Evening Star Newspaper, September 4, 1921, Page 44

" investigation department. | (Y ES. Yes. HERE was a silence that might be felt. The judge put on the black cap. The prisoner gave a queer cackle of laughter. “And Mr. Reginald Fortune, the sur- geon ‘whose evidence had convicted him, yawned and stole out of court. ‘The Sunday school murder, one of the. most popular crimes of our genera- tion, had bored Mr. Fortune exces- sively, and now that the Sunday schocl superintendent was safely on his way to the hangman Mr. Fortune desired to forget all about it at once. He stood on the steps of the Shire hall, lighting a cigar. A large young man, who had been struggling to get in, detached himself from the guar- dian policeman and ran at him. “For- tune! My God!” he sald emotionally. “I' thought I'd never get at you. ::l)f come somewhere where we can Mr. Fortune looked down through his smoke with sleepy eyes. “One moment. One moment,” he murmured. “Oh! ah. You're Charlecote—Beaver Charlecote. Well, and what's the best with you, Beaver “It's murder, old man,” muttered. “Everybody’s doing frowned at him. *“W It's my father.*® ‘My dear chap! Mr. Fortune was startled pathy. 1 say, Fortune, for God's sake—" Charlecote gasped. Quite,” said Mr. Fortune. s 'ms with him, and marched When Reggie Fortune ambled through his four years at Oxford, Geoffrey Charlecote was one of the great men of his college, a cricket blue, socially magnificent, and even suspected of brains. The Charlecote family dated from the Victorian age. When the building of railways began, Geoffrey's grandfather was a navyy. He became a_contractor, made half a million. and died. Shares of his prac- tical ability, his originality, his driv- ing power, and his disdain for the ten commandments (he was a mean old sinner) were inherited in different proportions by his three descendants. Stephenson _Charlecote. his son. had one child, Geoffrey, and was also the uardian of an orphan nephew. Her- rt. Stephenson Charlecote was a capable man of business. In his hands the family wealth increased. His only ambition was that the family should get on in the world. _ So it was Eton and Oxford for Geoffrey, Har- row and Cambridge for his cousin Herbert. Herbert emerged elegant and ordinary. In spite of Eton and Oxford, Geoffrey disturbed his father by showing signs of originality. He was bored by the big house in May- fair. he would not bother himself with soclety, he scoffed at going into parliament. This freakish obstinacy roused the hereditary temper in Ste- phenson Charlecote, was the more angry with his son because his nephew Herbert obeyed him in all things, and was successful in the most pompous drawing rooms. The breaking point came when Geoffrey discovered that he wanted to go abroad and be a sculptor. Stephenson Charlecote raged and decreed that he should not. And Geoffrey went. All this Reggie Fortune, who never forgot anything when he wanted it. knew at the back of his mind. ‘The rest Geoffrey told him as his car ook them back to London. “My God, Fortune, it's ghastly! I found him lying dead in the street outside my place. ed i blood. The old guy’nor “Quite. Quite,” said Reggle For- tune. “Now begin at the beginning.” ZWhat is the beginning?" “Well, you quarreled, didn't you?” “He quarreled. Oh, that sounds blackguardly. I dare say it was my fault. Yes, we had a.big:raw. cDamn it. man, what do,¥qu meanZ. think I— Oh,.1;say, this is.loath. some. I believe, that'’s what. the police think. The old guv'nor!” “Yes. But this don’t help him.” said Reggie Fortune, placidly. “From the beginning, please.” Geoftrey Charlecote stared at him, gulped, and became more coherent. “Well, after the row I went ab; Paris, Rome. Munich. I kept up a little place in Chelsea, too. I never saw the old man, and we didn’t write. 1 suppose I've been a brute “Hard stuff in the Charlecote fam- What?" Charlecote it.” Mr. Fortune 'ho’s slain now?” ©Oh, my dear chap!" into sym- 'Yes. I'm sorry, Fortune—I swear sorry.” “Cut it out,” said Reggie , in Munich I marri “You know, she’s an angel, Fortune. ed.” He German angel? ‘No. She's Italian. She came to Munich singing. And I—we met, and in a month we were married. I tell vyou, Fortune, I've been a different ‘man since. It's as if she'd given me a soul, you know." 1d you tell your father that?” It was she made me write to my father again. Lucia—she can’t bear being in a quarrel. She's so gentle. any sort of bad feeling hurts her. So she brought me to try and make it up. I wrote to the old man and he answered—just a short, civil, formal nete. - But Lucia was sure it would lead to something, and so we came back to England. Then I wrote to bim again. and be came to see us in Chelsea. That was a week ago—just a week ago today. He was pretty stiff and standoffish, but he took to Lucia. Everybody does, you know. Fortune, old man, she's wonderful. I thought he seemed a good deal aged, but he was just as brisk and sharp as ever. He had us to dine with him on Monday. And then—well, last night - he called on us again, came about four, stayed a long time. And he was so jolly and genial. And after- ward 1 went out to post some letters, and there he was, lying not a dozen yards from our door. He'd been stabbed. He was In a pool of blood. Good God! It was awful.” * x x ¥ Seems to be a quiet street where you live.” “Vinton place—it's a little cul-de- sac. “It was dark when he left? And you heard nothing? Yes. I wonder who his money goes to?" “What the devil do you mean?’ Geoffrey cried. i “Well, that's quite a fair question,” said Reggle Fortune, placidly. = “if T'm actin’ for you, and if you like, I will, I look only to your interests. If I'm actin’ for Scotland Yard—and if it's a hard case, they'll call me in— I'm only concerned to get the truth out whoever suffers.” “And do you think I don’'t want the truth?” Geoffrey cried. “What are you hinting at? Do you mean I mur- dered him?” “Preserve absolute calm,” sald Reg- . a beast -1 should be if I was calm. I want the thing cleared up, man. father to have justice. Whether you act for me or act for the police it the same thing." “if you take it that way, I'll act for the police, Beaver,” sald Reggie, plac idly. wflwlrey Charlecote stared at him. ‘hat's enough, thanks” he said. D the car. T won't wWorry you any more, Mr. Fortun ‘“Mr. be blowed. Don’t be an ass, It's bad business. Let"s the best of it.” “will you stop the car?’ Geoffrey ood up. Charlecote left, forlorn, in his rage on the road. < Reggie Fortune lay back and sighed. “Poor be, 1 wonder. r,” he sald. ck to Wimpole street the first thing he did was to ring up the Hon. Stan- ley Lomas, the chief of the criminal As a con- sequence you behold him sitting under the French prints in the study of M. Y | surprised to find the divisional sur- was horrified. “You put: words .into my mouth, Mr. Fortuner No, no. A most invidious suggestfo “Murder's rather an in: ness, dacto! frey?” & 2 “I have never been abla th arml from myself, Mr. Fortuuinut here is an odd strain in. Geoftrey, a3 it were something abnormal or thrawn— —a certain violence of temperament. “In the blood, perhaps.™ 3 “Perhaps. And yet thers was noth- ing of it In his father. Or in his cousin Herbert. & “Cousin Herbert. Yea. Wit #bout Cousin Herbertr = i . Newton laughed. - “Frankly, Mr. Fortune, you baffle me. Because there is nothing about Herbe: A< very worthy young man, no doul “That's sll right” Lomas nodded.|orless, quite colorless.” e nodded. “An odd thing is, just before the mur-| “No.” Dr. Newton pursued his own der the old man remade his will in|train of thought. “In my own specu- favor of Geoffrey. When they quar-|lations on the affair—this most deplor- reled, he had a will drawn up which |able affair—I find myself. continually left everything to the nephew Her-!confronted by an unknown'guantity, a x you know?' Lomas said. “It's a pretty case. Wealthy old gentleman, impecunious heirs, " sudden death. That's natural enough. But impecuni- ous heirs don’t stab much—not in England.” “Yes. You're But you're prejudiced. believe in the obvious.” “The obvious is what happens.” “Oh, Peter! If it did, we wouldn't want 2 criminal investigation depart- ment. Well, now, this_is what I've got. Check it, please. Geoffrey quar- reled with the old man—went away, commenced artist, and married an Italian girl—at her wjsh tried to make it up with the old man—old man was willing, called on Geoffrey twice, and after the second visit Geoffrey found him stabbed and dead just out- side. jous. busi- “Come, intelligent, Lomas. ent. You always NS NN SEN NN NN bert. Under this rast will Herbert|mysterious entity, gets twenty thousand, and all the rest | wi goes to Geoffrey. It was only signed on the morning of the murder.” “There's a_deuce of a lot of un. known quantities in tbis equ Reggle said. “Silly. futile: things facts are. This set will do 'for.smything you please. As soon as he kmew the will was in his favor, Geoffrey does the old man in. Or when he heard there was a new will cutting him out, Herbert_sees red and knife's the old man. By the way, Lomas, I suppose the old boy was stabbed?’ “What? Oh, damme, don’t be clever. He was stabbed all right. * The divi- sional surgeon and his own doctor, Newton, they both went over the)turned to the two doctors who were body. Stabbed in the throat. We've | Waiting an him reverently. ‘“‘Anything the we: , too. Sort of stiletto | In particular occur to you, gentlemen?” ::tdlgzer wpon “Quite straighforward, I 2" The thin| e Reggle cocked an eye at the head |divisional surgeon shrugged. “Techni- of the criminal investigation depart- |cally speaking, a very neat bit of work. s ” would go even further,” said Dr. ment. “Sounds Italian," he murmured. | o S “Coiime scems 3o have n. 7And Geoftrey married an Itallan e e wife.” E - — “The extraordinary efficiency of the i e assassin'” Reggle ~murmured. “Yes. RaLE (he Lohostilone > Touched the spot every time.” e e yoiillought {0 t would almost seem to suggest! 2 me experience in the use ‘of this write melodramas. The diabolical {50 DAl Dr. N Italian singer, she leapt out of the | WSAFOR." sald Dr Fewtop, odded dark, she pulled a d—dagger from ) ‘“That lg indlcated = RKeggle nodded ger t;c‘:k:]ng.ldlnd nl.e fell upon l"}";eum lately e ear, kind old gentleman an eft (Nea = i him weltering in his gore. Then sl\e!"mle have :;‘;‘,lc"fig‘“b‘l him gli:!""l: put the dagger down, so the gifted, astric catarrh. It troublesome, detective could find it, and went back | ERSTS SCUAERC, 5 bt s to dinner.” 4t Ta silly, lan't §t7” Lomas grinned. ReAnEuponithatiKesie £t rid/oriten "But there It is. domt ¥ou oW Tror: | Supt. Bell cocked an oldish but stili L on” now,” sal eggie For- o, tume. *%F Gon't Kriow anytning. 1 was bright eye. “And the next thing, sir? n poor common-sensible par- . 4 ents, ana ‘this is all crazy. 1 suppose | L am feeling depressed; Bell, Do you +he really was stabbed?” wrong. 