Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-17

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"Then you accept the wager?''
II do"
"Done. Now for the conditions. am
to have one month in which to plan and
commit my crime, and one year for
avoiding the detectives. That is, if am
free at the end of one year and can prove
to you that committed crime within
the stipulated period, l win the wager.
II 1 am in Jail awaiting trial, the bet
cannot be settled until the law has had
it's way and I am either proved inno-
cent or guilty. Is that satisfactory
Perfectly. But what class of crime
will you commit"
"My friend. you are inquisitive. The
wager is on, and my boasted caution
must begin. Therefore I must not tell
you anything of the nature of my in
tended crime. "
"Why, do you suppose for an instant
that I would betray you:''
"Well, yes, that idea does occur to
me. Listen. As l said before, the ne
cessities of the criminal prove his Mem
esis. The necessities involve the object
of the crime. That is always good
starting point in following upa mysteri-
GUS case. The more unusual the object
the better, since it will fit fewer people
Plumber is the commonest and there
fore the least promising to trace from
Revenge is common also, but better, be-
cause the special revenge connected with
the deed must lead to the special indi-
vidual most likely to execute such re.
venge. In this instance-I mean my
own case-the object of the crime is so
unique that the detective who discovers
it should be able to convict me. A crime
committed to decide a wager is perhaps
new"
"Its very novelty is your best safe
guard.
"Yet there are two ways by which
it may be discovered, and that is two
too many. Had l undertaken this affair
secretly there would really have been
but single way for one to learn my
secret-my own confession. AS men have
been weak enough to do this before now,
I should even in that instance have tax.
en- precautions. But with my secret in
the possession of second party the posi-
tion is more complex. "
81 assure you on my honor that will
not betray you. I will agree to forfeit
five times the wager in such an event. "
"I prefer that you should be perfectly
at liberty in the matter. expect it to
be thus. In your own mind at resent you
do not think that l shall carry out my
purpose. Therefore your friendship for
me is undisturbed. Then you count that,
if do commit crime, it will be some
trivial one that you may bring your con-
science to excuse, under the circum-
stances. But let us suppose that a really
great crime should be reported, and for
some reason you should suspect me- You
will hurry to my rooms before get out
of bed and ask me fatty whether I am
guilty. AS fatty I should refuse to en-
tighten you. You would take this as a
confession of guilt You would perhaps
argue that if your surmise were correct
you would be an accessory before the
fact, and to shield yourself and do your
duty you would make clean breast Of
it.
II am beginning to be offended, Bob.
I did not think you would trust me so
littlep'
"Don get angry, old man. Remem-
ber that only few minutes ago you
warned me that you would cut me dead
after the crime. We artistic criminals
must be prepared against every contin'
gency."
II did not think when 1 spoke. I did
not mean it.
"Yes, you did, and I am not at all
angry. Let it be understood then that
you will be at liberty to repeat the facts
about this wager should your conscience
prick you. 1t will be best for me to ex-
pect and be prepared for such action.
But you have not asked what the second
danger of discovery is. Can you guess?"
mot unless you mean as you sug'
gested, your own confession.
"No, though that really makes third
chance Yet it is so simple. Have you
noticed that we can hear man snor-
ing!"
MOP
Listen a moment! Do you not hear
that? 1t is not exactly snore, but rather
troubled breathing. Now that man is
in the third section from US. Do you see
the point?"
II must confess that I would not
make detective"
"Why, my dear boy, if we can hear
that fellow, why may not some one in
the next compartment be listening to
our tete.a-tete?" Nh. Barnes fairly
glowed with admiration for the fellows
careful consideration of every point.
"Oh, l guess not Everybody is
asleep"
"The common criminal from neces-
sity takes chances like that without
counting on them. I shall not. There is
a possibility. however remote, that
some one, in No. 10, say, has overheard
US. Again, he may even be detective,
and, worse yet, it might be your Mr..
Barnes himself "
"Well, I must say if you prepare
against such long odds as that you de-
serve to escape detectionr