The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-06-30
CHAPTER xviii
TIE LAST TEST.

Ill III.
| hands the yery wcapon with which the
mysterious murder in Taggart's Inn had
been committed.
| Allhe had done led nm to this trial. one
which he haC contemplated from the yerv
beginning, but which he had never put in
force, because lie knew the proper moment
had not arrived.
And now, when at last he was deter
mined to make the great trial, after q
| friendly dinner, and the victim seated op-
posite tho woman in whom his life was
hound up, Webber was SO desirous to
leave no act undone which should aid him,
that he actually chose as the place for the
dinner in question, the very restaurant
Verey's in Regent strcet-at which Sivory
had confessedly dlned on the evening OF
Graham Forbes murder.
At SIX o'clock that evening, Slvory
called for his friend.
| "Margherita is to join u.s." he said, after
complimenting Austin upon his punctual-
itv.
| Indeed" Sivory said, eagerly.
| Half an hour Afterwards, the two men
received the lady at the door oil the room
in which the dinner had been prepared.
| She met Austin with forced calmness;
he took this keynote from her, and tho
dinner began giavely, and almost in ST.
lence, for each of the three was over
whemed with fears and anxiety.
| Webber was the first to master himself; |;
and with view Of at once commencing to
throw Austin off his guard, he began talk
ing lightly about thousand things. As,
| however, the dinner went on, this strange
man, absolutely learned, in his way, be-
came more serious in his style of CONVEX
sation; and by the time the dessert was on
tho table, the servants withdrawn, and
| they were alone, he had brought the con-
versation to strange questions of crime
and wickcdness.
"You cannot IMAGINE" he said in an af-
ter-dinner tone, and looking at Margaret
and Austin in the most amiable manner,
''how very curious have always been
about criminal trials aud investigations,
especially those in which there is any de-
gree of mystery. believe have read the
details of every great trial known to his
/ tory. Do you know" he added, addressing
Austin, "why, the moment heard your
name, took decided liking to youf"
"Really, my dear Varli, can't tell"
"The idea is absurd, ridiculous, admit,
! and have no doubt you will owe me q
! grudge for it, but"
| Go on; am quite sure shall not feel
any ill-humor about you"
"Wcll, then, because your name was fa-
miliar to mc-casy to pronounce. because
it scarcely differs in pronunciation from
that Ct celebrated criminal, known to all
men in ltaly--ore Rene Slvari, Dlke of
| Eovico, whose memoirs know almost by
| Lcart.'
| st il verv fortunate for me nv name
p1 aaed you"
On. Won have qualities which should
make you liked, and found them out al
most as soon as | came to know you. But
l confess candidly it was your name at
first attracted me.D
NV name never did me greater ser
| vice" replied sivory, frankly.
Webber nodded as pleasantly, and con-
timed with his usual vulubiity: Police
ca scs, murders, are my passion. Is there
day passes that do NOT ask you to take
me to your prisons. your law courts, and
YOUR Old BalcysY And that remind me
that ! was determined to wait no Longer
without seeing the outside of he OId
| Bailey and yuur Scotland Yard at cast
So after leaving ycu this mDrr.ng, l asked
my way to both places, and am willing
to make bet that can describe them
quite as well as yourself. At the Yard, a
civil policeman offered to show me about
the place, ard | booked him at once. |
have seen everything that NAV be seen in
Scotland Yard. and more than expected.
Seeing half-open door, | asked my guide
what was bevond it.
"'Oh, that is the evidence-room,' said
he.
What evidenced said I. MAY go in'
Gle rolled, and led the way. Paper
or every side, and small parcels. and heaps
of boxes, portfolios, and bundles. Never
saw SO much rubbish and so much dust
in the whole course of my life.
Here was n complete museum of all tn,
objects that bad. Or might have hac
ANYTHING to do with undiscovered crimes
especially the gloves which, in Eliz.
Greenwood's case, nearly hanged an inuo
cent young man. Here you find the wea
pons with which murder has been done
the hat the murderer has left behind him
the blOoded handkerchief fcuud upon
suspected man-sometimes the clothes o
the murdered, aud often stolen watch
for which there is 10 owner-in fact, al
what the police, they tell me, call substan
tial evidence. When they are wanted
there they are; and the murderer who ha
escaped the course of justice through
quarter of century may, more), may b
quite sure that the evidence against him
still waiting at Scotland Yard. Let suf
, pic;on but fall upon the man, and tn
chain NAV be completed at Scotland YarC