5 o S "‘"l ““Well, sir, the evidence is thin, very “You will harp on that. look at him in the morning. Hang it, “Evidence? Oh, my aunt, we haven't come to evidence yet. I'm uncomfortable. man, the family doctor and the divi- sional surgeon they ought to know | Everything seems wrong way up. Why d_anybody kill the old man? He w: h, there you have it divisional surgeon heartily. Reggie looked at them, nodded, and without niore talk led the way fo_the body. = 1t-didl not occupy him long. . Two wounds 'had ‘sufficed to make an end of Steplrenson Charlecote. _One in _the which had pierced the carotid ! ry; one In the chest, which had reached the heart. Supt. Bell, in attendance from, Scot= land Yard, produced the weapon'found by the body, a long, thin dagger or | stiletto, obviously capable of causing the wounds, obviously Italian in origin. Reggie finished his examination and singer_ at Yes, if there's a hole in him or not.” “But why—why? _ Geoffrey—the Italian wife—they were on velvet anyway. The disappointed nephew— < well, I suppose ha still had his allow- ance while the old man lived. Do you know anything about Nephew Herbert?" “Man about town—society tame cat —usual vices, what? Plays a bit high. He's nothing in particular.” “Don’t sound like a lurking stab- Reggie admitted. ,t'hlngm That's the aking friends with Geoffrey again, and anyway Geoffrey had enough to live on. Herbert had an allowance, and some- thing of his own, too. Nobody to gain by his deatL.’ “\‘l seesyou leave out the Italian girl, sf It keeps coming back to her,” Reggié¢ said mournfully. *But why? Suj he was nasty to her when he X Would she run out and stab him in the street? I wonder. Did he know some horrid secret about her past?. What is_her past, Bell?” “Pretty short, sir, anyway. She's not more than eighteen. She. was a cafe singer all right. But we have nothing against her. In my experi- erge they're no worse than othera.” Obsetve the extraordinary efficiency | paporarr ERETaYS Y0%; sanhis M. Charlecote | ~ Better come ' to the house, si son’s house. A few | His solicitor will be there. But I un- oor somebody Kkills | gerstand there’s nothing in them. Very him so quickly. so nmeatly, that e {fcw private T at sl on’ make one sound. 2 en “Well, well I suppose he was mur- ot steancdinasily eMcient assassin | dered.s” i leaves his dagger for you to find. Supt. Bell stared. “Mr. Lomas sald “Who says he didn’t make a sound?” “Yes. Geoffrey and his angel wife. Yes. Only them and no ome else. That's a_flaw. Little essays in the obvious by S. Lomas. Well, it's me for the corpse, then. * % % % AND 80 in the morning he called at the mortuary. He was slightly bet “People don’t do these he trouble. Queer case.” “] suppose the old man hadn't a s shook his head. “Most re- spectable old bird.” Reggle stood up and gave himself a full glass of soda water. “The extra- yards from the you were harping on that. Pretty clear, sir, tsn't it?" ‘I suppose s0,” saild Reggie drearily. ¥But it's all wrong, Bell,’ it's all At the dead man’s house his sollcitor, old 8ir Thomas Long, was Jin the library, and helping him, to Reggle's surprise, was Herbert Charlecote. Her- bert revealed himself as a pallid, dandy- ish man, punctiliously polite. Coloriess— Dr. Newton hit him off to the Iife. P HERBERT was very gratified to make Mr. Fortune's acquaint- ance. geon and Dr. Kewton waiting for him. He returned thanks. “Is there any- thing to which you'd like to draw ntion, gentlemen?” 2 1 lain case, to my mind,” said the divisional surgéon. ~ - “T alwa, can throw any light on this miserable affair, sir?” Reggle shook his head. “Your un- cle. was stabbed, and died imm diately of the wounds. That is\t whole case, Mr. Charlecote. 'I sup- pose you can't help us? “I am bewildered. Quite dazed, Mr. Fortune.” op! sald Dr. Newto: “Of course, this sort of thing is rath- or out of my line. I confess I can hardl “Quite. Quite. suppose you knew him well, doctor?” ‘An old patient. Mr. Fortune. I may say an old friend.” “Ah, 6. You know the family, of course.” = “They were once such an affection- ate family,” Baid Dr. Newton. “It's really terrible.” He sighed. He was a florld, bearded man with a senti- mental expression and manner. “Poor Charlecote! . He never seemed to bear up after Geoffrey broke with him. But who would have thought that strange escapade- would have ended like this?” ~do_ you think * Geoffrey did the Herbert discreetly left him with the solicitor. “Well, Mr. Fortune?” Sir Thomas took off his glasses and pursed -his Tips. $ . “Nothing. Well, Sir. Thomas?" “Nothing, sir’ “Ah. That was a little odd, wasn't 1t?" Reggle nodded at the door< by which Herbert had gone odt.:: :<° “Mr. Herbert Charlecote offered; to, He to act as his a8 | the “] don’t know whetler to hope you |- Reggie nodded and lingered, ]lnd v F e d Y thing more. And that's why I'm here. Now, is there anything new?" *“Oh, go to the devill” \ “Geoffrey!” Lucia, standing behind him, touched his shoulder. “Mr. For- tune is vul’{ kind. He desirés to help 5 and she smiled and dodded at gle. h, hold your tongue, baby. Mr. Fortune's a damned tricky policeman, and he can take his tricks to another market.’ “But you are Impossible!” Lucia cried. “Mr. Fortune, you see what I have to live with. This great bear!” 8She rumpled Geoffrey's hair, and he made an exclamation of gust and dashed her hand aw: “But yes, Mr. Fortune, there is something new. Th! great animal, he desires not to take his money. He writes to the cle’s secretary. It wi hardly for me to point out that there might be objections if he was afraid of none.” “Does he know the new will?” ‘Neither he nor his cousin Geof- frey. Mr. Herbert, I infér, believes himself sole heir, and Mr. Geoffrey believes himself disinherited.” ‘And yet, ’“1' after the new will is made the old man is murdered! lO'!