Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-24
CHAPTER III.
A STUDY in Proba bilities.


For a moment thought that Godfrey
was joking. How could that tangle of
haphazard clippings tell any story? And
IL they did, how could 1t be connected
with the one which we were trying to de-
cipher? Then, at a second glance, 1 saw
how in deadly earnest he was. There
could be no doubling it; he had read into
them some meaning which l had failed
utterly to see.
I sat down in my chair again. my nerves
a-quiver;. at last we were on the verge of
success
We'll, let's hear It," said.
i intend that you shall-waft till get
them arranged I'll build up the story as
questions or point out any defects that
occur to you. OF course, 1t will be only a
study in proba bilities; but between US I
TIL < We can get it pretty straight
He got up from the desk with the clip
pings in a neat little pile and sat down in
the chair facing mine. He took medi-
tative pun or two before he began.
We'll have to start with a few general
observations he said, at last. It's evil
dent that Thompson wouldn't have car
ried these clippings around with him for
SO long unless they In some way con-
cerned him. It's evident that Miss Croy-
don would never have dared to take them
unless she was pretty certain that they
dent that Tremaine wouldn't have taken
so much trouble to look for them unless
he was mighty anxious to find them. We
arrive, then, at our first conclusion,
namely, that these clippings necessarily
shed some light upon the tragedy re-
Gently enacted in this room. and upon the
connection of these people with each
other
YES" agreed unless all these people
were mistaken in their estimate of the
value of the clippings"
That, of course, is possible; but don't
think it probable At any rate, let us dis
regard that suggestion for the moment
and proceed along the other line. What
light is it possible for these clippings to
shed on the murder of Thompson? Obvi-
ously, 1t must be only by explaining mo-
tives. The majority of them seem to be
with the adventures of a
Frenchman who goes under various names,
but who, / am sure, is one and the same
person. He must, then. be either Ire
maine or Thompson. But Thompson was
evidently not a Frenchman. and Ire
maine pretty evidently is. though his
contact with the world has served to rub
away good many of the marks. l think
that the Frenchman of these clippings is
i remaine AS we go or l believe Wen
find some internal evidence confirming
this You agree with me thus far?"
Perfectly" 1 said, admitting your first
premise that these clippings are really
with the case"
That, too. l believe, we'll soon be able
to prove by internal evidence. OF course, If
they haven't any connection with it, they'd
soon lead US into chaos. But there's another
them. We mustn't expect story complete
them. We mustn't expect story complete
in all its parts-its bound to be fragmen-
tary. The wonder is that Thompson sue
ceeded in keeping this many links in the
chain. Maybe in his more prosperous days
he had mania for clippings. At best, we
mustn't be disappointed If there are long
gaps in the story"
Yes" I agreed again; that's evident
enough"
Very we'll; We'll begin with the clip
pings. then. substituting Tremaine's name
for the one used. The first clipping Is
merely marriage notice, announcing that
on the Odd of August, 1883, Tremaine mar
ried one Therese Bertigny at Deppe Let
me see; Tremaine was then probably about
twenty years of age No doubt he was born
at Dieppe, that the name given here
Victor Charente is his real one. You'll
notice that he's retained his first name
which is a bit of corroborative evidence"
"Or a mere Coincidence supplemented
'I'll wire our correspondent at Dieppe to
look up this Charente-perhaps he can get
a photograph. That would settle the ques-
ton"
| nodded. Yes. that would settle it. for
Tremaine at forty probably not great
ly different from Tremaine at twenty.
The second clipping, proceeded Godfrey
from the straight and narrow path, and
gives us, too, little light upon his per
sonal history. In the spring following MS
marriage-April 16, 1884, to be exact-while
assistant manager of the ship supplies
house of Briquet Freres. he absconds with
60 900 francs 1t is discovered that he kept
mistress at Rouen. He Is believed TO
have gone to America-to have been SNUG
gled out of the harbor by a friendly Amer
ican captain Surely, it is not impossible"
he added. that this friendly American
captain was Thompson.
"Very few things are impossible / COM
mented; began to be impatient with Cod
frey He was permitting his prejudice
against Tremaine TO warp his judgment
"Well, well keep that for a hypothesis
anyhow" and he turned to the third CLIP
ping This he continued. shows us that
he indeed came to America. 1t is dated
July %. 1880. and states that a young
Frenchman and a tramp skipper named
Johnson-ah. you seer
| did, indeed. see-here was the first APP
nearance of Tremaine's zombi-of his
familiar devil. [ looked at Godfrey with
the liveliest admiration. This constructive
reasoning was something which l, certain
" was quite incapable of.
$50 that on Thompson's arm was the
initial of his real name observed Godfrey.
81 thought il vast had been there long
time, and an effort had been made to erase
it After a man has started on the crooked
path he doesn't want any tattoo MARKS on
Johnson. then we'll hereafter read Thomp-
SON.
| nodded; I was beginning to be con-
WINGED.
well" continued Godfrey. "Tremaine and
then. were arrested in New
York, July %. 1885, at a low resort where
they were having a carouse. They had
beaten and robbed another sailor. 1t seems
that nothing was left of the sixty thousand
francs and naturally Tremaine found it
difficult to go honestly to work again.
The fourth clipping. undated. but probably
some months later shows that Tremafne
and Thompson We're sentenced to three
years each in Sing Sing. But they didn't
stay there so long he added. turning 10
the next clipping. lat least Tremaine didn't.
On the night of January ., 1856, in the
midst of tremendous snoWStorm. they
managed to hide themselves in one of the
workshops, and afterwards to scale the
outer wall In the morning Thompson was
found at the foot of the wall with his head
cut open and nearly frozen. Trerhaine got
clear away, Thompson was brought around
with the greatest difficulty, and would say
nothing except to indulge in terrible i'm
precautions against his companion. You
see concluded Godfrey. looking up, I'VE
begin TO get at the motive
Yes" ! agreed, its very pain, now
you've started on the right track. It's
good deal like Columbus egg"
Godfrey smiled and turned 10 the sixth
clipping the longest of them all.
cts that way with most mysteries" he