Evening Star Newspaper, June 27, 1923, Page 19

THE EVIL SHEPHERD By E. Phillips Oppenheim. (Copyright, 1928, by A CHAPTER 1. RANCIS LEDSAM, alert, well satisfied with himself and the world, the echo of a little buzz of congratulations still In his €ars, paused on the steps of the mod- ern temple of justice to light a cigarette before calling a taxi to take Nhim to his club. Vislons of a whisky and soda—hls throat was a little parched—and & rubber of easy-going bridge at his favorite table were already before his eyes. A woman who had followed him from the court touched him on the shoulder. “Can I speak to you for a moment, Mr. Ledsam?” The barrister frowned slightly as he swung around to confront his questioner. 1t was such a familiar form of address. “What do you want?” he asked, a little curtly. “A few minutes’ you,” was the cal ter ‘fis importa The! woman's' tone and manner, notwithstanding her plain, inconspi ‘uous clothes, commanded attention. Fraricts. Ledsam was a little puzzled Small things meant. much to him in 1ifé, and he had been looking forward almost with the zest of schoolboy to that hour of relaxation at his ¢lub. He was impatient of even a brief delay, a sentiment which he tried to express in his response. “What do you want to spe to me about?” he repeated bluntly. “1 shall be fn'my rooms in the Temple tomor- row: morning, any time after 11" “Tt'is nece: for me to speak to L you now,” she ingisted. “There is a tea 'shop’ across the way. Please ac- combany me there.” Ledsam, a little suprised at the coolness of her request, subjected his caster to a closer scrutiny. As he did 8o his irritation diminished. He s shoulders slightly. have business with will give you a few onversation with reply. “The mat- minute: They crossed the street together, the woman self-possessed, negative, wholly' without the embarrassment of one performing an unusual action. Her companion feit the awakening of curiosity. 2 lously though she had, 1o all appearance, endeavored to con- ceal the fact, she was without a doubt personable. Her voice and manner lacked nothing nement. Yet her attraction s Ledsam. who, -although human being, was no miscu- ous adventur t lie in these As er whose su- criminal ar had been . he had attained to a cer- &¢ of human nature. He Vo that impost He hings to th man knew that sh say up his ha Wouin to remove her nushed Qauck her -vis received almost a w ad i Jounger— Than a xirl shade of % quite as good-looking as ned, but she was far indeed little more r eves were of a deep 'rown, he® apebrows were delicately marked, Leatures #nd ‘poise admirable t her skin was entirely colorless. whose eyes death. Her li color upon a | between £ hor com- marked. Franeis 1 to the professic fn heigit, powerfully cast ‘in a larg Almost sandy co! mouth was mor pted phy He. w br mede. type of h over six fec iouldered features he plexion, even humorous than in- cisive. His eves alone, gray and ex- ceedingly magnetic, suggested the s: which without a doubt lay ‘be- | massive foreh, “Tam anxious to H ny possible ur name is successful crimi- continued. “who Fas just E (AR nt fee | to_defend Hilditeh | = « exception to the| term Fie v - Ledsa ob- served drily - vour in- formation @ ppear singularly corrcet. 1 do not know whether you | heard the verdict. If not, you | b intercsted to know that 11 ed in obtaining the man's ac- | avit | “1 know th udia, replied. “1 n the verdict was brought in weeured to me th T You to understand have done, th curred.” raised his evebrows, - bility 7 e repeated. *What 1 have done is simple enough. have ear very large fee and | my You have Hildite this time goin cpongibil a little a + freedom Eom (3 nal barrister, the woman ; ourt when the | It has since | should like xactly what you responsibliity you ured the acquittal of " she persisted. “He # free man. Now I to speak to vou of that re- T am going to tell you out the man who owes his to vour eloquenc | 1y twenty minutes after their gutrance into ¢he tea Shop yhen the wWoman' finished her mono- Jogue: - She began to draw on her gloves again. Before them were two untasted cups of tea and an un- touched plate of hread and butter. T'rom a corner of the room the wait- Tess was watching them curiously. Good God!". Francis Ledsam sx- claimed at las ddenly realizing | hix whereabou Do you mean tu sffirm solemnly that what you have been telling me is the truth?" l he woman continued to button her &loxes. “It is the truth,” she sald. " Ledsam “sat up and looked around him. He was a little dazed. He had » almost the feeling of a man recover- ing from the influence of some anes- thetic. ~ Before his eves were still