The Argosy, June 1904 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

044 me as much as it baffled the regular police. I may be able to see that at once, and if so, I shall not embark on it. So that [ won’t answer you yet, yea or nay, until I have seen your respective suites of rooms. ‘Show me those—tell me the truth before we start to see them—then, cognizant of all facts, I shall be in a position to make up my mind, and I will tell you whether I will undertake the solving of those problems for you or not.” There was a moment’s silence. Wat- son Ward scemed to make it, so that the words he had uttered might receive due consideration. hen, turning to me, he said: ‘Please guite clearly understand that I know you are absolutely innocent of the death of the girl who was found in your rooms.” Large-sized was the breath of relief I drew. Surprising as I found it, it was comforting, that utterance of his—very. ‘Perhaps when f tell you that f am quite sure of that, it may induce you to break the seal of silence which was on your lips in court. The objection you had to open them then may vanish. There, no doubt, every one seemed acainst you; there, practically every man believed you guilty. That is not so now. Come, what is your mind? Do you want my services or not? What do you intend doing?” * Tell the truth.” “That is good. I say so because, apart altogether from this being a business matter, my curiosity was whet- ted by what occurred in court.” “You see, I noticed that in your speech you glossed over a point, and— don’t mind my saying it—you acted a lie.” Clever brain behind that mask! The only soul in all the crowd of sufficient perspicacity to note my duplicity. “T wondered what the weak spot could be. But I was not handling the ease, therefore I was powerless to grasp it. Still, my curiosity has continued, and apart—as I have said—apart from the business aspect of the affair, I shall be glad to have it gratified. “ When a man is on trial for his life, PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG THE ARGOSY. it is usual for him to bring forward every point that may tell in his favor. For some reason you kept something back. I detected the falsity im your voice; and | have been curious to know the nature of it. Now youw’re going to tell me how and why, aren’t you?” “Yes. You may be surprised to hear me say that the theory of the prosecu- tion was more reasonable than the ac- tual truth.” “ Distinctly novel!” “Yor that reason, [ thought it wise to accept their theory, rather than tell what would unquestionably have looked like a piece of invention.” “You sharpen still more my curios- ity.” “The foreground of the picture, drawn by the prosecution, was my meet- ing with the girl, and the taking her home with me to my rooms the night before the murder.” “Yes. And of course—true or not— there was possibility in the suggestion.” “The jury were trying me for mur- der. There was the possibility—nay more, the almost certainty—that had 1] told them how the girl really came to my rooms, they would have thought me lying and discredited me. Hence my leaving them to believe the story which the prosecuting counsel told.” “JT see that. Moreover, the prosecu- tion could prove no motive for the crime, no ill feeling on your part. And there was the interval of the whole day before the murder was committed.” “That is so. That was why, when I spoke to the jury, I picked up the threads which counsel conducting the prosecution had left.” “From which I gather,’ said Wat- son Ward, eying me narrowly, “ that you did not bring the girl into your rooms at all?” “T was sitting in my chair—dozing, I believe—any way, not quite as alert asa waking man should be. It was dark. Both my doors were closed; the outer and the inner. I was roused from the reverie into which I had fallen by the sound of a key rattling in the outer lock.” “A key? Oh, that is it?” “ At first I thought mv imagination was playing me a trick. But there came C@ — MICLOOOKS C@ ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED