Old Cap. Collier Library No. 379: The Lawyer Detective — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE LAWYER DETECTIVE. 19 Both were on their feet now. ‘Did you ever see that before?” He showed his aunt the penknife he had found near the scene of Olive’s cruel murder. One glance seemed sufficient. ‘“Why, that was my daughter's knife,” said Mrs. Tripp. ‘‘ It was a present froma friend. You will notice the initials W. R. on the plate.” ‘‘T noticed them.” ‘The first owner’s, I presume. not tell me her friend’s name. you find it. Hilton?” He explained. ‘Ah, it is a part of that awful night’s Olive did Where did tragedy! Heaven give you strength to suc- ceed, Hilton! I hear horse-hoofs. Some one comes. We must call this interview at an end forthe present. I have much more to tell but must leave it for another occasion.” Hilton Ragsdale left the house and turned his steps toward the colonel’sranch. He had been given a room to himself here, and it was to this that the young lawyer repaired. Once alone he sat down and produced the paper his aunt had given into his keeping. rawing it from the wrapper Ragsdale opened it out on his knee. ‘‘Last will and testament of Julia Tripp,” he read in surprise. As he ran his eye down the page his aston- ishment increased. ‘‘ My soul!” he exclaimed, ‘“‘she has made me her sole heir!” P At this moment a sharp rap fell on his oor. — CHAPTER XVIII. AN ACCIDENT. BEFORE the young lawyer detective could secrete his precious paper, the dcor was opened and Benay Flash crossed the thresh- old. His keen black eyes rested on the document on the knee of Ragsdale. A queer, uncanny expression shot into those eyes, and for one brief instant the even, white teeth showed themselves, a milky streak between dusky lips. ‘“T beg your pardon, Mr. Ragsdale,” said the half-breed. ‘‘I had no idea you were busy.” ‘You seem to think I have nothing to do but play,” retorted the man from Denver, un- graciously, as he folded the will and thrust it into its covering. ‘“ What have you there ?” questioned Flash, not once removing his gaze from the paper in the hand of Ragsdale. ‘A matter of my own.” ‘‘ Which does not concern me, you think ?” “It does not.” Ragsdale returned the document to his pocket and glanced frowningly out of the window. He was deeply annoyed at the untimely visit of Benay Flash, and did not attempt to conceal his feelings. ‘“‘T beg your pardon again for intruding, Mr. Ragsdale,” said the half-breed, in his smooth, oily tones. ‘(I saw you return from your aunt’s, and was anxious to learn if you had consulted her on the subject I spoke to you about a short time ago.” ‘‘You seem to be in a great sweat, Benay Flash.” “T confess to being in something of a hurry, but it is all on your account I assure you, Mr. Ragsdale.” ‘«Indeed!” ‘¢ You saw Mrs. Tripp ?” “7 did.” ‘‘What did you learn?” ‘‘ Some things that surprised me.” ‘T thought as much.” ‘“¢Now what do you want to know?” Ragsdale was on his feet now, looking anx- ious and worried. He did not like the inquis- itive methods of the colonel’s factotum. The fellow was putting his nose into Rags- dale’s affairs on every possible occasion. ‘‘T wish to know if your aunt did not ad- mit of having a fortune ina Cheyenne bank ?” ‘< Suppose she did ?” ‘* What of it, eh ?” “Yes, what of it ?” ‘‘A good deal. How did she come by so much money ?” ‘‘Honestly, I assure jou.’ ‘‘Tam sorry to have to differ with you in this respect, Mr. Ragsdale.” ‘It is a matter of indifference to me, sir,” retorted the young lawyer. ‘You may not feel soindifferent when you understand the case more fully,” said Flash, meaningly. ‘‘T do not care to listen to threats, Benay Flash. If you have nothing further to offer, yen will please consider this interview at an end.” ‘‘T have a good deal more to offer, sir,”’ re- torted the half-breed, again showing his teeth. ‘‘If you value the safety of your aunt you will give me a respectful hearing.” “Tam listening. Speak up at once, and to the point.” ‘‘T will do so in a few words, Mr. Ragsdale. I told you that it was suspected that Mrs. Chester poisoned her husband a long time since ?” ‘¢ T believe you did.” ‘‘Furthermore, it is now believed that it was Mrs. Chester who put Olive out of the world on the night of the 16th of June last year.” “Sir!” The young lawyer turned upon his visitor with clinched hands. ‘‘ Keep cool, my friend,” said Flash, in a low voice, a smile opening bis lips. ‘‘I am only repeating facts.” ‘‘It is preposterous! outrageous! malignant slander of a good woman!” ‘‘It may be. yet, unless all signs fail, your good aunt will be brought to the bar of the court to answer for the crime of a double mur- der.” Soft as the purr of a cat fell the words of Benay Flash. : They entered the soul of the lawyer-detect- ive like points of barbed steel. An awful dread rested like an incubus on the spirit of Ragsdale. He tried to shake it off. He could not. He gazed out of the window, and stood with- out uttering a word, when he felt that he ought to throttle his visitor for his base in- sinuations. ‘‘ You saw Detective Shade. He has been following some cléws that lead him directly to Mrs. Tripp. It seems inevitable that she must face a court and answer certain ques- tions. Iam afraid shecannot