passing visions of terrible deeds, of naked, ugly passion, of man's un- scrupulous savagery., During those v minutes he had been transported w York and Paris, London and Rome. . Crimes had sbeen spoken of which made the murder for which Oliver Hilditch had just heen tried Little, Brown & Co.) with his most intimate friend, An- drew Wilmore. The latter, who had ! just hunz up his coat and hat, greeted | [ him with a growl of welcome, | “So you've brought | Franct “Touch and go,” the barrister re- marked. - “I managed to squeak {home* "+ ! Wilmore lald his hand upon his| | friend’s shoulder and led the way | |towards two easy-chalrs in the | lounge. | “I tell you what it is, old chap,” it off again, | Be confided, “vou'll be making your- | self unpopular before long. Another criminal at large, thanks to that glib | tongue and subtle brain of yours. “The erooks of London will present Yyou Wwith a testimonial when you're made a judge.” 'So you think that Oliver Hilditch | was gullty, then?” Francis asked | curlously. My dear fellow, how do I know or | prietors, whose younger sons for gen- | I know," | spooks. i which shall it be—Bohemia or May {“Now I thing of it, ing his comparative youth—he was | only thirty-five vears of age—into che very front ranks of his profe slon, and his income was one of which men_spoks with bated breath. He came of a family of landed pro- erations had drifted always either to the bar or the law, and his name was well known in the purlleus of Lin- coln’s Inn before he himself had made it famous. He was full of sympathy- and understanding. His one desire at that moment was not to make & mistake. He decided to leave un- masked the obvious question. he sald_simply. “Are dining anywhere?” thought of staying on here indifferent reply. ‘We won't do anything of the sort. Wilmore insisted. “There's scarcely soul in tonight, and the place s too humpy for a man who's been seeing Get back to 'your rooms and change. I'll walt here. “What about you?" “I have some clothes in my locker. Don't be long. And, by-the-bye, was ] fair? Tl telephone for a table. L don's so Infernally full, these days.’ Francis hesitated. “I really don't care.” he confessed. +hall be glad to get away from here, though. T don't want any more congratulations on saving Oliver Hilditch's life. Let's go where we are least likely to meet any one we know."” “Respectability and a starched shirt-front, then,” Wilmore decided. “We'll go to Claridge’s.” He was a persistent refuser of invi- tations, and his acquaintances in the care?” was the indiffcrent reply. I shouldn't have thought that there had been any doubt about You ! i probably know, anyway." “That's just what n't when T: got up to make my speech” Franels sured his friend emphaticall “The low was given an odportunity making a clean breast of it, of course —Wensley, his law to, in fact—but the story he told me | Was precisely the story he told at the ingues | They were established now in their leasy chairs, and Wilmore summoned a waiter. “Two large whiskies and sodas,” he ordered. “Francis” he went on, |studylng his companion intently I"\\'hal'.\‘ the matter with you? L don’t look as though your few days in the country last week had done you any good.” Francis glanced around as though to be sure that they were alone. “I was all right when I came up, Andrew,” he muttered. “This case has upset me.” | _“Upset you? But why the dickens should it,” the other demanded, in u puzzled tone. “It was quite an ordi- pary case, in its way, and you won “1 won it Francis admitted. “Your defense was the most genious thing I ever heard.” “Mostly suggested, now I come to think of it,” the barrister remarked grimly, “by the prisoner himself.” 2 why are you upset about it * Wilmore persisted. in- self, and with his elbow resting upon the ‘mantlepiece leaned down toward ihis friend. He could not rid him- {self altogether of this sense of un- | reality He had the feeling that he | had passed through one of the great I erise of his life. { . “Tll tell you, Andrew. You're about the only man in the world I could tell. T've gone eraz H I thought looked You'd been seeing spoo! murmured sympatheticall “I have seen a spook. with almost p seri . “a spook who lifted an in- curtain with Invisible fingers pointed to such a drama of hor- rors as De Quincey, Poe and Sue com- bined could never have imagined. | Oliver Hilditeh was guilty, Andrew. {He murdered the man Jordon—mur- jdered him in cold blood.” i “I'm mot surprised to hear that,” | was the somewhat puzzled reply. | “He was guilty, Andrew, not only jof the murder of this man, his part- ner, but of umerable other crimes and