squat Japanese idol--a fat, -grinning, hideous thing which sat upon a sort of pedestal near the -door. So I laid my hand in it. - -"'I was told of this,' said I, examining the idol minutely, 'and came -in to see it.' - -"'Ah, yes,' said he. But it was plain enough that he did not believe -me. - -"I inquired the price of the figure. He named a high one; and I -believe I astonished him by purchasing it without another word. The -idol was delivered late that afternoon. I had it unpacked at once and -placed where Mr. Morris could not fail to see it when he called." - -"A clever plan," commented Ashton-Kirk, admiringly. - -"He saw it when he entered the room and greeted me. He was smiling; -and the smile froze on his lips, his face went pale, and he turned a -look upon me that filled me with fear, it was so wan and startled. - -"I had intended telling him the full truth if my ruse succeeded. But -after that look I could not. I convinced him by a nonchalant manner -and story, that I had come by the idol accidentally. At least I -_think_ I convinced him, though I noticed his watching me steadily -from under very level brows more than once during the evening. But if -he had any suspicions that I was deceiving him, he did not put them -into words." - -Here Miss Vale paused for a moment. Then she resumed: - -"I tried, in various ways, to gain a knowledge of the relationship -between my fiance and this sneering shopkeeper; but they were all -ineffectual. Mr. Ashton-Kirk, this occurred fully three months ago, -and the situation remains the same as it was upon that night." - -Then with a suddenness that startled the young man she lifted two -trembling hands to her face and began to sob gaspingly. When she took -the hands away there were no signs of tears, but her beautiful face -was drawn with pain and her voice shook as she said: - -"I don't think I can stand it much longer. I beg of you not to think -lightly of my story; for the thing that stands between Allan Morris -and myself is deadly. As I watch him I can see that his heart is -breaking; his health is failing, there is a look of fear in his eyes." -She reached forward and her hand rested upon the sleeve of -Ashton-Kirk. "He is at the mercy of this mocking monster that I have -described to you. It is killing him, and through him it is killing me. -Help me, please." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled reassuringly. - -"As far as I can see," said he, "the case is a simple one. However, it -may turn out the reverse. But in either event I can promise you a -swift and energetic attempt to set the matter right." - -"Thank you!" She stood up. "And you will begin to-day?" - -"At once!" - -"You are kind." She held out her hand; he took it. "Thank you, again." - -Stumph appeared, in answer to the bell. She turned to go. - -"There is nothing more that you can tell me?" he inquired. - -"Nothing." - -"I had supposed that. Your recital sounded pretty complete." - -When the door closed upon her, he stood for a few moments in the -middle of the floor, his head bent forward, his hands behind him. Then -he turned and touched another of the system of bells. - -Immediately a brisk, boyish looking young man presented himself. - -"Fuller," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "I want instant and complete information -upon one Hume, a local numismatist, and Allan Morris, consulting -engineer." - -"Very well, sir." And Fuller turned at once, and left the room. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE PORTRAITS OF GENERAL WAYNE - - -When Ashton-Kirk returned that evening from the theatre, where he had -gone to witness a much heralded new drama, he sat with a cigar, in his -library; and stretching out his length in great comfort, he smoked and -smiled and thought of what he had seen and heard. - -"The drama as a medium of expression is necessarily limited," the -young man was saying to himself, "and of course, in fitting human -action to its narrow bounds, the dramatist is sometimes tempted to -ignore certain human elements. In spots, the people of the play acted -like puppets; upon seven different occasions, by actual count, the -entire matter would have been cleared up if someone had sharply spoken -his mind. But he did not, and the thing was allowed to become -hopelessly involved because of it." - -He knocked the ashes from his cigar; and a smile came to his lips. - -"It would not have served the purpose of the dramatist, I suppose; his -play would have ended abruptly, and far short of the prescribed time. -He tried to tell a human story and chose an unhuman method." - -There was another pause; the smile now disappeared and a thoughtful -look came into his face. - -"And yet," he mused, "is the playwright really so far wrong? Is his -stage story very far removed from actuality after all? In Miss Edyth -Vale, we have a girl of most unusual character, of splendid education, -apparently. And yet in the building of her own drama she has -outstripped the inventor of stage plays in the matter of hesitancy. -Her natural inclination urged her to make a firm stand; but other -feelings proved the stronger, and she held her tongue much after the -fashion of the girl in the play." - -He was puffing at a second cigar when there came a knock on the door, -and Fuller entered. - -"Well?" said Ashton-Kirk. - -"I thought you'd perhaps like to look over this data before morning," -said the young man, as he laid a number of typed sheets and a -photograph at Ashton-Kirk's elbow. "As you required instant action I -got Burgess on the Hume end of it before noon; after luncheon I took -up Morris myself." - -"Thank you," said the other. - -"Morris," with a nod toward the photograph, "is rather uneventful, -personally. And it was no very difficult matter to get the facts -concerning him. But Burgess had a much more interesting time. Hume -seems to have lots of color as a character. Not that there was a great -deal shown--the time was too short. But the indications are -promising." - -When Fuller had gone, Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began to read -them carefully. They were brief, pointed and evidently the work of men -who were familiar enough with their business to eliminate all -non-essentials. The first one ran: - -"Allan Barnett Morris, Consulting Engineer. Specialty, Marine -Construction. Lives at the Crompton Apartments. Born October 15, 1879. -Graduate of Cornell; class of 1900. Special honors. Brilliant student. -Was at once engaged by the New England Ship Building Company. Soon -became their right hand man. Resigned in 1905; took offices in the -Blake Building. Is much employed by the Government. Has the reputation -of a growing man in his line and is admitted by competent persons to -be an expert. - -"He is unmarried and has no relatives. The last of these to die was -his father--a trifle more than three years ago. The father had a -reputation for great brilliancy and hard drinking. He was an inventor -of some note. See the Morris Smoke Consumer--the Morris Propeller--the -Morris Automatic Brake. But he never made much out of any of these. -The appetite for liquor forced him to surrender, for very little, -interests that made fortunes for other men. - -"Young Morris is clear of the drink habit, and is a hard and -persistent worker. He is a member of the University and the Brookdale -Field Clubs; goes into society, and is reported to be the accepted -suitor of Miss Edyth Vale, daughter of the late James Vale, -manufacturer of structural steel." - -"A clean bill of health, as far as it goes," commented Ashton-Kirk. -"However, surface inquiries tell very little, sometimes." - -He turned to the remaining pages. - -"David Purtell Hume, Numismatist, philatelist, dealer in objects of -art and curiosities. Resides at his place of business, second floor of -478 Christie Place. - -"Hume located in this city in 1899. Where he came from is not -definitely known, but there is some slight cause for supposing that he -is an American who had been living abroad. However, an examination of -the steamship passenger lists for 1898-99 fail to show his name. - -"Is well known in his line and is reputed to be wealthy. Is much -disliked by his neighbors and others in the same trade. Even those who -patronize him have an aversion to him; but as he is an authority, and -his stock always contains rarities, they do not take their custom -elsewhere. - -"Hume has been under suspicion upon several occasions. But the police -could gather no positive evidence against him, at any time. The -robbery of the Hailesbury gallery at London, when the famous Whistler -portrait of the Duchess of Winterton was cut from its frame, was -traced almost to his door. But the scent died out before they could -clinch the matter, and he escaped. It was believed that the thing -was planned by him and executed by a confederate. Several other -occurrences of like nature, but of less importance, have been laid -against him. But, if he was concerned in them, he was always cunning -enough to hide his tracks. - -"He is an habitual drinker, of violent temper, and is reputed to have -a positive genius for discovering raw spots in an acquaintance and -goading him for the sheer joy of seeing him writhe. It is this trait -that causes the general dislike for him in the Christie Place section. - -"He is a free liver, spends much money and has a passion for music." - -Ashton-Kirk laid down the sheets and threw away his cigar. - -"As Fuller remarked, Mr. Hume seems to be a colorful character. And -apparently one that would be likely to lead Mr. Allan Morris a very -lively dance if he had a hold of any sort upon him." - -He arose to his feet, a pleased light in his eye, and began walking up -and down the floor. - -"It is more than likely that it will prove some trifle that Morris' -fears have lifted to the plane of a tragedy. But, somehow, the parts -of the case seem to fall in a promising manner. I get a sort of -pleasure in anticipating a possible grapple with Mr. David Purtell -Hume." - -For a full hour, Ashton-Kirk moved up and down the library, his eyes -half closed, varying expressions appearing and disappearing upon his -face. At length there came a smile of satisfaction and he paused in -his pacing. - -"That is probably it," said he. "At any rate it is a very favorable -coincidence. However, I must have more information than the hurried -reports of Burgess and Fuller to be certain. Yes, this promises to be -interesting." - -With that he went to his room and to bed. - -The dull gray of a damp spring morning was peering in at his window -when he awoke. By the light he knew that it was hours before his usual -time. Something had aroused him; but he could not say what. He sat up -in bed, and as he did so there came the long continued and smothered -ringing of a bell. - -"The telephone," said he. - -"R-r-r-r-ring-g!" it persisted. And then again: -"R-r-r-r-ring-ing-ing! R-r-r-ring!" - -Ashton-Kirk heard a door open and close softly on the floor above; -then slippered feet came pat-patting down the stairs. The wild rattle -of the bell suddenly stopped; a muffled voice could be heard -protesting dismally against the din. But suddenly the vague complaint -gave way to a higher note. - -"Alarm," said Ashton-Kirk. "Something has happened." - -He reached up and turned on the electric bulb that hung above his -head; then he drew his feet up under him after the fashion of a Turk -and waited, calmly. - -The padded steps swiftly approached his door; a sharp knock sounded on -the panels. - -"Well?" demanded the young man. - -"There is an urgent call, sir," came the voice of Stumph--"on the -telephone. It's the lady who called yesterday--Miss Vale." - -Ashton-Kirk slipped from the bed; a step brought him to the door, -which he threw open. - -"Very well, Stumph," said he, quietly. "You may go back to bed." - -The grave-faced German went stolidly down the hall; the young man -pulled on a pair of felt slippers; in the library he put the detached -receiver to his ear and spoke evenly: - -"Well, Miss Vale?" - -There was a small, gasping exclamation from the wire, a sort of -breath-catching flutter of sound such as a person might utter who had -been running hard. Then Edyth Vale, her voice shaking and filled with -fear, said: - -"Oh! Is that you! I'm glad--glad!" - -"Get a firm grip on yourself," advised Ashton-Kirk. "If anything has -happened we can no doubt remedy it." - -There came a series of moaning sobs across the wire; the girl had -evidently broken down and was crying. Ashton-Kirk said nothing; he -waited patiently. Finally she spoke once more. - -"What has happened can _never_ be remedied." Then her voice sank so -low that he could scarcely catch the breathless words. "There has been -murder done." - -The investigator felt the blood prickle beneath his skin. However, his -voice was steady as he replied; his calmly working mind shook off the -fear which she so strongly suggested. - -"Who has been murdered?" he asked. - -"The man whom I told you about yesterday--the numismatist, Hume." - -"Ah!" Ashton-Kirk drew in a long breath and his eyes began to glow. -There was an instant's pause, then he said: "The hour is rather -unconventional; but if you will receive me, I'll have you tell me -about this matter privately and at once." - -"By all means," she answered, eagerly. "I was about to beg of you to -come." - -"In a half hour," said he, briefly. "Good-by." - -He hung up the receiver and touched one of the buttons. When Stumph -came, he said: - -"Turn the cold water into my bath. Then order the car in haste." - -"Yes, sir." - -"Afterwards you can lay out a rough suit, heavy shoes and a soft hat." - -"Instantly, sir." - -Within twenty minutes Ashton-Kirk ran down the steps and sprang into -the powerful looking car that awaited him; and well within the half -hour he rang the bell at the marble palace built by the steel magnate -during the last years of his life. A heavy-eyed man servant admitted -him with astonished resentment. Miss Vale, looking very tall and very -pale, met him in the hall. But for all her pallor she seemed quite -collected, even smiling. - -"Oh, I'm so sorry to have brought you out so early and on such a -dismal morning," she said, lightly, leading him into a room at one -side. "I'm sure it is very damp." - -She sat down and motioned him to a chair; he studied her with some -surprise; the transition from wild terror to her present calm was -most notable. - -"There has been a recovery of poise, evidently," Ashton-Kirk told -himself. "She is still frightened, but for some reason is anxious to -hide it." - -"This morning," said Miss Vale, with a laugh that rang perfectly, "I -found that I was only a woman after all. This--this dreadful thing so -startled me that for a time I did not know what to do. My first -impulse was to call you, and I acted upon it. But," with a pretty -gesture of apology, "when I had recovered myself somewhat, I saw that -I had disturbed you unnecessarily." - -"You don't mean that, after all, Hume is not--" - -She held up her hand for him to stop. A strong shudder seemed to run -through her; she bent her head so that the light would not fall too -strongly upon her face. In a moment, however, she recovered. - -"Yes, yes," she said, her voice perfectly under control. "He is -dead--shockingly murdered. What I mean is, that while the event is -very dreadful--still, it does not really concern me more than any -other crime of the same nature which we see staring at us from the -columns of the newspapers every day. This man's being in my mind so -much of late caused me to become unnerved when I heard the news." - -"When did it occur?" - -"Sometime since midnight." - -There was a silence. Miss Vale arose and began to pace the room. The -long white cloak that had draped her fell away; she wore a ball dress -and her arms and shoulders shone splendidly under the lights. - -"How did you hear of it?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -There was a scarcely perceptible hesitancy; then she answered: - -"Through the newspapers. We were returning from Mrs. Barron's about -three o'clock. The papers had just come out, and I felt a curiosity to -see them wet from the press. When I reached home the first thing that -caught my eye was the account of Hume's death." - -"Did you call me up at once?" - -"Yes. As I have said, it was the first thing that occurred to me. And -again I beg your pardon for having disturbed you uselessly." - -Ashton-Kirk gestured this aside. - -"It may be that the affair will turn out to have some interesting -features," said he. "And with that possibility in view, I am rather -pleased than not in having an opportunity of getting so early upon the -ground." - -She paused in her pacing, and turned upon him a startled look. - -"You do not mean to go there--to Christie Place," she said. - -[Illustration: "YOU DO NOT MEAN TO GO THERE"--] - -"I may as well. I may be of use." He looked at her for a moment -steadily, then asked: "Do you know of any reason why I should not go?" - -Instantly the startled look vanished; a smile lit up the pale face, -wanly. - -"Of course not," she cried. "You are interested in dreadful -happenings--I had forgotten that. I suppose you _are_ really quite -delighted; and instead of my craving pardon I should be expecting -praise, for putting you in the way of this one." - -She laughed lightly; a smile flitted across his keen face, as he rose -and said: - -"What has happened may make a change in the affairs of Allan Morris." - -She came to him and laid a hand upon his arm. Her coolness won his -admiration. - -"I beg of you to forget all that I told you yesterday," she said. "I -had been brooding so long that I had begun to fancy all sorts of -impossible things. I see very clearly now that this man Hume could -have had nothing of any consequence to do with Mr. Morris. It was a -romance--a rather foolish fancy, and a very wild one." - -There was sweet seriousness in her manner; and the lurking smile -still hovered about her lips. It was as though a return to reason had -driven away the fears of the day before--the alarmed girl had given -place to a sensible woman. - -But behind all this, Ashton-Kirk could detect something else. The -almost swooning terror of the girl who had spoken to him over the -telephone was still there--held rigidly in check to be sure, but -unquestionably there. While her lips smiled, the eyes sometimes -betrayed her; and there was a tenseness about her that almost -screamed. Her good-by was soft and kindly spoken; she held out her -hand, frankly, and thanked him for his interest. There was nothing -hurried in her manner; it was all smoothly and leisurely done. And yet -he felt that if she had followed the impulse that filled her, she -would have taken him, by the shoulder and bundled him from the room in -order that she might be alone. - -"Alone--to think," he said, as he got into his car at the curb. "But -to think about what?" Aloud he said to the driver: "Christie Place." - -By this time the early workers were beginning to thicken in the -street; street cars were more frequent; the dull night hum of the city -was growing in volume. The spark had set the car's engine throbbing -heavily, and the driver was about to start when a second vehicle drew -up and Ashton-Kirk found himself looking into the alarmed face of -young Pendleton. - -"Heavens, Kirk!" cried the newcomer, as he leaped out, "has anything -serious happened?" - -"To whom?" asked the investigator, quietly, his eyes fixed upon the -young man's face. - -"To Edyth, of course. Has any thing been seen of her?" - -"I have just left her; she seemed a bit agitated, but perfectly well." - -A look of relief crossed Pendleton's face. - -"Oh!" said he. "All right. I was beginning to think that something was -up. You see," and here he lowered his voice, "I danced with her about -midnight at Mrs. Barron's; about two o'clock her aunt, Mrs. Page, came -to me in great distress and said she was strangely missing. She had -slipped away somewhere without a word." - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him keenly. - -"Of course it was up to me to find her," said Pendleton; "but my -efforts were without result. Her car was gone, and the man said Miss -Vale had called it about one o'clock; also that she had driven away in -it alone. - -"At this news Mrs. Page grew quite ill, and I brought her home here in -my car. Then I departed upon a vague sort of search. As the matter was -to be kept perfectly quiet and I was to ask no questions of anybody, -you can imagine how much chance I had of doing anything. But if she's -at home, it's all right. At sight of you I thought it had proved to be -something alarming and that they had sent for you." - -"I _was_ sent for," said Ashton-Kirk, dryly, "but not to hunt for Miss -Vale. Now jump in here and come along; I've got a little matter that -may be of interest." - -"I haven't had breakfast," said Pendleton; "but there's always -something piquant to your little affairs. I'll go you." - -He dismissed his own car and climbed into that of his friend. As they -whirled up the street, Ashton-Kirk suddenly directed his driver to -stop. Then he called to a man with a great bundle of newspapers who -stood calling them monotonously upon a corner. - -Again the car started with the investigator deep in the sheaf of -papers which he had purchased. Page after page failed to reveal -anything to his practised glance; at length he swept them to the floor -of the car. A smile was upon his lips--the smile of a man who had -received a nod of approval from Circumstances. - -"The first edition of the morning dailies lacks interest," he said. "A -crime of some moment can be committed between midnight and dawn, and -not a line appear in type concerning it until the later issues." - -Pendleton looked at him with mock disapproval. - -"One would suppose," said he, "that you had expected to find some -such criminal narrative in those," and he indicated the discarded -newspapers. - -"There were reasons why I should," answered Ashton-Kirk. "And very -good reasons, too. But," and he laughed a little, "for all that, I had -an indefinite sort of feeling that I should _not_ find it. This may -sound a trifle queer; but nevertheless it is true." - -"The account was to have been of a murder," accused Pendleton. "I can -see it in your face, so don't take the trouble to deny it. I had -hoped that your plunge into what you styled the 'literature of -assassination' would not last--that a good night's rest would turn -your thoughts into another groove." - -"Perhaps it would have been so," said Ashton-Kirk. "But things have -happened in the meantime." - -"And you don't appear at all put out that they have done so. That is -possibly the most distressing feature of the business. If anything, -you seem rather pleased. Of course, an odd murder or so is to be -expected in the ordinary course of events; but one hardly counts upon -one's intimates being concerned in them. It is disconcerting." - -He crossed his legs and pursed up his lips. - -"If you don't mind," added he, "now that I have expressed myself, -I'll listen to the details of whatever you have in view." - -"There is not a great deal to tell," said Ashton-Kirk. "A man has been -murdered in Christie Place. It happens that I have an interest in the -matter; otherwise I would not think of dipping into it." - -Pendleton looked at him reproachfully. - -"After all, then," exclaimed he, "you are but a dilettante! -Assassination in the abstract is well enough, but you have a -disposition to shirk practical examples. I have been deceived!" - -Christie Place was some distance west and ran off from a much -frequented street. It was notable for the wilderness of sign boards -that flared from each side. The buildings were apparently let out in -floors and each lessee endeavored to outdo his neighbor in proclaiming -his business to the passing public. The lower floors were, for the -most part, occupied by small grocers, dealers in notions, barbers, -confectioners and such like. - -"What a crowded, narrow little place," commented Pendleton, as the car -turned into the street. The air in the street seemed to him heavy. - -About midway in the block a small group stood about a doorway; from a -window above swung a sign bearing the name of Hume. The car stopped -here; Ashton-Kirk and his friend got out; the group at the doorway -parted and a big man stepped forward. - -"Why, hello," said he, cordially. "You're the last person I was looking -for. How did you hear about this?" - -"Good morning, Osborne," said Ashton-Kirk, shaking the big man's hand. -"I'm glad to find you in charge. I got it in an unusual sort of way, -and came down to have a look." - -Osborne, though in plain clothes, was emphatically a policeman. His -square face, his big frame, his dogged expression, somehow conveyed -the impression as plainly as words. - -"It must have been unusual," said he, "because even the reporters -haven't got it yet; headquarters is keeping it quiet until the chief -gets in." - -Ashton-Kirk looked vastly pleased. - -"Excellent," said he to Pendleton. "We'll have a look at the place -before it has lost the atmosphere of the crime." Then to Osborne: "May -we go up?" - -"Sure," answered the other readily. "Only don't pull things around -any. That young fellow that they've elected coroner is awful touchy -about such things. He wants to be first always." - -"Nothing of importance shall be disturbed," promised Ashton-Kirk. Then -motioning Pendleton to follow, he ascended the flight that led to the -second floor. - -It was narrow and dusty, as Miss Vale had said. The walls were -smutted, the hand rail felt greasy, the air was stale. A passage, dim -and windowless, ran the depth of the building; from the front there -came a patch of daylight through a ground glass door. Upon this latter -could be easily read the words: - - DAVID P. HUME - NUMISMATIST - PHILATELIST - ART CURIOSITIES - -A policeman stood at the head of the stairs smoking a cigar in an -informal way. - -"All right," said he, "if Osborne let you come up I've got nothing to -say. He's the boss." - -"Have you looked over the place?" - -"Just a glance. The floor has been fitted up as an apartment. Hume -occupied all the rooms. The body," pointing to the front room, "is in -there." - -"Thanks." - -Ashton-Kirk turned the knob of the door nearest, the one with the -lettering upon it. The room was without windows; the investigator -closed the door and lighted the gas. - -"Just a moment," said he. - -The door leading to the front room stood wide. He disappeared through -this for a moment; when he returned, his face wore a tightened -expression; his eyes were swift and eager. - -"This is a sort of store room, I should say," spoke Pendleton. - -Pictures hung about upon the walls and stood packed in corners; -statues of bronze, marble and plaster were on every side; brass -bas-reliefs, rugs of Eastern design and great price, antique armor, -coin cabinets, ponderous stamp albums, Japanese paintings and carvings -and a host of queer and valuable objects fairly crammed every inch of -space. - -"I had heard that Hume was wealthy," commented Ashton-Kirk. "And this -seems to prove it. This room contains value enough to satisfy a fairly -reasonable person." - -The two young men passed through into what appeared to be a kitchen. -There was an ill kept range upon one side cluttered with cooking -things. A bare oaken table of the Jacobean period held the remains of -a meal. A massive Dutch side-board, covered with beautiful carving, -stood facing them; every inch of available space upon it was crowded -with bottles, decanters and glasses. - -"The gentleman was not averse to an occasional nip, at any rate," said -Pendleton. "And his taste was rather educated, too," examining the -sideboard's contents carefully. "The best was none too good for him." - -Beyond this again was a bedroom. The bed was a huge Flemish affair, -and also elaborately carved; over it was a spreading Genoese canopy, -which through lack of care had grown dusty and tattered. Rich old rugs -were spread upon the neglected floor; a beautiful Louis Quinze table -had its top covered with discolored rings made by the bottoms of -glasses, and the lighted ends of cigars had burned spots on it. - -"The bed of a prince and the floor coverings of a duke," said -Pendleton with indignation. "And used much as a coal heaver would use -them. Now, this table is really a scandal. If its owner has been -murdered, I don't wonder at it. Some outraged lover of such things has -probably taken the law into his own hands." - -But Ashton-Kirk was paying little attention to the things that -appalled Pendleton. - -"Look," said he. - -He indicated the walls. Here and there the plaster was broken as -though some fastened object had been violently torn away. At one place -an empty picture frame, its glass smashed, hung askew from a hook. As -Pendleton caught sight of other empty frames littered about the room, -the glass of each broken, their pictures torn out, he exclaimed in -astonishment: - -"Hello! Someone has torn them down and smashed them. What an -extraordinary thing to do!" - -The pictures, mostly engravings, but with here and there a painting, -were strewn about. Ashton-Kirk carefully gathered them up and spread -them upon the table. They were by various hands, but unquestionably -represented the same person--a handsome, resolute looking man in the -uniform of an officer in the army of Washington. - -"General Anthony Wayne," said Ashton-Kirk, softly. - -There was something in the tone that made Pendleton look at him -swiftly. The splendid head was bent over the portraits; eagerness -blazed in the dark eyes; the keen face was rigid with interest. - -"Some drunken freak, do you think?" asked Pendleton, more to hear his -friend's view than anything else. - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"On the contrary, the thing seems full of a vague meaning," said he. -"There were seventeen pictures upon the walls of this room; fourteen -have been torn down and destroyed; the other three are undisturbed." - -Pendleton gazed at the pictures that remained upon the walls. Two were -of fine looking houses of the colonial type; the third was the -portrait of a man--a man of repulsive, sneering face, heavy with evil -lines and with unusually small eyes. - -"If they had destroyed that one it would have had some meaning to me," -commented Pendleton. "But, as it is, I hardly think I follow you." - -"The meaning that I find," replied Ashton-Kirk, "lies in the fact that -the pictures violently used were those of General Wayne only. Mark -that fact. That they were deliberately selected for destruction is -beyond question." - -"How do you make that out?" - -"It is simple. If this were a mere random stripping of the room of its -pictures, all would have suffered. Look," indicating a spot in the -wall, "here is a place where the plaster is broken. A hook had been -driven here to hold one of the portraits; and the breaking of the -plaster shows that some determination was required to tear the picture -down. Yet--next this--is an engraving of an old mansion which remains -untouched. The next four again were portraits of the General, and all -have been demolished." - -Pendleton nodded. - -"That's true," said he. "Whoever did this was after the Revolutionary -hero alone. But why?" - -Ashton-Kirk smiled. - -"We'll look into matters a little further," said he. "Perhaps there -are facts to be gathered that will shed some light upon the things -that we have already seen." - -They repassed through the other rooms; with his hand upon the frame of -the door leading to the show room, Ashton-Kirk paused. - -"Better brace yourself for rather a shocking sight," said he to his -friend. - -"Go on," said Pendleton, quietly. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -STILLMAN'S THEORY - - -There were four good-sized windows in the show room, all overlooking -the street. It was a large, square place, and, as Miss Vale had said, -literally stuffed with odd carvings, pottery of a most freakish sort, -and weird bric-a-brac. Two large modern safes stood at one side, -behind a long show case spread with ancient coins. At the end of this -case was a carpeted space, railed in and furnished with a great -flat-topped desk. Upon the floor at the foot of the desk, and with -three separate streams of blood creeping away from it, lay the -huddled, ghastly figure of a man. - -Pendleton, though he had been warned, felt his breath catch and his -skin grow cold and damp. - -"Heavens!" said he, under his breath. "It's the man whose picture we -saw inside there on the wall." - -Even the shock of death could not, so it seemed, drive the sneer from -the thick lips; mockery was frozen in the dead eyes. - -"What a beast he must have been," went on Pendleton. "Like a satyr. I -don't think I ever saw just that type of face before." - -Ashton-Kirk was bending over the body; suddenly he raised himself. - -"There is a heavy bruise on the forehead," said he. "He was felled -first; then bayoneted." - -"Bayoneted!" Pendleton peered at the body. - -"There it is, sticking from his chest." Ashton-Kirk drew aside the -breast of the dead man's coat and his companion caught sight of a -bronze hilt. The broad, sword-like blade had been driven completely -home. - -"If we attempted to move the body," said the investigator, "I should -not be surprised if we found it pinned to the floor. It took brawn to -give that stroke; the man who dealt it made sure of the job." - -With soft, quick steps he crossed the room. The doors of the safes -were locked. - -"If the purpose was robbery," said Ashton-Kirk, "the criminal -evidently knew where to look for the most portable and valuable -articles. There seems to be no indication of anything having been -tampered--" He stopped short, his eyes upon a huge vellum covered tome -which lay open upon the floor. He whistled softly between his teeth. -"General Wayne once more!" he said. - -The volume, as far as Pendleton could see, was a sort of scrap book in -which had been fastened a great number of prints. Upon the two pages -that they could see, six prints had been affixed by the corners. Of -these, four had been torn out and lay upon the floor. - -"Gambetta and John Bright have been spared," said Ashton-Kirk, -pointing at the book, "but," and he gathered up the fragments of the -mishandled prints, "upon Mad Anthony they laid violent hands four -separate times." - -Pendleton wrinkled his brow. - -"Now what the deuce can it mean," he asked, vexedly. "Not only what -did the fellow mean who did this, but what did _he_ mean," pointing at -the dead man, "by having so many portraits of General Wayne?" - -"I think something might be found to point the way if we could only -look for it," said Ashton-Kirk, his face alight with eagerness. "But -we'll have to await the coroner's people." - -"When will they come?" - -The investigator shrugged his shoulders. - -"Probably not for hours," he answered. "However, as the coroner -himself appears to be new in the office, he may be more anxious to get -his work over with than the usual official. In the mean time we'd -better go down and have a talk with Osborne. If I remain here I'll -succumb to temptation, go rummaging about and so get myself into -trouble." - -He turned the knob of the door with the ground glass panel; but it -was fast. They passed into the store room, and so out into the hall. - -"Any signs of the people from the coroner's office?" asked Ashton-Kirk -of the policeman who stood there. - -"Someone just drove up a minute ago," answered the man. "I hear him -down there talking to Osborne now." - -Ashton-Kirk was about to go down when there came a tramping on the -stairs. The big figure of the headquarters detective was first; after -him came a nervous, important looking young man and a stolid-faced old -one. - -With a large gesture Osborne laid his hand upon Ashton-Kirk's -shoulder. - -"Mr. Stillman," said he to the nervous looking young man, "this is Mr. -Ashton-Kirk. I guess you've heard of him." - -The important manner of the young coroner visibly increased as he held -out his hand. - -"I have heard of you frequently, sir," he stated, firmly, "and I am -quite delighted to meet you. More especially, sir, at a time like -this." - -"A very nasty looking affair," returned the investigator. "Osborne has -been good enough to let me glance about," in explanation. - -"I trust," said Stillman, "that you have disturbed nothing." - -"Except for gathering up a few scattered pictures in the bedroom, we -have done nothing but look," assured Ashton-Kirk. - -"I find that the exact conditions must remain if we are to secure even -a fairly good idea of the crime's environments," stated Stillman, -nervously. "It is a thing that I insist upon from the police in every -instance." - -"Sure, sure," said Osborne. "Headquarters does its best never to make -trouble for you, Mr. Stillman." - -The nervous young coroner seemed to be relieved to hear this. He waved -his hand in a gesture that might have meant anything and turned to the -stolid looking, elderly man who accompanied them. They conversed for a -few moments; the stolid man seemed to be explaining something -carefully, to which Stillman listened with the utmost attention. -Osborne bent his head toward Ashton-Kirk. - -"The old party is a left-over in the coroner's office, of many years' -standing," said the detective. "He knows the ropes and puts the newly -elected ones on to the points of the game." - -Stillman finally turned; there was an added importance in his manner, -and his nervousness had also increased. - -"Mr. Osborne," said he, "please let us have what facts the police have -gathered." - -"That won't take long," said Osborne. "Just before daylight--three -o'clock, I think she said--the woman whom Hume employed to scrub the -passage-way and stairs got here. She has almost a dozen such jobs in -the neighborhood, and as she must have them all done before business -begins, she's compelled to get at it early. She has a key to the -street door; so she let herself in, came up these stairs and started -for the far end of the hall, where there is a water tap. She didn't -notice anything unusual until she returned with her pail filled; then -she saw this door," pointing to that of the store room, "standing -open." - -"I see," said Mr. Stillman; and he gazed very hard at the door. - -"Hume, according to the scrub-woman's story," resumed the big man, -"was a queer kind of a chap. You didn't always know just how to take -him. He's lapped up a good bit of booze first and last and sometimes -he's come home pretty well settled. So when the woman sees the door -open, this is the first thing that enters her mind. But to make sure, -she goes into the room and calls him by name. The room's dark and -there's just a touch of daylight coming in through the open door -leading into the front room. So as there was no answer, she takes a -peep in there and sees him on the floor." - -"And is that all she can tell?" - -"Yes; except that she bolted down the stairs in a hurry, met Paulson -here," with a nod to the policeman, who had now discarded his cigar, -"and told him what she had seen." - -"What is her name and address?" - -Osborne consulted a note book. - -"Mrs. Dwyer, 71 Cormant Street," read he. - -"Please make a note of that," said Stillman to his clerk. "And send -for her later in the day." Then turning once more to Osborne, he -continued. "Before doing anything else we will endeavor to find out -how the criminal gained an entrance." - -"That's the way with these Johnnie Newcomers," grumbled Osborne as -Stillman turned once more to his aide. "They want to do it all. Why -don't he go in, look at the body and leave the police business to the -police." - -"Too much earnestness may have its drawbacks," said Ashton-Kirk, "but -it is to be preferred to the perfunctory methods of the accustomed -official, for all." - -"From your angle, maybe so," said Osborne with a frown; "but not from -ours." - -Stillman began rubbing his palms together with what was intended to be -business-like briskness; he stepped up and down the dark hall, peering -right and left. But for all his assumption of confidence, his -nervousness was very apparent. - -"You say," said he to Osborne, "that the scrubwoman unlocked the -street door. Very good. That shows that _it_ was fast at all events. -Now what other means are there of entering the building?" - -"None, except by the fire-escapes and windows. But the windows on this -floor are all secured except for those at the front." - -"Except for those at the front." The young coroner paused in his hand -rubbing. "Would it not have been possible for the person or persons -who did this murder to enter by one of those?" - -"It would have been possible," returned the big headquarters man, "but -no sane person would do it. They'd have to swarm up the face of the -building in full view of anyone that might be passing at the time." - -"Exactly," said Stillman, stiffening under what he was half inclined -to consider a rebuff. "Well, that eliminates _that_ possibility. Now -to the next one. Who occupied the building besides the murdered man?" - -"A man named Berg keeps a delicatessen store on the first floor. His -place in no way communicates with the rest of the building. The third -and fourth floors are used for storage purposes by a furrier. Except -in the spring and fall, so Mrs. Dwyer tells me, he seldom visits the -building." - -"Is there any way of getting in from the top of the house--the roof?" -asked the coroner. - -A look of something like respect came into Osborne's face. Clearly the -question was one which he considered worth while. - -"There is a scuttle," he replied. "The bolt is rusted and broken; it -has probably not been fastened for months, perhaps years." - -"Now we are beginning to come at something," cried Stillman, well -pleased. "In all probability the assassin entered by way of the -scuttle." He turned as though for the approval of the stolid-faced -man. "Eh, Curran? What do you think of that?" - -"It looks very like it, Mr. Stillman." - -"At all events," spoke the coroner, "we will now examine the rooms." - -He advanced and tried the door of the show room. - -"Ah, locked!" said he. He turned and entered the store room, the -others following. The gas was still burning; the coroner stuck a pair -of big-lensed eyeglasses upon his rather high nose and gazed about him -intently. - -"There seems to be nothing of an informing nature here," said he, -after a time. "Where is the body?" - -Osborne led the way into the front room. After a glance at the -ghastly, huddled figure upon the carpet near the desk, the coroner -took a careful survey of the apartment. - -"Did Mr. Hume employ any person to assist him?" he asked. - -"The scrub-woman told me that there was a young man here always when -she came during the business day for her wages. A sort of clerk, she -thought." - -"He will be able to tell us if anything has been disturbed, no doubt," -remarked Stillman. - -Then he examined the body minutely. In the pockets were found a wallet -containing a large sum of money, a massive, old-fashioned gold watch -with a chain running from pocket to pocket of the waist-coat. Upon the -little finger of Hume's left hand was a magnificent diamond. - -"Worth two thousand if it's worth a cent," appraised Osborne. - -"If the criminal had meant robbery these things would unquestionably -have been taken," commented the young coroner. "Eh, Curran?" - -"That is a very safe rule to go by, Mr. Stillman," replied his -assistant, with the utmost stolidity. - -Through his big lenses the coroner gazed curiously at the bronze haft -protruding from the dead man's chest. - -"A bayonet," said he. "Not a common weapon in a crime like this. In -fact, I should say it was rather in the nature of an innovation." - -"It probably belonged in Hume's stock," suggested Osborne. "There -seems to be about everything here." - -But Stillman shook his head. - -"We have already about concluded that the intention of the criminal -was not robbery," stated he. "And now, if we make up our minds that -the bayonet belonged to Hume--that the assassin, in point of fact, -came here without a weapon--it must be that he did not intend murder -either." - -"Maybe he didn't," ventured Osborne. "There might have been a sudden -quarrel. The person who struck that blow may have grabbed up the first -competent looking thing that came to his hand." - -Stillman turned to Ashton-Kirk. - -"That sounds reasonable enough, eh?" - -"Very much so," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -"A bayonet is a most unusual weapon," said the coroner thoughtfully, -readjusting his glasses. "And I think it would be a most awkward thing -to carry around with one. Therefore, it would be a most unlikely -choice for an intending assassin. I am of the opinion," nervously, -"that we may safely say that it was a sudden quarrel which ended in -this," and he gestured with both hands toward the body. - -The safe doors were tried and found locked; a cash register was opened -and found to contain what had been apparently the receipts of the day -before. An examination of the cabinets and cases disclosed hundreds -of ancient coins and other articles the value of which must have been -heavy. But their orderly array had not been disturbed. A long curtain -of faded green material hung from the wall at one side, as though to -screen something from the sunlight and dust. - -"What have we here?" said the coroner. - -He stepped across the store and whisked the curtain aside. A large -gilt frame was disclosed; and from it hung the slashed remains of a -canvas. - -"Hello!" exclaimed Osborne, with interest. "This begins to look like -one of the old affairs that they say Hume's been mixed up in. -Somebody's tried to cut that picture from the frame." - -They examined it carefully. A keen knife had been run around the top -and both sides, close to the frame. The painting hung down, its gray -back displayed forlornly. - -Stillman regarded it with great satisfaction. - -"Here," said he, "we at least have a possible motive." - -Ashton-Kirk took a twisted walking stick from a rack, and with the end -of it, raised the slashed canvas so that its subject could be seen. It -was a heroic equestrian figure of an officer of the American -Revolution. His sword was drawn; his face shone with the light of -battle. - -Pendleton was just about to cry out "General Wayne," when the stick -fell from his friend's hand, the canvas dropping to its former -position. While the others were trying to get it into place once more, -Ashton-Kirk whispered to Pendleton: - -"Say nothing. This is their turn; let them work in their own way. I -will begin where they have finished." - -After a little time spent in a gratified inspection of the painting, -Stillman said: - -"But, gentlemen, let us have a look at the other rooms. There may be -something more." - -They re-passed through the store room and into the living room. -Nothing here took the coroner's attention, and they entered the -bedroom. Both these last had doors leading into the hall; upon their -being tried they were found to be locked. - -The smashed pictures upon the bedroom floor at once took the eye of -Stillman. He regarded the broken places in the plaster and prodded the -slivers of wood and glass with the toe of his shoe with much -complacency. - -"This completes the story," declared he. "It is now plain from end to -end. The criminal entered the building from the roof, made his way -down stairs and gained admittance through the door which the scrub -woman found unlocked. His purpose was to steal the painting in the -front room. - -"In a struggle with Hume, who unexpectedly came upon him, the -intruder killed him. Not knowing the exact location of the picture he -wanted, he first looked for it here. The light probably being bad he -tore down every picture he could reach in order to get a better view -of it. When, at last, he had found the desired work, he set about -cutting it from its frame. But, before he had finished, something -alarmed him, and he fled without the prize." - -The stolid man listened to this with marked approval. Even Osborne -reluctantly whispered to Pendleton: - -"He's doped it out. I didn't think it was in him." - -After a little more, the coroner said to his clerk: - -"I think that is about all. Curran, see to it that the post-mortem is -not delayed. Put a couple of our men on the case, have them make -extensive inquiries in the neighborhood. Any persons who appear to -possess information may be brought to my office at three o'clock. -Especially I desire to see this Mrs. Dwyer, Berg, who keeps the store -on the ground floor and the young man who was employed by Hume. I'll -empanel a jury later." He took off his eye-glasses, placed them in a -case and, in turn, carefully slipped this into his pocket. "At three -o'clock," he repeated. - -"If I should not be intruding," said Ashton-Kirk, "I should like to -be present." - -Stillman smiled with the air of a man triumphant, but who still -desired to show charity. - -"I shall be pleased to see you, sir," he said, "then or at any other -time." - - - - -CHAPTER V - -STILLMAN ASKS QUESTIONS - - -It wanted a few minutes of three o'clock when Ashton-Kirk, still -accompanied by the curious Pendleton, walked into the outer room of -the coroner's suite. - -"Mr. Stillman will be here at any moment now," said Curran. Then -lowering his voice and making a short little gesture from the elbow, -he added: "These people are the ones he wanted to see." - -As he and Pendleton sat down, Ashton-Kirk looked at the persons -referred to. The first was a thin, wiry little woman, unmistakably -Irish, cleanly dressed and with sharp, inquisitive eyes. Engaged in a -low-pitched conversation with her was a thick-necked German, heavy of -paunch and with a fat, red face. The third was a spectacled young Jew, -poring over a huge volume which he seemed to have brought with him. He -had a tremendous head of curling black hair; his clothing was shabby. -There was a rapt expression upon his face; plainly nothing existed for -him at that moment outside the pages of his book. - -After a brief space, the coroner came in, - -"Ah, how do you do, gentlemen," greeted he. He was good-natured and -strove to be easy; but his natural nervousness clung to him. "I am -glad to see you." - -He looked at Curran and nodded at the three inquiringly. - -"Yes, sir," replied the clerk; "these are the parties." - -"Then we will get down to business." He opened a door and entered an -inner room. "Will you come in?" he asked of Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton. - -They followed him at once; and Curran, addressing the little -Irishwoman, said: - -"Now, Mrs. Dwyer, this way, please." - -She arose briskly and also entered the inner room. Stillman seated -himself at a desk and carefully perched his glasses upon his nose. - -"I perhaps take more trouble than is customary in these cases," he -said to Ashton-Kirk. "It is usual to hear statements, I believe, only -when they are proffered as testimony at the inquest. But it seems to -me that the office should be carried on in a more thorough way. -Preparation, I think, is necessary to get at the facts." - -Then he faced the woman who had taken a chair beside the desk. - -"Your full name, please," said he. - -"Honora Dwyer. I'm a widow with four children; I live at 71 Cormant -Street, an' me husban' has been dead these three years," declared she, -in a breath. - -Stillman smiled. - -"You don't believe in keeping anything back, Mrs. Dwyer, I can see -that," said he. "And a very good trait it is." He leaned back in his -swivel chair and looked at her through the glasses. "You are the -person who discovered the body of Mr. Hume, are you not?" - -"Yes, sir, I were," replied Mrs. Dwyer; "and God spare me such another -sight." - -"Tell us about it," said the coroner. - -"I work as scrub woman for a good many in Christie Place an' the -immejeat neighborhood," said Mrs. Dwyer, genteelly. "But I always gets -to Mr. Hume's first." - -"You are quite sure you found the street door locked?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"And you noticed nothing unusual about the place?" - -"Only the open door to the store room, sir. Mr. Hume was always -particular about closing up, sir. For a man who was in the habit of -taking a sup of drink, sir, I'll say he was _very_ particular." - -"When you noticed the door being open you went in at once, I suppose?" - -"No, sir; I did not. After I got me water, I set down on the top step -to get me breath. When I saw the door stan'nin' open, thinks I to -meself, thinks I; 'Mr. Hume is up early this mornin'.' But everything -was quiet as the grave," in a hushed dramatic tone. "Sorra the sound -did I hear. So I gets up and goes in. And in the front room I sees him -lyin'. Mr. Hume was never a handsome man, sir; and he'd gained nothing -in looks by the end he'd met with. God save us, how I ever got out -into the street, I'll never know." - -She rocked to and fro and fanned herself with her apron. - -"It must have been a very severe shock, Mrs. Dwyer," agreed the -coroner. "Now," after a pause, "do you know anything--however slight, -mind you--that would seem to point to who did this thing?" - -Mrs. Dwyer shook her head. - -"Me acquaintance with Mr. Hume was a business one only, sir," she -said. "I never set foot into his place further than the hall except on -the days when I went to get me pay--and this morning, save us from -harm!" - -"You know nothing of his friends then--of his habits?" - -"There is the Jew boy, outside there, that worked for him. He's a -nice, good mannered little felly, and is the only person I ever see -in the office when I went there, barrin' the boss himself. As for Mr. -Hume's habits, I can say only what everybody knows. He were drunk when -he engaged me, and he were drunk the last time I seen him alive." - -"That will be all, Mrs. Dwyer," said Stillman. "Thank you. Curran, -I'll see the young man next." - -As Curran and Mrs. Dwyer went out the young coroner turned to his two -visitors. - -"I am still assured that we have the motive for the crime in the -attempt to steal the painting," he said. "But it will do no harm to -get all the light we can upon every side of the matter. The smallest -clue," importantly, "may prove of the utmost value at the inquest." - -Ashton-Kirk smilingly nodded his entire assent to this. Then Curran -showed in the clerk. - -The young man still carried the thick volume and, when he sat down, -laid it upon a corner of Stillman's desk. Its back was turned toward -Ashton-Kirk and he noted that it was a work on anatomy such as -first-year medical students use. - -"What is your name, please?" asked the coroner. - -"Isidore Brolatsky," replied the young man. - -"You are, or were, employed by Mr. Hume?" - -"As a clerk, yes, sir. I've been with him for some years." Brolatsky -spoke with scarcely a trace of accent. "He didn't pay much, but then -there wasn't much to do, and I had plenty of time to study." - -"Ah," said Stillman, encouragingly. "To study, eh?" - -"Yes. I've taken up medicine. There's a college up town that has night -classes. I have been attending the lectures there and reading during -the day. There's a big chance for physicians who can speak Yiddish. -Not only to make money, but to do good." - -"I see." The coroner regarded him reflectively for a moment. "Now, Mr. -Brolatsky, having worked for Hume for some years, you must have picked -up some details as to his business and himself. Suppose you tell us -all you know about both." - -The dark face of Brolatsky became thoughtful. - -"Mr. Hume was a hard man to get along with," he said. "He seemed ready -to quarrel at any time with anybody. I don't recall a customer ever -coming into the store that he didn't have some kind of trouble with -before they went out. But he had a great knowledge of the things he -dealt in. People came from far and near to get his opinion on items in -their collections. His fees," with appreciation, "were large. - -"But there is one thing that I noticed about him. While he knew all -about objects of art, he did not seem to care for them. He had no love -for his trade, no sympathy, I may say, for the collectors who came to -him. I wouldn't be going far from the truth if I said that he thought -them all fools for paying their money for such things. And I _know_ -that he mocked them." - -"Humph!" Stillman looked at Ashton-Kirk, with surprise upon his face. -"That seems odd. Men usually go into Hume's business through love of -it." He turned once more to Brolatsky. "And he had no hobby of his -own, no collection that he fancied more than another?" - -Brolatsky nodded amusedly. - -"Yes," he replied. "I was just coming to that. He _did_ have a -collection that he called his own. And he never sold an item from it -as long as I was with him. Indeed, I think if anybody had offered to -buy, he would have come to blows with him." - -Ashton-Kirk bent forward. For the first time since entering the room, -he spoke. - -"And what was the nature of that collection?" he inquired eagerly. - -"Portraits," answered Isidore Brolatsky. "Prints, lithographs, -mezzo-tints, engravings, paintings, it made no difference. And all of -the same person. He had hundreds, I guess, and every one of them was -of General Wayne." - -Ashton-Kirk leaned back in his chair with a faint breath of triumph. - -"When a portrait of General Wayne was offered him," continued -Brolatsky, "he never haggled over it. He paid the price asked and -seemed quite delighted to get it. It was a standing joke in the trade -that if you wanted to get even with Mr. Hume for driving a hard -bargain with you, all you had to do was to offer him a portrait of -General Wayne. I never saw him refuse one. Even if he had dozens of -duplicates, which often happened; still he'd buy." - -A look of great acuteness had settled upon the face of the young -coroner. - -"There is a painting at one side of the show room," said he. "It is -under a large green curtain. Is that of General Wayne?" - -"It is," replied the clerk. "And I believe that he valued it more than -anything else that he owned." - -Stillman laughed with pleasure. - -"Now," said he to his visitors, "we are getting at it, indeed. Someone -probably knew of the value he attached to this painting and planned to -steal it, perhaps for a ransom. Hume has been suspected of doing this -sort of thing himself before now. He was supposed to have engaged -someone to do the actual work, I believe, as in the case of the -Whistler portrait of the Duchess of Winterton. Suppose this someone," -and Stillman rapped his knuckles upon the edge of the desk excitedly, -"took the notion to go into the picture stealing business of his own -account. Hume himself with his much prized portrait of General Wayne -was ready at hand--and so," with a sweeping gesture, "what has -happened, has happened." - -Pendleton, much impressed, looked at Ashton-Kirk. But the latter's -thoughts seemed far away; his eyes were fixed upon the wall; his -expression was of delighted anticipation. - -Stillman also noticed this non-attention to his reasoning, and a -little wrinkle of discontent appeared between his brows. So he turned -his gaze upon Brolatsky and spoke rather sharply. - -"Now, as to Mr. Hume's intimates? What do you know of them?" - -Isidore Brolatsky shifted in his chair; his long fingers began to drum -upon his knees. - -"I have known of the matter of the Whistler portrait," said he, "but I -never knew anything more about it than what I read in the newspapers. -It happened before my time." - -"I'm not accusing you," said Stillman. "I'm asking you about Hume's -friends." - -The clerk considered. - -"There was no one that I ever saw or heard of that you could call his -friend, exactly," said he at length. "He made game of people too much -to have any I guess." - -"Had he no associates--no one with whom he spent his time?" - -Brolatsky shook his head. - -"Perhaps so; but then I was only in Christie Place during business -hours. I have heard that he frequently went out at night; but where I -do not know." - -"Was there no one who came to visit him while you were there during -the day. No one whom he spoke of in an intimate way?" - -Again the clerk shook his head. Stillman began to appear nonplussed. -He looked at the other, pondering and frowning through his glasses. - -"Who came most frequently to the store?" he inquired finally. - -"Why, I think Antonio Spatola," said Brolatsky. - -"Was he a customer?" - -The clerk smiled. - -"Oh, no. He's a street musician. You may have seen him often about the -city. He plays the violin and carries some trained cockatoos upon a -perch." - -"What was the nature of his business at Hume's?" - -"If there was anything that Mr. Hume liked better than strong drink," -said the clerk, "it was music. Antonio Spatola would come and play to -him for hours at a time." - -"A lover of music who could stand the playing of a street musician for -hours!" cried Stillman. "That's astonishing." - -"But," protested Brolatsky, "Spatola is a splendid musician. He's -studied his instrument under the greatest masters in Paris, Rome and -other European cities. He has played in the finest orchestras. But he -never could keep a position because of his temper. He's told me -himself that when aroused he doesn't know what he is doing." - -"I understand," said the coroner. "What sort of relations existed -between Hume and Spatola outside the music? Were they friendly?" - -"No, sir. I might say just the reverse. For hours, sometimes, Mr. Hume -would lie back in his chair with his eyes closed listening to the -violin. Then, perhaps, he'd get up suddenly, throw Antonio a dollar or -so and tell him to get out. Or maybe he'd begin to jeer at him. -Antonio had an ambition to become a concert violinist. Ole Bull and -Kubelik had made great successes, he said; and so, why not he? - -"This was usually the point Mr. Hume would take up in mocking him. -He'd call him a curbstone fiddler, and say that he ought to be playing -at barn dances and Italian christenings instead of aspiring to the -platform. Spatola would get frantic with rage, and fairly scream his -resentment at these times. - -"Often Mr. Hume would have him bring his trained cockatoos. And while -he was making them go through their tricks, Mr. Hume would call him a -mountebank, a side show fakir and other things, and tell him that he -ought to stick to that as a business, for he could make a living at -it, where he would starve as a violinist. I've often seen Antonio go -out trembling and white at the lips with rage. Several times he's -tried to injure Mr. Hume--once he took out a knife." - -"Hah!" said the coroner. - -"That was the time Mr. Hume called him 'Mad Anthony.' I also remember -that Mr. Hume pulled aside the curtain and showed him the large -painting of General Wayne, laughing and telling him that that was -another Mad Anthony. He was so successful that day in arousing -Spatola, that always after that, when he was drunk, he'd call the -Italian 'Mad Anthony' and it never failed to infuriate him. - -"Do you know where this man Spatola lives?" - -"In Christie Place, sir; just about half a dozen doors from the store. -I believe he rents a garret there, or something." - -Stillman seemed struck by this. - -"In view of the fact that the building was entered by way of the -scuttle," said he to Ashton-Kirk, "I consider that a most interesting -piece of information." - -"It may indeed prove so," was the non-committal reply. - -Once more the discontented crease showed itself upon the coroner's -forehead; and again as he turned to Brolatsky, his voice rose sharply. - -"Next to Antonio Spatola, who came most to Hume's place while you were -there?" - -"The next most frequent caller," returned the clerk, "was Mr. Allan -Morris." - -Ashton-Kirk, glancing at Pendleton, saw him start. - -"And who," queried the coroner, "is Mr. Allan Morris?" - -"At first I took him to be a customer," replied Brolatsky. "And -perhaps he was. He talked a great deal at times about engraved gems -and would look at lists and works upon the subject. But somehow I got -the notion that that was not just what he came for." - -"What caused you to think that?" asked the coroner. - -"His manner, partly, and then the fact that there seemed something -between Mr. Hume and him--something that I never understood. Mr. -Morris was another one that the boss used to make game of. Not so -much as he would Spatola, but still a good bit. Mr. Morris always took -it with a show of good temper; but underneath I could see that he too -was sometimes furious." - -"About what did Hume deride _him_?" - -"That's what I never could quite make out. It always seemed as though -it was something that Mr. Morris wanted. At first I got the notion -that it was something that he wanted to buy and which Mr. Hume refused -to sell; but later I changed my mind. There seemed to be more to it -than appeared on the top. Both were very secretive about it." - -"I understand." Stillman's face wore a puzzled expression; it was as -though this latter development worried him. But in a few moments he -went on: "Do you know where this man Morris is to be found?" - -"Oh, yes. He's quite well known. Has an office in the Blake Building, -and is employed just now, so I've heard, by the Navy Department." - -"You have visited Christie Place to-day?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Did the police have you look about?" - -"Yes, sir. And so far as I can see, nothing has been taken." - -"The weapon that Hume was killed with, now. Do you know anything -about it--did it belong to the store?" - -"The bayonet? No, sir." - -"Are you sure of that?" earnestly. - -"Positive. It was my duty to keep a complete list of everything we had -in stock. We had other sorts of arms, but no such thing as a bayonet." - -There were a few more questions, but as they drew out nothing of -interest, Stillman signified to Brolatsky that the interview was at an -end. - -"Now, you will go with Mr. Curran to police headquarters on the next -floor," said he, "and tell them what you have told me about this -Antonio Spatola." - -Then he opened the door and stepped out. - -"Curran," they heard him say, importantly. - -"I want you to--" then the door closed, cutting the sentence short. - -Pendleton gazed fixedly at Ashton-Kirk. - -"I say," said he, "I'm not up in this sort of thing at all. I've been -putting two and two together, and it's led me into a deuce of a -state." - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him inquiringly; there was expectancy in the -investigator's eyes, but he said nothing. - -"Perhaps you'll think that I'm all kinds of a fool," continued -Pendleton, "and maybe I am. But here are the things that I'm trying to -marshall in order. I'll take them just as they happened." He held up -one hand and with the other began to check off the counts upon his -fingers. "Yesterday you have a visit--a visit of a professional -nature--from Edyth Vale. Last night she strangely disappears for a -time. At a most unconventional hour this morning I find you at her -door. Then I learn that you are on your way to look into the details -of a murder that you had just heard of--somehow. Now I hear that Allan -Morris, Edyth's fiance, has been, in rather an odd way, upon familiar -terms with the murdered man." - -He paused as he checked this last count, still regarding his friend -fixedly. - -"I don't claim," he went on, after a moment, "that these things have -anything to do with each other. But, somehow, they've got together in -my mind, and I can't--" - -Here the door re-opened and Stillman entered, followed by the big -German. - -"Just take a chair, Mr. Berg," said the coroner, seating himself at -the desk and affixing his eyeglasses. - -The German lowered his form into the chair indicated and folded his -fat hands across his monstrous paunch. - -"Your name in full--is what?" asked Stillman with formality. - -"Franz Berg. I sell me delicatessen at 478 Christie Place. I haf been -there for fifteen years." - -"You were acquainted with the murdered man?" - -The delicatessen dealer unfolded his hands and waved them -significantly. - -"I was aguainted with him--yes. But I was not friendly with him--no. -He is dead, ain't it? Und it's not right to say someding about the -dead. But he was no friend of mine." - -"I understand. But tell me, Mr. Berg, how late do you keep your place -open?" - -"In the summertime--seven o'clock. But after dose theaters open, I -stays me on the chob till twelve, or later somedimes. There is -one--two--three what you call burlesque places, right by me; and no -sooner do they close up, than right away those actor peoples come to -buy. I do a goot business, so I keep open." - -"Then you were there until midnight last night?" - -"More later than that yet." - -"Was there any movement of any sort about Hume's place? Did you see or -hear anything?" - -The great red face of Berg took on a solemn look. - -"It is maybe not ride that I should say somedings," complained he. -"But if the law will not excuse me, I will say it, if it makes some -more trouble or not." - -"It is vitally necessary," stated the young coroner, firmly, "that you -tell me everything you know about this matter." - -"Well," said the delicatessen dealer, reluctantly, "last night as I -stood by my window looking oudside on the street, I see me that -Italian feller go by und turn in at the side door; a second lader I -hear him go up the steps to Hume's place." - -"What Italian fellow do you refer to?" - -"He lifs close by me, a few doors away. His name is Spatola, und he -plays the violin the gurb-stones beside." - -"What time was it that you saw him?" - -"Maybe elefen o'clock. I am not sure. But it was just a little while -before I got me the rush of customers from the theaters." - -"Did you notice his manner? Was there anything unusual in his looks?" - -"I had me only a glimbs of him. He looked about the same as effer. He -was in a hurry, for it rained a liddle; und under his coat yet he -carried his fiddle." - -"If it was under his coat, how do you know it was his fiddle?" - -The German scratched his head in a reflective way. - -"I don't know it," said he at last. "But he somedimes takes his -instrument inside there, und I just get the notion that it was so. -Yes?" - -"When did he come out?" - -The man shook his head. - -"I don'd know," he said. - -"Do you mean that you saw no one come out?" - -"No; I _did_ see someone come out. But first I see me someone else go -in." - -"Ah! And who was that?" - -"I don't know his name; but I had seen him often before. He is a kind -of svell feller. He had a cane und plendy of style." - -"And later you saw someone come out. Now, your use of the word -'someone' leads me to think that you do not know whether it was -Spatola or the stranger." - -"I don'd," said Berg. "I was busy then. I just heard me someone rush -down the stairs, making plendy noise, und I heard that drunken Hume -lift up a window, stick out his head and call some names after him. My -customers laugh und think it's a joke; but I am ashamed such a -disgracefulness to have around my business yet." - -"If Hume called after the person who left," said Stillman, acutely, to -Ashton-Kirk, "that eliminates one of the callers. It proves that Hume -was still alive after the man had gone." - -"That is undoubtedly a fact," replied the investigator. - -Stillman turned upon Berg with dignity. - -"Surely you must have noticed the man if all that uproar attended his -exit. You must have detected enough to mark a difference between an -exceptionally well-dressed man and an Italian street musician." - -Berg shook his big head. - -"It was aboud twelve o'clock in the night-dime, und my customers -besides I had to pay some attention to," stated he. - -The coroner was baffled by the man's positiveness. - -"Well," said he, resignedly. "What else did you see?" - -Berg shook his head once more. - -"Nothing else. Putty soon I closed up and went home." Then a flash of -recollection came into his dull face. "As I went down the street I saw -some lights in Hume's windows. One of them windows was open--maybe the -one he sticked his head out of to call the man names--und I could hear -him laughing like he used to do when he was trying to make a jackass -of some peoples." - -The coroner pondered. At length he said: - -"This object that Spatola carried under his coat, now. Could it have -been a bayonet?" - -"No, no," said Berg with conviction. "It vos too big. It vos bigger as -a half dozen bayonets already." - -This seemed the limit of Berg's knowledge of the night's happenings; -a few more questions and then Stillman dismissed him. The door had -hardly closed when the telephone rang. After a few words, the coroner -hung up the receiver and turned to his visitors. - -"I think," said he, with a smile of satisfaction, "that I've made the -police department sit up a little. They talked to all three of these -people before I had them, and didn't seem to get enough to make a -beginning. But just now," and the smile grew wider, "I've heard that -Osborne is on his way to arrest Antonio Spatola." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -ASHTON-KIRK LOOKS ABOUT - - -Berg was standing in the corridor waiting for the elevator when -Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton came out. The big German mopped his face -with a handkerchief, and said apologetically: - -"A man can only tell what he knows, ain't it?" - -Ashton-Kirk looked at him questioningly, but said nothing. - -"To begin dot guess-work business when you are talking to the law -already, it is dangerous," stated Berg in an explanatory tone. - -"Well," said Ashton-Kirk, "sometimes a good, pointed guess is of great -service, Mr. Berg. And," with a laugh, "as I am not the law and not -the least dangerous, suppose you make the one that I can see you -turning over in your mind." - -"Oh," said Berg, "you are not the coroner's office in?" - -"No; merely interested in this case, that's all." - -The delicatessen dealer looked relieved. - -"I don't want to get people in trouble," said he, guardedly. "But this -is what I guess. Late every night, about the time I shut up my place, -there is a cab comes und by the curbstone stands across the street. I -will not say what is der place it stands in front of; that is not my -business." - -"McCausland's gambling house, perhaps," suggested Ashton-Kirk. - -The big German looked more relieved than ever. - -"Ach, so you know about dot place, eh? All ride. Now I can speak out -and not be afraid to do some harm to nobody." He lowered his voice -still further. "Dot cab came last night as I was locking my door up, -und stands the curbstone by in front of McCausland's, waiting for a -chob. Maybe when I goes away home der driver he sees what happened at -Hume's afterwards, eh?" - -"Excellent!" said Ashton-Kirk, his eyes alight. "Thanks for the hint, -Mr. Berg." - -The delicatessen dealer lumbered into the elevator which had stopped; -Pendleton was about to follow, but his friend detained him, and the -car dropped downward without them. - -"That cab," said Ashton-Kirk, "is sure to be a night-hawk; and more -than likely it is put up at Partridge's. Pardon me a moment." - -There was a telephone booth at one side of the corridor; the speaker -went in and closed the door. After a few moments he came out. - -"Just as I thought," he said, well pleased. "Partridge knew the cab -in a moment. The driver's name is Sams, and he lives at the place they -call the Beehive." He looked at his watch. "It wants but a few minutes -of four," he added, "and a night-hawk cabby will be just about -stirring. The Beehive is only three blocks away; suppose we go around -and look him up." - -Pendleton agreed instantly; and after a brisk walk and a breathless -climb, they found themselves on the fourth floor of a huge brick -building where they had been directed by a meek-looking woman in a -dust-cap. A long hall with a great many doors upon each side, all -looking alike, stretched away before them. - -"It's very plain that the only way to find Mr. Sams is to make a -noise," said Ashton-Kirk. And with that he stalked down the hall, his -heels clattering on the bare boards. "Hello," he cried loudly. "Sams -is wanted! Hello, Sams!" - -A door opened, and a face covered with thick soap suds and surmounted -by a tangle of sandy hair looked out. - -"Hello," growled this person, huskily. "Who wants him?" - -"Very glad to see you, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "We have a small -matter of business with you that will require a few moments of your -time. May we come in?" - -"Sure," said Sams. - -They entered the room, which contained a bed, a trunk, a wash-stand, -and a chair. - -"One of you can take the chair; the other can sit on the trunk," said -the hack driver, nodding toward these articles. Then he proceeded to -strop a razor at one of the windows. "Excuse me if I go on with this -reaping. I must go out and feed the horse, and then get breakfast." - -"You breakfast rather late," commented Ashton-Kirk. - -"I'm lucky to get it at any time, in this business," grumbled Sams. -"Out all night, sleep all day, and get blamed little for it, at that." - -He posed before a small mirror stuck up beside the window and gave the -blade an experimental sweep across his face. Then he turned and asked -inquiringly: - -"Did youse gents want anything particular?" - -"We'd like to ask a question or two regarding what happened last night -in Christie Place." - -The cab driver's forehead corrugated; he closed his razor, laid it -down and shoved his' soapy face toward the speaker. - -"Say," spoke he, roughly. "I drives people wherever they wants to go; -but I don't ask no questions." - -"It's all right, Mr. Sams," said Ashton-Kirk. "The affair that I'm -looking up happened across the street--at Hume's--second floor of -478." - -"Oh!" Sams stared for a moment, then he took up his razor, turned his -back and went on with his shaving. But there was expectancy in his -attitude; and Ashton-Kirk smiled confidently. - -"While you were drawn up in Christie Place, waiting for a fare," he -asked, "did you hear or see anything at 478?" - -"I saw a light on the second floor--something I never saw before at -that hour. And I saw the Dutchman that keeps the store underneath -shutting up. And I heard somebody laughing upstairs," as a second -thought. "I think that's what made me notice the light." - -"Nothing else?" - -Sams shaved and considered. He wiped his razor at last, poured some -water in a bowl and doused his face. Then he took up a towel and began -applying it briskly. - -The investigator, watching him closely, saw that he was not trying to -recall anything. It was plain that the man was merely calculating the -possibilities of harm to himself and patrons if he told what he knew. - -"There has been a murder," said Ashton-Kirk, quietly, thinking to jog -him along. - -Sams threw the towel from him and sat down upon the bed. - -"A murder!" said he, his eyes and mouth wide open. "Well, what do you -know about that." He sat looking from one to the other of them, -dazedly, for a space; then he resumed: "Say, I thought there was -something queer about that stunt of hers!" - -"Tell us about it," suggested Ashton-Kirk, crossing his legs and -clasping one knee with his hands. - -The cabby considered once more. - -"There's lots of things that a guy like me sees that look off color," -he said, at length; "but we can't always pass any remarks about them. -It would be bad for business, you see. But this murder thing's a -different proposition, and here's where I tell it all. Last night -while I was waiting in front of McCausland's, I hears an automobile -turn into the street. It was some time after I got there. I wouldn't -have paid much attention to it, but you see there's a fellow been -trying to get my work with a taxicab, and I thought it was him." - -"And it wasn't?" - -"No, it was a private car--a Maillard, and there was a woman driving -it." - -The chair upon which Pendleton sat was an infirm one; it creaked -sharply as he made a sudden movement. - -"She was going at a low speed," proceeded Sams, "and as she passed -Hume's I noticed her look up at the windows. After she disappeared -there wasn't a sound for a while. You see, nobody hardly ever passes -through Christie Place after one o'clock. Then I hears her coming -back. This time she stopped the car, got out and went to the door that -leads into Hume's place. There she stopped a little, as though she -didn't know whether to go in or not. But at last she went in." - -Pendleton coughed huskily at this point; and his friend glancing at -him saw that his face was white. - -"And up to that time," said Ashton-Kirk, "are you sure that there was -no movement--no sound--in the front room at Hume's?" - -"As far as I noticed, there wasn't. But a few minutes after I heard -the woman go in, I _did_ hear some sounds." - -The man stroked his shaven jaws in the deliberate manner of a person -about to precipitate a crisis. Pendleton leaned toward him, anxiously. - -"What sort of sounds?" he asked. - -"There were two," replied the cab driver. "The first was a revolver -shot; the second came right after, and was a kind of a scream--like -that of a parrot." - -"And what then?" asked Ashton-Kirk, easily. - -"There wasn't anything for a few minutes, anyway. But the revolver -shot had kind of got my attention, so I was taking notice of the -windows. Then suddenly I caught sight of the woman. You see, the -gas-light was near the window and she kind of leaned over and turned -it out. It was only for a time as long as that," and the man snapped -his fingers. "But I saw her plain. Then I heard her coming down the -stairs to the street--almost at a run. She banged the street door shut -after her, jumped into her car and went tearing away as if she was -crazy. I stayed fifteen minutes before I got a fare; but nothing else -happened." - -Pendleton's hand closed hard on the edge of the chair he sat in. There -was a moment's silence; then Ashton-Kirk asked: - -"Just where was your cab standing at this time?" - -"Right in front of McCausland's door." - -"And you were on the box?" - -"Yes." - -The investigator put a piece of money in the man's hand as he and -Pendleton arose and prepared to go. - -"Say," said Sam curiously, "I've been in bed all day and ain't heard a -word of anything. Who's been done up?" - -"Hume. Stabbed in the chest." - -"Shot, you mean." - -"No, I mean stabbed. With a bayonet." - -The man stared wonderingly. - -"G'way," he said. - -They bid him good-day and tramped down the three long flights to the -street. Pendleton was silent, and walked with his head held down. - -"We have more than an hour of good daylight left," said his friend, as -they reached the street. "And as I must have a good unrestricted look -at Hume's apartments before everything is hopelessly changed about, -suppose we go there now. We can get a taxi in the next street." - -"Just a moment," said Pendleton. "Before we take another step in the -matter, Kirk, I must ask a question." - -Ashton-Kirk put his hand upon his friend's shoulder. - -"Don't," said he. "I know just what the question would be, and at the -present time I can't answer it. At this moment, except for some few -theories that I have yet to verify, I am as much puzzled as yourself." - -"But," and there was a tremble in the speaker's voice, "you must -answer me, old chap--and you must answer now." - -The catch in his voice, the expression upon the young man's face -caused Ashton-Kirk to grasp an astonishing fact. The hand that he had -laid upon Pendleton's shoulder tightened as he answered: - -"Yes, Edyth Vale is concerned. As a rule I do not speak of my clients -to others, but in view of what you have already heard and seen, it -would be a waste of words to deny it. But, see here, there are lots of -things we don't know yet about this business. It may look very -different in a few hours. Come." - -Pendleton gazed with sober eyes into the speaker's face for a moment. -Then he said: - -"Let us get the cab; if you are to go over Hume's rooms before dark, -you haven't any too much time." - -At the next corner they signaled a taxicab, and in a short time they -were set down in Christie Place. Paulson, the policeman, was standing -guard. - -"How are you?" he greeted them affably. - -"Been here all day?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"Oh, no. Just come on. I'm the third shift since I saw you last." - -"Nobody has been permitted to go upstairs, I presume?" - -"Only the coroner's man, who came for the body. And they touched -nothing but the body. Our orders were strong on that." - -"Has anything been heard as the result of the post-mortem?" - -"It showed that Hume was in bad shape from too much drink. Then he had -a hard knock on the head, and the wound in his chest." - -"But there was no sign of a bullet wound?" - -"No," said Paulson, surprised. "Nothing like that." - -"Just a moment," said the investigator to Pendleton. He crossed the -street, walked along for a few paces, then paused at the curb and -looked back toward Hume's doorway. Then he returned with quick steps -and an alert look in his eyes. - -"Now we'll go upstairs," he said. - -But before doing so he stopped and examined the lock of the street -door closely; then he mounted the stairs slowly, his glances seeming -to take in everything. At the top he paused, his head bent, apparently -in deep thought. Then he lifted it suddenly, and laughed exultantly. - -"That's it," he said, "I'm quite sure that is it." - -"I wouldn't doubt your word for an instant," said Pendleton, in -something like his old voice. "Whatever it is, I'm quite sure it is if -you say so." - -The policeman on guard in the hall examined them carefully. - -"All right," said he, after they had explained and he had verified it -by calling to his mate at the street door. "Go right to work, gents. -I'm here to see that nobody gets in from above by way of the scuttle, -and I guess I won't be in the way." - -There were three gas branches at intervals along the length of the dim -hall, each with a cluster of four jets. Ashton-Kirk lighted all three -of these and began making a careful examination of the passage. Along -toward the rear was a stairway leading to the floor above. Next this -was a small room in which there was a water tap. At the extreme end of -the hall was a window with a green shade drawn to the bottom. - -Ashton-Kirk regarded this for a moment intently. Then he reached up -and turned off the gas at the branch nearest the window. Daylight -could now be seen through the blind; the investigator pointed and -said: - -"This shows us something. About six inches of the bottom of the blind -is of a decidedly lighter color than the remainder. This is caused by -exposure to the light and indicates that this blind has seldom been -drawn in daylight as it is now." - -He drew back the blind and looked at the side nearest the window. At -the top of the faded space was a heavy dark line. - -"I'll modify that last statement," said he, with satisfaction. "I'll -go as far as to say, now, that the blind has never been drawn since it -was put up. This thick line marks the part that lay across the top of -the roller, and the dust seems never to have been disturbed." - -The gas was lighted once more. - -"Hume did not draw that curtain," said Ashton-Kirk, decidedly. "He -was too careless a man, apparently, to think of such a thing. The -intruders, whoever they were, did it; they had a light, perhaps, and -did not want to be--" - -He paused abruptly here, and Pendleton heard him draw his breath -sharply between his teeth; his eyes were fixed upon the lowermost step -of the flight that led to the floor above. - -One of the gas branches hung here; its full glare was thrown downward. -Following the fixed gaze of his friend, Pendleton saw two partly -burned matches, the stump of a candle, and some traces of tallow which -had fallen from the latter upon the step. To Pendleton's amazement, -his friend dropped to his knees before these as a heathen would before -an idol. With the utmost attention he examined them and the step upon -which they lay. Then he arose, enthusiasm upon his face. - -"Beautiful!" he cried. "I do not recall ever having seen anything just -like it!" He slapped Pendleton upon the back with a heavy, hand. "Pen, -that stump of candle sheds more light than the finest arc lamp ever -manufactured." - -"I'm watching and I'm listening," spoke Pendleton. "Also I'm agitating -my small portion of gray matter. But inspiration, it seems, is not for -me. So I'll have to ask you what these things tell you." - -"Well, they give me a fairly good view of the man who, while he may -not actually have murdered Hume, had much to do with his taking off." -He bent over the lower step once more, then looked up with a smile -upon his face. "What would you say," asked he, "if I told you that I -draw from these things that the gentleman was short, well-dressed, -near-sighted and knew something of the modern German dramatists." - -"I should say," replied Pendleton, firmly, "that you ought to have -your brain looked at. It sounds wrong to me." - -Ashton-Kirk laughed, and started up the stairs toward the third floor. - -"I'll return in a moment," he said. "Don't trouble to come up." - -He was gone but a very little while, and when he returned his face -wore a satisfied look. - -"The bolt of the scuttle is broken, just as Osborne said," he -reported. "And anyone who could gain the roof would have little -difficulty in effecting an entrance." He led the way down the hall, -saying as he went: "Now we'll browse around in the rooms for a while; -then we'll be off to dinner." - -The storage room was entered first as upon the earlier visit, but -Ashton-Kirk wasted but little time upon it. In the front room, -however, he examined things with a minuteness that amazed Pendleton. -And yet everything was done quickly; like a keen-nosed hound, the -investigator went from one object to another; nothing seemed to escape -him, nothing was too small for his attention. One of the first things -that he did was to get a chair and plant it against the lettered door -that led directly into the hall. At the top was a gong with a -spring-hammer, one of the sort that rings its warning whenever the -door is opened; and this the investigator examined with care. - -He then passed into the railed space where the body had lain and where -the darkened trail of blood still bore ghastly testimony to what had -occurred. The man's singular eyes scanned the floor, the walls, the -flat-topped desk. On this last his attention again became riveted; and -once more Pendleton heard his breath drawn sharply between his teeth. - -"When Hume was struck upon the head," said Ashton-Kirk, after a -moment, "he was standing at this desk. He had just sprung up, probably -upon hearing a sound of some kind. See where the chair is pushed back -against the wall, just as he would have pushed it had he arisen -hastily. When he struck he fell across the desk." He pointed to a dark -trickle of blood down the back of the piece of furniture in question. -"That is the result of the blow upon the head, and probably flowed -from the mouth or nostrils. After the first senseless lurch the body -settled back and slid to the position in which it was found. Here is -a blotting pad, a small pair of shears, a box of clips and a letter -scale upon the floor where the sliding body dragged them. The top of -the desk is of polished wood; it is perfectly smooth; there are no -crevices or anything of the sort to catch hold of anything. When the -body slipped from it, it must have swept everything with it, cleanly. -And yet," bending forward over the desk and picking up a minute red -particle, "here, directly in the center, we find this." - -"What is it?" asked Pendleton, eagerly. - -Ashton-Kirk placed the red particle on his palm and held it out. It -was shaped like a keystone, and had apparently been cut from something -that had been printed upon. - -"It is that portion of a railroad ticket which a conductor's punch -bites out, and which litters the floor and the seats in trains. Have -you never had one fall from your clothes after a railroad journey?" - -Pendleton looked at the tiny red fragment, and then at the desk. - -"If Hume fell across the desk, as you've just said," he remarked, -slowly, "and pulled all these other things to the floor with him--why, -Kirk, this bit of card, in the very center of the polished top,--it -must have dropped there afterwards." - -"Exactly," said Ashton-Kirk. "And now, if you don't mind, just step -out into the hall and ask Paulson to come up." - -Pendleton did so; and while he was gone, Ashton-Kirk placed the red -fragment carefully in his card-case. When the other re-entered with -Paulson at his heels, he asked: - -"Have any of the policemen detailed here been out of town recently?" - -"No," replied Paulson. "There have been five besides myself, and they -have been on duty every day." - -"Thank you," said the investigator. And as the policeman went out, he -made his way into the kitchen. Here, however, his examination was -brief, as was that of the bedroom also. At length he paused, his hands -in his pockets, his head thrown back, satisfaction lighting his dark, -keen face. - -"That is all, I think," said he. "There have only been a few pages, -but the print has been exceedingly good and the matter of much -interest." He looked at a clock that ticked solemnly upon a shelf. "We -have half an hour to reach my place and dress," he said. "I'm afraid -that we'll be late, and that Edouard will be annoyed. His cookery is -so exquisitely timed that it is scarcely the better for delay." - -"Wait a minute," said Pendleton, grasping his friend's arm. "What part -did Edyth--Miss Vale--play in all this? I can see you have formed in -your mind some sort of completed action. Where does she come into it?" - -"Completed!" Ashton-Kirk smiled into the pale, set face of his friend. -"You give me too much credit, old chap. I have some undoubted scenes -from the drama; but most of the remainder are merely detached lines -and bits of stage business. As to Miss Vale," here the smile vanished, -"I have been unable to make up my mind just how far she is concerned, -if at all. However, perhaps twenty-four hours will make it all clear -enough. In the meantime I will say this to you: Don't jump to harsh -conclusions, Pen. You know this young lady well. How far do you -suppose she would go to the perpetrating of a downright crime?" - -"Not a step!" answered Pendleton, promptly. - -"Then," said Ashton-Kirk, "until we know positively that she has done -so, stick to that." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE SCHWARTZ-MICHAEL BAYONET - - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton sat in the former's library that evening -after dinner, there came a knock upon the door and Fuller entered -briskly. In his hand he carried a paper parcel which he laid upon a -stand at the investigator's elbow. - -"This is the bayonet, sir," said he. "Mr. Stillman, the coroner, -objected to letting me have it at first, but changed his mind after I -had talked to him for a while." - -"Did you take the photograph to Berg in Christie Place?" - -"Yes, sir. He recognized it at once as that of the person in -question." - -"And you made inquiries upon the other point?" - -"I did. Neither Mr. Stillman nor any of the men who removed the body -of Hume have been out of town within a week. I also questioned Mr. -Osborne; his answer was the same. Brolatsky's reply was similar; and -he also said that Hume had not ridden on a railroad in years." - -"That will be all, Fuller; thank you." - -The brisk young man had reached the door when the investigator added: - -"One moment." - -He scribbled something upon a pad, tore off the leaf and handed it to -his aid. - -"Look these things up at once." - -Fuller took the paper, glanced at it and then replied: - -"Very well, sir." - -Seated in his big chair with the jar of Greek tobacco and sheaf of -brown paper wrappers before him, Ashton-Kirk did not display any haste -in removing the covering from the bayonet that had let the life out of -the art dealer. Rather he sank deeper into the arms of the chair; the -cigarette end became gray and dead between his fingers; the strangely -brilliant eyes closed as though he had fallen asleep. - -But Pendleton, who understood his friend's ways, knew better; the -keen, swift-moving mind was but arranging the developments of the day, -weighing them, giving to each its proper value. A little later and the -eyes would unclose, more than likely alight with some new idea, some -fresh purpose drawn from his reflections. - -And as Pendleton waited he, too, fell into a musing state and also -began marshaling the facts as _he_ saw them. Ashton-Kirk, during -dinner, had told him those regarding the visit of Edyth Vale the day -before. - -"Pen, you know I don't usually do this," the investigator had informed -him. "But as you know so much already, and your feelings in the matter -being what they are, I think it best that you should know more." - -And now Pendleton, as he rolled and consumed cigarette after -cigarette, went over the facts as they had been laid before him. - -"And Morris," said he to himself, as he reached the end of his -friend's recital; "now what sort of a mess has Allan Morris got -himself into? And after he had got into it, why in heaven's name -didn't he keep quiet about it? What good could come from Edyth's -knowing it?" - -Then the fact that Morris had apparently tried to keep his secret from -Miss Vale presented itself. But Pendleton dismissed it with contempt. - -"Tried!" he said to himself. "Of course; but how? By marching up and -down the floor. By a great parade of tragic despair; by sighs and the -wringing of his hands. I've always suspected Morris of being a bit -theatrical--and now I am sure of it." - -He roused himself for a moment, lighted a fresh cigarette and settled -back once more. - -"I'm not Kirk by any means," he reflected, "and this sort of thing is -altogether out of my line. But it seems clear that Edyth--after -leaving here yesterday--received some unexpected news. When she was -here, consulting Kirk, she was, to all appearances, in a -quandary--helpless. She did not know how to proceed; she understood -nothing. But her darting off alone that way after midnight proves that -some sort of a crisis had come up. She had heard something--more -than likely through Morris. He probably," with great contempt, -"became hysterical again, couldn't contain himself and blabbed -everything--whatever it was." - -Then he burst out aloud, angrily. - -"She went to Hume's last night because she had reason to think Morris -would be there. And if the truth were known, Morris _was_ there." - -"My dear fellow," said the voice of Ashton-Kirk, "the truth, upon that -particular point, at least, is known. Allan Morris was at Hume's last -night. He was the man whom Berg saw enter after the musician." - -"How do you know?" asked Pendleton, astonished. - -"Fuller, with a report which he recently made upon Morris, handed me a -photograph of that gentleman. While we were at dinner, Berg identified -the portrait as being that of Hume's secret visitor." - -"I was right, then. Edyth _did_ go there expecting to meet him--to -protect him, perhaps. If you knew her as well as I do, Kirk, you'd -realize that it's just the sort of thing she'd do. But," positively, -"she did not find him there." - -"What makes you think that? There was still one of Hume's visitors -left, when she got there. It may have been Morris." - -"It was Spatola," answered Pendleton, with conviction. "The scream of -the cockatoo which came from Hume's rooms when the pistol was -discharged proves it. When Spatola went in, Berg said he was carrying -something under his coat. Brolatsky told the coroner this morning that -the Italian sometimes brought his trained birds with him when he -called at Hume's. That's what he had last night." - -But Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"At this time," he said, "it will scarcely do to be positive on some -things. Indications are plenty, but they must be worked out. I have -some theories of my own upon the very point that you have just -covered, but I will not venture a decided statement until I have -proven them to the limit. It's the only safe way." - -Pendleton discontentedly hitched forward in his chair. - -"I thought," said he, "that you worked entirely by putting this and -that together." - -"That is precisely what I do," returned Ashton-Kirk. "But I have -found, through experience, that there must be no loose ends left to -hang. Such things are treacherous; you never know when they'll trip -you up and upset all your calculations." He paused a moment and -regarded his friend steadfastly. Then he continued. "But, just now, I -think we had better not trouble ourselves about Edyth Vale and Allan -Morris. To be sure, the latter's connection with the affair is -peculiar; Miss Vale's visit to Hume's last night, the sounds which -Sams heard immediately after she had gone in--her turning out of the -gas and hurried flight, are also strange and significant enough. But -they are perhaps the very end of the story; and it is best never to -begin at the end." - -"Is there any way by which you can begin at what you think is the -beginning?" asked the other. - -Ashton-Kirk took up the parcel which Fuller had laid at his elbow. - -"Here is one way," he answered. "Let us see where it leads us." - -He stripped off the wrapper, and the bayonet which had killed the -numismatist was revealed, blood-clotted and ugly. Carefully the -investigator examined the broad, powerful blade and heavy bronze hilt. - -"A Schwartz-Michael, just as I thought," he said. - -"The maker's name is upon it then?" said Pendleton. - -But the other shook his head. - -"No," said he. "But it happens that I have given some attention to -arms, and the bayonet, though a weapon that is passing, came in for -its share." - -He balanced the murderous-looking thing in his hand and proceeded. - -"There are not many types of bayonets. The first was what they called -a 'Plug,' because it was made to fit into the muzzle of a flint, or -match-lock. Then there was the socket bayonet, the ring bayonet and an -improved weapon invented by an English officer named Chillingworth -which met with much favor in the armies of Europe. But the latest -development is the sword bayonet, of which this is an example. Its -form is a great improvement over the older makes; it is an almost -perfect side arm as well, having a cutting edge, a point, and a grip -exactly like that of a sword. There are a number of makes of this -type; the Schwartz-Michael is one of the least known of these. -Upon its being placed on the market it was adopted by three -governments--Bolivia, Servia, and Turkey--and there it stopped." - -He laid the weapon upon the table and settled himself back in his -chair. - -"It struck me when I first saw the thing," he went on, "that it was a -little singular that a Schwartz-Michael should even find its way into -the United States. Now, it would not surprise me to find an English -revolver in Patagonia, or an American rifle in Thibet, because they -are universally known and used. Any one might carry them. But a -bayonet is different, of course; it is a strictly military arm, and -its utility is limited. That a criminal should select one with which -to commit a murder is unusual; and, further; the fact that the make is -one never introduced into the United States is rather remarkable." - -"It is--a little," agreed Pendleton. - -"It is a small thing, but all clews are small things. Now there are -many ways in which such a weapon might find its way into the country; -but I took the most likely of these as a beginning. Before I dressed -for dinner, I ran over a rather complete card-index system which I -maintain; and within a few minutes learned that the republic of -Bolivia had, within the past year, changed both the rifle and bayonet -used by its army." - -"Well?" asked Pendleton, with interest. - -"When a nation makes such a change, the discarded arms are usually -bought up by some large speculator or dealer in such things. And in -the course of time they find their way to the military goods dealers -who exist all over the world." - -Here Fuller entered the room, and Ashton-Kirk turned to him -inquiringly. - -"Well?" - -"In the morning _Standard_ of April 9th," announced the young man, "I -find an advertisement of Bernstine Brothers relative to a sale of -condemned army equipment." - -"Is anything specified?" - -"They considered it important that high-power modern rifles were to be -sold at a very small price. And they also lay some stress upon the -fact that the stuff had been in use by the Bolivian army." - -Pendleton saw a look of satisfaction come into his friend's eyes. But -there was no other evidence of anything unusual. - -"And now," said the investigator, quietly, "with regard to this other -matter." - -"I find that there are two schools for mutes in this section," -answered Fuller. "But both are some distance out of town." - -The satisfaction in Ashton-Kirk's singular eyes deepened. - -"Excellent," said he. - -"One is on the main line--Kittridge Station; the other is on the -Hammondsville Branch at a place called Cordova." - -"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk. - -And when the door had once more closed behind his aid, the -investigator continued to Pendleton: - -"I figured upon some of the equipment reaching here. Military goods -houses, such as Bernstine's, usually advertise each lot they receive; -and I considered it possible that the murderer might have been -attracted by this notice and procured the weapon from them. If he did, -we may get some trace of him by inquiring at Bernstine's. But," -flinging his arms wide and yawning as though weary of the subject, -"that is work for to-morrow. To-night we will rest and prepare for -what is to come. But in the meantime," arising with enthusiasm, "let -me show you a first edition of the 'Knickerbocker's History of New -York' which I picked up recently." - -He went to his book-shelves and took down two faded volumes. With -eager hands Pendleton took them from him. - -"Original covers!" cried he. "Binding unbroken; in perfect condition -inside; not a spot or a stain anywhere." Then he regarded his friend -with undisguised envy. "Kirk," said he, "you're a lucky dog. You can -dig up more good things than anybody else that I know." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE NEWSPAPERS BEGIN TO PLAY THEIR PART - - -Next morning Ashton-Kirk lounged in a comfortable window-seat, almost -knee-deep in newspapers. The published accounts of the assassination -were, in some instances, very sensational. Drawings, by special -artists of persons concerned, were much in evidence, also half-tones -of the exterior of 478 Christie Place. The names of Osborne and -Stillman figured largely in the types; but what interested the -investigator most was a portrait of the musician--the violinist, -Antonio Spatola, and the story of his arrest. - -The pictured face was that of a young man with a great head of curling -hair. The features were regular, the expression eager and appealing. - -"I would have pronounced him a musician, even if I had not heard that -he was one," said Ashton-Kirk. "The head and face formations have all -the qualities." Then he ran over the story of Spatola's arrest and the -causes that led up to it. At the finish he smiled. "They have tried -and convicted him on the first page. If there was any way for them to -do it, they'd execute him in the evening editions and print his dying -words in the sporting extra. But," and he nodded his head -appreciatively, "Osborne has a good case against him, at that." - -Both the clerk, Isidore Brolatsky, and Berg seemed to have talked -freely to the newspapermen. The character of Hume was treated in a -highly colored manner. The visits of the Italian musician to the -numismatist, his ambition to shine as another Kubelik, his -ungovernable temper, the high words that followed Hume's frequent -sneers at his ambition and the fact that he once drew a knife upon his -tormentor, were presented in full. But what appealed to the -space-writers most was Brolatsky's story of how Hume had once called -Spatola "Mad Anthony," and afterward showed him the portrait of -General Wayne. - -"This apparently drove him frantic," wrote one reporter, "and, noting -this, Hume frequently applied the name to him, and more than likely -displayed the portrait as well. The last time that Spatola visited -Hume was upon the night of the murder. He evidently went to regale the -numismatist with music; for the delicatessen dealer, Berg, saw under -his coat what was evidently his violin. During the course of the -concert, Hume probably resumed his sneers; unable any longer to bear -it, the Italian apparently struck him down, and then in blind rage of -resentment, smashed and otherwise destroyed every one of the Wayne -portraits he could find." - -Fuller came in with another newspaper just about this time and -Ashton-Kirk showed him the story. - -"The _Standard_, then, seems to ignore the theory held by Osborne and -Stillman that the murder was done in an attempt to steal the portrait -found partly cut from the frame," said the assistant after studying -the account. Then, inquiringly, he added: "What do you think of it, -sir?" - -"As a piece of sensational writing, I have no fault to find with it," -said the investigator. "But the _Standard's_ young man is no deep -thinker. The single fact that Hume was a lover of real music should -have shown him that his theory was wrong." - -Fuller considered a moment. - -"I don't think I quite get that," said he. - -"It is simple enough. Hume being sensitive to harmony, asked Spatola -very frequently to play for him; and, according to Brolatsky, paid him -rather well for each performance. To furnish good music, Spatola must -have not only talent, but also a violin that was at least fairly -good." - -"Yes, sir, I see that." - -"Having a violin that was at least fairly good, Spatola, being a poor -man, would take care of it. He would carry it in a case--he would -especially do so in wet or damp weather. And it rained on the night -of the murder. If he carried his violin in a case, there was no need -of his putting it under his coat. And, another thing, a violin case is -of such size as to prevent its being so carried, isn't it?" - -Fuller nodded. - -"I think that's very good," said he. - -"It would have been a very easy thing for the _Standard's_ man to have -made a few inquiries as to whether Spatola used a violin case or no. -If he had done so, I am inclined to think that the answers would have -been in the affirmative. But there is another and more vital point -upon which I would base an objection to the reporter's theory. He says -that, goaded into a rage, Spatola struck his tormentor down. But he -forgets that If the murderer did not visit Hume's with the intention -of doing murder, it was rather a freakish thing for him to provide -himself with a bayonet. However, that is a point that I discussed with -Mr. Stillman yesterday; at first he was inclined to assume a somewhat -similar position." - -"But the broken and cut portraits?" questioned Fuller. - -Ashton-Kirk smiled a little. - -"Probably I shall be able to properly account for them when I return -from a little trip that I am about to take to-day," said he. "That -is," as a sort of afterthought, "if some things turn out as I think -they will." - -Fuller unfolded the newspaper that he had brought in. - -"It is a late edition of the _Star_," he said. "The paper seems to -have scored a beat, for it has some developments that may put a -different face upon everything." - -Ashton-Kirk took the sheet, and as he glanced at the flaring -headlines, he whistled softly. The lines read: - - "MYSTERIOUS WOMAN IN A MOTOR CAR! - - "She Visits 478 Christie Place on the Night of Murder! - - "DID A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN'S HAND DEAL THE DEADLY BLOW? - - "A New Element Added to the Hume Sensation!" - -"The _Star_ man seems to have struck up an acquaintance with Sams," -said Ashton-Kirk, with interest. He thought for a moment, and then -added to Fuller: - -"Tell Stumph when Miss Edyth Vale arrives to show her here at once." - -"Oh, you have been expecting her then?" - -"No: I have not. But I am now." - -After Fuller left the room, the investigator turned eagerly to the -_Star's_ leaded narrative. This laid great stress upon the evident -wealth and dazzling beauty of the mysterious midnight visitor in -Christie Place; and second only to her did they feature the -well-dressed stranger whom Berg had seen enter at Hume's door before -he had closed his own place for the night. The revolver shot that had -followed the woman's entrance and the parrot-like scream which had, in -turn, followed that, lost nothing in the telling. - -"Who was the woman? That is the mystery," the newspaper said in -conclusion. "The hack driver caught but a glimpse of her, and in the -excitement of the moment failed to take the number of the car. But -that the latter was a Maillard he is positive. There are several -headquarter's men following up the clew as this goes to press; and -startling developments are expected at any moment. - -"As to the second man whom the fancy grocer, Berg, saw go into Hume's, -there is a well-founded belief that he is very well known in select -circles and had called at Hume's frequently upon a matter concerning -which both he and Hume were always very secretive. The _Star_ called -up both his apartments and his office, but he had not been seen at -either place on the day after the murder. The clubs of which he is a -member were resorted to, but with no more success. As this gentleman -is known to be engaged to the beautiful heiress of a huge fortune, the -_Star's_ well-known special writer, Nancy Prindeville, was detailed to -get her statement. But a man servant stated that his mistress had -given positive orders that she could not be seen." - -The investigator threw down the paper. - -"Well," said he to himself with a shrug, "that makes it a little -annoying for the young lady. The fact that they refer to Morris when -they speak of a young man 'well known in select circles' will be plain -to everyone, for the facts of Morris' visits have been rather well -exploited in all the other papers. And as newspaper men are not -without daring in their conjectures, I wonder how long it will be -before one of them openly associates the 'beautiful unknown' with -Allan Morris' betrothed. I would, I think, offer even money that the -thing is hinted at before night." - -He sat for some time in the midst of the scattered sheets thinking -deeply; then he pressed the bell call, and Fuller presented himself. - -"I want you to take up the investigation of Hume and Allan Morris -where you left off the other day. Put Burgess, O'Neill and any others -that you desire on the matter. I want _complete_ information, and I -want it _quickly_." - -"Yes, sir," answered Fuller. - -"Follow up anything that promises results concerning Morris' father. -Especially find out if he ever knew Hume. Get every fact that can be -gathered about the latter. You, or rather Burgess, hinted in the -preliminary report that it was thought that he had at one time lived -abroad. If it is possible, establish that fact. In any event, go into -his history as deeply as you can." - -"Very well," said Fuller, with the easy manner of a person accustomed -to carrying out difficult orders. - -As the young man went out at one door, Stumph knocked upon another; -then Miss Edyth Vale, very pale, but entirely composed, was shown into -the room. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -MISS VALE TELLS WHAT SHE KNOWS - - -Ashton-Kirk arose, kicked aside the litter of newspapers, and placed a -chair for his visitor. - -"Your man told me that I was expected," she said. "How did you know -that I would come this morning?" - -"I knew that you'd be sure to read the newspapers," said he. "And I -was pretty confident as to the effect the _Star's_ account would -have." - -She sat down quietly and for a few moments did not speak. A slight -trembling of the lower lip was the only indication of the strain under -which she was laboring. Finally she said: - -"I am very sorry that I deceived you yesterday morning." - -He waved his hand lightly. - -"I was not deceived; so there was no harm done," he explained. - -She began tugging nervously at her gloves, much as she had done a few -mornings before. Her face was still composed; but deep in her -beautiful eyes was an expression of fear. - -"I might have known that I could not do it," she said. "But the -impulse came to me to deny everything as the easiest and safest way -out of it all; and I obeyed it. I was not calm enough to consider the -possible harm that it might do. However," and her firm voice broke a -little, "I suppose the newspapers would have ferreted out the facts in -any event." - -"They are very keen in the pursuit of anything that promises a good -story," agreed the investigator. "But if you had given me the facts as -you intended doing when you called me on the 'phone yesterday morning, -I'd have had twenty-four hours start of them, at least." - -She leaned toward him earnestly. - -"I am going to be frank with you now," she said. "And perhaps it is -not yet too late. I _did_ intend telling you everything when I -telephoned you, but, as I have said, the impulse came to hide it, -instead!" - -"It was fear," said Ashton-Kirk, "and was, perhaps, perfectly natural -under the circumstances." - -"When I left you two mornings ago," said Miss Vale, "I felt easier in -my mind than I had in months before. From what I had heard of you, I -felt sure that the little problem which I had set you would prove -absurdly simple. This feeling clung to me all day; I was light and -happy, and astonished my aunt, Mrs. Page, by consenting to go with -her to Mrs. Barron's that night, a thing that I had been refusing to -do for a long time. - -"Late in the afternoon, Allan--Mr. Morris--came. As soon as I saw him -I knew that something had happened or was about to happen. There was -no color in his face; his eyes had a feverish glitter, his voice was -high pitched and excited. But I did not let him see that I noticed -this. I talked to him quietly about a score of things; and by a most -circuitous route approached the matter that interested me most--our -marriage. - -"To my surprise he plunged into the subject with the greatest -eagerness. Before that, as I have told you, he always did his best to -avoid it; the least mention of it seemed to sadden him, to cause him -pain. But now he discussed it excitedly; apparently it was no longer a -dim, far-off thing, but one which he saw very clearly. As you may -imagine, I was both astonished and delighted. But this was only at -first. In a little while I noticed something in his tone, in his -manner, in his feverish eyes that I did not like." - -She paused for a moment; Ashton-Kirk clasped his knee with both hands -and regarded her with interest. - -"It was a sort of subdued fierceness," continued Miss Vale--"as though -he were setting his face against some invisible force and defying it. -When he mentioned our happiness that was to be, I could see his hands -close tightly, I could read menace in the set of his jaw. As he was -going, he said to me: - -"'There has been something--a something that you've never been able to -understand--keeping us apart. But it is about at an end. Human nature -endures a great deal, sometimes, but it's endurance does not last -forever. To-night, my dear, puts an end to my endurance. I am going to -show what I should have shown long ago--that I'm a man.' - -"Then he went away, and I was frightened. All sorts of possibilities -presented themselves to me--vague, indefinite, formless terrors. I -tried to shake them off, but could not. It became firmly fixed in my -mind that something was going to happen--that Allan was about -to--to--" here the steady voice faltered once more, "to take a step -that would bring danger upon him. - -"And that night I went to Mrs. Barron's as I had promised. I talked to -people--I laughed--I even danced. But never for a moment did the fear -cease gripping at my heart. At last I could stand it no longer. I felt -that I must go to where this danger was confronting Allan; and as the -house in Christie Place was the first that arose in my mind, I went -there. - -"I saw the cab upon the opposite side of the street; and the driver of -it looked at me so hard that I drove on without stopping, as the -newspaper states. But my courage came back in a few moments; I -returned and went in." - -"You halted on the stairs," said Ashton-Kirk. "Why?" - -"Because I saw a light moving about in the hallway above," answered -Miss Vale. Then she added: "But how did you know that I stopped upon -the stairs?" - -"I did not know it," replied Ashton-Kirk. "In his story the cab driver -says you entered at Hume's door and went upstairs. I have found that -the position which his cab occupied at the time was fully fifteen feet -west of Hume's doorway, making it impossible for him to see whether -you went up at once, or not. In the face of what immediately followed -your entrance, or rather, what is said to have followed it, I thought -it reasonable to suppose that you had stopped!" - -"Thank you," said Miss Vale. - -"You say there was a light moving about; but what else did you see?" - -"Nothing." - -"But you heard something?" - -"Yes; the revolver shot, and then the dreadful cry that followed it." - -Ashton-Kirk unclasped his hands from about his knee, placed them upon -the arms of his chair and leaned forward. - -"But between the two--after the shot, and before the cry, you heard a -door close," he said. - -She gave a little gasp of surprise. - -"I did," she said. "I remember it distinctly now that you mention it. -It closed sharply, but not very loudly." - -The investigator leaned back and began drumming upon the arm of his -chair with his long supple fingers. - -"Experience never quite takes away that comfortable feeling of -satisfaction that the proving of a theory gives one," said he. "I -suppose it is a sort of reward that Nature reserves for effort." - -And he smiled at his beautiful visitor's puzzled look, and went on: - -"The cab driver says that the cry resembled that of a parrot or -cockatoo. What do you think?" - -"It was not unlike their scream," said Miss Vale. "But I was too much -startled to think of comparing it to anything at the time!" - -"What happened after you heard this cry?" - -"I waited for some little time, part way up the stairs. Then the light -which I had seen glancing over the walls and across the ceiling, -seemed to halt and die down. After this there was a pause, a stoppage -of everything, and fear took possession of me. Suppose Allan had -really intended visiting the place--suppose he had preceded -me--suppose something dreadful had just happened--something in which -he had had a part! - -"Filled with thoughts like these, I ascended the remaining stairs. -There was a light shining through the lettered glass of the door at -the front; but the hall was deserted; the far end was thick with -shadows. I tried the door where the light was, but it was fast; the -door nearest the stairs was open; I entered by that, and passed into -the front room through a communicating doorway. Then I saw the--the -body, turned out the light, ran stumbling through the rooms and down -the stairs." - -"Why did you turn out the light?" asked the investigator. - -"I don't know. Partly, I suppose, to shut the awful thing upon the -floor from my sight--and partly--" - -She stopped, but Ashton-Kirk completed the sentence for her. - -"And partly with the confused idea that you might hide the deed from -public gaze and in that way save Allan Morris from the consequences of -his crime," said he. - -At this she sprang up, her hands outstretched appealingly; the fear -now plain in her face. - -"No, no!" she cried. "He is not guilty! He did not do it!" - -"My dear young lady," said Ashton-Kirk, soothingly, "control -yourself. Don't forget that before this thing is ended you will -probably need all the self-command you can summon." Then as she -resumed her seat, he added: "I did not say that he was guilty. I was -merely telling you of the formless thought that you had in mind when -you turned out the light." - -She sat staring at him, the horror of it all still in her eyes. Then -she nodded her head slowly, and said in a husky voice. - -"Yes; that is what I thought, and that is why I called you on the -telephone. I thought you would pity me and show me some way of -covering it all up. But after I had your promise to come, I was seized -with the fear that you might--that you might betray him. That is, I -suppose, the real reason why I tried to deceive you. In my terror I -myself thought Allan guilty. But, of course, now that I have had time -to calmly think it over, I know he was not--that he _couldn't_ be! No -one who knows him will believe he did it." - -"What reason had you for thinking that he might be guilty?" - -"His manner during the afternoon before the murder. He seemed so -fiercely resolved, so different from his usual self." - -"I understand. And what makes you think now that he is innocent?" - -"I believe it because I understand his nature," said Miss Vale, -earnestly. "He might be finally aroused--under provocation he might -even be violent. But he could never do a thing like this--it is too -utterly horrible." - -"You have judged that it was probably he who was seen to go into -Hume's before the murder?" - -"Yes." - -"Hume was alive when Berg closed up his shop; he was dead when you -entered his showroom a half hour or so later. Therefore he must have -met his death while the cab driver Sams sat on his box across the -street. Now, while Morris was seen to go in, it is not at all positive -that he was the man who came out. We are not _sure_ that he was not -present when the crime was committed." - -Miss Vale reared her head proudly. - -"Is it possible," she said, "that you are trying to fix this deed upon -Allan Morris?" - -"I am trying to find the real truth," answered Ashton-Kirk, gravely. - -"The police," said Miss Vale, "according to the newspapers, thought -that the criminal gained admission by way of the roof. This may or may -not be so; but I think it is pretty evident that he made his way out -in that manner. I was on the stairs while he was in the hall. He fled, -but as he did not pass me, he must have gone upwards. If Allan Morris -had done this murder he would not have thought of this; not knowing -the section, he would have been ignorant as to where the roof would -lead. But if Spatola were the man who remained, it would have been -different. Do the papers not say that he lives in a garret, or loft, -in the same block? How easy it would have been for him to pass out -upon the roof of 478 after the crime and then over the housetops of -the block until he came to a scuttle which perhaps led into his very -attic?" - -"That," said Ashton-Kirk, "is very well conceived. But it has one -weakness. You are not sure that the murderer _did_ ascend to the roof -after the crime. He may have been lurking in the shadows which you say -were lying so thickly at the end of the hall. He may have been -watching you as you discovered the body, while you ran down the hall -once more and down the stairs. To be sure, you slammed the door behind -you; and so locked it. But like all spring or latch locks, it could be -readily opened from the inside. No one else came out while the cab -driver waited; but that was only for another fifteen minutes, -according to his own statement. The murderer could easily have waited -until he had gone and then slipped out, also locking the door after -him." - -Miss Vale sat staring at the speaker dumbly for a space; then she -asked in a dry, expressionless way: - -"And do you really think this is what happened?" - -Ashton-Kirk shook his head. - -"No," said he. "I merely mentioned it to show you that it is difficult -to be sure of anything in a matter like this until," with a smile, -"you _are_ sure. It is one of the things that may have happened; but -it is also open to question. A criminal whose crime has been -discovered does not ordinarily linger upon the scene. You had just -fled with the terror of the thing fresh upon you. How did he know but -that you might scream it out to everyone you met." - -Again she looked at him mutely. Then she said: - -"What, then, is your theory of the crime?" - -"I have a number of possibilities at this moment," he said. "Of -course, there is one to which I give the preference; but until a thing -is proven beyond question, it is my rule never to outline my -theories." - -Before Miss Vale left she had implored him to do all he could to clear -the matter up, for her sake and for Morris's. "Of course," she said in -conclusion, "I now understand that the entire matter will get into the -papers. It is too late to prevent that. But it is not too late for you -to fix the guilt where it belongs. And I have every confidence that -you will do it. If I had not," and her voice quavered pitifully, "I -don't know what I should do." - -"I will do what I can. Success sometimes comes easily--sometimes one -is forced to fight hard for it. But rest assured that I will do what I -can." - -She was going; he held the library door open for her while the -grave-faced Stumph waited in the hall. - -"It will, perhaps, be necessary for me to see Mr. Morris sometime -during the course of the day," said Ashton-Kirk, as an afterthought. -"Would it be convenient for you to let him know that I can be seen at -six?" - -The fear that his soothing words had driven from her eyes, swept back -into them; he saw her tremble and steady herself against the -door-frame. - -"I cannot let him know," she said. "I have not seen him since--since -the time I have mentioned. I have waited, telephoned, sent messages, -even gone in person. But I could not find him. No one seems to know -anything of his whereabouts." - - - - -CHAPTER X - -ASHTON-KIRK ASKS QUESTIONS - - -For some time after Miss Vale had gone, Ashton-Kirk stood at one of -the windows and looked down at the sordid, surging, dirty crowd in -the street. The worn horses went dispiritedly up and down; the -throaty-voiced men clamored strangely through their beards; children -played in the black ooze of the gutters; women bundled in immense -knitted garments and with their heads wrapped in shawls, haggled over -scatterings of faded, weak looking vegetables. The vendors grew -frantic and eloquent in their combats with these experienced -purchasers; their gestures were high, sharp and loaded with protest. - -Then Pendleton came. He was burdened with newspapers and wore an -excited look. - -"I brought these, thinking that perhaps you had not seen them," he -exclaimed, throwing the dailies among the others upon the floor. "But -I note that your morning's reading has been very complete. Now tell -me, Kirk, what the mischief do you think of all this?" - -"I suppose, you refer to the published reports of the Hume case?" - -"Of course! As far as I am concerned, there is not, just now, any -other thing of consequence on earth." Then he struck the table with -his fist. "And it's all the fault of that cur--Allan Morris! Every bit -of it! There is not a space writer or amateur detective on a single -paper in the city that hasn't his nose to the ground at this minute, -hunting the trail. They are all at it. I stopped at the Vale's on my -way here, but they told me she was not at home. From the top step to -the curb, on my way out, I was stopped four times by stony-faced young -men all anxious to make good with their city editors. 