‘I'l its all wrong,” Reggie said, peev- shly. ‘An odd case. A very odd case, Mr. Fortun Sir Thomas put on his . “But I'm afrald I lawyer to say he will not have it. But I forbid him. I say it is mad. Say if I am right, Mr. Fortune. What is the fathe! it is the son's. And Geoffrey e has done nothing. But if he says he will not take it"—she made a fine theatrical gesture—"people will think it is because he is guilty. Is it not, you hold your tongue?” nd turned fo a pretty Supt. Bell opened the door. But Reggle seemed reluctant to go, and on the stairs he loitéred so much superintendent ' turned— “but col- | “ ‘That gastric murmured. “Let's see the valet.” The valet, an oldish man, was found. have. He's quite a blameless mort ot! fellow. Plays a bit, spends a bit— nothing more.” “Oh, he wanted money—did he?" "My dear Fortune, you're right off the wicket. He had an alibl. He was with some people at Maidenhead at the time of the murder.” “Oh, my aunt, anybody can have an_alibi,”” Reggle grumbled. mas laughed and shook his head. “It won't do, Reginald. Don't try to be_subtl “Well, that isn’t your complaint,” Reggle snarled, and for once they parted in nasty temper: Three days afterward a telephone message called hom to Scotland Yard, and he found Lomas in conference with Supt. Bell. “Ah, here’s the prophet” Lomas smiled. “Do ‘you remember—in_the Charlecote murder—you backed Her- bert both ways? Well, the latest from the course is ished.” “Then it's damned careless of you. I told you to watch him. You're not in- telligent in the force, but, hang it, you might be active. “His valet reports him Wisappeared. He had a dinner engagement last night. Didn’t come home to dress for it. Didn't come home at all. He went out after lunch yesterday, and hasn't been seen since.” Reggie sat down. “Onme of your larger cigars would do me good, Lomas,” he said, and helped himself. “Oh, Mr. Lomas, sir, this is so sudden. Cousin_Herbert was feeling nervous, no doubt. But why this dramatic exit? What gave Cousin Herbert cold feet yesterday Supt. Bell coughed. “I was won- dering, sir, if Mr. Fortune had taken any steps on his own with regard to Herbert. To alarm him, so to speak.” “Nary step. Why the blazes didn’t you watch him?” “After all, sir, we've not a thing “Not now? “Well, sir, it's not criminal to dis- appear. But I don't mind saying it's dd, quite odd.” g “Oh, I expect Geoffrey and the angel wife murdered him too. Just to round it off, Lomas, old-thing. “You're very merry and bright Lomas grumbled. “I wish you'd tell me how this helps us. Why should he bolt now?” “There is another unknown quan- tity somewhere,” Reggie admitted. The telephone claimed Lomas. He took -it up, and his face was eloquent as he listened. He put it down again very gently. “Afraid you're right out of ‘it, Fortune. Herbert Charlecote didn’t bolt. Herbert Charlecote has been found drowned in the Basing- stoke canal.’ ‘Good lord, sir!” the superintendent exclalmed. “Pretty conclusive, what?" Lomas shrugged. 'And why the Basingstoke canal?” said Reggle, placidly. “Lots of nice places to drown in nearer home. Iask you, why the Basingstoke canal Lomas and his superintendent look- ed at each other. “It really is a crazy a, slowly. “I dom't Reggie jumped up. “Oh, come oOn. Let's go and look at him. My cars utside. Where is he?’ “Woking. Half a minute.” Lomas rang his bell and turned to his pa- ers. PSo Reggle want down first. He dis- missed his chauffeur with some long instructions, and himself took the chauffeur's seat. Supt. Bell joined him. “Darker and darker, sir, isn't e Changeable weather,” Reggie said. “Come on, Lomas, all aboard! Are we downhearted? No!" The car shot forward. And- when it stopped in Woking: §s my hair white, Fortune?’ Lomas said. * % ¥ ¥ THE two stood humbly aside while the expert was busy with the corpse. ‘As often as I've seen this game, sir, I'll never like it Bell said, -and Lomas nodded. But Reggie For- story for you. And what's you beastly detective trade make of that?” “You know, Mrs. Charlecote, he's gl- ways in such a hurry,” Reggie said, confidentially. ‘Very disturbin’, isn’t it? You are difficult, Charlecote, old thing. your mind_capable of re- ceiviin’ a thought? Yes. Well, just suppose that I may have refused to act for you, because it would be bet- ter for the son and heir I shouldn't be actin’ to his order.” “What the deuce do you mean?” “Well, I don’t quite know, you know. Do you? Is there anything you really want to tell me?” never want to see you agdin.” “Geoffrey!” his wife protested. “Oh, he's not chatty this afternoon, Mrs. Charlecote. So sorry. Reggie ! extricated himself from her offers of tea, and slid away. * ¥ ¥ ¥ BUT he was annoyed. Against his will, the opinion of Dr. Newton forced itself into his mind. “An odd strain in Geoffrey, as it were some- thing abnormal or thrawn, a certain violence of temperament.” It was so. Confound the oily old family doctor. He testified that Mr. Charlecote hldl been much upset by the quarrel with | Geoffre: Mr. Charlecote had com- plained a good deal about his health. But there were no particular sym: toms. Dr. Newton had been attend- ing him for a long while. But the valet did not think that hé had done Mr. Charlecote any good. For one thing, Mr. Charlecote did not take his medicine. There had been a Ego« deal of medicine. Charlecote’'s instructions were always to pour it down the sink. 's .that,” said Reggie they went out. ‘e _don't get anywhere, sir, do we?” the superintendent sympathized. of those where the criminal has all the luck. Verdict, persons unknown. .59, Scotland Yard leaves It at ator “Unless Mr. Fortune has something up his sleeve. “Nary card. But you know we've missed something, Bell.” . “Have we, indeed, sir? And where shall we look for it?” 