Dbrutaliti * Francis went on. “He is a fiend in human form, if ever the: was one, and I have set him e once more to prey upon society. | I am morally responsible for his next robbery. his next murder, the con- tinued purgatory of those forced to ssociate with him You're .dotty 3 ared shortl 1 told you I { desperate reply would you be if! ivouwd sat opposite that woman f f an hour and heard her stors What woman?" Wilmore demand- 1& forward in his chair and friend with increasing though Wilmore i | ! ¢ * his friend ! {dec i w 8 crazv.” was thel ness. “A woman who met me outside the court and told me the story of Oliver Hilditeh's lite.” “A stranger?” “A complete stranger to me. transpired that she was his wife. Wilmore lit a cigarette. Believe her? ‘There are times when one doesn’t believe or disbelieve,” Francis an- swered. “One knows." Wilniore nodded. All the same, you're crazy,” he declared. “Even if vou did save the fellow from the gallows, you were only doing your job, doing your duty to ihe bést of vour ability.” You had no reason to believe him guilty.” rose to his feet, shook him- | fashionable world were comparative- Iy few. Yet every now and then he felt a mild interest in the people whom his companion assiduously pointed out to him. A fashionable restaurant, Francis, rather like your law courts—it {levels people up,” the latter remark- jed. “Louls, the head-waiter, is the {judge, and the position allotted in ithe room is the sentence. 1 wonder lwho is going to have the little table next but one to us. Some favored per- son, evidently.” Francis glanced in the direction indicated without curiosity, The table in question was laid for two and was distinguished by a wonder- iful cluster of red roses “Why is it," the novelist continued speculatively, “that, whenever we take another man's wife out, we think it necessary to order red roses?’ “And why is it," Francls queried, a little grimly, “that a dear fellow {like you, Andrew, believes it his duty to talk ‘of trifles for his pal's sake, when all the time he is thinking of something else? 1 know you're dying | to talk about the Hilditch , aren’t you? Well, go ahead.” Tm only interested this last velopment,” Wilmore confessed. “Of course, I read the newspaper re- ports. To' tell you the truth. for a i murder trial it seemed to me to rather lack color.” “It was a very simple and straight- forward case,” Francis said slowly. “Oliver Hilditch is the principal part- ner in an American financial com- pany which has recently opened in the west end. He seems to have arrived in England about two years ago, to have taken a house in Hill and to have a great deal of A month or so ago, his part- ner from New York arrived in Lon- don, & man named Jordan of whom nothing was known. It has since | transpired, however, that his journey to Europe was undertaken because he wax unable to obtain certain figures relating to the business. from Hil ditch. Oliver Hilditeh met him at Southhampton, travelled with him to {London and found him a room at the Savoy. The next d + the whole of the time scems to hay 1 spent in the offic nd it is certain, from the evidence of the clerk, thaf some disagreement took place between the | They dined together, how- jever, apparently on good terms, at the Cafe Roval, and parted ip Regent street soon after ten. At 12 o'clock, Jordan’s body was picked up on the pavement in Hill street, within a few paces of Hilditch's door. He had been stabbed through the heart with some needle-like weapon, and was quite dead.” “Was there any vital cause of quar- rel betwesn them?’ Wilmore inquired. “Impossible to say,” Francls replied. THE in That's just = it happened. rancis pointed out. “I really didn't carc at the time whether he was or not. 1 had to proceed on the assump- ition that he was not, of course, but on the other hand ‘I should have fought just as hard for him if I had Iknown him to be guilty.” And you wouldn't now—tomorrow. | ever again.” “Because of that woman's story?" “Because of the woman.” There was a short silence. Then Wilmore asked a very obvious ques- tion. “What sort of a person was she?" Frances Ledsam thought several moments before he replied. The ques- tion was one which he had been ex- pecting, one which he had already asked himself many times, yet he unprepared with any definite re- wish 1 could answer you, An- drew,” his friend confessed. “As a matter of fact, I can’t. I can only speak of the impression she left upon me, and you are about the only per- son breathing to whom I could speak of that.” Wilmore nodded sympathetically. He knsw that, man of the world ough Francis Ledsam appeared, he was nevertheless