'Was I a friend -of the family? Did Miss Vale seem at all upset by the matter? Where -was Allan Morris? What brought him so frequently, as Brolatsky said, -to see Hume?' I believe they'd have come over the back of my car even -after I started, if I had given but an encouraging look." - -"The evening papers will be a trial to Miss Vale for the next few -days." - -"Well, don't neglect the morning issues, if you are going to mention -any. In to-morrow's _Star_ there will be a portrait of Edyth four -columns wide and eight inches high. I'll expect such expressions as -'beautiful society girl,' 'a recent debutante,' 'heiress to the vast -fortune of the late structural steel king,' 'charming manner and -brilliant mind.' And at those odd times when they are not praising -her gowns, her wealth or her good looks, they'll be rather worse than -insinuating that she knows all about the crime--if she didn't commit -it herself!" - -He paced up and down the floor, his huge motoring coat flapping -distressfully about his legs. His face was flushed. - -"If I had Morris here," he threatened, "I'd show him a few things, the -pup!" Then suddenly he stopped his tramping and faced his friend. "But -now that it is as it is," he demanded, "what are we going to do about -it?" - -"There are quite a number of very sensible things for us to do," -replied Ashton-Kirk, good-humoredly. "And the first of them is to keep -our tempers--the second to keep cool." - -"All right," sulked Pendleton. "I know well enough that I need to do -both. But what next?" - -"Is your car still outside?" - -"Yes." - -"Good. We'll have a little use for it to-day, if you're not otherwise -engaged." - -"Kirk," said Pendleton, earnestly, "until this matter is settled, -don't hesitate to command me. I know that I'm not generally credited -with much serious purpose; but even the lightweight feels -things--sometimes." - -Within half an hour, Ashton-Kirk, in a perfectly fitting, carefully -pressed suit of gray, tan shoes and a light colored knock-about cap, -led the way down to the car. As they got in, he said: - -"We'd better go to Bernstine's first. It's the nearest and on our way -to the station." - -A twenty minute's run through a baffling maze of vehicles brought them -to the curb before a store with a very conspicuous modern front of -plate glass and metal. Inside they inquired for one of the Messrs. -Bernstine; and upon one of the gentlemen presenting himself, -Ashton-Kirk handed him his card. Mr. Bernstine was stout, bald and -affable. - -"I have heard of you, sir," said he, "and I am delighted to be of -service!" - -"Within the last few weeks," said Ashton-Kirk, "you have had a sale of -rifles and other things condemned by the military authorities of -Bolivia." - -Mr. Bernstine wrinkled his smooth forehead in reflection. - -"Bolivia?" said he. "Now let me see." He pondered heavily for a few -moments and then sighed. "You see," he explained, "we sell so many -lots, from so many different places, that we can hardly keep the run -of them. But our books will show," proudly; "everything we do is in -our books." - -He looked down the long, table-crowded store and called loudly: - -"Sime!" - -Sime instantly put in an appearance. He was small, sandy-haired and -freckled; he wore an alert expression and carried a marking pencil -behind his ear. - -"This is our shipping and receiving clerk," said Mr. Bernstine. "He's -up to everything around the place." Then he lowered his voice and -jerked his fat thumb toward the newcomer secretly, addressing -Pendleton: "Clever! Just full of it." - -Sime listened to Ashton-Kirk's question attentively. - -"Yes," he said, in answer, "we had some of that stuff lately. Sold -well, too, considering the time of the year." He pulled open a drawer -and took out a fat, canvas-covered book. "Two gross rifles; one -hundred gross cartridges." He closed the book, tossed it into the -drawer and then slid the drawer shut. "There were a few bayonets, too. -About half a dozen." - -With his round, fat countenance shining with admiration, Mr. Bernstine -once more caught Pendleton's eye. - -"Just full of it," he murmured, sotto voce. "As full as he can be." - -"The bayonets," said Ashton-Kirk, "are what we are after. They were -all sold, I suppose?" - -"Yes," replied Sime. "I remember, when the last one went, saying to -one of our men that we were lucky. You see, bayonets don't sell very -well except to military companies; and _they_ are not organizing every -day." - -"Do you know who bought them?" - -Sime took the marking pencil from behind his ear and proceeded to -scratch his head with its point. Mr. Bernstine watched him anxiously. -But when the shipping clerk pulled open the drawer once more, the -employer's face lighted up. - -"Ah!" said he to Pendleton. "The books! Now we'll have it." - -"They were all taken away by the people who bought them," announced -Sime, after a great flipping of ink spattered pages, "All except one." - -"And that one--" - -"It went by our boy. It was sold to Mr. Cartwright the artist, and was -sent to his studio up here in Fifth St. But there was another--the -last one that we had," suddenly, "and now that I get thinking of it, I -remember we had some trouble about it. The man that bought it was a -Dago." - -Pendleton darted a swift look at Ashton-Kirk, but the investigator's -expression never changed. He looked steadily at the clock. - -"When he asked for the bayonet," proceeded Sime, "I knew we had one -left, but I could not just lay my hands on it. He paid for it and I -said we'd send it to him. He started to give me his address, and then -changed his mind and said he'd come back again." - -"And he did?" - -"Yes; the same afternoon. I had found the thing by that time and he -took it with him." - -"You don't recall the address?" - -To his employer's evident mortification, Sime shook his head. - -"Look in the books," suggested Mr. Bernstine with confidence. "Look in -the books." - -"It ain't there," answered Sime. "He said he'd come back, so I didn't -put it down." - -"Was it Christie Place?" - -Sime pointed at Ashton-Kirk with his pencil. - -"You've got it," said he. "That was it, sure enough." - -"And you think the man was an Italian?" - -"Well, he talked and looked like one. Rather well educated too, I -think." - -Ashton-Kirk thanked the clerk, and the now beaming Mr. Bernstine, and -with Pendleton left the place. - -"Well," said Pendleton, as they climbed into the car, "this about -fixes the thing, doesn't it? The musician, Antonio Spatola, is the -guilty man, beyond a doubt." - -The investigator settled back after giving the chauffeur his next -stop. - -"Beyond a doubt," said he, "is rather an extreme expression. The fact -that the bayonet was purchased by an Italian who gave his address as -Christie Place is not enough to convict Spatola. All sorts of people -live in that street, and there are perhaps other Italians among them." - -Pendleton called out to the chauffeur to stop. - -"We'll settle that at once," said he. "Spatola's picture is in the -papers. We'll ask the clerk if it is that of the man to whom he sold -the weapon." - -But Ashton-Kirk restrained him. - -"I thought of the published portraits while Sime was speaking," said -he. "And I also thought that it was very fortunate that neither he nor -his employer were readers of the newspapers." - -"How do you know that they are not?" - -"If they had read to-day's issues they would have at once connected -the Italian who purchased the bayonet with the one who is said to have -used it--wouldn't they; especially as both Italians lived on the same -street? Bernstine and Sime said nothing because they suspect nothing. -And, as I have said, this is fortunate, because, suspecting nothing, -they will continue," with a smile, "to say nothing. If the police or -reporters got this, they'd swoop down on the trail and perhaps spoil -everything!" - -"But Bernstine or his clerk will hear of the matter sooner or later," -complained Pendleton. "And the police and reporters will then get in -on the thing anyhow." - -"But there will be a delay," said his friend. "And that may be what we -need just now. Perhaps a few hours will mean success. You can never -tell. The best that we could get by explaining matters to Sime would -be a positive identification of Spatola, or the reverse. And we can -get that from him at any time. So you see, we lose nothing by -waiting." - -"I guess that's so," Pendleton acknowledged, and again the car started -forward. At the huge entrance to a railroad station they drew up once -more. - -Within, Ashton-Kirk inquired for the General Passenger Agent and was -directed to the ninth floor. The agent was a slim little man with huge -whiskers of snowy whiteness, and a most dignified manner. - -"Oh, yes," he said, after glancing at the investigator's card. "I have -heard of you, of course. Who," with a little bow, "has not? Indeed, if -I remember aright, this road had the honor to employ you a few years -ago in a matter necessitating some little delicacy of handling. Am I -not right?" - -"And I think it was you," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly, "who provided me -with some very clearly cut facts which were of considerable service." - -The little General Passenger Agent looked pleased and smoothed his -beautiful whiskers softly. - -"I was most happy," said he. - -"Just now," said Ashton-Kirk, "I am engaged in a matter of some -consequence, and once more you can be of assistance to me." - -"Sit down," invited the other, readily. "Sit down, and command me." - -Both Pendleton and the investigator sat down. The latter said to the -passenger agent: - -"I understand that every railroad has a system by which it can tell -which conductor has punched a ticket." - -"Oh, yes. A very simple one. You see the hole left by each punch is -different. One will cut a perfectly round hole, another will be -square, still another will be a triangle, and so on, indefinitely." - -From his card case, Ashton-Kirk produced the small red particle which -he had found upon the desk of the murdered man. - -"Here is a fragment cut from a ticket," he said. "It is shaped like a -keystone. I should like to know, if you can tell me, what train is -taken out by the conductor who uses the keystone punch." - -The agent touched a signal and picked up the end of a tube. - -"The head ticket counter," said he. "At once." Then he laid down the -tube and continued to his visitors. "He is the man who can supply that -sort of information instantly." - -The ticket counter was a heavy-set young man, in spectacles and with -his hair much rumpled. He peered curiously at the strangers. - -"Does any conductor on our lines use a punch which cuts out a -keystone?" inquired the General Passenger Agent. - -"Yes, Purvis," replied the heavy young man. "Runs the Hammondsville -local." - -"I am obliged to you both," said Ashton-Kirk. "This little hint may be -immensely valuable to me. And now," to the agent, "if I could have a -moment with Conductor Purvis, I would be more grateful to you than -ever." - -"His train is out in the shed now," said the ticket counter, looking -at his watch. "Leaves in eight minutes." - -"I'm sorry that I can't have him up here for you," said the passenger -agent. "Just now that is impossible. But," inquiringly, "couldn't you -speak to him down on the platform?" - -"Of course," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -He and Pendleton arose; the little man with the large white whiskers -was thanked once more, as was the heavy young man with the rumpled -hair. - -"You'll find the Hammondsville train at Gate E," the latter informed -them. - -Then the two shot down to the platform level and made their way toward -Gate E. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -PENDLETON IS VASTLY ENLIGHTENED - - -The Hammondsville local was taking on its passengers. It was a sooty -train, made up of three coaches and a combination baggage and smoking -car. The gateman pointed out its conductor, inside, and the two -approached him. - -He was a spare, elderly man with a wrinkled, shrewd face, and a short, -pointed manner of speech. - -"Oh, the General Passenger Agent sent you?" said he, examining them. -"All right. What's wanted?" - -"Your train stops at a station called Cordova, does it not?" - -"It stops at every station on the run. Cordova's one of them." - -"There is an institution at Cordova, I believe?" - -"For deaf and dumb kids--yes." - -"Of course some of the people from there ride in and out with you at -times." - -"I don't get many of the youngsters. But the folks that run the place -often come to the city." - -"You are acquainted with them, of course. I mean in the way that -local conductors come to be acquainted with their regular riders." - -Purvis grinned. - -"Say," said he. "It's hard to get acquainted with some of them asylum -people. There's only a couple of them that can talk!" - -"I see." Pendleton noted Ashton-Kirk's dark eyes fixed steadfastly -upon the man's face as though he desired to read the remainder from -his expression. "There is one of them," continued the investigator, -"whom perhaps you have noticed. He's rather a small man, and wears -thick glasses. He also dresses very carefully, and he wears a silk -hat." - -"Oh, yes," said the conductor, "I know him. He goes in and out quite -often. Very polite too. Always says good day with his fingers; if the -train is crowded, he's a great little fellow for getting up and giving -his seat to the ladies." - -"Have you ever heard his name?" - -"Yes. It's Locke. He's some kind of a teacher." - -Ashton-Kirk thanked the man, and with Pendleton walked through the -gate. As they were descending the stairs to the street, Pendleton -said: - -"And now he wears a silk hat, does he? But you have not made sure of -the man. You forgot to inquire if Mr. Locke favored the German -dramatists." - -For a moment Ashton-Kirk looked puzzled, then he burst into a laugh. - -"Ah," said he, "you remember that." - -"Of course I remember it. How can I forget it? You go prancing about -so like a conjurer that there's not a moment that I don't expect -something. If you finish by dragging the murderer from your sleeve, -I'll not be at all astonished. Your methods lead me to expect some -such a finale." - -"To explain each step as I take it," said the investigator, "would be -much more difficult than the work itself. However the time has now -arrived for me to enlighten you somewhat upon this point, at least. I -am quite convinced that this man Locke played a leading part in the -murder of Hume. He is in a manner definitely placed, and I can speak -of him without fracturing any of my prejudices." - -They got into the car, and Ashton-Kirk continued to the chauffeur: - -"Christie Place." Then to Pendleton, he added as the machine started, -"I want to make some inquiries at the house where Spatola lived; and -in order to make the matter clearer, we'll just drop in at 478." - -As they proceeded along at a bounding pace, the investigator related -to Pendleton what had passed between Edyth Vale and himself a few -hours before. Pendleton drew a great breath of relief. - -"Of course I knew that her part in the matter was something like -that," he said, "but I'm glad to hear it, just the same." He looked at -his friend for a moment and then continued: "But how did you know that -Edyth heard a door close immediately after the pistol shot?" - -They had just drawn up in front of Hume's, and as Ashton-Kirk got out, -he said: - -"If you had only used your eyes as we were going over the place," said -he, "you'd have no occasion to ask that question." - -There was a different policeman at the door; but fortunately he knew -the investigator and they were allowed to enter at once. When about -half way up the stairs, Ashton-Kirk said: - -"This, I think, is about the place where Miss Vale stopped when she -saw the light-rays moving across the ceiling and wall of the hall. You -get the first glimpse of those from this point. Remain here a moment -and I'll try and reproduce what she heard--with the exception of the -cry." - -Pendleton obediently paused upon the stairs; Ashton-Kirk went on up -and disappeared. In a few moments there came a sharp, ringing report, -and Pendleton, dashing up the stairs, saw his friend standing holding -open the showroom door--the one with Hume's name painted upon it. - -"It's the bell," said Ashton-Kirk, pointing to the gong at the top of -the door frame. "When I examined it this morning I saw that it was -screwed up too tight, and knew that it would make a sound much like a -pistol shot to ears not accustomed to it." - -Pendleton stared in amazement at the simplicity of the thing. - -"I see," said he. "While Edyth stood listening on the stairs someone -opened this door!" - -"Yes; someone unacquainted with the place. Otherwise he would have -known of the bell." - -"But how did you know that Edyth heard a door close?" - -"Whoever rang the bell closed the door after him. It has a spring lock -like the street door; and was locked when Miss Vale tried it a few -moments later." - -"You say that the ringing of the bell shows the person who rang the -bell to have been unacquainted with the place. I think you must be -wrong here. Spatola is acquainted with the place; he was here at the -time. This is proven by the scream of the frightened cockatoo which -followed the ringing of the bell." - -"It was not a cockatoo that made the sound," said Ashton-Kirk. "Give -me a moment and I think I can convince you of that." - -The gas in the hall was lighted; the investigator stopped at the foot -of the stairs leading to the fourth floor. - -"Persons," he continued, "who secretly enter buildings, as a rule -never trust to the lighting apparatus of the buildings. One reason for -this is that it is not under their control--another that they cannot -carry their light about with them." - -He pointed to the lowermost step of the flight; there, as before, were -the stump of candle, the burnt matches, the traces of tallow upon the -wood. - -"There were two or more men concerned in this crime," proceeded -Ashton-Kirk, "and that is the method of lighting that they chose--a -candle." - -"Two men! How do you know that?" asked Pendleton. - -"You shall see in a moment," replied the investigator. Then he -continued: "And the candle was used not only for illumination--it -served another purpose, and so supplied me with the first definite -information that my searching had given me up to that time." - -Pendleton looked at the discouraged little candle end, with its long -black wick, the two charred splinters of pine wood and the eccentric -trail of tallow droppings. Then he shook his head. - -"How you could get enlightenment from those things is beyond me," he -said. "But tell me what they indicated." - -"The candle and the match-sticks count for little," said Ashton-Kirk. -"It is the tracings of melted tallow that possess the secret. Look -closely at them. At first glance they may seem the random drippings of -a carelessly held light. But a little study will show you a clearly -defined system contained in them." - -"Well, you might say there were three lines of it," said Pendleton, -after a moment's inspection. - -"Right," said Ashton-Kirk. "Three lines there are, and each follows a -row of tack heads. These latter were, apparently, once driven in to -hold down a step-protector of some sort which has since become worn -out and been removed." - -The speaker took a pad of paper and a pencil from his pocket. Across -the pad he drew three lines one under the other. Then with another -glance at the candle droppings upon the step, he made a copy of them -that looked like this: - -[Illustration: sketch of clue] - -Pendleton bent over the result under the flare of the gas light; and -as he looked his eyes widened. - -"Why," cried he, "they look like a stenographer's word-signs." - -"Good!" said Ashton-Kirk. "And that, my dear fellow, is exactly what -they are. There, scrawled erratically in dripping tallow, is a three -word sentence in Benn Pitman's phonetic characters. It is roughly -done, and may have occupied some minutes; but it is well done, and in -excellent German. I'll write it out for you." - -Then he wrote on the pad in big, plain Roman letters: - - HINTER - WAYNE'S - BILDNISSE - -"There it is," said the investigator, "done into the German language, -line for line. Brush up your knowledge now; let me see you turn it -into English." - -Pendleton, whose German was rusty from long disuse, pondered over the -three words. Suddenly a light shot across his face; then his eyes were -in a blaze. - -"_Behind Wayne's Portrait!_" - -He fairly shouted the words. Astonishment filled him; he was trembling -with excitement. - -"By Heaven," he gasped, "you have it, Kirk. Now I understand the -smashing of the portraits of General Wayne. There was something of -value hidden behind one of them--between the picture and the back! But -what?" - -"It was nothing of any great bulk; the hiding place indicated points -that out, surely," said Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "A document of some -sort, perhaps." - -Pendleton stood for a moment, lost in the wonder of the revelation; -then his mind began to work once more. - -"But I can't understand the writing of the thing upon the step," said -he. - -"It was the fact that it was written that proved to me that there were -at least two men concerned. One knew the hiding place of the coveted -object; and this is how he conveyed the information to his companion," -pointing to the step. - -"But," protested Pendleton, "why did he not put it into words? Surely -it would have been much easier?" - -"Not for this particular person. As it happens, he was a mute." - -Again Pendleton's eyes opened widely; then recollection came to him -and he said: - -"It was Locke--the man concerning whom you were making inquiries of -the railroad conductor!" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded, and replied. - -"And it was he who shrieked when the door of the showroom opened. The -out-cry of a deaf-mute, if you have ever heard one, has the same -squawking, senseless sound as that of a psittaceous bird like the -parrot or cockatoo." - -"But," said Pendleton, "the fact that the man who scrawled these signs -upon the step _was_ a deaf-mute, scarcely justifies the eccentricity -of the thing. Why did he not use a pencil, as you have done?" - -"I can't say exactly, of course. But did it never happen that you were -without a pencil at a time when you needed one rather urgently?" - -"This thing has sort of knocked me off my balance, I suppose," said -Pendleton, rather bewildered. "Don't expect too much of me, Kirk." He -stuffed his hands in his pockets dejectedly and continued: "You now -tell me that this man was a mute. Yesterday you said he was small, -that he was near-sighted, that he was well dressed and knew something -of the modern German dramatists. You also told the conductor that he -wore thick glasses and a silk hat. Now, I suppose I'm all kinds of an -idiot for not understanding how you know these things about a man you -never saw. But I confess it candidly; I _don't_ understand." - -"It all belongs to my method of work," said Ashton-Kirk. "It's simple -enough when you go about it the right way. I have already given you my -reasons for thinking the man who did this," pointing to the step, "to -be a mute. I judged that he was of small stature because he chose the -bottom step upon which to trace his word signs. Even an ordinary sized -man would have selected one higher up." - -"All right," said Pendleton. "That looks good to me, so far." - -"The deductions that he was well dressed and also near-sighted were -from the one source. His hat fell off while he was tracing the signs; -that showed me that he was forced to stoop very close to his work in -order to see what he was about. You see that, don't you?" - -"How did you know his hat fell off?" asked Pendleton, incredulously. - -"Mrs. Dwyer is evidently paid to clean only the hall and lower -stairway," replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "And that she sticks -closely to that arrangement is shown by the condition of this upper -flight. The dust upon the step is rather thick. If you will notice," -and he indicated a place on the second step, "here is a spot where a -round, flat object rested. That this object was a silk hat is -positive. You can see the sharp impress of the nap in the dust; here -is the curl in the exact center of the crown as seen in silk hats -only. And men who wear silk hats are usually well-dressed men." - -"But how can you be at all sure that the hat fell off? Isn't it -possible that he took it off and laid it there?" - -"Possible--yes--but scarcely probable. A well-dressed man is so from -instinct. And his instinctive neatness would hardly permit him to put -his well-kept hat down in the dust." - -"Go on," said Pendleton. - -"The stairs have been used since the hat fell there; but the dust has -not been disturbed. There is a hand-rail on the other side of the -flight, and consequently, all went up and down on that side." - -"I can understand the thick glasses," said Pendleton, "his being -near-sighted suggested those. But what made you think he cared for the -modern German dramatists?" - -"That was a hazard, merely," and the investigator laughed. - -"He knew German and was apparently a man of intelligence. No man who -combines these two things can fail of admiration of Hauptmann, -Sudermann and their brothers of the pen. And then a mute who knew -shorthand well enough to have such ready recourse to it, struck me as -being unusual. They all know the digital sign language; but German and -phonography classed him as one above the ordinary. This knowledge -brought the suggestion of an institution. Then came the suggestion -that he might be an instructor in such an institution. The fragment -from the railroad ticket hinted that the institution might be out of -town. Fuller's research placed two such institutions. The ticket -counter at the railroad office narrowed it down to one. The conductor -of the train all but put his hand on the man." - -There was a short silence. Then Pendleton drew a long breath. - -"Well, Kirk," said he. "I don't mind admitting that you have me -winging. I'll tell you now it's clever; but if I can think of a -stronger word later, I'll work it in instead." - -"We have a pretty positive line on one of the criminals, and we will -now turn to the other," said the investigator, briskly. "It was this -other who committed the murder. The infirmities of Locke, the mute, -made it impossible for him to venture into the rooms. The risks for a -deaf and short-sighted man would be too great. Danger might creep upon -him and he neither hear nor see it. For some reason which I have not -yet discovered, but it may have been distrust, he had not informed his -confederate as to the whereabouts of the object of their entrance. -When they got as far as this hall, he concluded to do so; but as -neither man had a pencil, he conveyed the information as shown; then -the confederate entered Hume's apartments by the door which Mrs. -Dwyer found open. This, by an oversight, may have been left unlocked, -or the criminals may have had a key. However, that does not affect the -case one way or another. - -"It is my opinion that Hume was seated at his desk at this time and -heard the intruder enter the storage room; then pushing back his chair -as we saw it, he arose. The criminal, however, sprang upon and struck -him so expertly that he collapsed without a sound. Then the bayonet -came into play. - -"A search followed for the thing desired--a search, short, sharp and -savage. The murderer either found what he sought, or the footsteps of -Miss Vale upon the stairs frightened him. At any rate he pulled open -the showroom door--the one with the gong; Locke, still in the hall, -screamed and both fled up these stairs to the roof and away." - -Pendleton had waited patiently until his friend finished. Then he -said, with a twinkle in his eye: - -"You say the murderer opened the show room door, the gong rang and -then Locke screamed. Now, old chap, that's not possible. If Locke is -deaf, he couldn't hear the gong; and so there would be no occasion for -him to cry out." - -"I think if you'll go back over what I've really said," spoke -Ashton-Kirk, "you will find that I have made no mention of Locke -crying out because of the gong. I said the murderer opened the door -that has the gong. Then Locke screamed, not because he heard anything, -but because of the sight he saw." - -"Ah!" - -"He caught a glimpse of Hume upon the floor--as we saw him." - -"You think, then, that Locke's intentions were not murder?" - -"At the present time I am led to think so. The confederate either was -forced to kill to save himself, or he had nursed a private scheme of -revenge. And the ferocity of the blow with the bayonet inclines me to -prefer the latter as a theory." - -"That brings us back to both Morris and Spatola," said Pendleton, -gravely. "By all accounts both bore Hume a bitter grudge. But the fact -that both criminals escaped by the roof shows familiarity with the -neighborhood, as Miss Vale pointed out to you. This seems to point to -Spatola." - -"So does the purchase of the bayonet, and in the same indefinite -fashion," said Ashton-Kirk. "But come, we motored to Christie Place -more to inquire about this same Italian than anything else. So let's -set about it." - -They thanked the policeman in charge and left the building. As they -proceeded down the street toward the house in which the newspapers had -informed them Spatola lived, the investigator paused suddenly. - -"I think," said he, "it would be best for us to first see Spatola -himself, and ask a few questions. This might give us the proper point -of view for the remainder." - -And so they once more got into the car; and away they sped toward the -place where the violinist was confined. - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -ANTONIO SPATOLA APPEARS - - -Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton were admitted to the cell room at the City -Hall without question; but a distinct surprise awaited them there. -Through a private door leading from the detectives' quarters they saw -the bulky form of Osborne emerge; and at his heels were Bernstine and -his sandy-haired clerk. - -When Osborne caught sight of Ashton-Kirk he expanded into a wide smile -of satisfaction. - -"Hello!" greeted he. "Glad to see you. You're just in time to see me -turn a new trick. Here's the people that Spatola bought the bayonet -from. How does that strike you?" - -But Bernstine leaned over and said something in a low tone; and the -smile instantly departed. - -"Oh," said Osborne, ruefully, "_this_ is the party who called to see -you, is it?" Then turning to Ashton-Kirk he asked: "How did you get -onto this bayonet business?" - -"Just through thinking it over a little, that's all," answered the -investigator. - -Mr. Bernstine now approached the speaker, a hurt look upon his face. - -"Mr. Ashton-Kirk," said he, "why did you not tell us about this piece -of business? Why did you not enlighten us? How _could_ you go away and -leave us in the dark? We are very much occupied, and have little time -to look at the newspapers. It was only by accident that Sime happened -to see one." Lowering his voice, he added: "There's a smart fellow for -you; he saw the whole thing in an instant. And so we came right here -to do what we can to help justice." He squared his shoulders -importantly. - -"He's seen the bayonet and is prepared to swear to it," stated -Osborne, elated. - -"What of the picture of Spatola in the paper?" asked the investigator. -"Does he recognize that?" - -Osborne's face fell once more. - -"These half-tones done through coarse screens are never any good," -said he. "They'd make Gladstone look like Pontius Pilate. He's going -to have a look at the man himself, and that'll settle it." - -With that a turnkey was dispatched; and in a few moments he returned, -accompanied by a half dozen prisoners; one was a slim, dark young man -with a nervous, expressive look, and a great tangle of curling black -hair. The face was haggard and drawn; the eyes were frightened; the -whole manner of the man had a piteous appeal. - -Osborne turned to Sime. - -"Look them over carefully," directed he. "Take your time." - -"I don't need to," answered the freckled shipping clerk. He pointed to -the dark young man. "That's the man of the picture; but I never seen -him before, anywhere." - -Osborne put his fingers under his collar and pulled as though to -breathe more freely; then he motioned another attendant to take the -remaining prisoners away. - -"I see," said he. "He was too foxy to buy the thing himself. He sent -someone else." Then he fixed his eye on the prisoner and continued: -"We've got the bayonet on you; so you might as well tell us all about -it." - -"I don't understand," said Spatola, anxiously. - -"The easier you make it for us, the easier it will be for you," -Osborne told him. "If you make us sweat, fitting this thing to you, -we'll give you the limit. Don't forget that." - -"I have done nothing," said Spatola, earnestly. "I have done nothing. -And yet you keep me here. Is there not a law?" - -"There is," said Osborne, grimly. "That's what I'm trying to tell you -about. Now, who bought the bayonet?" - -"The bayonet?" Spatola stared. - -"The bayonet that Hume was killed with." - -With a truly Latin gesture of despair, the Italian put his hands to -his forehead. - -"Always Hume," he said. "Always Hume! I can not be free of him. He was -evil!" in a sort of shrill whisper. "Even when he is dead, I am mocked -by him. He was all evil! I believe he was a devil!" - -"That was no reason why you should kill him," said Osborne in the -positive manner of the third degree. - -"I did not kill him," protested Spatola. "There were many times when -it was in my heart to do so. But I did not do it!" - -"I've heard you say all that before," stated Osborne, wearily. Then to -the turnkey: "Take him away, Curtis." - -"Just a moment," interposed Ashton-Kirk. "I came here to have a few -words with this prisoner, and by your leave, I'll speak to him now." - -"All right," replied Osborne. "Help yourself." - -He led Bernstine and Sime out of the cell room; the turnkey, with -professional courtesy, moved away to a safe distance, and Ashton-Kirk -turned to the Italian. - -"You were once first violin with Karlson," said he. "I remember you -well. I always admired your art." - -An eager look came into the prisoner's face. - -"I thank you," he said. "It is not many who will remember in me a man -who once did worthy things. I am young," with despair, "yet how I have -sunken." - -"It is something of a drop," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "From a position of -first violin with Karlson to that of a street musician. How did it -happen?" - -Sadly the young Italian tapped his forehead with one long finger. - -"The fault," he declared, "is here. I have not the--what do you call -it--sense? What happened with Karlson happened a dozen times -before--in Italy, in France, in Spain. I have not the good sense!" - -But justification came into his eyes, and his hands began to -gesticulate eloquently. - -"Karlson is a Swede," with contempt. "The Swedes know the science of -music; but they are hard; they are seldom artists; they cannot -express. And when one of this nation--a man with the ice of his -country in his soul--tried to instruct me how to play the warm music -of my own Italy, I called him a fool!" - -"I see," said the investigator. - -"I am to blame," said Spatola, contritely. "But I could not help it. -He _was_ a fool, and fools seldom like to hear the truth." - -"The Germans, now," said Ashton-Kirk, insinuatingly, "are somewhat -different from the Swedes. Were you ever employed under a German -conductor?" - -"Twice," replied the violinist, with a shrug. "Nobody can deny the art -of the Germans. But they have their faults. They say they know the -violin. And they do; but the Italian has taught them. The violin -belongs to Italy. It was the glory of Cremona, was it not? The tender -hands of the Amatis, of Josef Guarnerius, of old Antonio Stradivari, -placed a soul within the wooden box; and that soul is the soul of -Italy!" - -"Haupt, a German, wrote a treatise on the violin," said Ashton-Kirk. -"If you would read that--" - -"I have read it," cried Spatola. "I have read it! It is like that," -and he snapped his fingers impatiently. - -"But you've probably read a translation in the English or Italian," -insisted the investigator, smoothly. "And all translations lose -something of their vitality, you know." - -"I have read it in the German," declared the Italian; "in his own -language, just as he wrote it. It is nothing." - -Pendleton looked at Ashton-Kirk admiringly; the manner in which his -friend had established the fact that Spatola knew the German language -seemed to him very clever. But Ashton-Kirk made no sign other than -that of interest in the subject upon which they talked. - -"A race that has given the world such musicians as Wagner, Beethoven -and Mozart," said he, "must possess in a tremendous degree the musical -sense. The German knowledge of tone and its combinations is -extraordinary; and their music in turn is as complex as their -psychology and as simple as the improvisation of a child." - -Spatola seemed surprised at this apparent warmth; he looked at -Ashton-Kirk questioningly. - -"And, with all their scholarship, the Germans are so practical," went -on the latter. "Only the other day I came upon a booklet published in -Leipzig that dealt with the difficulty a composer sometimes encounters -in getting the notes on paper when a melody sweeps through his brain. -The writer claimed that the world had lost thousands of inspirations -because of this, and to prevent further loss, he proffered an -invention--a system of--so to speak--musical shorthand." - -A sullen look of suspicion came into Spatola's face; he regarded the -speaker from under lowered brows. - -"Perhaps you don't quite understand the value of such an invention," -proceeded Ashton-Kirk. "But if you had a knowledge of stenography, and -the short cuts it--" - -But the Italian interrupted him brusquely. - -"I know nothing of such things," said he, "and what is more I don't -want to know anything of them." Then in a sharp, angry tone, he added: -"What do you want of me? I am not acquainted with you. Why am I -annoyed like this? Is it always to be so--first one and then another?" - -At this sudden display of resentment, the turnkey approached. - -"I will go back to my cell," Spatola told him, "and please do not -bring me out again. My nerves are bad. I have been worried much of -late and I can't stand it." - -The turnkey looked at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded his head. And, as -Spatola was led gesticulating away, Pendleton said in a low tone of -conviction: - -"I tell you, Kirk, there's your man. Besides the other things against -him, he knows German." - -"But what of the phonographic signs?" - -"He knows them also. His manner proved it. As soon as you mentioned -shorthand he became suspicious and showed uneasiness and anger. I tell -you again," with an air, of finality, "he's your man." - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -A NEW LIGHT ON ALLAN MORRIS - - -From the City Hall the car headed for Christie Place once more; it -halted some half dozen doors from Hume's and the occupants got out. - -The first floor was used by a dealer in second-hand machinery, but at -one side was a long, dingy entry with a rickety, twisting flight of -stairs at the end. Ashton-Kirk rang the bell here, and while they -waited a man who had been seated in the open door of the machine shop -got up and approached them. - -He wore blue overalls and a jumper liberally discolored by plumbago -and other lubricants; a short wooden pipe was held between his teeth, -and a cloth cap sat upon the back of his head. - -"Looking up the Dago?" asked he with a grin. He jerked a dirty thumb -toward the stairs. - -Ashton-Kirk nodded; the man took the wooden pipe from his mouth, blew -out a jet of strong-smelling smoke and said: - -"I knowed he'd put a knife or something into somebody, some day. These -people with bad tempers ought to be chained up short." - -"Do you know him well?" inquired the investigator. - -"Been acquainted with him ever since he's been living here--and that's -going on three years." - -"Did he have many visitors, do you know?" - -The man in the cloth cap pulled at his pipe reflectively. - -"I can't just say," he replied. "But I've been thinking--" he paused -here and examined both young men questioningly. Then he asked: "You're -detectives, ain't you?" - -"Something of that sort," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -The man grinned at this. - -"Oh, all right," said he. "You don't have to come out flat with it if -you don't want to. I ain't one of the kind that you've got to hit with -a mallet to make them catch on to a thing." Here the wooden pipe -seemed to clog; he took a straw from behind his ear and began clearing -the stem carefully. At the same time he added: "As I was saying, I've -been thinking." - -"That," said Ashton-Kirk, giving another tug at the unanswered bell, -"is very commendable." - -"And queer enough, it's been about visitors--here," and the man -pointed with the straw toward the doorway. "Funny kind of people too, -for a house like this." - -"Take a cigar," said Ashton-Kirk. "That pipe seems out of commission." -Then, as the man put the pipe away in the pocket of his jumper and -lighted the proffered cigar, he added: "What do you mean by 'funny -kind of people?'" - -The cigar well lighted, the man in the overalls drew at it with gentle -relish. - -"There's a good many kinds of funny people," said he. "Some of them -you laugh at, and others you don't. These that I mean are the kind you -don't. Now, Mrs. Marx, the woman that keeps this place, is all right -in her way, but it ain't no swell place at that. Her lodgers are -mostly fellows that canvass for different kinds of things; they wear -shiny coats and their shoes are mostly run down at the heels. So when -I see swell business looking guys coming here I got to wondering who -they were. That's only natural, ain't it?" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded, but before he could reply in words there came a -clatter upon the rickety stairs at the far end of the entry. A thin, -slipshod woman with untidy hair and a sharp face paused on the lower -step and looked out at them. - -"What do you want?" she demanded, shrilly. - -Ashton-Kirk, followed by Pendleton, stepped inside and advanced down -the entry. - -"Are you Mrs. Marx?" he inquired. - -"Yes," snapped the woman. "What do you want?" - -"A little information." - -"You're a reporter!" accused the sharp-faced woman. "And let me tell -you that I don't want nothing more to say to no reporters." - -But Ashton-Kirk soothingly denied the accusation. - -"I dare say you've been bothered to death by newspaper men," spoke he. -"But we assure you that--" - -"It don't make no difference," stated the woman, rearing her head -until her long chin pointed straight at them. "I ain't got nothing to -say to nobody. I don't want to get into no trouble." - -"The only way you can possibly get into trouble in this matter," said -the investigator, "is to conceal what you know. An attempt to hide -facts is always considered by the police as a sort of admission of -complicity." - -The woman at this lifted a corner of a soiled apron and applied it to -her eyes. - -"Things is come to a nice pass," she said, vainly endeavoring to -squeeze a tear from eyes to which such things had long been strangers, -"when a respectable woman can't mind her own business in her own -house." - -At this point, Pendleton, who looked discreetly away, caught the -rustle of a crisp bill; and when Mrs. Marx spoke again, her tone had -undergone a decided change. - -"But of course," she said, "if the law asks me anything, I must do -the best I can. I've kept a rooming house for a good many years now, -gentlemen, and this is the first time I have had any notoriety. It is, -I assure you." - -As Ashton-Kirk had seen at a second glance, Mrs. Marx was a lady fully -competent to confront any situation that might arise; so he wasted no -time in soothing her injured feelings. - -"We desire any information that you can give us regarding your lodger, -Antonio Spatola," said he. "Tell us all you know about him." - -"He wasn't a bad-hearted young man," said the landlady, "but for all -that I wish I'd never seen him. If I hadn't then I'd never had this -disgrace come on me." - -Here she made another effort with the corner of her apron; but it was -even more unsuccessful than the first. She gave it up and went on -acidly. - -"Mr. Spatola came here almost three years ago. He was engaged in one -of the vaudeville theaters near here--in the orchestra--and he rented -my second story front at six dollars a week. Except for the fact that -he _would_ play awfully shivery music at all hours of the night, I was -glad to have him. He was quiet and polite; he paid regularly and," -smoothing back the untidy hair, "he gave a kind of tone to the house. - -"But then he lost his position. Had a fight, I understand, with -somebody. For a long time he had no work; he moved from the second -story-front at six dollars a week into the attic at two. When he could -get no place, he went on the street and played; afterwards he got the -trained birds. I didn't like this much. It didn't do the house no good -to have a street fiddler living in it; and then the birds were a -regular nuisance with their noise. But he paid regular, and after a -while he took to keeping the birds in a box in the loft, so I put up -with it." - -"We'll look at his room, if you please," said the investigator. - -Complainingly, the woman led the way up the infirm staircase. At the -fourth floor she pushed open a door and showed them into a long -loft-like room with high ceiling and mansard windows. There came a -squawking and fluttering from somewhere above as they entered. - -"Them's the cockatoos," said the landlady. "They miss Mr. Spatola very -much. When I go to feed them with the stale bread and seed he has here -for them, would you believe it, they'll hardly eat a thing." - -The room was without a floor covering. Upon some rough shelves, nailed -to the wall, were heaps of music. A violin case also lay there. There -were a few chairs, a cot-bed, and a neat pile of books upon a table. -Ashton-Kirk ran over these quickly; they were mostly upon musical -subjects, and in Italian. But some were Spanish, English, German and -French. - -"He was the greatest hand for talking and reading languages," said -Mrs. Marx, wonderingly. "I don't think there was any kind of a -nationality that he couldn't converse with. Mr. Sagon that lives on -the floor below says that his French was elegant, and Mr. Hertz, my -parlor lodger, used to just love to talk German with him. He said his -German was so _high_." - -Ashton-Kirk opened the violin case and looked at the instrument -within. - -"Spatola always carried his violin in this when he went out, I -suppose?" he said, inquiringly. - -"Oh, yes; _that_ one he did. But the one on the wall there," pointing -to a second instrument hanging from a peg, "he never took much care of -that. It's the one he played on the street, you see." - -Her visitors followed the gesture with interest. - -"That was just to clinch a point I made with Fuller this morning," -said the investigator to Pendleton, in explanation. Then to Mrs. Marx -he continued: "Mr. Spatola had visitors from time to time, had he -not?" - -But the woman shook her head. - -"Sometimes he had a pupil who came in the evening. But they never came -more than once or twice; he generally called them thick-heads after -a little, and told them they'd better go back to the grocery or -butcher's shop where they belonged." - -"Are you quite sure that no one else ever called upon him?" - -The woman nodded positively. - -"I'm certain sure of it," she said. "I remember saying more than once -to my gentlemen on the different floors, that Mr. Spatola must be -awfully lonely sometimes. Mr. Crawford would often come up here and -smoke with him and play a game or two of Pedro. Mr. Hertz tried it a -couple of times; but him and Mr. Spatola couldn't hit it very well." - -"How many lodgers have you?" - -"I have rooms for nine. Just now there are seven. But only four are -steadies--Mr. Hertz, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Sagon and Mr. Spatola. Mr. -Hertz is an inspector of the people who canvass for the city -directory; he took the parlor after Mr. Spatola gave it up. He drinks -a little, but he's a perfect gentleman for all that. Mr. Crawford is a -traveling man, and is seldom home; but he pays in advance, so I don't -never worry about him. Mr. Sagon is what they call an expert. He can't -speak much English yet, but sometimes even the government," in an awed -tone, "sends for him to come to the customs house to tell them how -much diamonds are worth, that people bring in. He works for Baum -Brothers and Wright. The others," bulking them as being of no -consequence, "are all gentlemen who are employed on the directory -under Mr. Hertz." - -"Have you any Italian lodgers other than Mr. Spatola?" - -The woman shook her head. - -"No," she said, "and I don't want none, if this is the way they carry -on." - -"Are there any other rooming houses in the street?" - -"No, sir. It's only a block long, and I know every house in it. I'm -the only one as takes lodgers." - -"Are there any Italians in business in the block, or employed in any -of the business places?" - -Mrs. Marx again shook her head positively. - -"Not any." - -"You speak of a Mr. Sagon. Of what nationality is he?" - -"Oh, he's French, but he's lived a long time in Antwerp. That's where -he learned the diamond business. And he must have lived in other -places in Europe; Mr. Spatola says he has spoken of them often." - -Just then there came from below the sound of a heavy voice, singing. -The words were French and the intonation here and there was strange to -Ashton-Kirk. - -"Who is that?" he asked. - -"It's Mr. Sagon," replied the woman. "He's the greatest one for -singing them little French songs." - -"Ah, I have it," said Ashton-Kirk, after a moment. "He's a Basque, of -course. I couldn't place that accent at first." - -A narrow, ladder-like flight of stairs was upon one side. Ashton-Kirk -mounted these and found himself in a smaller loft; a number of -well-kept cockatoos, in cages, set up a harsh screaming at sight of -him. Opening a low door he stepped out upon a tin roof. Mrs. Marx and -Pendleton had followed him, and the former said: - -"The police was up here looking. They said Mr. Spatola came through -the trap-door at Hume's place that night and walked along the roofs -and so down to his own room." - -"That would he very easily done," answered Ashton-Kirk, as his eye -took in the level stretch of roofs. - -After a little more questioning to make sure that the landlady had -missed nothing, they thanked her and left the house. At his door they -saw the man in the cloth cap and overalls. A second and very unwieldy -man, with a flushed, unhealthy looking face, had just stopped to speak -to him. - -He supported himself with one hand on the wall. - -"Hello!" called the machinist to Ashton-Kirk; and as the two -approached him, he said to the unwieldy man: "I stopped you to tell -you these gents had gone in. They're detectives." - -"Oh," said the man, with interest in his wavering eye. "That so." He -regarded the two young men uncertainly for a moment; and then asked: -"Did Mrs. Marx tell you anything?" - -"She didn't seem to know much," answered the investigator. - -The unwieldy man swayed to and fro, an expression of cunning gathering -in his face. The machinist winked and whispered to Pendleton: - -"I don't know his name, but he's one of the lodgers." - -"Marx," declared the unwieldy man, "is a fine lady. But," with an -elaborate wink, "she knows more'n she tells sometimes." The wavering -eye tried to fix the investigator, but failed signally. "It don't do," -he added wisely, "to tell everything you know." - -Ashton-Kirk agreed to this. - -"Marx could tell you something, maybe," said the man. "And then maybe -she couldn't. But, I know _I_ could give you a few hints if I had the -mind--and maybe they'd be valuable hints, too." Here he drew himself -up with much dignity and attempted to throw out his chest. "I'm a -gentleman," he declared. "My name's Hertz. And being a gentleman, I -always try and conduct myself like one. But that's more'n some other -people in Marx's household does." - -"Yes?" - -"Yes, sir. When a gentleman tries to be friendly, I meets him -half-way. But that fellow," and he shook a remonstrating finger at -the door of the lodging-house, "thinks himself better'n other people. -And mind you," with a leer, "maybe he's not as good." - -"Who do you mean--the Dago?" asked the machinist. - -"No; I mean Crawford. A salesman, eh?" The speaker made a gesture as -though pushing something from him with contempt. "Fudge! Travels, does -he? Rot! He can't fool me. And then," with energy, "what did he used -to do so much in Spatola's garret, eh? What did they talk about so -much on the quiet? I ain't saying nothing about nobody, mind you. I'm -a gentleman. My name's Hertz. I don't want to get nobody into trouble. -But if Crawford was such a swell as not to want to speak to a -gentleman in public, why did he hold so many pow-wows in private with -Spatola? That's what I want to know." - -Seeing that the man's befogged intellect would be likely to carry him -on in this strain for an indefinite time, Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton -were about to move on. But they had not gone more than a few yards -when the investigator paused as though struck with an idea. He stepped -back once more and drew a photograph from his pocket. - -"Do you know who this is?" he asked, abruptly, holding it up. - -The unwieldy man swayed gently and waveringly regarded the portrait. - -"Sure!" said he surprisedly, "it's Crawford." - -Ashton-Kirk rejoined his friend; and as they made their way to the -waiting automobile, the latter said; - -"That is a step ahead of me, Kirk, I think. Where did you get a -portrait of this man Crawford?" - -By way of an answer the investigator held up the photograph once more. -Pendleton gave a gasp of amazement. - -"Allan Morris," said he. "_Allan Morris, by George!_" - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -MISS VALE UNEXPECTEDLY APPEARS - - -Edouard, Ashton-Kirk's cook, was astonished and somewhat grieved that -day to receive orders that dinner was to be served an hour earlier -than usual. And Stumph, grave and immobile, was betrayed into an -expression of astonishment when his master and guest sat down to the -same dinner in their work-a-day attire. - -And at best Edouard's delicate art that day received but scant -attention. Stumph could hardly conceive of a more important thing than -the proper and gentlemanly eating of one's dinner. Nevertheless other -things engaged the attention of the two young men; they talked -earnestly and in incomprehensible terms; mysterious allusions were -sprinkled thickly through it all. - -"I do not think," Stumph told the mortified Edouard in the kitchen, -"that Mr. Pendleton has tasted the flavor of a single thing he has -eaten. He listens to Mr. Ashton-Kirk talk; he is surprised at -everything that he is told; there is a trembling in his hands, he is -so eager. No, I don't know what it's about. But then, I never know -what Mr. Ashton-Kirk is about. He is a very remarkable gentleman." - -And no sooner was the dinner completed than Ashton-Kirk's big French -car was brought to the door and both young men got into it. - -"You've looked up the road to Cordova?" inquired Ashton-Kirk of the -chauffeur. - -"Yes, sir," answered the man. "Very good road and almost parallel with -the railroad. No trouble getting there by dark." - -"All right. Get there as soon as you can." - -They cut into a broad asphalted avenue, which eventually led them -through the north suburbs into the country. The April dusk was -settling upon the fields as they raced along; in the isolated houses, -lights were beginning to twinkle; there was a swaying among the trees -and roadside bush; the hum of the flying car must have been borne long -distances; for far away people raised their heads from the finishing -tasks of the day to look at it as it flashed by. - -Pendleton lay back comfortably digesting his dinner, and ticking off -in his mind the case which engrossed him so much. - -"It all tapers down to this," he said to himself. "Hume was murdered -by Locke and a confederate in order that they might gain possession of -something, the nature of which is unknown. Kirk is confident of Locke; -I think he'd even go so far as to give him into custody, if he had -the tangible proofs that the police require. - -"But he lacks enthusiasm in the matter of the confederate. To my mind, -it's Spatola or Morris, or both. Both bore Hume no good will. Morris -has been spending at least part of his time with Spatola under an -assumed name; they are known to have been very much engaged in some -secret matter. Both visited Hume's on the night of the murder. An -Italian purchased the weapon with which the deed was done. A German -sentence was written in shorthand by Locke for his confederate. -Spatola admits he knows German; he grows suspicious when shorthand is -mentioned. And to wind it up, Morris has not been seen at his -apartments, his office, or by his friends, since the murder was -committed." - -At a little unpainted railroad station, the investigator broke in on -Pendleton's thoughts by calling on the chauffeur to stop. There were -the usual signboards on each side of the structure, announcing that -the place was Cordova; and there was the usual knot of loungers that -are always to be found about such places watching with interest the -incoming trains. - -Ashton-Kirk called to one of these. He was a lanky fellow in a -wide-brimmed hat and with a sheep-like look of complacency. - -"What's the best way to Dr. Mercer's place?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -The lanky man reflected. - -"There's three or four ways of getting there," he stated. "You can go -up the pike and turn at Harbison's store; or you can turn down the -lane along there a piece and go along until you come to--" - -"Which is the nearest?" - -"I ain't never passed no judgment on that; but I think the clay road -down toward Plattville would get you there the quickest--if you didn't -get stuck in the ruts." - -"I think we'd better stick to the pike," suggested Pendleton. - -"The pike's the best road," said the lanky man. "All the people from -Mercer's place use it when they drive here to the station." - -Once more the big French car, now with its lamps lighted, sped along -the road; about a mile further on they came to the store referred to -by the man as Harbison's. Here they received instructions as to how to -proceed, by the store-keeper; and after running about four miles along -an indifferent wagon road, they caught the twinkle of many lights off -in the middle of a wide clearing. - -"That must be it," said the investigator. "We'll leave the car here; -to flash up to the door in the quiet of the evening would attract more -attention than would be good for us, perhaps." - -It was now quite dark, but they found a gate a trifle farther on which -opened readily; and so they proceeded along a walk toward a building -which lay blinking at them with its yellow eyes. A deep-throated dog -scented them from off in the distance and gave tongue. As they drew -near to the institution they heard a man calling to the brute to be -still. A little further on the man himself suddenly appeared from -around the corner of a building with a lantern; he flashed this in -their faces as he said: - -"Well, sirs, this is against the rules. We have no visitors except on -Saturdays; and then only within reasonable hours." - -"We would like to speak to Dr. Mercer," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"Dr. Mercer is at dinner," explained the man with the lantern. "He -don't like it much if he's disturbed at such times." - -"We will wait until he has finished; we are in no great hurry." - -The man seemed puzzled as to how to act. With the light held aloft so -that not a feature escaped him, he examined them closely. Apparently -he could see nothing with which to find fault; and so he sighed in a -perplexed fashion. - -"He does not care to have people wait for him," complained the man. -"He gets very angry if he is worried by such things while dining." - -"You need not announce us until he is through," said Ashton-Kirk, -composedly. - -The man hesitated; but finally resolved upon a course and led them up -a flight of stone steps and into a wide hall. The night was raw and a -brisk fire of pine knots burning in an old-fashioned hall fireplace, -made the place very comfortable. - -"If you will be seated, gentlemen," requested their guide, "I will -tell Dr. Mercer of your presence as soon as he has finished." - -They seated themselves obligingly in a couple of low, heavy chairs -near the fire; and then the man left them. The hall was high and -rather bare: the hardwood floor shone brilliantly under the lights; -save for the faint murmur of voices from a near-by room, everything -was still. - -"I should imagine that a place of this sort wouldn't be at all noisy," -observed Pendleton, in a heavy attempt at jocularity. - -Except for a word now and then, they waited in silence for a half -hour; then a door opened and steps were heard in the hall. Both turned -and saw a remarkably small man, perhaps well under five feet, dressed -with great care and walking with a quick nervous step. His head was -very large and partly bald, rearing above his small frame like a -great, bare dome; he carried a silk hat in his hand, and peered -abstractedly through spectacles of remarkable thickness. - -"Locke," breathed Pendleton, as his heart paused for a moment and then -went on with a leap. - -The little man apparently did not see them until he was almost beside -them; then he paused with a start, and his eyes grew owlish behind the -magnifying lenses as he strove to make them out. That he did not -recognize them seemed to worry him; his thin, gray face seemed to grow -grayer and thinner; with a diffident little bow he passed on and out -at the front door. - -"Not a very formidable looking criminal," commented Ashton-Kirk, -quietly. "However, you can seldom judge by appearances. The most -astonishing crime that ever came to my notice was perpetrated by the -meekest and most conventional man I had ever seen." - -They waited for still another space, and then the man who had shown -them in presented himself. He was now without the lantern, but wore a -melancholy look. - -"Dr. Mercer will see you," said he in a low voice. "He is very much -vexed at being disturbed. He'll remember it against me for weeks." He -appeared very much disturbed. - -Ashton-Kirk placed a coin in the speaker's hand; this seemed to have -a bracing effect, for he led them into his employer's presence in a -brighter frame of mind. Dr. Mercer was seated at the table in his -dining-room. A napkin was tucked in his collar, his fat hands were -folded across his stomach, and he was breathing heavily. - -"Gentlemen," spoke he, rolling his eyes around to them, "I trust you -will pardon my not rising. But to exert myself after dining has a most -injurious result sometimes. My digestion is painfully impaired; the -slightest excitement causes me the utmost suffering." - -"I appreciate the fact that we are intruding at a most inconvenient -time," said Ashton-Kirk. "And I beg of you to accept our apologies." - -The eyes of Dr. Mercer, which had the appearance of swimming in fat, -were removed from his visitors, and fixed themselves longingly upon a -great dish filled with a steaming, heavy-looking pudding. His breath -labored in his chest as he replied: - -"The hour _is_ somewhat unusual; but as it happens I have about -finished my dinner, and if your errand is not of a stirring nature, I -should be pleased to have you state it." - -The man placed chairs in such a position that the doctor would not -have to stir to fully observe his visitors. This done he was about to -withdraw; but his employer stopped him at the door. - -"Haines," complained he, "you have not taken my order for breakfast." - -The man paused and seemed much abashed at his neglect. - -"I really beg your pardon, sir," said he. And with that he produced a -pencil and a small book and stood ready. - -"I will have one of those trout that I purchased to-day," directed the -doctor. "Let it be that large, fine one that I was so pleased with," -his swimming eyes ready to float out of his head with anticipation. -"Then I would like some new-laid eggs, some hot cakes, and perhaps a -small piece of steak, if there is any that is tender and tasty. And -mind you," in an nervous afterthought, "tell Mrs. Crane to have it but -rarely done. I will not tolerate it dry and without flavor." He -pondered awhile, apparently much moved by this painful possibility; -then he added: "I may as well have a cereal to begin with, I suppose. -And that will be all with the exception of a few slices from the cold -roast and some white rolls." - -Carefully Haines had taken this down; and after he had read it over at -his employer's order and noted a few alterations and additions, he -departed. For a few moments the doctor's eyes were closed in expectant -rapture; his breathing grew so stertorous that his callers were -becoming alarmed; but he spoke at last, reluctantly, resentfully. - -"I am now ready to hear you, gentlemen, if you please. And kindly -remember that I prohibit anything of an exciting nature at this time." - -"We have heard your school highly spoken of," said Ashton-Kirk. "And -have come to make some inquiries before making up our minds." - -"Ah," breathed Dr. Mercer, solemnly, "you have an afflicted one. Too -bad! Tut, tut, tut, too bad!" - -"There are many institutions of the sort," proceeded the investigator. -"But for the most part they stop at the threshold, so to speak, of -knowledge." - -Dr. Mercer roused himself so far as to unclasp his hands and point -with one finger at the speaker. - -"Sir," said he, in a voice full of grave significance, "they seldom -reach the threshold. A large majority of them are conducted by -dishonest persons. Afflicted youth left in their charge are rarely -properly directed--they rarely acquire that digital dexterity so -necessary to success in their limited lives. The isolated brain, so to -call it, is seldom more than half awakened. Unless it is intelligently -approached, the shadows are never thoroughly dispelled." - -Here he paused, panting distressedly; his eyes were filled with -reproach as he relapsed into his first attitude; and his manner was -that of one who mutely begged that no further tasks be thrust upon -him. - -"The difference in institutions of this type lies mainly in the -methods employed, I believe," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"In the methods--and in the persons who apply them," replied Dr. -Mercer in a smothered tone. - -"To be sure. I have heard something of your teaching staff. It is a -very excellent one, is it not?" - -"The best in the world." The soft, fat, white hands of the doctor -again unclasped themselves; and this time both of them were employed -in a faintly traced gesture. "We employ scientists. We do not stop at -what you have correctly called the threshold. We explore the entire -structure of the intellect. Our Professor Locke, himself an afflicted -one, is a man of vast erudition--a scholar of an advanced type, a -philosopher whose adventures into the field of psychology and natural -science is widely known. He has charge of the practical work of the -Mercer Institute, and under him its results are positive and unique." - -"We have heard of Professor Locke," and, drily, "have seen some of his -work." - -"If you had stated your business before--ah--coming in to me," spoke -the doctor, "you might have had an opportunity of consulting him. He -left for his cottage immediately after dining." - -"He does not live here, then?" - -"Not in this building--no. There is a detached cottage at the far end -of the grounds which he occupies. If you'd like to see him," and the -heavy jowls of the speaker trembled with eagerness, "Haines will show -you there at once." - -"If it is no trouble," said Ashton-Kirk, smoothly. - -"Not in the least." The doctor rang for his man, and when he entered, -said: "These gentlemen would like to speak to Professor Locke. Show -them the way to his house. And, gentlemen," to the callers, with -anxiety, "the professor can arrange everything with you. It is my -habit to nod for a half hour after dinner. My system has grown to -expect it, and if I am deprived of it, I suffer considerably in -consequence." - -"We will not trouble you again, doctor," Ashton-Kirk assured him. -"Thank you, and good-night." - -Once more outside, the man led them along a foot-path that seemed to -cut the institution grounds in two. The rays of his lantern danced -along the carefully kept lawn; the shadowy trees seemed to move -backward and forward, as the thin beams wavered among them. - -"The professor lives a good piece away," the man informed them. "Away -over on the county road." - -"Prefers to be alone, eh?" - -"I suppose so, sir. And then he has his laboratory and work-shop -there, well away from interruption. He don't like to be much disturbed -while he is engaged in his studies." - -"Few of us do," said Pendleton. - -"Quite right, sir." - -They walked along in silence for a time; then they caught a clear -humming noise from some distance ahead. - -"A motor car," said Pendleton. - -"It's on the county road," said the man with the light. "We always -hear them when the wind blows from that direction." - -After some fifteen minutes' steady walking they saw a long twinkling -shaft of light coming from among the trees. - -"That's the house," said Haines. "I hope the professor ain't busy; you -wouldn't believe what a blowing up he can give a body with his fingers -when he's vexed. I'd almost rather have the doctor himself; though, as -a rule, the professor is a very nice gentleman." - -The house was a brick structure of two stories and dimly lighted on -the lower floor. Near by was a long, shed-like building, the windows -of which were brilliantly lighted. - -"He's at work," said Haines, in a troubled tone. "And in the shop too! -If it was even the laboratory, it wouldn't be so bad. But he _does_ -get so interested in the shop. That machine means more to him, -whatever it is, than anything else about the place." - -There came a harsh burring sound from within both the shop and the -house. Haines seemed surprised. - -"Visitors," he said. "He seldom has one; and I never knew any to come -at night before." - -They saw the figure of Locke cross one of the shed windows toward a -door. And just then Ashton-Kirk stumbled rather heavily against -Haines; the lantern dropped to the ground and was extinguished. - -"I beg your pardon," said the investigator in a rueful tone; then he -began to rub his shins. "That was rather hard, whatever it was." - -The door of the building opened and Locke appeared; his great bald -head shone in the light that streamed after him; and it was thrust -forward as he strove to penetrate the darkness ahead. - -"He feels the vibrations of those buzzers," Haines told them, "and -knows right away when anyone wants to get in." - -He began fumbling with the lantern as Locke disappeared; but -Ashton-Kirk said to him: - -"You need not light that. We can see very well. And, on second -thought, you need not wait, either. We can introduce ourselves to -Professor Locke without troubling you further." - -"Thank you, sir," said the man, vastly relieved. "They all have queer -dispositions, you see, and I don't like to trouble them." - -At once Haines made his way back along the path by which they had -approached; some distance away they saw him kindle his lantern, and -then watched the yellow spark as it glanced fitfully away across the -grounds. - -The cottage and work-shop of Professor Locke appeared to be set back -some little distance from what Haines had called the county road; a -grove of tall trees thickened the shadows all about, and it was into -these trees that the professor had gone. - -"The buzzer must have the button that sounds it attached to a gate -opening upon the road," said Pendleton. - -They stood for a short time in silence; then Pendleton nudged his -friend with an elbow. - -"Look," he whispered. "There at the door of the shed." - -Ashton-Kirk did so. And he was just in time to see a large, iron-gray -head, a craggy, powerful face, and a pair of thick shoulders; the -expression and attitude were those of a man listening intently. Almost -instantly, as Ashton-Kirk's gaze fell upon him, the man withdrew. - -"Humph," exclaimed Pendleton under his breath. "Who's that, I wonder?" - -They waited for some time longer in silence. But the little man did -not return, nor did the head appear again at the shop door. -Ashton-Kirk appeared puzzled. - -"Locke intended returning at once," he said to Pendleton. "Otherwise -he would have closed his work-shop door." Then his eyes wandered -toward the house, and his grip closed tightly upon his companion's -arm. "Look," whispered he, in his turn. - -Pendleton's gaze flew toward the house. The lower windows had been -dimly lighted when they approached; but now the glow from them was -high and brilliant. In one of the rooms they saw Locke; he was -striding up and down, his hands clinched and gesturing, his face -upturned, writhing hideously. Seated at a table, calmly engaged in -examining something traced upon a sheet of paper, and apparently not -paying the slightest attention to the gesticulating man, was a young -woman. And Pendleton felt himself grow suddenly faint and sick as he -recognized Edyth Vale. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -MISS VALE DEPARTS SUDDENLY - - -For a moment there was a silence between the two men; then Ashton-Kirk -said, dryly: - -"Miss Vale has, apparently, not been altogether frank with us in this -matter." - -"You think then--" began Pendleton in a voice of terror. But -Ashton-Kirk stopped him. - -"I think many things," said he. "But they are neither here nor there. -Facts are what count. Put the circumstances together for yourself and -see where they lead you. Miss Vale has been from the first mixed up -more or less in this crime. She explained. As far as I knew the -explanation was made in good faith. Now we find her here in this -lonely place, quietly engaged with a man whom I have convinced myself -is one of Hume's murderers." - -There was another pause; this time it was Pendleton who broke the -silence. - -"As you say," spoke he, in a strange, throaty sort of tone, "she has -not been quite frank. Take all the circumstances together and they -seem to point--" - -He paused as though quite unable to finish. Ashton-Kirk laid a hand -upon his shoulder. - -"Imagination is a thing that is vitally necessary in this sort of -work," said he. "But it must be held in check by reason. The great -trouble with an amateur is that he reasons up to a certain point; then -he allows his imagination to take a long leap toward a result. The -upshot is that his results have seldom anything to support them. The -correct method, I think, is to allow the imagination to scurry ahead -in the way that is natural to it; but reason must follow close behind, -proving each step of the way. To be sure, you may have theories, -hypotheses, ideas without end, but you must never take them for -granted. Select each in its turn, place it in a tube as the chemist -does, add a few drops of reason, and you may produce a fact. It is the -only way to go about it. Once a man becomes fixed in a belief, be -there ever so little foundation for it, his mind stops revolving the -subject; further procedure is hopeless." - -"I understand all that well enough," said Pendleton. "But," and he -waved his hand toward the house, "what does _this_ mean?" - -"I don't know," said Ashton-Kirk. "And neither do you. So--that being -the case--there is but one thing to do--find out." - -They gazed toward the window once more, Miss Vale had apparently -mastered the contents of the paper, and was now engaged in writing -rapidly. As the young men watched, she stopped, read carefully what -she had written, and then handed it to Locke. The mute carried the -paper to the light, and holding it very near to his eyes read it with -much attention; then he tore it into strips, placed it upon the red -coals of a stove which stood near him and watched it burn. Facing Miss -Vale, his fingers began to fly rapidly in intricate signs. This only -lasted a moment, however; for he stopped, gestured passionately, -seized a pad of paper and began to write. - -While he was thus engaged, Ashton-Kirk said to Pendleton in a low -tone: - -"Remain here for a moment." - -Then slowly, carefully, the investigator made his way toward the -window through which Miss Vale and Locke were to be seen. - -Heavy beams of light shot across the ground from the windows; but here -and there were trails of shadow. He clung to these until he had -reached the shelter of the walls; then to Pendleton's amazement he -stepped directly in front of the window through which the two were to -be seen, rapped smartly upon the glass, and remained standing in full -view, of the two in the room. - -[Illustration: HE RAPPED SMARTLY ON THE WINDOW] - -Pendleton saw the pad drop from Locke's hands; he saw the mute wheel -as he felt the vibrations and stare at the window, his eyes puckered -and straining. He also saw Miss Vale rise, saw her hands thrown out in -a gesture much like despair; and also he heard the cry that she -uttered, muffled by the confines of the room, but full of fear. Then -the room was plunged into darkness; an instant later a door was heard -to open; the sound of quick-moving feet came to him; there followed -the pulsations of a motor and the racing of a car away into the night. - -"She's off," breathed the young man, and there was undoubted relief in -the knowledge. "She's off, and I really believe that's what Kirk was -after." - -He walked toward the house and found his friend standing in the -shadows. - -"Well," chuckled the investigator, "it did not take her long to make -up her mind, eh?" - -"You had some motive in doing that," accused Pendleton. "What was it?" - -Ashton-Kirk was about to reply; but just then the small figure of -Locke made its appearance. He carried a lantern and was approaching -with stumbling steps, his eyes peering and blinking in their efforts -to pierce the gloom. Not until he was well upon the two did he make -them out; then he halted, lifted the light above his head and surveyed -them intently. - -In the rays of the lantern Ashton-Kirk smiled urbanely, and bowed. -The supple fingers of the mute writhed inquiringly. - -"Each of them forms itself into a wild note of interrogation," said -Pendleton. "They are fairly screaming questions at you." - -Ashton-Kirk smiled even more agreeably at Locke and shook his head. -Then he went through the pantomime of one writing, and finished by -pointing to the house. - -Carefully, eagerly, fearfully, the mute examined them; his -near-sighted eyes and the wavering light must have made it all but -impossible for him to make them out. However, he at length motioned -for them to follow him, and started back by the way which he had come. -But after a few steps he halted. He indicated that they were to remain -where they were; then he went to the shed-like building, closed the -door and locked it, placing the key in his pocket. - -"It would seem," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that we are not to be trusted -implicitly." - -"Also," replied Pendleton, "that there is something of value in the -shed." - -Returning, Locke led the way to a door upon the other side of the -house. Showing them into a small room furnished with books and -scientific apparatus and evidently a study, he set down the lantern -and with a sign bade them be seated. Upon their doing so he produced a -small pad of paper and a pencil; handing these to Ashton-Kirk he -stood peering at them expectantly. With the swift, accurate touch of -an expert, the investigator wrote in the Pitman shorthand: - -"We ask pardon if we have startled you." - -Then he tore off the sheet and handed it to Professor Locke. The man -seemed surprised at the medium selected by his visitor; nevertheless -he quickly traced the following in the same characters. - -"Who are you? What is your errand?" - -"We were sent to you by Dr. Mercer," replied Ashton-Kirk with flying -pencil. "Our business is to secure the admission of a new pupil." - -Locke read this and regarded them for a moment, doubtfully. - -"Why did you not press the button at the door?" he demanded in -writing. - -"I hardly expected you to have such a thing as a bell," answered -Ashton-Kirk, on the pad. "And so, seeing you, I attracted your -attention as best I could." - -Professor Locke read this and stood with his pencil poised, when the -buzzer sounded harshly; he went at once into the hall; they heard him -open the door; and in a few moments he returned, followed by Haines. - -The fingers of the two flashed their signals back and forth; then a -look of relief came into Locke's face; he even smiled, and nodded -understandingly at the two young men. - -"I beg pardon, gentlemen," said Haines. "But when I got back to the -hall, Dr. Mercer made me return and make sure that you had got to see -the Professor." - -"Thanks," replied the investigator. "We had not the slightest -difficulty." - -"I'm glad to hear it, sir," said the man. "Good-night to you." - -He flashed the same wish to the mute, who answered readily; then he -went out and through the window they saw his light again go bobbing -away in the darkness. Then the professor began to write once more. - -"I beg your pardon," was his message in long-hand. "The man tells me -that it was quite as you say. But I must confess I was a trifle -startled." - -"The lady," wrote Ashton-Kirk, "seemed startled, too." - -For the fraction of a moment the mute halted in his reply. Then the -pencil with much assurance formed the following: - -"It was my niece. She was about to go just as you came; so do not -reproach yourself for having driven her away." - -For some time the penciled conversation continued between the two; but -as it was all based upon the fanciful pupil whom the investigator -stated he desired to place in Dr. Mercer's care, Pendleton paid little -heed to it. At last, however, they bid the Professor good-by, and left -him upon the threshold, his massive head nodding his adieus, his frail -little body sharply outlined by the glow from the hall. - -The two had reached their own car around on the other road before -Pendleton spoke. Then he inquired: - -"Well, have you learned anything from him?" - -"I think I can say 'yes' to that," answered the other. "But I'm not -yet sure. I'll have to put it to the proof first, according to the -formula which I gave you a half hour ago. If it succeeds, I'll tell -you what it is; if it does not, I'll say nothing, and it will go upon -the scrap heap devoted to broken fancies. And now, Dixon," to the -chauffeur, "we'll go home." - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -STEEL AGAINST STEEL - - -Shortly before noon next day, Ashton-Kirk, in an immaculate morning -suit, was ushered into the presence of Miss Edyth Vale. If he expected -confusion, embarrassment or anything of that sort, he was -disappointed; for she greeted him eagerly and with outstretched hand. - -"This is a surprise," she said. - -He held her hand and looked meaningly at her. - -"My appearances _are_ sometimes surprising," he said. "But I usually -select the night for them; the effect is better then, you see." - -She smiled into his eyes. - -"I have no doubt but that you are dreadfully mysterious," she said. -"But please sit down." - -She seated herself near the window; holding a book in her hand, she -fluttered the leaves to and fro. - -"The composure," thought the investigator, as he sat down, "is -somewhat overdone." - -"I wonder," said Miss Vale, looking at the book, "if you are an -admirer of Ibsen." And as he nodded, she proceeded with a slight -smile. "I know that he is scarcely the usual thing for a spring -morning. But there are times when I simply can't resist him." - -"He's a strong draught at any time," said Ashton-Kirk. "But his tonic -quality is undoubted." - -"His disciples claim that for him, at any rate," she answered. "But -sometimes I question its truth. Where is the tonic effect of -'Rosmersholm?' I think it full of terrors." She shuddered and added: -"The White Horses will haunt me for weeks." - -"It's the atmosphere of crime," said he. "That quiet home on the -western fiords reeks with it." - -She made a gesture of repulsion. - -"It's ghastly!" she exclaimed. "And, somehow, one feels it from the -very first--before a word is spoken. Imagine Rebecca at the window, -watching through the plants to see if Rosmer uses the footbridge from -which his wife once leaped to her death." She paused a moment, her -eyes upon the open pages; then lifting her head, she asked: "What do -you think of Rebecca?" - -"A tremendous character--of wonderful strength. It was just such -proud, dark, purposeful souls that Byron delighted to draw; but the -only one in literature to whom I can fully liken her is the wife of -Macbeth. There was the same ambition--the same ruthless will--the same -disregard of everything that stood in her way. And, like Cawdor's -wife, she weakened in the end." - -She regarded him fixedly. - -"Would you call it weakness?" she asked. - -"She fell in love with Johannes, did she not? That was weakness--for -her. She herself recognized it as such." - -The girl looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. - -"That is true," she said. - -"Some of the world's most daring and accomplished criminals have been -women," he went on. "But Nature never intended woman to be the bearer -of burdens; there is a weakness in her soul structure somewhere; she -usually sinks under the consciousness of guilt." - -"More so than men, do you think?" - -"As a rule--yes." - -She put down the book and clasped her hands in her lap. - -"There is no need to sympathize with Rebecca," she said. "She was -brave and strong, even in her love for Johannes. But he," and there -was a note in her voice that recalled the night he had listened to it -over the telephone, "he was different. There is no more dreadful thing -in the play, to me, than the character of Rosmer. To think of him -sitting quietly in that charnel house, prospering in soul, growing -sleek in thought, becoming stored with high ideas. Perfect peace came -to him in spite of the stern-faced portraits which shrieked murder -from the walls. He dreamed of freeing and ennobling mankind, and all -the time Fate was weaving a net about him that was to drag him from -the mill bridge after his dead wife." - -"Kroll knew him," said the investigator. "And he said Rosmer was -easily influenced. It is usually men of that type who are drawn into -the vortex which swirls at every door." - -Her face was a little pale; but she now arose with a laugh and began -rubbing her finger-tips with a handkerchief. - -"I think we'd better remove the dust of the Norwegian," she said; "and -I make a vow never to read him again--in the morning." She stood -looking down at her caller, good-humoredly and continued: "I suppose -it is my fault, but you have a dreadfully gloomy expression. Or -maybe," as an afterthought, "you ate an unwholesome dinner last night. -Were you at the Perrings, by any chance?" - -He shook his head, his keen eyes searching her face. - -"No," said he, "I had much more important matters on hand." - -She held up her hand. - -"It was something about this Hume affair," she said. - -"Yes," he replied. - -The smile was now gone; she leaned back against a heavy table, her -fingers tightly clasping its edge. - -"I have been trying to forget that dreadful thing," she said. "I've -stopped looking at the papers, because I would be sure to see it -mentioned. And," with never a faltering in her eyes, "because I might -be reminded of it in some other way, I now remain indoors." - -"Last night was an exception, perhaps," suggested he, smoothly. - -"Last night?" There was a questioning look in her beautiful eyes; the -finely posed head with its crown of bright hair bent toward him -inquiringly. - -An expression of chagrin crept into his face. - -"You were not out last night, then?" said he. - -"What makes you think so?" smilingly. "It was dreadfully dull here, -too. But then," with a shrug, "anything is better than a constant -reminder of that Christie Place affair." - -He nodded understandingly. - -"I suppose it _is_ very distressing." He frowned gloomily at the tips -of his shoes and she could see that he bit his lip with vexation. -After a moment or two, he said: "It's very strange; but I was quite -sure I saw you last night." - -"Yes?" Her tone was one of careless interest. - -"However," he went on, "I had but a glimpse of the lady; and could -easily have been mistaken." He wore