'Oh, watch out. - Watch everybody." :“Life is short, sir,” said Supt. Bell, gloomily, and with that they parted. The superintendent was a true prophet. e sensational inquest upon Stephenson Charlecote ended in an unsatisfactory verdict of mur- der by some person or persons un- known. It was obvious that public opinion, and the coroner, as the voice thereof, directed suspiclon against Geoffrey. He e a bad witness. He was agitated. nervous, and under coroner’s hostile examination lost his temper. ‘When he_ was asked if he knew on the morning that his father h of the er le a will leaving everything to him, he di violent agitation, swore (n! as a witness but’ with profane oaths) that he knew nothing about it, in- sulted the coroner, and roared out 3 g:cl::a.uan that h?‘!hw?;:ld not u e. money, " wh sgusted there, glowering at a scientific Amer- everybody as a bit of false melo—'lun paper, when the voice of Lomas drama. If distrust and dislike were|addressed him. grounds for hanging a man, the jury| “Care killed a cat, Reginald. Why ‘would have made an end of Geoffrey, |so_blue?” " but the evidence, as Lomas ocom-| ‘Reggie sat up. “Life is real, life is plained, could not hang a yellow|earnest. Lomas. And the grave is not the goal 'hat’'s because of our filthy profession, which is always bothering the corpses. Come away. I am wor- ried. I am going to worry you.” As they walked in St. James Park 1 money? Mere quixotry? A passionate desire to clear himself from the ill fame of profiting by the old man’'s death? Probably, oh, probably. But !there was a feeling called remorse found in human nature. And why did the angel wife tell Geoffrey to keep the money? She ought to want her husband clear of {ll fame. You about that than the -man himself. And you would expect a woman to share .her husband’s rage with the horrid man who had not stuck up for him. Instead of which the angel wife was very anxious to keep on good terms with that horrid man. Because he represented the police? Or why else? She had a dublous way with her, the angel wife. - Reggle was worried—a rare state for him—and he took himself to his least sociable club. He was sitting log. And the next day, Reggle Fortune, bland as ever, called on Geoffrey. It was a very humble house in that Chelsea cul-de- s e o o B e S ome " sert | RegEle told him of the queer talk in him on the doorstep, 'hi the studio. “I want comfort, Lomas, B T e L row bare |0ld_thingm” he concluded. “Comfort hall and uncarpeted Sfairs. He was|me: , Kept walting some time, and heard| My dear Fortune! Its quite clear, confused noises When ' at last he|What? Unsatisfactory case, profound- ~as shown inte the studfc he met |1y unsatisfactory. But it's quite clear. signs of storm. ftrey was flushed |Lalways thought those two were in it. el Visibly Tn the sulkient of tome | Probably the sweet young wife did it; el whet Tte 1t aow e S AEs s ah ke dootnit: Women carsy 5 nks an; . Women carry et iia 1 nowT Gesirey off thess things betier than men, His wife smiled. “Mr. Fortune? |90/t you know That is 80 kind. .If you 1 don't know. it down. And I don’t know any- comfortin', 'you really 3 you'd say that. And I know it's all wrong.” “My poor dear fellow! You never will reconcile yourself to an unsatis- factory case. It's s0o common too— » ‘caBe you can't act on while you 4.{know it's sound. “Oh, Peter! You can always act on a sound case.” ‘You're so young,” Lomas smiled ‘was 80 frall, of such a simplicity, that she looked rather like an angel in one of the primitive Italian pictures than a woman.: hut up, Lycia,” Geaffrey growle t do yon want here, Mr. For- tune? Trying a bit of your detective warkr indulgently. u're rather difficult, aren’t you?’| “We've missed something, don’t you Reggie said, mildly. “You know, you|see?’ told me you wanted to have the truth|“And what have we missed, Reginala?’ brought out, justice for your father,| Re pulled him up and looked at sort of thing. Well, I'm still |at the ducks. For & long time he on it ducks. Then, “Cousin Herbert,” “Th: *“Much good you've done, haven't 7 elusive Cousin Herbert. Why do we 15 it Cousin . ! ‘es, you haven't qujte| “Because he had nothing to do with hanged me, thanks. You've only made | it, what?" everybody ~think I murdered my| <“Because we haven't looked for father. And so that don't satisty you!|him.” Thanks very much" . >, Lomas gave an impatient laugh. “Well, are you satiafied?” #ald Reg- | *This is-absurd, my dear fellow. That 'mi | pallif of a man!” gle. “You know, you're not fair. T’ allowance. you're |’ of your fellows sniff ‘don’t mind confessin’ we've miss- lmn:;k:ln'." makin® every But Why did Geoffrey want to give up the { would expect a woman to care more ;© tune whistled as he worked. ‘When he turned from the body and put a scrap of something in his pocket- book—*Well, what is it?" Lomas said. “He was drowned, I suppose?” He was drawned, all right—about teatime last night. Say at dusk. Now for the scene of death. Where is it2" “Just by a bridge on 2 by-road som: where between here and Byfleet sta- tio; “I ‘ask you, Why does a gentleman of fashion about to commit suicide come and look for a bridge on a by- foad somewhere between here and Byfleet station?’ “'Somebody’s took some pains in this Charlecote business,” the superintend- ent sald. Reggle laughed ent touches the spot—as ever. on! He stopped his car some distance from the bridge, any they went for- ward on foot. “There's a_big car been over here.” “You wouldn’t think it was much of a motor re % t was a narrow gravel road and very locse. Just below the steep pitch of the bridge a car had been stopped, and in stopping or starting again had torn up the loose gravel. Thence to the canal was only half a dozen yards. The path was much trampled and the grass and bushes by the bank beaten down. “All tht may have been done fiching him out,” Bell said. “But that don't explain the car. They took him off in a wood cart. I suppose since motors were invented there never was one came down this road and stopped t here” ‘Not till last night” Lomas nodded So somebody,” said Reggie, “some. body put Herbert in a car, brought him down here, and chucked him in. ‘Who was somebody? Geoffrey and the angel wife, eh, Lomas, old thing?” “Somebody put in some fine work, what? He wouldn't have been found for weeks or forever. but a barge came along and stirred him up. And they don’'t have a barge along here ce a month. Yes, there's plenty of brains about somewhere. Well, let's get busy. Her- bert's happy home comes next.” The car again broke the law on the ‘way back. “The superintend- Come thing, Lomas, old dear, you are |5 Herbert Charlecote had lived in a big block of flats several stories up. “Dia. himself pretty expensively, don’t you know,” Lomas said, look ing around the elaborate room. “He's paid for all now, sir, Supt. Bell. “Do you know, I dom’t feel senti- mental about dear Herbert's doom, Reggle smiled. “You'd better get on to his papers. I want a man on the phone,” and he went out and was gone some time. When he came back he sat himself down in the window seat and opened the big casements. There was a low stone sill which held a box of flow- The smel lof oak-leaf geranium ia . {mains there. these forces materialize themselves. ‘Rather oily scents, aren't they?" Reggle said. rather oily, the late Herbert. How are you getting on7’ “He was certainly pressed for money,” Lomas said. “Here’s his passbook and a letter from his bank manager complaining that he's over- drawn again. The £20,000 he came in for under his uncle’s will—he wanted it _badly.” ‘And yet as soon as he knows of that will he goes and gets drowned. Suggestive, isn't 1t?" Reggle smiled. T'm hanged if I know' what it sug- Lomas stared at him. myH dear Lomas! . expected Herbert was going to get more than £20,000 by his uncle's death; going to scoop the whole estate. Onply he didn’t. -8o he's found dead. Can you make out from that passbook when Herbert got into dif- ficulties?” “About nine months ago. He's been living with nothing in the bank ever since.” . “About nine months ago. Then for nine months his uncle did nothing to . The murdered uncle help the impecunious ‘Well, Lomas, old thing?” suppose you're playing zome hand of your own,” Lomas frowned. Supt. Bell dame forward. “Here's a sort of betting book, sir. He put his luck at cards in it, too. He was zome gambler.” - “Any names?” Lomas said quickly. “Alf sorts of names, sir. Nothing instructive, so to speak. You might say that's curious.” He pointed to a “on which, in a large blank space, appeared the one letter, “N.” h"’é from the window seat|vi rang bell. “As ever, the np_-rin'ufleq: touches_the spot.” at Herbert has van-| . “I'm afrald he was|B:i — —_—— servant, pallid and frightened, an- swered the bell. “Now, my man, in one minute Dr. Newton will b> at the door; you will let him in. he will ask for Mr. Herbert Charlecote; you will say nothing to him, nothing at all, Supt. Bell will be out in the hall to see that you do say noth- ing; you will show Dr. Newton In ere, on, Bell. Look after him. He bustled them out. “So ‘N’ stands for Newton, doas {t?” Lomas said. “How do you know he'll come?” “Because he's just driven up in his car. Because I 'phoned to say Mr. Herbert Charlecote was asking for Dr. Newton. Now you get in there.” He thrust Logas into an inner room. Dr. Newton, more florid than ever, hurried in, and pulled up short at the sight of Reggle. “Mr. Fortune? oOh, delighted to meet yo He was out of breath. “But I thought 1 was to Mr. Charlecote.” 'Did you though? 1 don't understand you, Mr. For- tune. Are you here professionally?” “For the criminal investigation de- partment.” “Really, though, really?" Dr. New- ton was still short of breath. “And it was you who wanted to see me? Anything I can do, of course.” “You can tell me what was your little bet with Herbert Charlecote. Dr. Newton lost some of his color. “You bewilder me, Mr. Fortune. I am not a betting man. Pray explain yourself. And I must request you to take a different tone.’ “Where is Herbert Charlecote?” “Well, where is he?” Dr. Newton echoed. “I confess I don’t understand the situation. I am told over the tele- phone that Mr. Charlecote wishes to see me, and- “That gave you a bad quarter of an hour, didn't it? There's worse com- ing. Newton. Yesterday afternoon"— Reggie strolled around the table and That was very put himself between Dr. Newton and | the door- terday afternoon you took Herbert Charlecote for a drive in your car. When you came to the Basingstoke canal, a nice lonely place by the Basingstoke canal, you elapped a chloroformed wad on his mouth, and when he was senseless you dropped him into the water and left him there to finish by drowning. It was 2 neat thing, Newton. But he was fished out, Newton, and I've been all the morning with him, Newton.” * ¥ x % JDR NEWTON began to laugh. “Do you really wish me to take this tale seriously, Mr. Fortune? Then I must refer you to my legal advisers. I,am sure that you will see that I must” He made for the door. “Not much,” Reggle sald, and stood in his way. Dr. Newton's bland expression changed. He tried to push past and, failing, sprang on Reggie. The two locked together and swayed across the room. Reggie freed himself a moment and stooped. Dr. Newton went out of the open window. As Lomas broke into the room they heard the thud of his fall on the stones. “Good God, did he throw himself out?” Lomas cried. ‘No, I pitched him out,” Reggie sald, smoothing his hair. Lomas rushed out of the room. Reggie. lounging after him, went to the telephone. In the forecourt of the flats the body of Dr. Newton lay. Lomas and Bell and the hall porter were fidgeting | Blake tires. don’t you think of things before- hand?” Supt. Bell was startled out of his wonted composure. “God bless my soul!” he exclaimed, and stared at Lomas took Reggie's arm. “Come upstairs, Fortune, please,” he said gravely. Reggle let himself be taken up to Herbert Charlecote’s room, and when he was there again flung himselt down on the couch. “Thirdly and lastly,” said he. “And that's the end of the Charlecote case, Lomas, old ear." ‘Oh, don't take that tome” Lomas cried.” “We're in & very difficult posi- tion, Fortune. dear Lomas Lomas! We have emerged credit from a most difficult case. We have tracked and caught a very cun- ning criminal, who, when taxed with the murders of which he was guilty, became desperate and conmmitted suicide by flinging himself from a fourth-story window.” “You said you threw him out. “Loomis, dear, my little jokes aren’t evidence. “You'll have to give evidence at the inquest, you know.” Reggie nodded. “Youw'll tell this suicide story?” “Sure,” said Reggie. Lomas wiped his forehead. ‘*Damn it, man, I can't leave it like this, cried. “Oh, don’t be so pedantic. The scoundrel had two murders at least on his soul. We hadn't evidence enough to hang him. He was much 100 dangerous to live, and he gets hi neck broke quietly and without scan- dal. What's worrying you “And what eveidence have you , now reason resumes her sway. Let’s begin at the beginning. Herbert | Charlecote, rather less than a year ago, jws at his wits" end for money. His But at that time he was his uncle’s iheir. He arranged with the family | doctor, Newton, to have the old man killed. Newton would want to be paid. Probably the arrangement was a bet. Suppose Herbert bet Newton ten thou- sand to one his_uncle wouldn't dle within the year. Remember the ‘N’ in the betting book. Newton began treat- ing the old man for gastric catarrh. Sent him gallons of medicine. Probably that was poison. But nothing happened because the old man didn’t take it Remember the valet said he had it all put down the sink. I suspect old Charle- cote didn’t much care for his family doctér. The time began to run out. And_then came the reconciliation with Geoffrey. ‘There was no time to lose. If the will' was altered in Geoffrey’s favor, no use in killing the old man. So Newton had to hustle. He was pretty neat. He chose an Italian knife and did the killing close to the house wherc the Italian Mrs. Geoffrey lived. But he did it. Remember the extraordinary efficiency of the assassin. Neat plece of surgery, that murder. And then the bottom fell out of the bucket. The will been altered. Herbert only got twenty thousand. Hardly enough to pay his debts. And so he wouldn’t stump up Newton's price. Newton would cut up rought, of course. He threatened 1 suppose, and Herbert threatened back. You know, I don’t fancy the late New. ton was a man to take kindly to being ‘bilked. It may have been revenge. It may have been that he thought Herbert would give him away. Anyway, he took Herbert out in his car yesterday afternoon. Now swe're coming to_evi- dence which is evidence, Lomas. New- ton was out in his car yvesterday aft- ernoon. I sent my chauffeur to make |inquiries. And Newton drove himself. And his car fits the marks on that road —24 Dunois Orleans, two steel-studded ‘When_ they got to that with it, a little crowd on the pavement | pridge, 1 suppose Newton stopped the gaping at them, when Reggie arrived. *“You don't really want me, but he bent by the body. over. His neck’s broken. he said, It's all Fractured skull also. But that doesn’t matter.” Bell stood up and blew a police whistle. “Don’t do that. Don't do ft, Reggie irritably, troubled nerve: for the ambulance and all that. Why e Invisibe host car, pretended there was something wrong, got down and prepared a chloro- formed wad of cotton wool. He clapped that on Herbert, anaesthetized him, and dropped him in the canal. 1 found scraps of the wool in Herbert's mouth nostrils. That's the case, Lomas, thing. Come and have tea. That's his first sign of |rather decent muffins at the Academ- “I have telephoned | ies’. *“Good God!" said Lomas. “Muffins!” By Pierre Mille. Translated From the Fremch by WILLIAM L. McPHERSON. M RS. MARGARET ly for my disbelief incredulity, however, is limited. is a sort of agnosticism. completely dissipate it. woman, answers me: “That isn't astonishing. ample, it is impossible for you see a ghost. You are a Frenchman I protest that nationality has noth- 1t ghosts exist, and if they appear, it seems to me that I have a right to be fa- vored with their visits, just the same as any Anglo-Saxon. But she shakes ing to do with the matter. her head. “No,” she says, “you have too much imagination.” That sounds paradoxical “In my opinion imagintion ought, on the contrary, to help me to see what doesn't exist. You deceive yourself,¥ she replies. “Imagination serves, w!en facing a fact, to produce explanations, drawn e, from precedents, from experiei from things which we already know. It helps us to reason. You French al- ways reason. The English don’t reason, or reason very little. They give their sensibility full play. That is why it happens that they England, but not in France.” ““Then, you have seen ghosts?” * % % ¥ CNTO- about me. the passions, all the intensest feel- ings create in the places in which