a highly imaginative person, something of an {dealist as regards women, unwilling as a rule to discuss them, keeping them in a general way outside hi; dllli’ life. ‘Go ahead, old fellow.” he invited. u know 'I understand. ‘She left the impression upon me,” Francis continued quietly,” “of a woman who had ceased to live, She was young, she was beautiful, she had all the gifts—culture, poise and breeding—but she had ceased to live. We sat with a marble table between us, and a few feet of ofl-covered floor. Those few feet, Andrew, were like an impassable gulf. She spoke from the shores of another world. I lis- tened and answered, spoke and lis- tened again. Amd when she told her story, she went. 1 can’t shake off seem Iike a trifiing indiscretion, Hard though his mentality, sternly matter- of-fact as was his outlook, he was still unable to fully belleve in him- wmelf, his surroundings. or in this woman who had just dropped a veil over her ashen cheeks. Reason per- sisted in asserting itself. “But If you knew all this he | ‘demanded. “why on earth dida't yo come forward and give evidemce? : “Because,” she answered calmly Tose to her feet, “my evidenco not have been admissible. 1| ¢ am Oliver Hilditeh's wife." CHAPTER 1. H Trancls Ledsam-arrived at his club, the Sheridan,” an hour later.than he had anticipated. He nodded to the the effect she Yad upon me, Andrew. I feel as though I had taken a step to the right or!to the left over the edge of the wotld.” Andrew Wilmore studied his friend thoughtfully. CHAPTER IIL The two men occupied a table set against the wall, fiot far from the entrance to - the restaurant, and throughout the progress of the earlier part.of their meal were able to watch | the constant incoming stream of their fellow guests. They were, in their way, an interesting contradt physic- ally, neither of them good looking, ac- ‘The financlal position of the com. pany depends entirely upon the value of a large quantity of 'speculative bonds, but as there was only one clerk employed, it was impossible to get at any figures. Hilditch declared that Jordan had only a small share in the business, from which he had drawn a considerable income for years, and that he had not the slight- est cause for compiaint. “What were Hllditch's movements that evening?’ Wilmore asked. it “Not a soul seems to have seem him after he left. Regent streets, somewhat puzzled answer. story was quite straightforward and has never been contradicted. He let himgelf into his house with a latch- key after his return from the Cafe Royal, drank & whisky and soda in the library, and went to bed before half-past eleven, The whole af- | fair | Francls broke oft abruptly in the | middle of his sentence. He sat with | his eyes fixed upon the door, silent | and speechless. { “What in Heaven's name Is the| matter, old fellow?” Wilmore de- | manded, gazing at' his companion In blank amasement. The latter pulled himself together | with an effort. The sight of the two new arrivals talking to Louls on the threshold of the restaurant, seemed for the moment to have drawn every sgrap of color from his cheeks. Nevertheless, his recovery was & most instantaneots. “If you want t he sald calmly, and ask him to_tell story himself. There he is." “And the woman with him?" Wil- more exclaimed under his breath. “His wife!” 5 i (To be continued tomorrow.j T R TbWBOAT "RACE EXCITING. 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Andrew Wilmore, slight and dark, with sallow cheeks and brown eves, looked very much what he was —a fhoderately successful journalist and writer of stories, a keen golfer; 2 bachelor who preferred a pipe to cigars, and lived at Richmond becauss he could not find a flat in London which_he could afford, large enough for hfs somewhat expensive habits. Francis Ledsem was of a sturdier type, with features perhaps better known to the world owing to the| - constant activities of the cartoonist. His reputation during the last few ¥ears had carried him, notwithstand- S TSR PP PO veteran hall-porter. hung-up his hat . end stick, and cilmbed the great staircise to the card room without “gny distinet recollection of perform- fng any of these simple and reason- ple actlons. In the eard room he xchanged a few greetings with friends, accepted without comment or without the siightest tinge of grati- cation a little cherus of chafiing ongratulations upon his latest tri- umph, ‘and left the room without any .inclifiation to play, although there + A%as'a vacant place at.his favorite table, . ‘Frrom sheer.:purposelossness ed back again into the hall, ma hig first-gieam of return- Men’s Furnishings Section, First floor. o