The Washington times., 1894-07-01
himself 81 mus, 20 TO scotland Yard at once

himself "I must go TO Scotland Yard at once
and make clean breast of everything"
| John Alister as soon as he had thoroughly
made UP his mind what he ought to do. felt
that he ought to do il ut once.
He would have preferred to "sleep on it,
to put the business of until the morning. but
| he felt that by so doing he might be aiding a
criminals escape from justice. His "clew''
might be invaluable to the police at the pres
| cnt moment.
He pulled himself together and ordered the
waiter to bring him liqueur glass OF brandy.
| He wanted to steady his nerves a little before
undergoing the ordeal of Scotland Yard.
While he was waiting for the brandy a
waiter came in with a message from the hall
porter to him. young lady had left note
Tor Mr.. Alister, and wished to know if he was
| in the club
from Lillian Wilson: .Sir:-Will you see me at
once? l am outside the club. II is matter
of life and DEATH
MY God, Then she knows about the mur-
der" he thought; and putting on his hat he
went out into the street.
The girl to whom he had lent the five-pound
note was standing in the shadow a little way
from the club entrance. She saw him come
| out, and walked towards him at once
Directly she came into the light of the lamp
| he saw that her face was deathly pale and
her eyes red with weeping.
Mr.. Alister,n exclaimed the girl before he
| had time to say word. '.you won't mind my
sending for you ike this. but 1 want to see
you about something-about something very
| terrible
Il can guess what it is" replied Alister. 81
have compared the number of the note you
sent me to-day with the numbers mentioned
in the account of the outrage on the rail-
way"
.'Haye you?" cried the girl ''Then you
know
"That it is one of the missing notes. But
come am sure you are not directly con-
cerned in this terrible business lime, how
do you come to know that it is one of them?
Young ladies are not in the habit of taking
the number of q note before they send it
away 1 fancy"
Il know it is one of them," said the girl,
"because have the others. Seer' she ey-
claimed. drawing an envelope from her
pocket and taking number OF folded bank
notes out there are all the missing notes
with the exception Of the one sent you this
afternoon"
John Alister was completely taken aback
How did this girl, who not SO long ago had
asked him for her fare in Piccadiliy. come to
be possessed of fifty pounds-and OF fifty
pounds in bank-notes which had been stolen
from the victim of an attempted murder?
Alister hesitated before he replied. His
first idea was that he ought at once to call a
policeman. but he felt that the girl was acting
fairly by him and concealing nothing She
had come to him OF her own free will. and
she had made no concealment OF the possess
sion of the stolen property.
my dear girl, he said presently, ''this is
a very serious affair. You must go to the
authorities and tell them all you know. Of
course you have come by these notes inno-
Gently enough, but they are most important
clew to the discovery of the man who COM
mitted the crime / don't want to ask you
any impertnent questions. but you'll have to
say from whom you obtained these notes.
"That's the worst of it, answered the girl,
her eyes filing with tears. Il don't want to
do that. can't. and l came to see you to-
night, hoping would he able to stop your
going to the police and saying how you got
the note in your possession"
GOOD heavensr' exclaimed John Alister,
''You mustn't talk to me like that. You can
not expect that shall help you to keep /.
matter like this secret. Why it's assisting
murderer"
''But II you know all-if tell YOU aliss
My good girl, am quite willing to be-
lieve that you are innocent OF any evil inten-
tion in the matter. but, after all, you are
perfect stranger to me. l know nothing
about you except that met you in Picca-
dilly circus and gave you f5."
mo. you loaned me IS. and have hon.
estly return ed 1t to you"
THAT is true, but the note you send me is
part Of the proceeds Of a robbery-a robbery
with murderous violence"
WELL" said the girl, brushing her tears