they develop an ambience which re- It may be, then, that ut, 1 repeat, I have never gone be- yond the point of feeling them. This has happened at least three or four times in my life. Here is the story of one of these experiences. want to bore you with the others. “] was & young girl then and I went to pass the week ends with a friend of mine who had recently married. The house was & rented one, in the suburbs of London, II:ery l‘rdeelble country house, very large and per- i distinguished only from any other country house by the cheapness of the rent and by the possession of an unusually fine ‘Well, you may not be- lieve me, but it is a fsct, this house I know Nev- ertheless, I couldn't describe it any The house sweated hate. I visited there many times and my reaction kept growing stronger and fectly commonplace, billiard room. was impregnated with hate. that this seems absurd to you. other way. stronger. “You will say that I was out of sorts or nervous. No. At that time I was I was happy—happy, as almost all young sirls are who know nothing of 1if¢ 'rom in better health than now. and who expect everything friend’ household charming, much had always found it so ways glad to be her guest. the day she with the greatest repugnance continued to accept her invitations. “The billiard room especially md: wouldn’t go into it for a kingdom. bedroom—t! e they the chills run down my back. And as for my he o ALLEN, whose friend 1 have the honor to be, chides me gent- in the mysteries of the great beyond. My It I limit my- self to stating that I have never seen anything or read anything which can But Mrs. Margaret Allen, who is an English- For ex- 2 see what you don’t see. That is why there are ghosts in I have little sensibility—a sensibility which works poorly. But I believe in forces. I feel forces I have continually the im- pression that love, hatred, horror, all 1 donm't never | him with all my volved. I couldn’t sleep in that room. That was all. I felt at once fright- ened and exasperated. Oh, 80 exas- perated! “I have told you that we English people have no imagination. I came to the conclusion, then, that there must be something the matter with the gas or that the plumbing gave off poisonous exhalations. I spoke of this to my friend’s husband. He an- swered that everything was in per- fect order; that all the plumbing had been renewed under his own super- vision before he signed the lease. He ‘was the sort of man to take the great- est pains about such things. I have never seen an Englishman who was more English. He had even less im- agination than I had. the atmosphere of that house was hos- tile. I can't find any other word for it. Everybody got out of temper there. As soon as I arrived I lost con- trol of my nerves. The husband, so calm, so perfectly indifferent to every- thing but the sheer materialities of life, became insupportable and insult- ing. His wife, well brought up, re- served, restrained in speech and ges. ture, seemed like an entirely different person. They couldn't keep their servants. It was terrible. “I began to think that some tragedy had occurred under this roof. I ques- tioned the husband. He told me, with his normal precision and coolness, that the house d belonged to a ‘colonial’ who had had the billiard room built on, being extremely fond of billiards I never could find out anything else except that the ‘colonial’ had come to a bad end. In the mind of my conventional host this could cover the worst abominations and the most shocking adventures, or it could mean simply that the preceding occu- pant had drowned himself in a fit of delirium tremens one evening after he had drunk too much whisky. And it was all the same to his successor. It may be that he didn’t know any more than he had told me. Thes: stories had come to him when he leas: ed the house and he hadn't had curios. ity enough to investigate them. As ught up in the oi nglish manner to press him further. ai © * % *x % K(DOK'T believe that I thought for 2 moment of revealing to him what I suspected. I had a present- ment. But what? I should have been embarrassed to explain. Moreover, I was as careful as all the world about me to be like all the world. If T had exposed to him the idea that lurked in the back of my head he would cer- tainly have advised my father to take me to a specialist in mental ailments. ‘Without reflecting on the facts he re- turned home each day in excellent humor, only to become immediately furious and miserable, encountering nothing but fury and unreasonable- ness. He never sought to establish the slightest connection between this ex- ceptional state of things and the house, which no one entered without losing his balance. - “After a few years he and his wife saw themselves abandoned by all their friends, I drew away. I couldn’t stand them any lones~> They quarreled with their relatives, weri =% entirely alone, and then, !mmured tosgs with servants who were continually changing, they quarreled with each other and separated. The most curious thing is that the wife, once she was out of Lh::ehom. was _gay, | she uented, at least I I_was al- But from established herself in that abominable house it was only that I even in temper. ‘husband crossed the door sill it was to enter an asylum. was mad—abso- lutely mad.” “But,” 1 _asked, “what about the ‘colonial'? Who was he? What did he do?x g:' gol‘d‘lle dler'w 3 ve you eve! I know. Sometimes when 1 was ll:‘ln bed- voom, shaking in all my limi and my brains shot through with thoughts of murder, I imagined that he had ‘Then hated hanged himself there. I B Why diaeet he o It somewiare a7 And 1 still Bate him: Nevertheless, ¢