a baffled look, but smiled as he -got up. "And," said he, "my visit of this morning was based upon the -sight I fancied I had of you last night." - -She laughed amusedly. - -"It was something interesting," she said. "Please tell me about--but, -no, no," hastily. "If it has anything to do with the Hume case, I'd -rather not hear it." - -She had pressed the bell call for the footman, when he said: - -"Mr. Morris still keeps himself well concealed, I note." - -Like a tigress leaping to defend her young, she met the accusation. - -"Mr. Morris has done no wrong," she declared, spiritedly. "And there -is no need of his concealing himself." - -"Of course I will not say as to that." His voice was soothing and low. -"But he makes a mistake in not coming forward. His name, you have -noticed, has already appeared in the papers in direct connection with -the murder." - -He glanced at her keenly once more. - -"It may be that he has gone away upon some urgent business," she said. -"And the chances are that he has not heard anything of the matter." - -"If he had gone away on business, don't you think he would have -mentioned it to someone?" - -"Perhaps he did not think it necessary. And again, maybe he did not -expect to be gone so long. Such things frequently happen, you know." - -"They do," admitted Ashton-Kirk. "But in the case of Allan Morris, -they somehow fail to fit. I am convinced that he is in hiding." - -She regarded him steadily for a moment; then she said: - -"You are convinced, you say?" - -"I am." - -"May I ask upon what your conviction is based?" - -"Not now--no." - -There was another pause; the man was at the door, ready to show the -investigator out. - -"Perhaps," and her tone was very low, "you even fancy that you know -his hiding-place." - -"Not just yet," said he, "but in a few hours at most, I will." - -Her lips formed the good-by as he stood in the doorway; but she made -no sound. And Ashton-Kirk as he walked down the hall, smiled quietly -to himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -WHAT HAPPENED ON THE ROAD - - -About half an hour after Ashton-Kirk had left the Vale mansion, a -Maillard car drew up before the door. As it did so, an Italian laborer -arose from the curb not far away where he had been comfortably seated -with his back against a tree; then throwing his arms wide in a -luxurious yawn, he started leisurely down the street. - -Five minutes later, a veiled, dust-coated female figure descended the -step; the driver of the Maillard was dismissed, and Miss Vale -composedly took his place at the wheel. As the car started forward, -the gauntleted hands guided it firmly; the steady eyes were set -straight ahead as the lever was pushed first to one speed and then -another. - -And as the rapid pulse of the motor was borne along the quiet avenue, -the Italian laborer calmly appeared from around a corner, pushing a -powerful-looking motor cycle before him. Another moment and the -machine was sounding its wild fusillade; the Italian sped away in the -same direction as the Maillard, his battered soft hat set jauntily -upon the back of his head, his gay-colored neckkerchief streaming in -the wind. - -The car kept to the avenue for a long time; but finally in the far -suburbs it made a sharp turn to the left and a few miles further on -shot into a broad highway that ran parallel with the railroad. - -Bending forward so as to offer the least resistance to the wind, the -Italian's swarthy face relaxed at this; his fine white teeth showed in -a smile. - -"Cordova, I think," muttered he, in very good English. "If not, then -somewhere very near to it." - -Once upon the highway, which was hard, level and practically deserted, -the Maillard increased its speed. Eddies of dust curled in its wake; -its hum resembled that of a gigantic top; its shining brass and smooth -gloss made it look like a streak of light. But the motor cycle was of -the best; its compact, powerful mechanism answered bravely to each -call that was made upon it by the dark-faced man in the saddle; its -explosions had merged into one long volley. - -At a small and not very firm-looking bridge the Maillard slowed down; -apparently for the first time Miss Vale heard the cycle in the rear, -for she turned and gave it a quick look. But the dust of her own -progress hung thickly in the air and she could not see very clearly. -Passing the bridge at a low rate of speed, she turned again. The dark -face of the rider, his battered hat and flying 'kerchief seemed to -satisfy her; for once more she gave attention to her course, and again -the car increased its speed. A mile or two further on there was a -rather broken stretch of road and she was forced to slow down. As the -sound of her own vehicle diminished, she, as before, caught the -volleying of the motor cycle; and as she turned the eyes that looked -through the veil were intent and searching. - -This time she appeared not so well satisfied, for upon reaching the -end of the broken stretch, she drew her car to one side and stopped. -As the hammering explosions of the motor cycle grew plainer and -plainer she sat rigidly erect upon her seat, her face turned directly -ahead. But a close observer would have noted a slow movement of her -right hand among the folds of the dust coat; and if he was also an -experienced observer he would have immediately understood that Miss -Vale did not venture alone and unarmed upon the road. - -However, the Italian never even gave her a glance as he came up; his -machine flew by with a swirl, amid a crashing crescendo; then it -disappeared in the dust of the distance. - -But Miss Vale, when she once more resumed her journey, had not gone -much more than a mile when she came upon the same swarthy son of the -south and his vociferous machine. But the latter was now silent -enough; it leaned against a fence, and its rider knelt beside it, a -wrench in his hand, testing its parts carefully and intently. - -The Maillard was less than a quarter of a mile away when Miss Vale -caught the rapid series of explosions once more. With a quick glance -ahead, she threw the lever forward and the car tore along at a -breathless rate. Fences ran by in a giddy staggering line; trees -seemed merged into one tangle of branches; the dust arose in solid -towers behind her. However, she held to this but a scant five minutes; -her breath was short when she decreased the power; the hands upon the -wheel shook a little, but her head was held erect, her face was still -purposefully set forward. - -Above the decreasing hum of her car, came the swift, brave shocks of -the motor cycle. But, if there was a dread that fell to tightening at -her heart, she showed it little. The Maillard still bore swiftly on; -she did not once turn her head. - -A little further on there came into view a post with a series of -white, pointing sign-boards, that indicated a cross-roads. When still -a hundred yards from this the car stopped once more; again the Italian -flew by; again he vanished, this time around a bend beyond the -cross-roads. But once hidden by the bend, he stopped and got down; -the smile again appeared upon his face, the brilliant teeth shone -good-naturedly. - -"A simple little ruse," he said to himself. "And one that I've seen -used with effect more than once. Evidently Miss Vale has her wits -about her." - -Leaning against his machine he waited and listened. From around the -bend came the low sound of the Maillard; nearer and nearer it came for -a time; then it began to recede. At this the Italian remounted; the -explosions of his motor were muffled as he went swiftly along upon the -way by which he had come. At the cross-roads he slowed up and examined -the ground. Deep in the dust was the broad impress of the tires, -showing the car to have taken the turn to the left. Then swiftly the -cycle turned into the same road and took up the trail once more. - -Some three miles further on, the track veered back toward the highway -along a badly cut dirt road. - -"Slow going for a heavy car," said the pursuer calmly. "It will not be -long before I sight it again." - -There was a hard, beaten footpath at one side of the road; taking to -this, the man on the motor cycle found it easy traveling enough. -Shortly after, he caught the laborings of the Maillard as it made its -way through the binding ruts; then he slowed down and ran easily along -the path, content, apparently, to keep in sound of the chase. - -But upon finally reaching the highway, he increased his speed until he -sighted the dust of the car; this he hung to like a beagle, but never -once allowed the car itself to come into view. - -At last the sounds of the Maillard ceased and the pall of dust thinned -and dissolved itself in the air. The motor cycle ran swiftly on until -the car, now at a standstill, became visible; then the Italian got -down, took out a pair of field-glasses and swept the highway before -him. - -What he saw must have satisfied him that there would be no more use -for his machine for a time, at least; for he pushed it to a place -where there was a break in a fence and concealed it behind a -musty-looking corn shock, left from the fall before. Then placing the -glass under his arm he walked guardedly along the road in the -direction of Miss Vale's car. - -Some distance further on there was a tall swamp maple growing by the -roadside; it was an easy task to mount into its branches from the top -fence-rail; then resting snugly in a high fork, he leveled his glass -and proceeded to scan the scene before him. - -Miss Vale had descended from her car; her veil was raised, and she -was gingerly picking at the mechanism with hands sheathed in canvas -gloves. With apparent intentness she took out tools; small parts were -inspected minutely. And yet, for all that, there was something unusual -in her manner; every now and then she would lift her head, casually, -so it seemed, and glance away across the fields. - -"And always to the right," murmured the man in the tree-top, after a -little. - -At once the big glass swept around in that direction. - -"A house," added the watcher, with great satisfaction. - -The building was almost buried in a thick growth of trees; its white -sides and red roof shone in the sun through branches abud with April. - -Suddenly, in the midst of her labor, Miss Vale paused; her manner -changed, the tools were dropped, the parts lost interest. Facing the -house, she yawned, with arms thrown wide after the manner of one much -wearied with a task; then she took off the gloves, unpinned her hat -and smoothed her hair. This was gone through with careful elaboration -and afterwards there was a pause; the girl then gathered up the -things, got into the machine, placed the hat upon the seat beside her, -went careening away with never a backward glance. - -But the man in the tree seemed in no haste to follow; instead he -covered the distant house with his glass and waited patiently. Five, -ten, fifteen minutes passed, then half an hour and finally an hour. At -the end of that time, however, a figure emerged from the trees about -the house and walked hastily toward the road; the eyes of the watcher -glistened, his fine teeth shone in an appreciative smile. - -Reaching the road where the car had stopped, the newcomer, who was -young, well-dressed and rather good-looking, suddenly paused, stooped -and lifted something from the ground. He held in his hands the work -gloves of Miss Vale, which she had dropped after taking them off. For -a moment the young man stood looking at them as though hesitating what -to do; then he turned, went to the roadside and placed them carefully -upon the top rail of the fence. Then trudging along on his way, he -unsuspectingly passed beneath the maple which concealed the man with -the glass. - -When he was out of sight, the Italian slipped down the tree and ran -lightly along the road to the place where the gloves lay. He took up -one and looked within; but it was empty. However, in the thumb of the -next was a slip of paper which bore a single line of writing: - -"Tobin Rangnow." - -Studying this for a moment, the Italian made a copy of it. Then he -slipped it back into the thumb of the glove and replaced both exactly -as they were; after which he made his way back to the motor cycle, and -mounting, went flying toward the city. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -ASHTON-KIRK TELLS WHY - - -It was about four in the afternoon, and young Pendleton sat in -Ashton-Kirk's big chair, reading the newspapers and waiting. Finally -he rang a bell and Stumph gravely appeared. - -"Are you sure that he said three?" asked Pendleton. - -"_About_ three, sir," replied the man. - -"Oh! I suppose he's been detained then. That will be all, Stumph!" - -When the man disappeared, Pendleton lighted a cigar and resumed his -reading. The Hume case was still holding its place as the news feature -of the day. Nothing had occurred to equal it in sensation; and the -huge headings flared across the front pages, undiminished and -undismayed. - -"Why," screamed the _Standard_, in a perfect frenzy of letter press, -"did Miss Edyth Vale visit Hume on the night of the murder?" - -The girl's name had crept into the paper on the day before; with each -edition it appeared in larger type; and that afternoon the _Standard_ -was printing it in red ink. Allan Morris was not neglected; on the -contrary, he figured a very close second to his betrothed in the -types. - -"_Where is Allan Morris?_" - -One paper asked this question perhaps fifty times on each page. It -peered at one in square, heavy-faced type from the bottoms of columns -and between articles. There were interviews with his clerks; the -opinions of his stenographer were given in full, together with her -portrait; and what his man servant had to say was treated as being of -great consequence. - -Another sheet, which made a point of appealing to the tastes of the -vast foreign element of the city, grew very indignant as to the arrest -of Antonio Spatola. - -"Why," it inquired, "is this man detained and no attempt made to take -those higher up into custody? If the Police Department is so ready to -incarcerate a poor musician, why should it hesitate upon the threshold -of the rich man's mansion?--or the rich woman's, for the matter of -that?" - -This item incensed Pendleton beyond measure; he threw the paper aside -and stormed up and down the room. - -"Of all the blatant wretched twaddle I ever did read," he exclaimed, -"this is positively the worst. Why, the rag would have the police -arrest Edyth--arrest her for--" - -"Well," demanded a sharp, aggressively pitched voice, "what for you -make-a da blame, eh? Da cops pinch-a Spatola, and for why, eh? Because -he's da wop, da Ginney, da Dago and got-a no friends." - -At the first word Pendleton had whirled about in astonishment, and -faced the speaker, who stood in the doorway, pointing with one hand in -the attitude of melodrama. - -"Well," asked the young man, "who the deuce are you?" - -By way of an answer the other burst into a laugh that showed his -brilliant teeth; then he threw off his battered soft hat and gayly -colored handkerchief, after which he sank into the chair which -Pendleton had lately vacated. - -"Pen," said he, in an altered voice, "if you appreciate my friendship -at all, give me one of the blackest cigars in the case over there." - -Pendleton stared for a moment; then a grin crept over his face and he -said: - -"Oh, it's you, is it?" He went to the cabinet and took out a box. -"Here's a brand that looks like black Havana," he said. "And now, what -the dickens are you doing in that rig?" - -"I've been taking a long ride in the country--on a motor cycle," -answered Ashton-Kirk, crossing his shabbily clothed legs and striking -a match. "Any time you feel disinclined to face your meals, Pen, I -recommend you heartily to do the same. It is a greater bracer. At this -moment I really believe I could do complete justice to even the very -best culinary thoughts of our friend, Dr. Mercer." - -Pendleton sat down and regarded his friend with questioning eyes. - -"It wasn't to acquire an appetite that you made up this way. You've -been working." - -Ashton-Kirk comfortably blew one smoke-ring through another before he -answered. - -"Will you be surprised to hear that I have been following Miss Edyth -Vale on a little voyage to the neighborhood of Cordova?" - -"Again!" - -"But this time she did not pay a visit to Professor Locke. To-day the -favored one was Allan Morris." - -"Morris! Then she knows where he is?" - -"So it would seem." - -"But she told you the other day that she did not." - -Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders. - -"Things happen swiftly and unexpectedly," said he. "Perhaps she did -_not_ know it then." - -"And perhaps she did not know Locke or his whereabouts, either," said -Pendleton, with bitter irony. - -"Who knows?" replied Ashton-Kirk, composedly. "At any rate, it was -just a supposition that led to my labors of to-day." - -"I don't think I understand," said Pendleton, after a moment. - -"Last night," said the investigator, "you asked me if I had learned -anything from Professor Locke. And I replied to the effect that I -thought I had. Now," after a pause, devoted to the grateful smoke, -"when one sees a girl circumstanced as Miss Vale assuredly is in this -case, paying a secret visit to a man who is rather more than suspected -of the murder, what does one suppose?" - -"That she is leagued with him, somehow," replied Pendleton, -reluctantly. - -"Exactly. But on the other hand, when the same girl, upon sight of us, -rushes off and leaves the man to face us without giving him a hint as -to who we are, what does one suppose?" - -But Pendleton rose gloomily and strode over to the window. - -"I don't know," said he. - -"One supposes," proceeded Ashton-Kirk, "that she has not much interest -in him." Here Pendleton faced about again. "If she had been leagued -with him, as you put it, you may be sure that she would have managed -to warn him in some way as to our identity. But that she had not done -so, the mute's manner told me as plainly as words could have done. -Seeing this, I began figuring what it meant. If she was not associated -with Locke in the crime, why was she there? Immediately came the -answer--through Morris. But, when I saw her last, she denied any -knowledge of Morris's whereabouts. Then I reasoned, she had seen him -in the interim." - -"That's it," cried Pendleton, as he stepped forward and slapped the -table with his palm; "that's it, beyond a doubt! He's managed to get -word to her; she's seen him; he's told her all or part of the truth; -and once more she's trying to help him. Why, Kirk, I'll venture to -say," hot with indignation, "that she was led to visit this little -scoundrel Locke, last night, much as she was led to visit Hume's place -on the night of the murder--completely in the dark, and merely with -some sort of a vague notion of protecting Morris." - -"Perhaps you are right, but I can't exactly say. But that she has seen -Morris I have made quite sure." - -"How?" - -"Last night when I appeared at Locke's window, I established a reason -for calling upon her this morning, also I laid a foundation for what -followed. Before the call I made certain preparations for a quick -change of front," with a gesture that called attention to his costume; -"in our conversation, I managed to tell her that Morris's hiding -place was discovered. Then I left. As I expected, she at once called -her car and set off to warn him; and I followed close behind upon the -motor cycle." - -"I see, I see. And did you get sight of him?" - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. Then he proceeded to relate the story of the -noon-day run to the country house which Morris had selected as a -hiding place. When he had finished, Pendleton sat frowning blackly. - -"Secret signals," said he. "He fears discovery so much that he has -forbidden her approaching the house. A regular code has been arranged, -eh? And the gloves were dropped in the road purposely; he slipped his -answer into one of them; on her way back she discovers her supposed -loss, looks for the gloves, and finds them. It is quite ornate," with -a bitter sneer. - -Then he took from the investigator's hand the card upon which he had -copied the message of Allan Morris. - -"Tobin Rangnow," he read. Then looking up he inquired with a wan -smile. "More secret writing, eh? Or is it a man's name?" - -"There is a decided Irish flavor to Tobin," answered Ashton-Kirk. "But -Rangnow is unfamiliar to me; and if it is a name at all, it is of -Eastern European origin. In that case," laughing, "it could scarcely -be expected to share the honors with Tobin." - -He took the card from Pendleton and looked at it thoughtfully. Then he -glanced up in a satisfied sort of way: - -"As you suggested, Miss Vale no doubt returned, recovered her gloves -and read the message," said he. "As she had just warned him that his -hiding place was discovered, it is only natural to suppose that his -answer would have something to do with his future movements." - -"That seems likely enough," said Pendleton. - -"Look here; if we put a comma between the two words," went on the -investigator, taking out a pencil and doing so, "the thing takes on -the appearance of a name and address." - -Once more he gave the card to Pendleton; then rising he went to the -telephone stand and took up the directory. Skimming rapidly through -this he paused at a page and went down its columns carefully. Then -with a laugh he slapped it shut. - -"We have it," declared he. "When we so desire, we can call at an -apartment house known as the 'Rangnow' and inquire for Mr. Tobin. And -when we see that gentleman we shall be looking upon one in the -confidence of Allan Morris." - -There was a long pause on the part of Pendleton. Ashton-Kirk rang for -Stumph and directed him to turn the water into his bath, and get him -out some fresh linen. It was after the man had gone that Pendleton -spoke. - -"When you came in, Kirk," he said, "you said something which conveyed -the notion that you would not be much astonished if the police took up -the Hume matter with Edyth Vale." - -"It is only the fact that the newspapers were first in discovering her -apparent connection with it, that has kept Osborne and his fellows -from visiting her before this. Jealousy, you know, does many strange -things." - -Pendleton did not reply; he bent his head and covered his face with -his hands. Ashton-Kirk went on: - -"The reasonable thing for her to do would be to come forward and tell -the plain truth." - -Pendleton roused himself. - -"But don't you see that that is the very thing that her brave nature -will not do? She's protecting Morris; and she'll go on protecting him, -no matter what the consequence to herself." - -"In that event," said the investigator slowly, "we can not be in too -great a hurry in removing the cause that keeps Morris in hiding." - -"You'll have a task in that," said Pendleton. "As far as I can see, -the man is up to his eyes in the crime; and that's why he is lying -low." - -"I have warned you before now against jumping at conclusions," said -the other, quietly. "Allan Morris may be a confederate of Locke's, or -he may not. We have yet to establish the fact either way. And now, -pardon me while I take a plunge and get into something presentable." - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE TWO REPORTS - - -After dinner the two young men settled themselves in the library: -Stumph served their coffee and they renewed their acquaintance with -the Greek tobacco. After a little time there came a knock upon the -door. - -"Come," called Ashton-Kirk. - -A short man with remarkable breadth of shoulder and depth of chest -entered; he was smooth shaven and salient of jaw and wore the air of -one who was not easily balked in anything that he undertook. - -"How are you, Burgess?" said the investigator. - -"Good-evening," returned Burgess. He advanced and laid some neatly -folded sheets at the elbow of his employer. "Fuller was busy and I -thought I'd bring these in myself. It's my report on Hume." - -"Ah, thank you." - -Ashton-Kirk took up the sheets and began running his eye through them. -"As you get deeper into this record, did Hume keep his promise?" - -Burgess smiled. - -"As to possibilities, do you mean? Why, yes. Indeed, I rather think -he exceeded them." The man lit the cigar which the investigator handed -him and drew at it appreciatively. "I went it alone on the first day; -but after that I took O'Neill and Purvis on. Between us, we managed to -get at something pretty definite." - -"Has Fuller finished with Morris?" - -"He is typing his report at this moment. It will be ready in a half -hour, I should think." - -"Please tell him to bring it in as soon as it is finished." - -Burgess nodded and went out. Ashton-Kirk continued to dip into the -report here and there. - -"Among three of them," said Pendleton, "they should have sifted the -man's life and adventures pretty well." - -As Ashton-Kirk continued to scan the pages, a peculiar expression -slowly came into his eyes. - -"They seem to have done so, indeed. And rather cleverly, too, I think. -Would you care to hear the report?" - -"By all means," eagerly. - -The sheets were shifted into their proper order once more. Then -Ashton-Kirk read: - - "'_A Further Investigation into the Affairs of David Purtell Hume_. - -"'No record was to be had of Hume, beyond his settlement in the city -in 1899. People in the same line of business were questioned closely; -and those who knew anything of him at all clung to the idea that he -was an American who had lived for many years abroad. - -"'So we had another look at the old passenger lists of the steamships; -but this time we went further back. We knew that the simple ruse of a -fictitious name would cover Hume completely; but it seemed the only -thing to do, and we set at it systematically. In the records of the -steamer _Baltic_ of the Netherlands Steamship Company for the year -1897, we came upon the name of "D. Purtell." Without much hope of -learning anything definite after such a lapse of time, I inquired -after this passenger. - -"'Luck was with us in the shape of an old clerk with a long memory. He -faintly recalled something of the man, and after some talk got out -still another book. And there it was! D. Purtell, so it seemed, had -been involved in an attempt to smuggle a quantity of diamonds. - -"'Our next step was to visit the customs people. Their records were -very complete. They even had a portrait of Purtell, which proved him -to have been Hume beyond a doubt. Only a trifle of evidence had been -secured against him--not enough to convict--and they were forced to -release him. This seems to have been Hume's specialty. - -"'However, through the customs services of other countries, they had -learned quite a lot about him. The authorities of Holland, Spain and -France knew him as one of the leading spirits in a system of smuggling -that had been going on for years. Once Hume had been located in -Antwerp, once at Hamburg, and for a long time at Bayonne. This system -of contraband had been broken up just before he had been arrested by -the United States service. A number of the criminals had been -convicted; but Hume, with his usual luck, had escaped once more, -because of lack of evidence against him. - -"'Nothing could be learned of the movements of Hume between his arrest -on the _Baltic_ and his location here as a dealer in the curiosities -of art. And after his going into business here, he kept to himself a -great deal. - -"'But the drink habit caused him to frequent certain resorts, and it -was at one of these that he first met Richard Morris, father to Allan -Morris!'" - -"Ah!" said Pendleton. "So Hume knew Morris's father." - -"I asked Fuller, in giving him his instructions, to have this fact -established, if he could," said Ashton-Kirk. "That both Hume and the -elder Morris were heavy drinkers caused me to think it possible." - -"Is that all there is to the report?" - -"Almost." The investigator turned to the pages once more, and -proceeded: "'Hume and the elder Morris became quite intimate and were -often seen together. But what it was that formed the bond between -them, no one knows, unless it be a deaf mute named Locke, who was -frequently seen in their society and who seemed upon close terms with -both. But within a year after their first meeting, Hume broke with -Morris. This must have been serious, for it caused a marked enmity to -spring up between them. A number of people recall that Richard Morris -frequently made threats against the other--threats of personal -violence and also of the law. But before anything could come of these, -if he really meant them, he died. - -"'Thinking that Locke might be able to throw some light on this phase -of the case, we have endeavored to locate him. Up to this time we have -met with no success; but we hope to learn something of him at an early -date.'" - -Ashton-Kirk laid the sheets down upon the table. - -"There follows a list of the names of the people who have supplied -this information and their addresses," said he. "Burgess is very -thorough in his work." - -"Outside the fact that Hume was a scoundrel--which we knew -before--and that he was acquainted with Locke and Allan Morris's -father, what does this report tell you?" - -There was discontent in Pendleton's voice as he asked this question, -and the investigator smiled as he made answer: - -"That Hume knew the elder Morris supplies us with a theory as to the -possible part which the younger Morris has taken in this drama. -Whatever passed between Hume and the father has probably been taken up -by the son." - -"Why, yes," said Pendleton. "I hadn't thought of that." - -"Another thing," added Ashton-Kirk: "The report has swung like the -needle of a compass, and indicated a fact that my imagination -suggested days ago." - -"And that is--" - -"That Hume once lived in the French town of Bayonne." - -Pendleton frowned impatiently. - -"I don't know what ever made you imagine that," he said. "But now that -you find that it is so, of what service is it?" - -"We will speak of that later," answered Ashton-Kirk. - -Pendleton was about to say something more, but just then Fuller -knocked and entered. - -"The report on Allan Morris," said he. - -"Ah, thanks." The investigator took the compactly typed sheets, and -then he continued: "Tell Burgess that he need not bother about the man -Locke whom he mentions. Say that I have already located him." - -"Very well," and Fuller left the room. - -For a space there was no sound save that which came from the street -and the rustle of the pages as Ashton-Kirk went through them. - -"Well," asked Pendleton, finally. "What now?" - -"Morris," replied his friend, "does not develop like Hume. Fuller -suspected that he'd prove colorless, and so it has turned out. -However, I'll read what he says. It's headed: - - "'_A Second Report on Allan Morris_ - -"'A very careful inquiry failed to uncover anything in connection with -this young man's personal affairs that was not mentioned in my first -report on the same subject. He has led a very even, uneventful life, -attending strictly to business and making every movement count in the -direction of distinction as a marine engineer. - -"'However, there has been something in his manner for the last few -years that has attracted the attention of those who knew him best or -came in contact with him. This took the various forms of eagerness of -manner, irritability, long fits of reveries, a feverish desire for -work. At his place of business I learned that he has for some time had -a deep interest in the reports of the patent office. His clerks say -that he'd read these for hours at a time; one of them told me of how -he (the clerk) once forgot to call Morris's attention to the report -until the day after its arrival. Morris has always been very tolerant -with his employees, but that day he burst out in a fury and threatened -to discharge them all. - -"'Richard Morris, father to Allan, was a most erratic genius, as my -first report indicated. His propeller, his smoke-consumer, and his -automatic brake were valuable commercial properties, but had all -slipped from his control. Toward the end of his life he engaged in the -perfection of an invention of which he talked a great deal and of -which he declared that he alone would reap the benefit. - -"'As Burgess will already have told you, Richard Morris knew Hume. The -latter was a frequent visitor to a shop which the inventor maintained -in the outskirts, as was the mute Locke. I have talked with an old -mechanic who worked for Morris at the time; he told me that the -inventor had made a stubborn fight against the drink habit and seemed -likely to conquer it up to the time that he became acquainted with -Hume. After this, however, he became as much a slave to it as ever. -The invention, or whatever it was, never got beyond the paper stage; -for thereafter Richard Morris spent his days in sleep and his nights -at the once famous Coffin Club.'" - -Ashton-Kirk arose eagerly. - -"There is more," said he, "but it is scarcely of interest." Placing -the report upon the table, he added: "You have heard of the Coffin -Club, Pen?" - -"Of course. It met in an underground place somewhere, didn't it? And -if I remember right, it was fitted up like the Cafe Au Mort in Paris." - -"Something of the sort." The investigator went to a huge card system -and pulled out a drawer labeled "TO." "But I recall it best by the -steward whose philosophy and Irish turns of speech were so frequently -quoted by the newspapers during the heydey of the establishment. Can -you recall his name?" - -"I know whom you mean," answered Pendleton, "but the name has slipped -me." - -Ashton-Kirk paused in the fingering of the cards. - -"It was Tobin," said he. "It came to me that it was, but I wanted to -be sure." He pushed the drawer into place, looked at his friend -inquiringly, and added: "Suppose we go around to the 'Rangnow' and see -him?" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -ONE OF THE OLD SORT - - -Pendleton looked at his friend in bewilderment. - -"You don't mean to say that the philosopher of the Coffin Club and -this Tobin of young Morris's are the same," cried he. - -"I only _think_ they are," said Ashton-Kirk quietly. "But we can make -sure by paying a short visit to the apartment house." - -"Now?" - -"There is no time like the present." - -And so the end of a half hour found them stepping out of a cab at the -extreme west end of the city. It was only a little after nine o'clock, -but the streets were almost deserted; the arc-lamps clicked and hissed -lonesomely; rows of darkened windows and shadowy doorways ran away on -both sides. - -"There is the place we want," said the investigator, pointing at an -illuminated sign which hung out over the sidewalk some little distance -away. - -When they reached the place, they found it was rather a large building -of the modern type; pushing open the swinging doors and making their -way through a brilliantly lighted passage, they found themselves in -an equally brilliant office. - -Here they saw a dozen or more men seated in tilted chairs; all wore -their hats and for the most part smoked cigars. Behind a polished -counter on which rested a nickeled cash register and a huge book, -stood a white-haired man with a smooth Irish face and a pair of gold -eyeglasses hanging by a black cord. The air was heavy with -disputation; long-tailed words boomed sonorously; red-faced and -earnest, one of the occupants of the chairs assailed the man behind -the counter; with soft, sweeping, eloquent gestures the latter -defended himself. - -"And what," demanded he, placing his hands upon the shining top of the -counter and shoving his head forward inquiringly, "is all this that we -do be hearing about your suffragette? Who is she? What is she? The -newspapers are filled to the top with her, but sorra the sight of her -did I ever see. If she has any existence outside of the comic -supplement, gentlemen, I'd like to have ye show me where. Did ye ever -hear a whisper of her till she began to send herself by registered -mail and chain herself to lamp posts? Niver the one of ye! Is your -wife a suffragette? She's not. Is your mother? No. Your sister? Again -it's no. Then who is it that composes the great army of female ballot -seekers? Is it the cook? The chambermaid? The woman that does the -plain sewing? I'll wager 'tis not. They have too much to do already; -it's not looking for additional burdens they are. Then where does this -advanced woman flourish and have her being?" Here one hand went up and -descended with a slap. "In the mansions of the rich," he declaimed -positively; "in the lap of luxury. Among the feminine descendants of -successful gum shoe men!" - -Here the man with the flushed face attempted to speak; but an eloquent -sweep of both hands silenced him. - -"They have nothing to do," stated the orator, "but to invent ways of -pleasing themselves. Monkey dinner parties, diamonds, automobiles and -boxes on the grand tier have no more attraction; private yachts and -other women's husbands have grown _passe_. They want a new toy, and -faith, nothing will please them but the destinies of the nation. Their -reasoning is simple and direct. If a man who wheels scrap iron at a -blast furnace is competent to handle the--" - -At this point the speaker was interrupted by Ashton-Kirk advancing to -the counter. - -"Pardon me," said the investigator, "but can you tell me where I can -find Mr. Tobin? Is he in?" - -A look of great dignity came upon the face of the other; and he drew -himself up stiffly. - -"You are speaking to him, sir," replied he. - -"I thought so," smiled Ashton-Kirk. "My old friend Dan O'Connor has -mentioned you so often that I felt sure that I recognized the manner." - -The dignity vanished from Mr. Tobin's face, and the stiffness of -demeanor fell from him instantly. - -"Do you know Dan?" asked he, eagerly. "Ah, there is the lad for you. A -credit to his country and to his name. Faith, he is the best judge of -whiskey in the city, and has a heart as large and as mellow as a -barrel of it." - -"If it would not be putting you about in any way, we'd like a few -moments in private with you." - -At once Mr. Tobin touched a button. A young man presented himself, and -to him the conducting of the house was transferred for the time being. -Then the two friends were led into a small sitting-room, where chairs -were placed for them, and Mr. Tobin seated himself opposite them with -some expectation. - -"Since I became manager here," explained he, "I seldom hear of any of -the old lads. Ye see, it's so far from the center of the city," -regretfully, "they seldom get along this way, so they do." - -"Yes, I suppose they cling to their old haunts," said Ashton-Kirk. -"Dan sticks to his school of boxing these days, pretty closely. I -often drop in for a round or two with him. He's as clever as ever, but -he's slowing up." - -Tobin shook his white head sadly. - -"Tut, tut, tut," said he. "And do you tell me that! Faith, he's a -young man yet--not much over sixty--and what call have he to be takin' -on the ways and manners of age? Even as late as the last year of the -Coffin Club he was as swift as the light." - -"He frequently spoke of that club to me," observed the other. "A queer -place, I understand." - -Tobin nodded. - -"Queer enough," he answered, "and the members was as queer in some -ways. Nothing would do them, but they must spend their time -underground, sitting at tables shaped like coffins, and drinking their -liquor out of mugs shaped like skulls. I was steward there a long -time, and got good pay; but I never approved of the notion. It always -seemed like divilment to me, did that." - -"Some very well known people frequented it, did they not?" - -"Many's the time I've seen the governor of the state himself, sitting -there with a mug in his fist. The liquors was of the best, do you -see," with a pleased light in his eyes. "I know that, for it were -meself that selected them. And a good sup of drink is a great -attraction, so it is." - -"I don't think that can be successfully denied," admitted the -investigator. "Some very brilliant men have proved it to their -sorrow." - -"True for ye," said Tobin. "Don't I know it? We had actors and writers -and editors--the cream of their professions--and every one of them a -devotee, so to speak, of Bacchus. Sure, the finer the intellect, the -greater the sup of drink appeals to them, if it does at all. One of -the greatest frequenters of the club was a man whose inventions," with -a grandiloquent gesture, "revolutionized the industries of the world. -And when he was mellow with it, boys o' boys, but he could discourse! -His name was Morris," added the speaker, "and he was the father of the -young man whose name has been mixed up with this Hume affair which is -so occupying the public mind just now." - -"Indeed." - -There was a pause: Tobin's mobile face looked back upon the past; his -eyes had an introspective light in them. - -"To think," said he, "how the natures of men differ. Some are like the -gods of old, and others again are like--well, like anything you choose -to call them. And yet," with philosophic speculation, "these two -widely diversified types are sometimes friends. To the surprise of -everyone they occasionally take up with one another. It's hard to say -why, but it is so." - -"I've noticed it myself," said Ashton-Kirk. - -Tobin nodded. - -"Never," said he, "did I see it so exemplified as in the case of -Richard Morris and this felly who has just been killed. Never were two -men more unlike; but sorra such an intimacy did I ever see afore, as -there was between them. Morris when he had the drink in him was a -poet. His ideas soared to the starry skies; he flew about upon the -wings of the wind; faith I believe he thought the sun was not beyond -his reach. But Hume was a divil! God save us, that I should say the -like about any human creature; but he had the imp in him, for many's -the time I see it grinning and looking out at his two eyes." - -"I've heard it said that he was an unpleasant sort of chap," agreed -the other. - -"Unpleasant," said Tobin, "does not do credit to his capabilities, -though 'tis a good word enough. There was never a man came into the -Coffin Club, during the five years that I were there, that looked as -though the place fitted him, but Hume. The others were like bad little -boys who wouldn't take a dare. But Hume was just right. To see him -lift one of the stone skulls to his lips and grin over it at you, -would make your blood run cold. And bless us and save us, gentlemen, -how he would jeer and snarl and laugh all at the one time. Many's the -time I've listened to poor Morris rave and paint his pictures of what -he was going to do in times to come; and on the other side of the -coffin-table, Hume would urge him on, leerin' and grinnin' like Satan -himself, and making all manner of game of him. Bedad, me gorge rose at -it more than once, and it was all I could do to keep from takin' him -by the scruff of the neck and throwin' him intil the street." - -"Almost every man has some spark of good in his nature, however -faint," said Ashton-Kirk. "And Hume may have had one, too, though no -one seems to have discovered it." - -Tobin smiled and returned: - -"An Irishman always has a good deal of respect for the fighting -strain, no matter if it be in a man, or a beast, or a bird. Old Nick -himself must be a grand, two-handed man, and as such we must give him -credit. And 'twas the same way with this felly Hume. He had real -fighting blood, so he had; and sorra the man ever undertook to impose -on him the second time." - -"And as a true Celt, you held this to be a credit mark," laughed -Ashton-Kirk. - -"I did. And, indeed, he seemed to consider it so himself, though he -was not one to care a snap what others thought of him. But often he'd -boast of the stock he came from. Fighters they were to the core, he -said, fighters who never knew when they were whipped, and who'd go on -fighting while they had a leg to stand on, an eye to see, and an arm -to strike a blow." - -Tobin here paused and stroked his smooth-shaven chin, reflectively. - -"He claimed descent from someone who was rated a real man in his day," -he continued. "'Twas an officer, I think, who fought with--faith, -yes," smiling in recollection, "at the side of sorra the one less than -Washington himself." - -Pendleton, listening with dwindling interest, saw Ashton-Kirk's hand -clench, and saw a gleam shoot into his eyes. Then he saw him bend -toward Tobin, his elbows on his knees, his clenched hands beneath his -chin. - -"Ah," said the investigator, and his voice was calmer than Pendleton -remembered ever hearing it before, "he claimed a pedigree, did he? And -from a Revolutionary officer. Such things are always interesting. It's -a pity you can't remember the soldier's name." - -Tobin pondered. - -"I can't," confessed he, at length; "but there is one thing that I -remember hearing Hume tell about him; it seemed laughable at the time, -and I suppose that's why it's stuck to me. It seems that the supposed -ancestor were a great felly for dress, and expected the like of all -the men under him; and though he often had niver a crust of bread to -put into their mouths, he always managed to have a pinch of white -powder for them to dress their hair." - -Ashton-Kirk laughed suddenly, and leaned back in his chair. The gleam -died out of his eyes, and a twinkle of satisfaction replaced it. - -"That," said he, "sounds amusing enough to be true. Mr. Hume's -ancestor was at least consistent. But," and his tone changed, "we must -not keep you from your duties, Mr. Tobin, and so we'll get to the -matter in hand." - -"If it is not hurrying you," agreed Tobin. - -"A while ago," spoke Ashton-Kirk, "you mentioned young Allan Morris; -and during your conversation you have led me to think that you were -his father's friend." - -"I were," said Tobin. "He were a decent man." - -"Then perhaps your friendship extends to the son as well." - -"Perhaps it does," and a note of perceptible caution crept into -Tobin's voice. - -"I am glad to hear it," said the investigator. "He seems badly in need -of friends of the right sort just now; and I am confident, Mr. Tobin, -that you are of that sort." - -"A man who has disappeared as completely as this one has done," -stated Tobin, "is out of the reach of even the best of friends." - -"Have you not heard from him since the murder?" - -"No," replied the other with a readiness that carried conviction. - -"Then you will, and before long." Ashton-Kirk arose and stood looking -into the old man's face. "Perhaps it will be to-night; but it will be -by to-morrow night at latest. And when you do you can best show your -friendship for him by telling him not to be a fool." - -"You mean," said Tobin, shrewdly, "that I'm to advise him to give over -hiding?" - -"Exactly." - -"I'll do that willingly enough, if I hear of him. An innocent man has -no call to hide himself like a rat. But," inquiringly, "after I tell -him that, what will I do?" - -Ashton-Kirk took out a card; handing it to the other, he said: - -"Ask him to come see me." - -Tobin gave the card one glance, then his face lit up and his hand went -out. - -"Let me shake your hand, sir," said he. "And I'll tell the lad what -you say with a heart and a half." - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -ASHTON-KIRK BEGINS TO PLAN - - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton left the "Rangnow," the latter said: - -"You surely do not suppose that Morris will call on you?" - -"Why not?" - -"It does not sound reasonable." - -"A day or two ago I would have said the same. But things are taking on -a different aspect. And with their change, Morris will change. He had -no idea of what was to come, or he would not have done what he has -done." - -"No criminal would," said Pendleton. - -Ashton-Kirk shrugged his shoulders at this, but made no direct reply. - -"And now if these newspapers, with all their pointed references to -Edyth Vale, do not make the man come forward," he went on, "what is -about to happen--say within the next forty-eight hours--will be sure -to do so." - -Pendleton turned a surprised look upon him. - -"You think, then, that something unusual is about to happen?" - -"I _know_ there is," was the quiet reply. "To-night, old chap, has -been most prolific in results. It has indicated why the murder was -done; it has suggested the identity of the actual murderer; it has -even pointed out the spot upon which we shall finally take him." - -"You really mean all that?" cried Pendleton, incredulously. - -"I do." - -"Then you must have learned it at some time while I was not--" here -Pendleton paused, and then proceeded in another tone. "But you have -_not_ been out of my sight since dinner. Everything you have heard, I -have heard; all that you have seen, I have seen." - -"Just so," said Ashton-Kirk. - -There was a pause; they walked along toward the place where they were -to get a street car. At length Pendleton spoke once more. - -"And from the rather bald reports of your two assistants, and the talk -of this man, Tobin, you have gathered these most vital facts?" - -"We can hardly call them facts as yet," said the other; "but I have -every confidence that we can do so within the time specified." - -A gong sounded sharply and a car crossed the street. Pendleton placed -his hand upon his friend's shoulder. - -"Kirk," said he, "I am not going to ask another question. I'm just -going to wait, and if it turns out as you say, I'll never question a -statement of yours as long as I live. I'll swallow them all as the -Mussulman swallows the Koran." - -They boarded the car and Ashton-Kirk settled himself in a corner. His -arms were folded across his chest, his head gradually sank forward. To -all appearances he was asleep; but Pendleton knew that he was merely -turning over some plan of action that would, in a little time, begin -to reveal itself. - -However, he was not prepared for such quick action as resulted; for -suddenly Ashton-Kirk jumped up, glanced out at the car window, then -darted to the platform and leaped off. Pendleton followed at once, and -came up with him part way down an intersecting street. - -"Where to now?" he asked. - -"City Hall," replied Ashton-Kirk, briefly. - -It was no great distance to the municipal buildings; they shot up in -the elevator and entered the police department. - -"I'd like to see Superintendent Weagle," said the investigator to the -officer who came forward to speak to them. - -"He's just getting ready to go home," answered the man, "but I'll see -what I can do." - -The superintendent of police happened to be in an obliging humor, and -they were shown into his office a few moments later. Weagle stood in -the middle of the floor, drawing on a light over-coat; the end of a -black cigar was clenched between his teeth. - -"How are you?" greeted he. "Anything doing in my line?" - -"Not just yet," replied Ashton-Kirk, "but I have some hopes." - -The official laughed. - -"We all have them," said he. "If we didn't we might as well put up the -shutters." He threw the cigar end away and wiped his stubby moustache -with a large handkerchief. "You've come for something," said he. "What -is it? My wife and kiddies are expecting me, and I must get home." - -"How long are you going to maintain the police guard at 478 Christie -Place?" inquired the investigator. - -"I hadn't thought of it," replied the superintendent. "However, we are -in the habit of keeping such details up for some little time. Another -thing, there is a lot of valuable stuff there which must be looked -after." - -"Beginning with to-morrow night," said Ashton-Kirk, "I want you to -withdraw your men. And further, I want your permission for my friend -Mr. Pendleton and myself to watch in their place." - -The official opened his eyes at this. - -"Well," said he, after a moment's silence, "I don't just understand -your reasons; and the thing is most unusual. But," and he nodded his -head approvingly, "I've always noticed that you have reasons behind -everything you do, and if this thing is expected to throw any further -light on the Hume case, why, it shall be as you say." - -"Thank you," said Ashton-Kirk. "Unless I am much mistaken it will -close the matter finally as far as your department is concerned, and -put the whole thing up to the District Attorney." - -"You mean," said the superintendent with interest, "that you've got -something new on Spatola--and perhaps on Morris and the girl!" - -"I mean," answered Ashton-Kirk, "that I hope to place the murderers of -the numismatist Hume in your hands in a few days--whoever they may -be." - -Weagle waved his hand. - -"That's all we want," said he with a laugh. "Give us the right ones -and we'll make no complaint. And now, if you have nothing more to say, -I'll say good-night." - -They parted with the superintendent in the corridor; then Ashton-Kirk -led the way into a room where some police officials and a number of -young men were lounging about. - -"Oh, how are you?" greeted a stout sergeant, affably. "And how's the -work?" - -While the investigator was speaking to the sergeant, one of the -alert-looking young men approached. - -"Pardon," said he. "But is there anything you'd like to say to the -_Star?_" - -"No," replied Ashton-Kirk. - -"You are working on the Hume case, are you not?" asked the reporter -with professional insistence. - -"Oh, I have had a little interest in it as an outsider, that is all," -returned the other. "However," as he was passing through with -Pendleton, "I can give you a piece of official police news on the -case, which I just got from the superintendent. After to-night the -guard will be removed from Hume's place. Weagle thinks the regular -policeman on the beat is all that is needed from now on." - -As they left the building by the main door, Pendleton said: - -"A little while ago, I rashly promised to ask no more questions. If -you'll release me from that, I'll unburden myself of one or two which -will otherwise keep me awake to-night." - -"Go ahead," said Ashton-Kirk with a smile. - -"Why," asked Pendleton, "do you want the police called off at Hume's? -and why should we place ourselves on watch instead?" - -"At the very first we made up our minds that the men who murdered Hume -were in search of something, didn't we? Up to this time I have been -unable to say whether they had succeeded or not. Now, however, I am -convinced that they failed." - -"Ah!" - -"To-morrow the newspapers will announce that Hume's place is to be no -longer guarded. It may be that the criminals are desperate enough to -venture another visit in order to gain possession of the thing they -covet. If they do, we shall be awaiting them." - -"But how do you know that they failed of their object on the night of -the murder?" - -"You and I," said Ashton-Kirk, laughingly, "are perhaps going to spend -considerable time in Christie Place, beginning with to-morrow evening. -And while there we may find it dull enough, old boy; a little -amusement of a practical sort might not be found out of place. So I'll -not answer your question now; I'll allow it to stand until to-morrow -night; and then I'll give it to you, compact and complete, with -practical illustrations as I go along." - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -ASHTON-KIRK IS ANNOYED - - -On the following day, at about noon, Ashton-Kirk's big French car -glided up to the curb before the Vale house. A man with a thick neck -and a small head nodded to the investigator; another waved a hand from -across the street. - -"Plain-clothes men," he murmured, "and at watch upon the house. That -means that this matter can be brought to an end none too soon for Miss -Vale's comfort." - -He was getting out of his car when a brace of eager reporters accosted -him. - -"The _Standard_ would like to have you say a few words for -publication," said one. - -"The _Herald_ will give you what space you require for a statement at -any time you see fit to make use of it," declared the other. - -"I'm very sorry," said Ashton-Kirk, brushing a speck of dust from an -immaculate sleeve, "but I have nothing to say that would interest your -city editors, or the public. I have no doubt but that the police -officials will be glad to acquaint you with anything new that has -transpired--if there has been anything new." - -The newspaper men pulled wry faces. - -"The police hang onto the Italian musician and profess to think he's -the guilty party," said one. "If they have taken any steps beyond -this, before to-day, we have not known of it." - -"Why have the detectives been placed to watch Miss Vale's house?" -asked the other. "And what has Osborne gone in to talk about?" - -"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, with interest, "Osborne is within, is he?" - -"Yes; and why are you going in? What has been learned regarding Miss -Vale's connection with the case that has not already been made -public?" - -"I would hardly undertake to answer that last," laughed Ashton-Kirk. -"So much has been made public in one way and another that I haven't -been able to keep track of it all. My own visit is merely a friendly -call. Why Mr. Osborne is here I, of course, cannot say." - -Leaving the newspaper men disappointed and dissatisfied, the -investigator rang the bell and was admitted. In the hall, pulling on -his gloves, was Osborne. - -"Hello!" exclaimed the latter. "So you thought you'd have a try, too, -eh?" - -The big man's tone showed that he was none too well pleased with his -own visit; he jerked at his gloves viciously, and his brow was creased -with vexation. And seeing that the other was disposed to do nothing -more than nod, he went on: - -"Well, you'll have to have a lot better luck than I've had, to have -any at all. Miss Vale, it seems, is a young lady who knows very well -how to say nothing. I've been here something like an hour and have put -her through a regular third degree; but I've had my labor for my -pains, as the saying is. She has told me nothing except her opinion of -the newspapers and the police." - -"Miss Vale will see you, sir," said the man servant, returning. - -"And so you've given it up?" queried the investigator of Osborne. - -The big headquarters man shrugged his shoulders. - -"Hardly," said he. "I've set a time on the thing. We scarcely like to -go to extremes, as you perhaps know; but unless a clean breast of the -matter is made, as far as the party knows," modifying his language -because of the listening servant, "the same party will know what the -inside of a cell is like by this time to-morrow." - -"You really mean to make an arrest?" - -"If we are forced to--yes." - -Ashton-Kirk followed him to the door: - -"Extend the time limit," suggested he. "Make it the day after -to-morrow, and," elevating his brows, "I don't think that you'll need -to do anything unpleasant." - -"Ah," said Osborne, "you're onto something!" He regarded the other -questioningly for a moment, then broke into a grin. "No use to ask -what it is, I suppose? I thought not. Well," reflectively, and in a -lowered tone, "it won't do any harm to oblige you, if the front office -is willing. The party can't make a move that we won't know about; and -the fact is, I've just advised that no going out of any kind be -ventured on. So long, and good luck." - -The door closed behind Osborne, and then Ashton-Kirk followed the -soft-footed servant down the hall, up the stairs and into the presence -of Edyth Vale. - -The girl received him smilingly. - -"I'm getting to be a regular occurrence," said he, as he sat down. - -"But a welcome one, nevertheless," she returned. "Indeed, if it were -not for certain other depressing circumstances, I'd find your visits -dreadfully exciting." - -"I suppose Osborne is one of the circumstances referred to. I just met -him in the hall, and he seemed to be quite in a state of mind. What -have you been saying to him?--or rather," smiling, "what have you -_not_ been saying to him?" - -"He came on what he calls 'police business,'" smiled Miss Vale. "I -considered it quite an alarming expression, and said so; but that made -no impression on him, for he proceeded with a string of wonderfully -conceived questions that must have covered my life from birth to the -present time." - -"The police have about the same method for each case--a sort of -bullying insistence that breaks down denial by sheer weight." - -"I have read of it, frequently, in complaining articles in both -magazines and newspapers. I think I have even seen it very earnestly -compared to the Inquisition." The smile was still upon the girl's lip, -but as she continued, her voice shook a little. "However, I never -thought to go through even a part of it myself." - -"What the police _say_ may be embarrassing and mortifying," said -Ashton-Kirk gravely, "but it is nothing at all, compared with what -they might _do_." - -Miss Vale drew in her breath in a little gasp of terror; but she made -an effort to conceal it with a laugh. - -"I know what you mean," she said, lightly. "You think that they might -go so far as to take me into custody as an accessory to the crime, or -even as the actual criminal." - -"Mr. Osborne told me that such was their intention, if you do not -explain clearly your connection with the case. I don't think that the -Department is at all anxious to draw you into the matter; but some of -the newspapers, as you no doubt have noted, have grown very insistent. -They say that a poor musician is jailed instantly, while the woman of -fashion, who is perhaps equally guilty, is allowed to go free. Such -ways of putting things have a great effect upon public opinion; the -politicians who conduct the municipal departments know this, and -always move to protect themselves, no matter in what direction the -movement takes them." - -"Then," said Miss Vale, "you really think they will do as Mr. Osborne -said?" - -"I have no doubt of it--if the matter is not cleared up before the -time arrives for them to act." - -The girl arose and went to a window as though to look out; the -investigator saw her hand pressed to her heart, and noted the -trembling that had seized her. Yet, when she faced him once more, a -moment or two later, she made a brave attempt to smile as before. - -"I think this is too bad of you," she said. "Your point of view is -almost as pessimistic as the detectives', or the newspapers'. I had -expected comfort and encouragement." - -"And I came to give it--if you'll allow me," said Ashton-Kirk, -quietly. - -She looked at him for a moment, then both hands went out in a mock -despairing gesture, and she laughed. But the laugh was unmistakably -forced, and a keen ear for such things would have detected a pathetic -little catch in it. - -"Now," she said, "you are becoming mysterious. However, I suppose I -must not complain, for it is entirely in character with your -profession, isn't it?" - -He disregarded both the observation and the tone; there was a slight -pucker between his keen eyes that spoke of impatience and resentment. - -"Mr. Osborne has been very plain with you, Miss Vale," said he, "you -have perhaps become accustomed to it in a measure. So I shall not -hesitate to follow in his footsteps. I am going to make you face some -very plain facts." - -"Mercy!" She laughed. "Mercy, Mr. Ashton-Kirk. I had not thought that -you could be so deliberately cruel!" - -"In the first place, Miss Vale," he began, paying not the slightest -attention to her laughter or the mocking light in her eyes, "if you -had continued as you began, this matter would have been cleared up -before this, the newspapers would never have printed your name in -connection with it, and you would have been spared the mortification -of a detective at your doorstep." - -"Is there one--outside?" - -"There are several. If you venture out you will be followed wherever -you go." - -The girl sank into a chair in a limp, rumpled sort of way; somehow the -idea of surveillance affected her more than anything else. Her face -became ashen; her hands shook distressfully as she clasped them -tightly together. - -"When you allowed the fears and desires of Allan Morris to cloud your -reason, you made a mistake. You admitted as much when you came to me -after the murder; but instantly, upon seeing him again, you were as -before. He was struck with fear, and he communicated his terror to -you; as before you dreaded to trust anyone--even myself." - -"I think you are inclined to take a great deal for granted," said Miss -Vale. But in spite of the words, her eyes were wide with alarm. - -"He told you of the deaf-mute, Locke," said Ashton-Kirk; "and also -other things, which seem to have induced you to visit Locke at the -Institute near Cordova on the night before last." - -Miss Vale elevated her brows in surprise; her attitude was one of -wonderment. - -"I don't think I understand." - -"And you did not seem to understand yesterday when I called upon you. -You fancied that I was not sure that I had seen you, and had come -expecting you to admit the visit to Locke. And as I went away, you -also fancied that you had thrown me off the scent." He smiled at the -recollection, in spite of his evident resentment of her position. "But -the fact of the matter was that I knew your fiance had been the cause -of your visit to the mute. You had seen Morris, you knew where he was, -and I thought it would be a useful thing for me to be also acquainted -with his whereabouts." - -"But," protested Miss Vale in a faint voice, but still acting her -chosen role to the best of her gifts, "if I had known and desired to -conceal his whereabouts, surely you did not expect me to tell you of -it." - -"Not directly. But, if you remember, I dropped a hint that his -hiding-place was about to be discovered. This was true; you were about -to disclose it. I had only to wait and follow as you rushed off to -warn him." - -She leaned back in her chair and regarded him strangely, but he -proceeded with evenness: - -"Your work upon the road was very clever; I congratulate you upon it. -But it was scarcely sufficiently inspired to deceive an old hand." - -Here he waited, apparently expecting her to speak. But as she did not -take advantage of the pause, he went on: - -"I called this morning to acquaint you with these things and to advise -you on your future course. I must admit that I rather admire your -steadfastness in following out what Allan Morris has desired of you; -however, it is a great mistake for a strong nature to submit to the -clamorings of a weaker one." - -She sat suddenly erect; protest was in her eyes, and one hand went up -in denial. But, though her lips opened as though she were about to -speak, no words came; once more she sank back in the chair with the -air of one compelled to admit a bitter truth. - -"I am not so sure as to how deep Morris is in this murder," continued -the investigator, "but I have some ideas on the subject. On the other -hand I am quite sure that you are promised to aid him, and that you -feel duty bound to do so to the end, according to his not very wise -instructions." - -He arose and stood looking down at her kindly. - -"My advice to you," he went on--"and I speak with a fair knowledge of -the facts--is that you do nothing more. Be content with what you have -attempted; allow me to act for you in anything further which you have -in mind. Or, if you cannot give me your confidence, let me carry the -thing on in my own way, as you proposed at the first." - -There was a pause of some length; then the girl spoke. - -"I am just a trifle bewildered at all this," she said; "and I really -cannot say, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, that I altogether follow you." - -He smiled, but the disapproving wrinkle still showed between his eyes. - -"I see that you are still determined to hold to your attitude," he -said. "I am sorry, of course, but then one is called upon at times to -do as one thinks best, and I suppose that is what you are doing." He -turned toward the door, and she arose and touched the bell. "Good-by." - -"Good-by," she returned. - -He stood for a moment in the doorway regarding her with mingled -annoyance and admiration. As he caught the steps of the approaching -servant in the hall, he said: - -"Possibly I can save you some little trouble. You need not call at the -Rangnow Apartments. Up to last night, Allan Morris had not notified -Mr. Tobin as to his new hiding-place. However, if you feel that you -_must_ see him, you can call at my place at this hour on the day after -to-morrow. I am not sure, of course, but it occurs to me that he will -be there." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE SECRET OF THE PORTRAIT - - -The morning papers had all announced the fact that the detail of -police would that day be withdrawn from the scene of the murder in -Christie Place. With them it had been a mere matter-of-fact news item, -but with the evening sheets it was different. They had had time to -digest the matter, and their view of the order was one of surprise. -Two or three allowed this feeling to expand itself into headlines of -some size; a few also commented on the situation editorially. - -Superintendent Weagle had been interviewed. He stated that he could -not be expected to maintain a detail at 478 indefinitely; even with -the police withdrawn from within, so he maintained, the place would be -as effectually guarded as were other buildings. What more was -required? - -Ashton-Kirk read all this with some satisfaction in the late -afternoon. - -"They have given the thing even more publicity than I had hoped for," -he said, as he helped Pendleton in the details of a rough-looking -costume which that worthy was donning. "It must be a bad day for -news, and they have plenty of space. At any rate, anyone who is at all -interested in the fact, is now aware that after six o'clock this -evening, 478 Christie Place will be unguarded, except for the regular -patrolman. Of course," with a glance at Pendleton and another in a -mirror at himself, "if a brace of rough-looking characters are hidden -away within, there will only be a few who know it." - -He opened a drawer and took out two black shining objects; the short -barrels and blocky shapes told Pendleton that they were automatic -revolvers. - -"They will throw ten slugs as thick as your little finger while you're -winking your eye as many times," said Ashton-Kirk. - -They each slipped one of the squat, formidable weapons into a hip -pocket; then they made their way out at the rear of the house. With -the collars of their sack coats turned up and their long visored cloth -caps pulled down, they hurried along among the dull-eyed throngs that -bartered and quarreled and sought their own advantage. - -And when, in the uncertain dusk, a wagon drew up at 478 and two -sack-coated, cloth-capped men began carrying parcels up the stairs, is -it any wonder that Berg, watching from the window of his delicatessen -store, said to his clerk: - -"Dot furrier that rents der rooms by der third floor is putting some -more things in storage over the summer, yet." - -And when the wagon finally drove away, neglectfully leaving the two -men behind, it is not surprising that the fancy grocer did not notice -it. And, then, when the two policemen who had been on duty during the -afternoon, came out, carelessly left the door unlocked, looked up to -make sure that they had left none of the windows open, and then strode -away with a satisfied air that follows a duty well done, who so keenly -watched as to suspect? - -The shadows on the second floor lengthened and grew grayer; they -thickened in the corners; pieces of furniture grew vague and monstrous -as the darkness began to cling to them and their outlines became lost; -suits of armor loomed menacingly out of the gloom, the last rays of -light striking palely upon helm or gorget; hideous gods of wood and -stone smiled evilly at the two watchers. - -"There was food in the bundles which we carried up, then," commented -Pendleton, as he lay back on the old claw-footed sofa. - -"Yes," answered his friend. "The person or persons whom we expect will -hardly come to-night, though we, of course, don't know; if they fail -to appear we shall be forced to stick close to these rooms during the -whole of to-morrow and also to-morrow night. Perhaps it will even be -longer." - -"In that case," said Pendleton, a little disconsolately, "the eatables -will be very welcome. But I hope we won't have to stay long enough to -finish them." - -"Perhaps," said Ashton-Kirk, "I've let you in for too hard a task in -this, Pen?" - -The other rose up instantly. - -"You couldn't give me too much to do in this matter," declared he, -earnestly. "I would do it alone if you were not here, and I had brains -enough, Kirk. The thing must _end_. If it goes on much longer and I -keep seeing those infernal insinuations in the papers, I'll go -completely off my chump." - -There was a little silence; then Ashton-Kirk said: - -"I never knew that you were--ah--this way, old chap, until the other -day. How long has it been going on?" - -"Why, for years, I think," answered Pendleton. "Being very distantly -related, Edyth and I saw quite a deal of each other when she was a -slip of a girl. And she was a stunner, Kirk, even then. Kid-like, I -fancied I'd get it all over with when the proper time came; but -somehow I never got around to it. She turned out to be a dickens of a -strong character, you see; and she expected so much of life that I -got the notion that perhaps I wasn't just the right sort of fellow to -realize her ideals. - -"You know, old boy, there are times when a man thinks quite a bit of -himself. This is more especially so before he's twenty-five. But then -again there are times when he sees his bad points only, and then of -all the unutterable dolts in the universe, he gets the notion that he -is the worst. When we were at college and I held down that third base -position and hit 320 in the first season, I was chesty enough. I -suppose you remember it. And when I came into my money and began to -make collections of motor cars, yachts and such things, I thought I -had taken life by the ears and was making it say 'uncle.' - -"Well, we're only grown-up boys, after all. I recall that I thought -I'd dazzle Edyth with my magnificence, just as Tom Sawyer did the -little girl with the two long braids of yellow hair--do you remember? -And it was after I discovered that she was not to be dazzled that I -sort of gave up. I wasn't anybody--I never would be anybody; and Edyth -would be the sort of woman who would expect her husband to take the -front at a jump. And no sensible person could imagine me at the front -of anything, unless it was a procession on its way to the bow-wows." - -"I think," said Ashton-Kirk, "that you began to prostrate yourself -before your idol; and when a man takes to that, he always gets to -thinking meanly of himself. The attitude has much to do with the state -of mind, I imagine. Miss Vale is a courageous, capable girl; but you -can never tell what sort of a man a woman will select for a husband. -Girls have fancies upon the subject, and give voice to them sometimes; -but it is the man they choose and not the one they picture to whom you -must give your attention." - -"I suppose that is true enough," said Pendleton. - -"Miss Vale's evident strength awed you," went on the other. "And then -your timidity began to magnify her qualities. No woman is what she -seems to be to the man who loves her. Miss Vale is not so difficult to -please as you thought. I fancy that her engagement to young Morris -proves that." - -"There you have it," cried Pendleton. "That's it, Kirk! I've stood -aside, considering myself unworthy, and allowed a fellow to slip by me -who is as colorless as water. Allan Morris is no more fit to be her -husband than--" at loss for a simile he halted for a moment, and then -burst out: "Oh, he's impossible!" - -"So far as we have tested him, certainly," agreed Ashton-Kirk, "he has -shown no great strength of character." - -"He's acted like a frightened child all through this affair. He's -mixed up in it, and through his weakness allowed Edyth to also -entangle herself. Again and again he's run to her, or called to her, -to tell her of some fresh complication that he'd gotten his frightened -self into; and to protect him, she has dared and done what would have -frightened an ordinary woman into fits." - -"I think," observed Ashton-Kirk, "that she has realized his position, -to some extent, at least. The fact that he is weak has, I think, -dawned upon her already; she may also see his evident selfishness -before long. If she does--why, might there not still be some hope for -you, Pen?" - -Pendleton shook his head in the gloom. - -"I'm afraid not," said he, hopelessly. "Somehow a weak man makes a -great appeal to the woman who has grown to care for him. He arouses -her mother instinct. And Edyth is so strong that her pity--" - -"May induce her to do her utmost to see him through this trouble," -interrupted Ashton-Kirk. "But it may not carry her much further. When -once the thing is over, a reaction may set in. Who knows?" - -But Pendleton refused to be comforted. For a long time they talked of -Edyth Vale, Morris, and the killing of Hume. Finally Pendleton said: - -"I suppose we can't smoke here to-night, can we?" - -"No; the lights might be seen; and we can't tell what sharp eyes are -watching the place." - -Pendleton sighed drearily. - -There were many clocks in the rooms; the policemen must have amused -themselves by winding and setting them; for at the end of each hour -they began to strike, singly and in pairs. The brisk strokes of the -nervous little modern clock mingled with the solemn sonorous beat of -an old New England timepiece whose wooden works creaked and labored -complainingly. Elaborate Swiss chimes pealed from others; through the -darkness, a persistent cuckoo could be heard throwing open a small -shutter and stridently announcing his version of the time. - -It was some time after midnight that Pendleton began to yawn. Then -Ashton-Kirk said: - -"Open some of those blankets, Pen, and lie down. There is no need of -two of us watching to-night; I scarcely expect anything to happen." - -Pendleton did not expect anything, either, but he said: - -"All right, I will, if you'll wake me in a few hours and let me take a -turn at it." - -Ashton-Kirk agreed. Pendleton stretched himself upon the sofa, and -soon his deep breathing told that he was asleep. As the night drew on, -the solitary watcher grew chilled in the unheated rooms and huddled -himself into another blanket; but he sat near the door leading to the -hall, which was slightly ajar; and though his eyes closed sometimes in -weariness, he never lost a sound in the street or a tick of one of the -clocks. Through the entire night he watched and waited almost without -moving; it was not until the dawn of a gray, dirty day began to -somewhat lighten the room that he aroused Pendleton. The latter -expostulated sleepily when he noted the time; but with scarcely a word -the investigator took his place upon the sofa and dropped off to -sleep. - -About nine o'clock he awoke and found his friend arranging their -breakfast upon a small table. - -"I say, Kirk," said Pendleton, admiringly, "you did this thing rather -thoroughly. There's quite a tasty little snack here; and the thermos -bottles have kept the coffee steaming." - -At the water tap in the rear the investigator bathed his hands and -face; then he sat down with his friend and did complete justice to the -breakfast. Afterwards, with their cigars going nicely and a feeling of -comfort stealing over them in spite of the rather uncomfortable night, -Pendleton said: - -"You promised the other night to tell me what made you think that the -murderers had failed to secure the thing they sought. The words that -the promise was couched in made me think that you had also something -to show me, and as we could not light up last night, I've waited -patiently until to-day. Now you must ease my curiosity. Come, tell me -a few things." - -Ashton-Kirk took his cigar from his mouth. - -"I told you," said he, "that the reports of Burgess and Fuller, -together with the conversation we had with Tobin, had enlightened me -upon these points." As he enumerated them, he checked them off with -his fingers: - -"_Why the murder was done._ - -"_The identity of the confederate of Locke._ - -"_That the man would return to the scene of the crime._" - -"Yes," said Pendleton, "those, I think, were the points." - -"The first two," went on the investigator, "I will allow to stand for -a while. But I promised to illustrate for you, and I think I can do -so." - -Ashton-Kirk here arose and passed through the storeroom and kitchen -into the bedroom. - -"The writing upon the step in the hall," said he, facing his friend, -"directed Locke's confederate to look for something behind Wayne's -portrait. As all the pictures of Wayne in the place were broken or -otherwise showed traces of rough handling, it seemed that the thing -desired must have been found. However, I was not sure about that, as -I have told you. - -"If you will recall Tobin's remarks of the other night, you will note -that the only thing he could admire in the man's character was his -fighting spirit. Then it developed that Hume made a boast of having -come by this naturally enough. He claimed descent from one of -Washington's officers. Tobin could not recall the officer's name; but -he related an anecdote of him that was unmistakable. The officer was -General Wayne!" - -"By George!" cried Pendleton. - -"The collection of Wayne portraits was in this way explained. It was -also suggested to me that Hume might be an assumed name--that the -numismatist might have once been known as Wayne, and that Locke had -known him by that name. Of course, it's quite likely that he was not -really a descendant of Wayne. But he probably called himself Wayne -nevertheless. - -"I see," said Pendleton, his hands waving with excitement. "And in the -stress of the moment, Locke wrote the name 'Wayne' upon the step in -candle grease, forgetting that his confederate only knew their -proposed victim as Hume." His eyes rested upon the walls and upon the -sneering, unpleasant portrait of the murdered man. "He meant that the -thing he desired was _there_," indicating the portrait with an -exultant sweep of the arm. "And by George, it must be there still." - -He sprang forward with the evident intention of wrenching the picture -from the wall; but Ashton-Kirk restrained him. - -"Don't," said he. "We'll leave that for our expected visitor." - -"Surely," protested the excited Pendleton, "you don't propose to leave -the thing there! Think of the risk! You might lose it in the end; for, -you know, one never foresees what is to turn up." - -"A fisherman must always risk losing his lure," answered the -investigator composedly. - -They spent the long hours of the day in smoking and talking; and at -intervals they ate the sandwiches and other things which had been -smuggled in in the guise of packages of furs. And finally the shadows -gathered and thickened once again in Christie Place. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE SECOND NIGHT - - -The second night of the vigil in Hume's rooms wore on. Unlike the -preceding one, the two young men were almost entirely silent; when -they did speak, it was in tones so low as to be scarcely above a -whisper. - -There was a taut, indefinable something in the air that kept the -desire for sleep from both; in the brooding darkness they were alert, -watchful, expectant. The tobacco-loving Pendleton afterwards recalled -with surprise that not once did he think of the weed. But when the -queer, mysterious night sounds began to come--those creakings of loose -planks, strainings of unseen timbers and untraceable snappings in the -walls, that are common in old houses--he frequently thought of the -automatic revolver; and the chill of the polished metal always felt -comforting enough. - -The clocks announced the ends of the hours according to their -temperaments; coming in the midst of the total silence, the din seemed -to Pendleton to be terrific; he pictured appalled criminals on their -way through the dark halls, crouching in fear at the sounds. Eleven -o'clock struck, and then twelve with its continued uproar. It seemed a -long time before one and then two sounded. Pendleton's limbs were -beginning to feel loggy and numb because of the chill and the -continued inaction. He had ventured to stir them a little, and was -wrapping the heavy blanket more closely about himself, when he felt -Ashton-Kirk's hand upon his shoulder. - -"Hush-h-h!" said the investigator in a whisper. - -Instantly Pendleton was motionless; he listened intently, but the -silence of the place seemed complete. - -"What is it?" he finally ventured to breathe. - -The hand upon his shoulder tightened warningly; but there came no -other reply. Again Pendleton listened. The door of the showroom stood -open; Ashton-Kirk had placed it so in order that they might catch any -sound that came from the hall. All the other doors leading into the -hall from Hume's apartments were securely locked; anyone who ventured -into the suite must first pass through the showroom where the two -waited and watched. - -After a space Pendleton's attention was rewarded; a faint, far-off -rustling came to him; somehow it gave him the impression of -hesitation, non-assurance, timidity; he was speculating upon the -queerness of this impression when there came a faint, momentary glow -from the hall--mysterious, phosphorescent, unreal; and then it -vanished. Both young men were huddled upon the sofa, which was placed -facing the open door. A huge Spanish screen was drawn before them; but -the black leather was cracked in places; and through these they had a -clear view of the hall. - -A moment later the glow appeared once more; but this time it was -brighter. - -"Someone is on the stairs," reasoned Pendleton, his hand going to his -revolver. "It looks as though he were lighting matches to show the -way." - -Between the sputters of light were spaces of darkness; these were; -filled in by the faint guarded rustling. But as the light upon each -appearance grew brighter, so did the sound become more distinct; and -at length a light resonance, unmistakably a footstep, came from the -hall. - -Then steadily, softly the sound came on through the darkness; nearer -and nearer it drew until at length it became unmistakable. _The -rustling was that of a woman's skirts!