doit. Theevi- dence is strong, and the more the affairs of the past two years are investigated, the dark- er does it look for your aunt. I am not to blame for this. I feel as sorry that it is so as any one can. It lies with you to say what shall be done, Mr. Ragsdale.” The young lawyer listened to the low mur- mured words of the half-breed like one in a dream. When at length he ceased speaking, Rags- dale seemed to awaken suddenly. ‘‘My aunt is innocent!” declared he in an angry voice, ‘‘ There may be a plot to effect her ruin, but it will not succeed. This man Shade hasn’t sense enough to detect anything. He could not follow a clew if he tried.” ‘‘ All very plausible,” said Flash; ‘‘ but do you wish to see your aunt arrested for these murders ?” oe No.” ‘‘Then why not do something to: prevent it?” “T do not understand you.” ‘‘ Must I speak plainer?” ‘You must.” ‘¢Then I will point the way out.” ““Go on.” ‘‘If you will leave this country, and let the past rest, I think all will be well.” The young lawyer glanced at the speaker in evident surprise. ‘‘T don’t think I quite comprehend.” ‘Return to Denver, and report that Olive Chester met her death at the hands of Indi- ans—anything that will hush up the affair— and your aunt will be saved. Can you under- stand that, Mr. Ragsdale?” ‘¢7T think I can.” ‘And you will go?” ‘“ No.” “¢ What ?” ‘‘Benay Flash, you have put your foot in it now!” exclaimed the lawyer-detective, piercing the half-breed with a look that made him quail. ‘‘ Your proposition is the same made to me by the masked horse- thieves. It seems that an investigation of the murder of Olive Chester is the last thing de- sired by some people on the Big Horn. When you and the colonel sent for me, you imag- ined that I would merely look over the ground and return home without a thorough investi- gation. You have found out your mistake, and now you take this method of closing up the search for the criminal. You cannot turn me from my purpose, neither you nor your fellow conspirators.”’ Benay Flash seemed to quail at first, but as the young detective proceeded, his look changed, and at the last his milk-white teeth were disclosed by a smile, ‘“Go dness!” exclaimed the _half-breed. ‘‘The idea that Colonel Redhart is a conspir- ator against his neighbor. I only mentioned a way to save your aunt from arrest and prosecution. I don’t say she is guilty, but I do aver that it'll] puzzle her and her friends to keep her out of the penitentiary, now that her very dear nephew goes back on her. I’ve said more than I intended. I shall not lift a finger to save your relative after to-day.” Benay Flash turned to go. “One moment, Mr. Flash.” “Well ?” ‘Does Colonel Redhart know of this?” ‘‘Of my proposition to you?” 66 Yes.,’’ ‘‘He does not.” ‘‘ You were sent by Mr. Shade?” ‘‘T will answer no more questions,” said Flash. ‘‘I hope we shall be friends in the future, Mr. Ragsdale, although you have tried to make an enemy of me.” And then the man departed. : Closing the door, Ragsdale stood alone in his room. The proposition of the half-breed suggested a strange chain of thought. Many questions flitted unanswered through the brain of the lawyer. What was the motive that led the half- breed to make such a proposition to the man who was engaged in ferreting out a most hei- nous crime ? The fellow surely had a motive. Was he alone in this, or was he but the agent of others? Why had Flash unbosomed himeelf in this way with regard to Mrs. Tripp? Was there a conspiracy to destroy his aunt, and save the real murderer ? The young lawyer-detective could find no satisfactory answers to these questions. Another thought troubled him not a little. Might it not be true thai Julia Chester had murdered her relatives to obtain the fort- une ? The thought was horrible and repulsive. By making her nephew her heir, the woman had, to Ragsdale, disproved her connection with the crime laid to her by Benay Flash. It seemed conclusive now, to the nan from Denver, that Evard Demming, however guilty he might be, was not alone in his criminality. There loomed upa vast conspiracy. that made the unraveling of the mystery at Three Oaks Ranch more difficult than Ragsdale had ex- pected. There was more than one element of mys- tery about the whole affair. ‘“T’ll see Sid Gidley, and obtain possession of the locket,” decided Ragsdale. ‘‘ After that I must find the man whose photograph occupies one side of the locket. He is certain- ly a factor in the case that must not be ig- nored.” Full of these thoughts, the young lawyer left the room. He met the colonel below, who informed him that it was the dinner hour. After the meal Colonel Redhart suggested a ride down the creek toward the Big Horn, where he had a large drove of cattle. After a brief hesitancy the young Denver- ite accepted the invitation. When they were ready to start. Ragsdale discovered that the detective was to makes one of the party. This arrangement did not please the law: yer, but he had too good sense to let his feel. ings be known. The ride was a much ionger one than Rags dale expected. It was almost night before the colonel wae ready to return to Three Oaks. The horse ridden by the lawyer was a skit: tish animal, and had more than once shied at CORNIClOO @ S (SO)