The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-22

Accessory
After the Fact.
BY HOWARD FIELDING.
Copyright 1895 by Irving Bachsller1
By HOWARD FIELDING.
copyright 1898 by Irving Bacheller.1

ran WITH MIN 10 Ule WiHooW' AAS
pushed 1t open cautiously and stepped
out. The rough stones gave him foot
ing: he made his way rapidly DOWN
ward and sidelong.
After one moments pause at the VIM
dow to feel the cool air on my face. 1
hurried to the door. drew the bolt, and
put my trembling hand upon the knob.
The door was opened by pressure from
without. nearly died of relief at sight
of Dane. alone.
What are you doing here?' he cried.
II knew 1t was you. Did you not hear
me call your name?"
was too deeply agitated to speak. /
could only take his hand. while tears
rolled down my cheeks.
what tomfoolery is this?'' he CRIED
but not unkindly. "Why have you built
that fire?"
l was myself by this time.
Dear old boy" / said, this night
has saved you. have bought your life
and i have burned the evidences Of
your transgression."
His face paled and then flashed scar
let. He staggered back.
At that moment there was a rap at
the door, Before l could stay him,
Dane opened it. His action seemed
purely mechanical; he was like an
image endowed with motion.
A uniformed officer of police entered.
''We've got him. he cried.
And in that instant it flashed across
me that the fragments of the knife ham
die We're still where they had fallen!
Dane was lost unless l could destroy
them.
1 sprang forward. but the officer ad-
vancing, interposed his bulky body
without seeming to wish to do so. l
dared not force my way by him. l
waited. grief-stricken. for the arrival
of the men to whom he had addressed
his cry of triumph. No one came.
There was no sound of men in the cor
ridor.
80 you've got him, eh?" he said.
"Where is he?"
I'm the janitor's room." replied the
officer. ''We found him crouching
against the side wall of the building
below here
The officer waved his hand In the d.
rection of the street.
He seems to have had a bad fall"
he continued. 81 should say he must
have tried to climb down from a win
dow. l shouldn't be surprised If he was
done for"
"I'll be with you in a minute" said
Dane.
The officer went out. Dane turned to
me.
Now, in the name of heaven tell me
what you've DONE" he cried.
1 stammered out my story.
He seized me by the shoulder and
held me face to face with him.
wake up" he exclaimed. Get your
wits together. You've had this thing
by the wrong end. I'm a detective. I've
been watching this man called Erwin
for days and days.
He was suspected of Kohnfeld's mur-
der, but he was ouly name at first.
No one knew who he was or where he
had gone. I traced him to this place,
and got this room because 1t was next
to his. He knew that he was shadowed,
but at first he could not tell by whom.
1 kept him so worried that he could not
destroy those evidences of his crime
which are now ashes, thanks to you
"Laboriously I gathered them. The
coat found hidden in the cellar Of this
building. The shoe was there also,
though not in the same hiding place.
But the bonds I could not find I de-
cided that he would have to find them for
me. Many night I tracked that man,
and one Of the best shadows on the
headquarters staff tracked us both"
The figure I had seen to follow Dane
was explained.
eve thought he would surely lead us
to the bonds" he continued, but we
were always disappointed. At last I
found them. They were in the custody
of person with whom Erwin COM
municated secretly, In the course of
his nightly walks. That confederate is
now under arrest. ] got the bonds and
was bringing them back with me this
evening when encountered you in the
hall.
Meanwhile Erwin eluded the shadow
and got back to Chrysalis. He came to
this room. 1t was his only chance-to
find the accumulated evidence and de-
stroy 1t. 1t was mere chance that kept
me away so long. ] was trying'to make
connections with the shadow. 1t is pos
sible that Erwin counted on that.