_ Then, so it seemed, the -darkness of the doorway grew denser; the soft, quick breathing of the -newcomer became audible; her hands were heard moving over the door -frame as she blindly searched for the door. - -Then, apparently, she learned that the door was open; a deeper breath -showed the relief she felt at this; now she carefully entered the -room. - -Even before Pendleton's brain realized who it must be, he began to -feel a tightening at his heart; and now as he pictured her advancing -with outstretched, groping hands into the darkened room--a room -horrible with crime and secret dread--it was all that he could do to -hold himself in check. He had almost an overmastering desire to spring -up, to cry out to her, to tell her not to fear. - -He was still struggling with this feeling when he became aware that -she had paused; and, also, that Ashton-Kirk was once more gripping his -shoulder with a warning hand. Becoming instantly alert, his senses -perceived a stoppage of everything; the clocks seemed to tick more -faintly, he could no longer hear the woman breathe. There was an -instant that roared with silence; then came the soft, steady padding -of feet descending the stair. - -Then he heard the girl release her breath in a great, trembling -exhalation; the rustle of skirts came quick and sharp in the darkness; -he heard the door through which she had entered the room squeak upon -its hinges and then close with a click that proclaimed it fast. - -After this there was a long pause. Pendleton could hear the faint -breathing of the girl, and thought it rather odd that she did not -catch the sound of his own. He pictured her leaning against the -locked door, her heart throbbing with fear as she listened to the -descending footsteps; stronger and stronger grew his desire to leap up -and assure her that friends were at hand. But at the same time the -warning grip of his companion, who seemed to feel what was in his -mind, also grew stronger and stronger. - -With the closing of the door, the sounds from the stairs had ceased to -reach them. There was a long pause; Pendleton, during this, grew -sensible of a long, wavering mental antenna which he projected into -the shadows; and its delicate sensitiveness told him of the silent -approach of a fearful thing. A long, long time, it seemed to him, but -in reality it was remarkably brief. - -Then the steps were heard, shuffling and secret, in the hall and very -near at hand. A soft, uncertain touch fell upon the smooth glass of -the door; down its length the inquiring fingers traveled; then the -handle was tried, held a moment and quietly released. - -The steps then receded lightly down the hall. - -For some moments all was quiet, then there came the scratch of a match -from the hall, and its accompanying flare, seen through the glass of -the door. A little space more, and a rending sound came to their ears, -followed by the falling of some metallic objects upon the floor. -Pendleton required no explanation of these sounds; it was plain that -the second intruder had come prepared and had forced one of the doors. - -All the communicating doors of the suite had been left open; through -them came the pushing about of furniture and the drawing down of -blinds; then another match flared, followed by a stronger and steadier -light, which showed that the second visitor had lighted the gas. The -light filtered palely through the various rooms into the one in which -the two men and the woman were hidden; by means of this the former -could make the latter out in a dim, uncertain sort of way. She seemed -unusually tall as she moved noiselessly across the floor and peered -cautiously through the communicating doorways. - -[Illustration: WHAT SHE SAW MUST HAVE STARTLED HER] - -What she saw must have startled her, for she drew quickly back, her -hand pressed to her heart. Then softly she retraced her steps; they -heard the door-catch slip quietly back and were conscious that the -door was swung open; the woman then crept inch by inch, so it seemed, -down the hall. - -It was the bedroom door that had been forced; the two watchers noted -the bar of light that slanted from it across the passage. Nearer and -nearer the woman approached to it. Pendleton had at first thought that -she was making for the stairs; but this died away as she passed them, -unheeding. The automatic revolver was in his hand instantly; leaning -toward his friend, he breathed in his ear. - -"She's going in there." - -The blanket slipped from him as he arose to his feet; his legs were -still cramped and stiffened; he felt clumsy and unsure. Ashton-Kirk -evidently agreed that the time had come for action, for he whispered -in reply: - -"Through the rooms! I will take the hall!" - -Pendleton stepped from behind the screen like a shadow. Through the -door leading to the storeroom he had an uninterrupted view of a part -of the bedroom; and across the floor he saw thrown the shadow of a -man. Noiselessly he tip-toed into the kitchen, the revolver held -ready; just outside the bedroom he paused, and drawing to one side, -waited. Then he noted the shadow move slightly, and heard a deep -rumbling voice say in French: - -"You were a devil! Even now as I look at you, you laugh and jibe!" The -shadow upon the floor here swung its arms threateningly. "But laugh -away. I have won, and it is my turn to laugh!" - -Here the shadow slid along and up the wall; peering around the edge of -the door, Pendleton saw a man with massive, stooped shoulders and a -great square head, covered with thick, iron-gray hair; and instantly -he recognized him as the man whom they had seen that night in the -doorway of Locke's workshop. The stranger was standing just under the -portrait of Hume; he gazed up at it, and his big shoulders shook with -laughter. - -"What a mistake to make," he said, still in French. "How was I to know -that the old devil once called himself Wayne!" - -He reached up and took the picture from its hook; with thick, powerful -fingers he tore the backing away, and a flat, compact bundle of papers -was disclosed. The picture was thrown upon the bed, and the man stood -staring at the papers, a wide smile upon his face. - -"So this is the secret, eh? Well, Locke will pay well for it, and it -will be worth all the risks I've taken." - -He was fumbling with a coat pocket as though to stow them away, when -there came a swift, light rush, the packet was torn from his hands, -and Edyth Vale was darting toward the hall door and the stairway -beyond. - -But despite his bulk, the man with the stooped shoulders proved -himself singularly swift. In two leaps he had overtaken her; dragging -her back to the center of the room, he snatched the packet from her in -turn. Regarding her with calm, pitiless eyes, he said in English: - -"I am sorry, mees, that you have come, eh? Eet makes eet mooch harder -for me. And I am of the kind that would rather be off quietly, is it -not? and say no words to no one." - -Edyth Vale, pale of face, but with steady eye, returned his look. - -"What are you going to do?" she asked. - -"I am sorry to do anything," spoke the stranger. "I do not know you, -and you will onderstan', will you not, that I can't leave you -behind--to talk?" - -As he spoke a flashing something appeared from the girl's pocket; he -lifted one huge paw to beat her down; but a clenched hand, protected -by a corded buckskin glove, thudded against his jaw; his knees -weakened, and he sprawled upon the floor. - -"Jimmie!" gasped Edyth Vale. "Jimmie Pendleton!" - -"Oh, Edyth--Edyth!" was all the man could say. He slipped his arm -around her, for she was tottering; and as he helped her to a chair, -Ashton-Kirk quietly entered at the hall door. - -"Miss Vale," said he, "good-evening." - -Without waiting to note if she even gave him a look, he bent over the -fallen man and snapped a pair of handcuffs upon his wrists. - -"A very pretty blow, Pen," said he, admiringly. "Beautifully timed, -and your judgment of distance was excellent." - -He slipped the fallen papers into his pocket and continued: "Keep an -eye on him, for a moment." - -Then he stepped swiftly through the hall; a moment later they heard -him throw up one of the windows overlooking the street, and a whistle -shrilled through the night. - -"Paulson is on duty," said the investigator, returning. "He'll be here -in a jiffy." - -Sure enough, they soon heard heavy steps upon the stairs; and then -Paulson and a fellow patrolman appeared in the doorway. Astonished, -the policeman gazed at Ashton-Kirk, who nodded to them smilingly, then -they turned their gaze upon Pendleton, who was speaking soothing words -to the white-faced girl, who, now that the danger was over, clung to -him tremblingly. But when their eyes centered upon the manacled -stranger who was then dazedly struggling to a sitting position, -Paulson asked: - -"Who is this?" - -"This," answered Ashton-Kirk, "is M. Sagon, a fellow lodger of Antonio -Spatola, formerly a very close friend of the late Mr. Hume, and once a -resident of Bayonne, in France." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -APPROACHING THE FINISH - - -Pendleton spent the night at Ashton-Kirk's; and after breakfast he -wandered into the library, a newspaper in his hand and an inquiring -look on his face. - -The investigator was seated in his usual big chair, buried to the -knees in newspapers, and making vigorous inroads upon the Greek -tobacco. Fuller was just leaving the room as Pendleton entered, and -nodding toward the disappearing form, Ashton-Kirk said: - -"There is some rather interesting news. I have had Locke, as you -perhaps know, under observation for some time. Last night he took the -train at Cordova, and Burgess followed him. When he reached the city, -he went directly to Christie Place and was seen lurking about in the -shadows." - -"Humph," said Pendleton, "what time was this?" - -"Perhaps about eleven o'clock. Burgess, so Fuller tells me, never lost -sight of him. He acted in a queerly hesitating sort of way; finally, -however, he seemed to form a resolution and went to the door of the -Marx house. He was about to pull the bell, then paused and tried the -door instead. It was evidently not locked. He seemed both surprised -and pleased at this; he lost no time, however, but went in at once." - -Pendleton sat down. - -"What do you suppose all this meant?" he asked. - -"Well, we can't be too sure," replied Ashton Kirk, "but I think it -probable that he, also, saw the news of the withdrawal of the police -in the papers. Perhaps he came to Christie Place with the intention of -informing Sagon of the opportunity that then presented itself. Or it -might be that he had hopes of somehow over-reaching his companion in -crime." - -"His lurking about would seem to point rather in that direction," said -Pendleton. - -"And his preferring to enter the lodging house without ringing also -indicates some such idea. As I see it, he hoped to gain the roof -unobserved. He knew the house and the habits of the people quite well. -No doubt he had a plan, and a good one. He's a thinker, is Mr. Locke." - -"If he was noticed, he could indicate that he had called to see M. -Sagon." - -"Exactly. But I very much doubt his gaining the roof. Perhaps, after -all, he was detected; for a few minutes later Burgess saw him leave -the house." - -"Humph!" said Pendleton. Then after some few moments spent in the -examination of his paper he threw it down. "It's full of all sorts of -allusions to monoplanes and such like," grumbled he. "As I had to take -Edyth home last night, and you went bravely away with the police and -Sagon, I find myself, as usual, trailing some distance in the rear." - -Ashton-Kirk regarded the litter of newspapers ruefully: - -"I gave them the heads of the case very plainly," said he, "but as it -was almost the hour for going to press, I suppose they did not get the -finer points of my meaning. Some of them have made a sad mess of it. -However, the evening papers will have a coherent account, I suppose." - -"If you think I am going to wait until the evening papers are issued -to get to the bottom of this thing, you're much mistaken," declared -Pendleton. "I demand a full and detailed explanation immediately." - -Here a tap came upon the door; Stumph entered and handed Ashton-Kirk a -card. - -"Let him come up," said the latter; and, as the man went out, he -continued to Pendleton. "We will both probably be much enlightened -now. It is Allan Morris." - -"Just as you said," spoke Pendleton. "It's really almost like second -sight." - -The investigator laughed. - -"A small feat of reasoning, nothing more," said he. "However, an -enthusiast might find some of the elements of second sight in our -conversation in this room about a week ago." - -Pendleton looked at him questioningly. - -"It was on the morning that you called to announce the coming of Miss -Vale. We were speaking of how it sometimes happened that very innocent -things led to most weighty results; and I remarked, if you will -remember, that your visit might lead to my connection with a murder -that would dwarf some of those which we had spoken of." - -"So you did," agreed Pendleton. "That _is_ rather remarkable, Kirk." - -"And further," smiled the investigator, "I recall that I expressed -great admiration for Marryat's conception of a homicide in the matter -of Smallbones and the hag. The weapon used by Smallbones, it turns -out, was identical in character to the one used by Sagon." - -"A bayonet," cried Pendleton. "By George! So it was." - -Just then Stumph announced Allan Morris. - -The latter was pale and haggard; his clothes were neglected, and there -were some days' beard upon his chin. He seemed astonished at sight of -Pendleton; however, he only nodded. Then he said inquiringly to the -investigator: - -"You are Mr. Ashton-Kirk?" - -"I am. Will you sit down, Mr. Morris?" - -Morris sat down dejectedly. - -"Tobin advised me to come see you," he said. "I refused at first; but -in view of what the newspapers contain this morning, I reconsidered -it." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"If you had, come to me in the first place," said he, "you'd probably -not have fallen into this mess, and you'd have saved yourself a great -deal of suffering." He regarded the young man for a moment, and then -went on. "Miss Vale, I suppose, has told you of her dealings with me." - -"She has," said Morris. "She's been very candid with me in everything. -If I had been the same with her," bitterly, "I should have acted more -like a natural human being. You see, we were to be married; she was -very rich, while I had comparatively nothing. But this in itself -would not have been sufficient to have prevented our wedding for so -long. The fact was that I had gotten myself into trouble through -speculation; I had a fear that my position might even be considered -criminal from some points of view. And I allowed myself to get nervous -over it. - -"However, there was a way by which it was possible for me to -extricate myself. To explain this I'll have to go back some years." - -"Take your own time," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"Well, my father had worked for years perfecting the plans of a -heavier-than-air flying machine," Morris resumed. "At the time of his -death he told me that it was all complete but the constructing, and -that I had millions within my reach. But Hume had the plans--my father -had borrowed money of him--a considerable sum--and had given him the -plans as security. - -"Hume had always derided the idea of the monoplane. Tobin, who knew -them both, tells me that he was forever mocking my father upon the -subject. And when the time came when the plans could be redeemed, Hume -denied having them. There was no receipt, nothing to show that the -transaction had ever occurred. The man declared that the whole thing -was a drunken dream. He had never seen any plans; he had never paid -out any money; he knew nothing about the matter. Time and again the -man reiterated this; and each time, so I've heard, he would go -off into gales of laughter. I have no doubt but that the entire -performance on his part was to afford himself these opportunities; he -seemed to love such things." - -"Was it not possible for your father to duplicate the plans?" - -"At an earlier time it would have meant but a few weeks' application -at most. But at this period the thing was impossible. The last long -debauch seemed to have sapped his intellect; it also was the direct -cause of his death." - -"I see," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"I took the matter up with Hume at once," went on the young man. "But -I had no more success than my father. In the man's eyes, I had but -replaced my father; I was another patient subject for his mockery, -derision and abuse. - -"There were some scattered drawings of the monoplane in father's -office; I began a study of these, thinking to chance upon the -principal idea. But I was unsuccessful. - -"All this, you understand, was before I had met Miss Vale, and before -I was tangled up in the trouble I have just mentioned. - -"The fear began to grow on me that Hume meant to use the plans to his -own advantage; I knew that he had long been familiar with Locke, who -was reputed to be a mechanical genius, and between them, I fancied -they'd take action. I began a watch upon the reports of the Patent -Office, thinking that that would finally give me something tangible to -use against them. However, I never gave up my visits to Hume, or my -efforts to make him admit possession of my father's property. - -"It was during one of these visits that I first met Spatola; and I -was much struck by the performance of his cockatoos. My father had -always held to the idea that the problem of flight would be finally -solved by a study of the birds; this gave me an idea, and I took to -visiting Spatola in his lodgings in Christie Place. He'd have the -cockatoos fly slowly round and round the big attic, and I'd watch them -and make notes. - -"It was about this time that I met Miss Vale and asked her to be my -wife; a very little later, in an effort to raise money, I got into the -financial trouble which I have referred to. After a little the -question of a time for our marriage came up; I was filled with fear -and put it off; this occurred several times, and I was at my wits' -end. I could not marry with that thing hanging over me. Suppose it -should turn out as I feared; imagine the shock to a high spirited girl -to discover that she had married a defaulter. - -"It was then that I turned to the matter of the plans as my only hope; -with a perfected idea I could readily secure a large sum of money in -advance. So I redoubled my efforts to have a settlement with Hume; but -he only derided me as usual. Continued visits to Spatola to study the -flight of the birds, showed me that the Italian was a fine fellow, -well educated and with much feeling and appreciation. We became fast -friends and so, little by little, I told him my story." - -"About the invention?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"Yes." - -The investigator turned to Pendleton. - -"I think," said he, "that I now understand why Spatola grew so -uncommunicative and suspicious toward the end of our interview at City -Hall. We both thought it was because I spoke of shorthand. But it was -perhaps because I mentioned an _invention_ in the way of writing -music. He feared that I was trying to incriminate Mr. Morris in some -way." - -Pendleton nodded. - -"That," said he, "I think explains it." - -"As you no doubt know," went on Morris, after the investigator had -once more given him his attention, "Spatola liked Hume none too well. -And he had reason for his hatred, poor fellow. Well, he became -interested in what I told him; and when he learned that I believed my -father's papers were in all probability somewhere in Hume's -apartments, he suggested that I come to live in Christie Place under -an assumed name. He thought that in time an opportunity would present -itself to cross the roofs some night, enter Hume's place by the -scuttle and so possess myself of the plans. - -"On the day preceding the murder, I had made up my mind to have one -more try with Hume; and if that failed I intended to follow Spatola's -advice, break in and take the plans by force. I was so full of this -resolution that I could not contain myself; I hinted at it to Miss -Vale; and the result of that hint, you know." - -He leaned his face forward in his hands and seemed to give way to a -bitter train of thought. He was evidently despondent. - -"It was also some such hint upon your part that induced her to visit -Locke at Dr. Mercer's place, wasn't it?" - -Morris raised his head and nodded. - -"Yes," he said. "After the murder I suspected Locke at once of having -something to do with it. I told Miss Vale; she went there without my -knowledge--seeing that I had not the courage to go myself," he added -bitterly--"and demanded the plans." - -"And she learned that they were still at Hume's--behind the portrait?" - -"Yes. Locke told her--he was overcome with horror at the murder. He -had merely desired to secure the plans,--having somehow learned their -hiding place. He had no intention of killing Hume." - -"But why did Sagon do it?--he must have had it in mind when he bought -the bayonet at Bernstine's," said Pendleton, looking at Ashton-Kirk. - -"He had. Do you recall how Burgess' report spoke of a league of -smugglers in Europe of which Hume was a leading spirit, and also of -how they had been captured and nearly all but Hume were tried and -convicted?" - -"Yes." - -"Sagon was one of those convicted. The diamonds which Hume tried to -smuggle into this country were to have been turned into money at the -time of the gang's arrest and the proceeds spent in their defense. But -instead of doing this, Hume left his comrades to their fate and -absconded. When Sagon gained his freedom he began a search for Hume, -meaning to have revenge. This search finally led him to Locke as a -person who had known Hume, and who would be likely to be able to tell -where he could be found." - -"Sagon has told you this?" queried Pendleton. - -"Yes; he talked freely, after he saw that his case was hopeless; and -he, too, insisted that Locke did not intend to commit murder. Locke, -even at the time of his meeting Sagon, was looking for someone to aid -him in gaining possession of the Morris plans. The work-shop which -we saw beside Locke's house contained a monoplane in course of -construction; but there was something lacking which he felt Morris's -plans could supply; and so he was anxious to get hold of it by hook or -crook. - -"Sagon, whose purpose from the first was murder, was not at all averse -to combining it with something else. He took the room at Mrs. Marx's -place, after he had perceived that an entrance could probably be made -at Hume's by way of the scuttle. The well dressed 'business guys' that -the machinist on the first floor spoke about to us, were no doubt -Locke, who frequently called upon Sagon, and Mr. Morris here, whom the -man did not suspect of being a lodger. - -"To prove a theory that I had formed, and which I have mentioned in a -vague sort of way," went on Ashton-Kirk, "I asked Sagon why he had -used a bayonet. And it turned out as I had thought. Sagon and Hume had -first met at Bayonne; the greater part of their operations had been -carried on there; the band had been finally rounded up and convicted -there. The bayonet, so legend has it, was first made in Bayonne, and -Sagon conceived that it would be a sort of poetic justice if the -traitor were to die by a weapon so closely connected with the scene of -his treachery." - -There was a pause after this, and then young Morris got up slowly and -painfully. - -"I don't want it to be thought," said he "that I was directly -responsible for Miss Vale's adventure of last night--or for any of the -others, for the matter of that. If I had known at the time that she -proposed visiting Locke's, or Hume's, either upon the night of the -murder, or last night, I would have prevented it." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded kindly; the young man's position evidently -appealed to him. But Pendleton sat rather stiffly in his chair and his -expression never changed. - -"I will now come into possession of whatever value there is in my -father's invention," went on Morris, "and added to that, it turns out -that the--the other thing, of which I stood so much in fear, has -turned out favorably. But," in a disheartened sort of way, "I don't -care much, now that my engagement with Miss Vale is broken." - -"Broken!" exclaimed Pendleton. - -"I saw her this morning," said Morris. "During the past week," he -continued, "it gradually came to me that I was not the sort of man to -make her a fitting husband. I hid like a squirrel while she faced the -dangers that should have been mine. I knew that she realized the -situation as well as I, and I did what I could by making it easy for -her." - -He paused at the door. - -"If there is anything that I can do, or say in the final settlement of -this case," he added, to Ashton-Kirk, "I will gladly place myself at -your services, sir. Good-bye." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -THE FINISH - - -"For the first time," said Pendleton, as the door closed upon Allan -Morris, "I can feel sorry for him. To lose a girl like Edyth Vale is -indeed a calamity. Think of the courage she's shown--of what she was -willing to do. Why, Kirk, she's one in ten thousand." - -But Ashton-Kirk only nodded; he had arisen upon the departure of -Morris, and was now drawing on a pair of gloves. The splendid -qualities of Miss Vale apparently had little appeal for him at that -moment. - -"Are you ready?" he asked, in a business-like way. - -"Ready?" repeated Pendleton, surprised. - -"To be sure. We can scarcely call this case complete until something -has been done in the matter of Locke." - -"That's so. But, somehow, I had the notion that your men had already -attended to him." - -"I always prefer to finish my work in my own way," said the -investigator. "Osborne, as soon as he heard of Locke, through Sagon, -wanted to take up the trail. But I convinced him that he'd better -leave it to me." - -Pendleton clapped on his hat. - -"I'm with you," said he, "but where do you expect to find him?" - -Ashton-Kirk rang for Stumph and ordered the car; then he replied: - -"We'll more than likely find him at home. Burgess followed him back to -Cordova, last night." - -They went down and climbed into the car, and were soon on the road. - -A little distance from the Mercer Institute they came upon a compact -looking man seated upon the top rail of a fence, chewing at a straw. -He wore heavy, much-splashed boots and a sun-scorched suit of clothes. - -"Ah," said Ashton-Kirk, "I see Burgess is still on the job." - -"Burgess," echoed Pendleton. He looked at the man upon the fence in -surprise; except for the very broad shoulders there was no -resemblance. - -However, Burgess grinned amiably through a rather neglected growth of -beard. - -"I expected you along about this time," said he, to the investigator. - -"Is everything all right?" asked Ashton-Kirk. - -"He's still there," answered Burgess, and he nodded toward a house -with a peaked and slated roof which stood some little distance up an -intersecting road. It was the same house through the window of which -Pendleton had seen Edyth Vale some nights previously, but, somehow, it -seemed strange and unfamiliar in daylight. - -"I can see three sides of it from here," went on Burgess. "And if he -dropped out of one of the windows on the fourth side I could sight him -before he'd gone fifty yards. You may be sure he's there, all right." - -"You've heard of what took place last night, I suppose?" - -Burgess tapped a folded newspaper at his breast pocket. - -"So has Locke," said he. "Apparently his orders are to furnish him -with the papers as soon as they arrive. A man from the Institute -building brought one to him more than an hour ago." - -Just then Ashton-Kirk noted far up the road upon which Locke's house -stood, a very small buggy, drawn by an equally small horse. In the -buggy sat a man whose huge bulk seemed to bulge out beyond its sides. -Arriving before Locke's house, the small horse stopped, as though from -habit. Then with a mighty effort, the fat man rolled out and waddled -to the gate. He pressed and re-pressed the button; but no one -answered. - -Ashton-Kirk looked at his assistant. - -"Are you quite sure that our man is there," asked he. - -Burgess chewed his straw calmly. - -"I'm positive of it," said he. - -The fat man now entered at the gate and going to the front door, tried -it. But it was evidently fast, and he turned away. Hesitating for a -moment, he laboriously approached the work shop, the roof of which -could be seen through the trees. Apparently the result was the same -here, for in a very few minutes he was seen to waddle back to his -buggy and climb in with much effort. Then the small horse ambled -forward while the fat man leaned back in great distress. - -"You recognize him, do you not?" smiled Ashton-Kirk. - -"I do, now," returned Pendleton. "It's our friend Dr. Mercer." - -When the buggy arrived at the spot where the motor-car stood, the -doctor regarded its occupants with some surprise. - -"Good-morning," greeted Ashton-Kirk. - -Painfully, gaspingly the other answered this in kind. The round white -face wore an expression of martyrdom. - -"I am pleased to see you once more," said he. - -"You like driving in the morning, then?" said the investigator. - -The principal's flesh quivered with repulsion. - -"It is an exercise ordered by my physician," he answered. "I protested -against it strongly, but he was obdurate. And I am compelled to do it -before I have had my breakfast," hollowly. "It is scarcely short of -barbarous." - -Here the small horse stretched its neck and shook itself until the -harness rattled. Pendleton looking from master to beast thought they -might exchange places much to the master's ultimate well-being. - -There was a short pause; then Dr. Mercer bent his head toward them. - -"When you visited the institute a few nights ago," said he, "you also, -at my request, visited Professor Locke." - -Ashton-Kirk nodded. - -"For some time," proceeded the other, "I have fancied that there -was something wrong with him. Not of a physical nature, as is, -unfortunately the case with myself, but more in a mental way. But -since that night I have been _sure_ that some sort of a derangement -had fixed itself upon him, or is in progress. He can scarcely be -called the same person. More than once I have been afraid," and here -the speaker lowered his voice to a husky whisper, "that he is -unbalanced." - -"That is very grave," said Ashton-Kirk. - -"It has occurred to me," went on the doctor, not without shrewdness, -"that something happened that night which unsettled him." The eyes -seemingly floating in fat, turned themselves first to Pendleton, then -to Ashton-Kirk. "I suppose, though, you know nothing of it?" - -"We noticed that he seemed greatly agitated," replied the -investigator. "And we are alarmed to hear that he seems disturbed." - -"It is our rule that no one leave the institute grounds after -nightfall," said Dr. Mercer, in a troubled voice. "Last night I had -occasion to send for him, but he was gone. This morning I stopped to -reproach him for his absence; but apparently he has not returned." - -"You're mistaken there," put in Burgess. "Look!" - -He indicated the house as he spoke. The small figure of Locke was seen -emerging at the front door; he paused for a moment, peering this way -and that in his near-sighted fashion, then hastily made his way toward -the work-shop. Evidently he had not seen them. - -With great labor and much catching of breath Dr. Mercer had turned -sufficiently to see these things. He seemed greatly astonished. - -"He was there all the time," said he. "It is not possible that he did -not feel the vibrations of the buzzer, for he is very sensitive to -such things." - -His indignation appeared to swell him to even greater proportions -than before. - -"It is an affront," he stated in a choked tone. "It is a deliberate -affront. He felt the buzzer, and he knew it was I. But he did not -consider me of enough importance to trouble himself about." - -Panting he sought to turn the small horse, but in a moment Ashton-Kirk -was out in the road and had the animal by the head. - -"I beg your pardon," said the investigator, "but it would probably be -more beneficial to yourself and others, if you continued your drive -and left Professor Locke to us." - -Amazed beyond ability to stir, the doctor sat and stared. But finally -he found his tongue. - -"Bless my soul and body," exclaimed he with a great wheezing -exhalation. "I scarcely understand this, sir." - -"My dear doctor," said Ashton-Kirk soothingly, "it is not at all -necessary that you do so. The fact is, to state it briefly, there is -a trifling matter for adjustment between Professor Locke and the -commonwealth." - -"The commonwealth!" cried the doctor, and he shook like a great mass -of gelatine. - -"Nothing less. So, you see, it will be as well for you to do as I -suggest." Then turning to Pendleton, Ashton-Kirk continued: "I think -we had better walk the remainder of the way; otherwise we might get -Locke's attention before it is advisable." - -Pendleton jumped down, and without another word to Dr. Mercer, they -set off toward the slate-roofed house by the roadside. However, after -they had gone about fifty yards, Pendleton turned and looked back. He -saw the small horse jogging away, while behind it, helplessly fat and -hopelessly befogged, sat Dr. Mercer, swaying dispiritedly from side to -side. - -As Ashton-Kirk and Pendleton advanced upon the house, they bore in -mind the possibility of Locke being on the watch; so they kept out of -sight as much as possible. - -"It's rather odd, I think, that he hangs on here, knowing that his -part in the murder of Hume must now be known," said Pendleton. "I -rather expected an attempt at escape." - -"That may come later," said the investigator, grimly. "The finish of -a thing of this sort is always a matter for speculation. I have seen -desperate criminals who surrendered like lambs; and I've seen the -other sort give a platoon of police a good day's work in their -taking." - -"Do you think it possible that Locke is one of this latter type?" - -"There is no knowing. But I am inclined to believe that he is." - -Pendleton shook his head. It seemed impossible that this dapper -little man with his peering, short-sighted eyes could be capable of -any determined effort to escape the police when once driven into a -corner. However, Pendleton had ample reason to respect Ashton-Kirk's -judgment; and so when the latter deemed it necessary to approach with -caution, he acted accordingly. - -They paused in front of the house. - -It was now past ten o'clock and the sun was shining brightly; a little -patch of garden, filled with early flowering plants lay between the -house and the wood; all about the work-shop were the tall trees which -they had noticed upon their previous visit. - -"We had better not use the gate," suggested the investigator. "There -might be an attachment of some sort that will give him warning." - -So under cover of the trees they scaled the fence; then they carefully -made their way toward the shop. The windows and door of this were -closed, nothing was stirring. Near the door was scattered some rubbish -and loose paper. The place had an utterly deserted look. - -"Do you think he is there?" asked Pendleton. - -"I will know in a few moments," replied the other. "Wait here." - -Pendleton expected Ashton-Kirk to continue his cautious approach. But -to his surprise the investigator with cool assurance stepped out from -behind a tree and advanced toward the outbuilding; when he reached -the door he opened it and calmly stepped inside. - -The building was in one great room. It had some windows at the side, -but the greater part of its illumination came from a huge skylight. As -he closed the door behind him, Ashton-Kirk had a vague impression of -something huge, made of steel rods and with far-stretching wing-like -projections at the sides. But he had no time to give the mechanism -even a glance; of greater interest was the small figure which sat at a -wide work-table upon which a litter of drawings was scattered. - -It was Locke; and as the slight jar of the closing door reached him he -lifted his eyes and saw the intruder. If Ashton-Kirk expected any -display of fear or other emotion, he was disappointed; upon each of -his previous meetings with Locke the latter had shown great -trepidation; but now he simply nodded quietly and seemed not at all -surprised. - -But as Ashton-Kirk made a step toward him, he rose and raised his hand -in a gesture that was peremptory and unmistakable. The investigator -paused; then Locke pointed to a chair directly before his bench, but -some half dozen yards away; and when Ashton-Kirk smilingly seated -himself, Locke did likewise. - -Then in heavy characters he scrawled upon the back of one of the -blue-prints. - -"I was expecting a visitor, and fancied that it might be you." - -This he held up so that the investigator might read it. Ashton-Kirk -nodded. Again the back of a plan came into service and this time the -investigator read. - -"What has occurred is most unfortunate. I had no hand in it, though, -of course, I do not expect anyone to believe me." - -Here Ashton-Kirk drew a note book from his pocket and was about to -write, but the other stopped him with a gesture. Then the man once -more wrote; carefully, heavily, in order that the other might have no -difficulty in reading it from the distance. - -"Pardon me! But it is not necessary for you to go to any trouble. -Moreover--I beg of you not to think me rude--your opinions in the -matter have no interest for me." - -Ashton-Kirk acknowledged this with a grave nod. The pencil was -instantly at work again. - -"As I have said, I expected a visitor; but I will now add that I did -not expect to be here to receive him." - -Ashton-Kirk looked swiftly into Locke's face as he read this; the -expression was unmistakable, and the investigator leaped to his feet. -But the mute uttered a strange parrot-like cry--evidently the same -that Edyth heard that night in Christie Place--and Ashton-Kirk saw his -hand go swiftly to a button at one side of the work-bench. Instantly -the investigator paused; once more a gesture bade him be seated. - -Slowly he obeyed; and once more Locke began to trace bold characters -upon the stiff paper. This message read: - -"You are a wise man. I had arranged everything before you came in, and -had sat down to make an end of it. This button at my hand once started -an electric apparatus; but now it is connected with a quantity of an -explosive--my own invention, and a terrible one. Believe me, one touch -and everything in this building is in fragments." - -Ashton-Kirk, when he had finished reading, nodded quietly. Again the -mute began to write. - -"I have no ill will toward you," the words ran, "you have two minutes -to leave here, and get safely away." - -When he saw that this had been read, Locke threw down the paper and -took out his watch. Then he pointed toward the door and sat waiting. - -It was strange to see the little man sitting there calmly, with only -the pressure of a finger between him and eternity. But Ashton-Kirk -knew stern resolution too well to mistake the look on the mute's -face. There was nothing to do but to obey. He waved his hand in a -farewell. Locke returned the gesture. Then Ashton-Kirk walked to the -door, opened it and stepped out. - -Pendleton, patiently watching among the trees, saw him emerge and at -once moved toward him; to his amazement the investigator took him by -the arm and broke into a run. - -"What the deuce is the matter now?" asked Pendleton, after they had -passed the gate and were racing down the road. - -"You'll know in a few moments," returned Ashton-Kirk grimly. - -He permitted no pause until they reached the car, the engine of which -had not been stopped. - -"Quick, for your lives!" he ordered, as he leaped in. - -Pendleton and Burgess followed instantly. The car had scarcely begun -its plunge forward when a horrible rending shock staggered them. And -as they sped away the debris of the deaf-mute's work-shop was falling -all about them. - -The evening papers were glaring with the news from Cordova by the -time the two friends were once more alone in Ashton-Kirk's library. -Pendleton seemed to be pondering. - -"I say," said he, at last, "was it Morris or Spatola who remained at -Hume's the night of the murder?" - -"I spoke to Spatola about that," answered Ashton-Kirk. "He said it -was Morris who left first and whom Hume pursued by jeers through the -open window. Morris had, according to his resolve, called at the place -to demand the plans; but Hume was mad with liquor and was even worse -in his manner than usual. Unable to bear it, Morris had rushed out. -Spatola later made his way out by way of the scuttle and across the -roof, as he frequently did. - -"The thing which Spatola had carried under his coat that night was a -diploma which he had received from a musical conservatory in Rome. It -was in a frame and so made considerable bulk. Hume had denied that -afternoon that Spatola had ever studied in this particular -conservatory; frantic with rage, but knowing that he was a fool for -doing it, the Italian had brought his diploma as proof. - -"Morris, under the name of Crawford, occupied a room on the floor -below Spatola; and as soon as the musician entered through the -scuttle, he descended the stairs and went immediately to his friend's -room to console and encourage him. - -"Some time passed, and while they were still talking they heard a step -upon the stairs leading to the attic. As no one lived there but -himself, Spatola looked and in the semi-darkness saw two men -descending. He called and asked who they were, and Sagon's voice -replied that it was he and a friend. They had gone up to have a talk -and smoke a cigar with him; but seeing that he was not in, they had -come down at once. And now, as he was apparently engaged, they would -not trouble him, and with that they disappeared within Sagon's room." - -"Then," said Pendleton, "they had gone up through the attic, across -the roofs, committed the deed, and returned while Spatola was with -Morris?" - -"It would seem so." - -"But suppose that on reaching the attic, upon their return they had -found Spatola there?" - -"Sagon had calculated it all very nicely. One night a week Spatola -went to play with two compatriots at their rooms; with piano, harp and -violin, they gave vent to the harmony that was in them. That was the -night for the trio, and Sagon knew it. But In his rage and his desire -to prove his standing to Hume, Spatola had forgotten it. When he -descended to Morris's rooms, the two criminals thought he had gone to -make his usual visit to his friends. Sagon says he almost lost his -nerve when the Italian confronted them on the stairs." - -"But here's a thing I've not been able to puzzle out. According to -your notion--and you may have proved it since, for all I know--Locke -was not in the showroom during or after the murder. And yet it should -have been he who dropped the little particle from the railroad ticket -upon the desk." - -"It would seem that way," admitted Ashton-Kirk, "but the fact is that -Sagon visited Locke at the Institute and rode to the city with him -that afternoon. The particle may be accounted for in that way." - -"Yes," mused the other, "that's so. But, one thing more. I should have -asked this of Morris himself if he had not been in such a confoundedly -miserable way. Why did he take to hiding immediately after the -murder?" - -"He spent the night in his lodgings at Christie Place; next day the -papers told him that he was suspected. He knew that if he appeared -he'd be arrested; and as he desired to recover the plans before the -murderers escaped with them, he felt that this would be fatal to his -chances. Of course, I am not sure of this; but I think it more than -likely." - -"Speaking of taking chances on the plans," said Pendleton, "you were -willing enough to take pretty long ones on them last night. Why, Sagon -actually had them in his hands." - -Ashton-Kirk drew a flat packet from his pocket. Opening it he showed -that it contained nothing but blank paper. - -"This is what Sagon found behind the portrait," said he, with a -smile. "The real papers I was very careful to remove two days ago. One -moment--that's the telephone." - -Pendleton sat rolling a cigarette and wondering, while Ashton-Kirk -took down the receiver. - -"Well?" said he. Then in a moment his expression changed. "Oh, is it -you? Well, how are you after your exciting experience?" - -Here Pendleton dropped the completed cigarette and listened. - -"You may consider yourself very fortunate to escape with a slight -headache," said Ashton-Kirk. Then there was a pause, and he said, -apparently in answer to a question: "Oh, yes, he's with me now. Will -you speak with him?" - -Pendleton arose and took a step toward the stand. But he halted as if -shot when his friend continued in the transmitter: - -"No?" Pause. "Oh, very well. Good-by." - -Ashton-Kirk hung up the receiver and turned to his friend. - -"So," said Pendleton, in a queer sort of voice, "she doesn't wish to -speak to me." - -"Not over the wire--no. But she wants you to come to her--at once. She -desires to hear all about what she calls the wonderful way we have -handled this case, and she wants to hear it--from you." Ashton-Kirk -looked at his watch. "It is now 10:45. You can get there by eleven if -you rush." - -"Do you call doing that little distance in fifteen minutes rushing?" -The young man's face was radiant and he was making for the door as he -spoke. "If I don't do it in half that time, I'm a duffer." - -Then the door slapped behind him, and Ashton-Kirk heard him bounding -down the stairs. - - - - * * * * * - -Another story in this series is "ASHTON-KIRK AND THE SCARLET SCAPULAR" -(in press) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Ashton-Kirk, Investigator, by John T. 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