The Washington times., 1905-12-24


| knew him we'll enough. The
black beard, the thin hawk nose, the
high and noble forehead were not
easily forgotten. Talman had intro
duced me TO him at the Art Clubs
reception in July, whispering that he
was Pole and neighbor OF his
a deuced quee< fish, though clever
one He had exhibited a bust of
Nero at the academy, which attract
ed much attention.
And his name?" asked the in
spector.
"Czarnecki 1 believe him to be
from Poland; that is about all /
know of him"
How did you come to meet him :"
I told him of my introduction.
Would /, he asked, give him Tai
mans address: Most certainly-No.
4, Harden place, of the Kings road,
Chelsea l had no objection what
ever to Talman being reused at one
in the morning BY all means let
The old rascal be turned out Of bed
and cross-examined. His language
would be a revelation to the police
lit would, really.
The inspector left me at the door
step for a few minutes, while he
whispered 10 two shabbily-dressed
men who lounged out of the dark
ress and disappeared with the same
lack of ostentation- Then we enter
ed our cab, which had waited, and
trotted westward, the very air grow
ing clearer. as it seemed to me,
when the underworld of poverty fell
away behind US 1t was some time
before l spoke, and then it was 10
ask for solution to certain puzzles
that had been forming in my brain.
You said he had been robbed?'
/ began.
Yes, Mr.. Phillips. They had gone
through his pockets with every at
tention to detail.
Then how did you know he was
a SCULPTOR
He had been called away in a
hurry There was modelling clay In
his finger nails, and a splash Of plas-
ter on his right trouser leg. It was
quite simple, as you see"
His reply was ingenious, and I
liked the inspector the better for it.
The man had something more in him
than a civil tongue and pleasing
manner
Tell me-what else did you
learn?'
That he was murdered in place
with a sanded floor. probably at no
great distance from Leman street,
seeing that they carried him there
on coster's barrow"
Il am not a reporter" l said. II
do not want guesswork."
Il shall probably be able to prove
my words in twenty-four hours"
And why not now?" 4
There are good reasons"
"Oh, very we'll" 1 said, sulkiiy:
and we drove on through the night
in silence.
He left me az my door amid po-
lite assurances that I should not
again be troubled in the matter I
told him quite frankly that was
very glad TO hear it
| did not sleep more than eight
hours that night, and was Iuite un-
fitted for work in the morning. I
roamed about my studio with nerves
on edge / cursed Grey and all his
doings. Even the papers gave me
no further information of this exas-
perating business, being loaded with
the preparations for the cars recep-
ton in Paris, which was due In two
days In the end | sank so far as 10
send old Jacob up TO the inspectors
rooms for the latest news; but he
had been out since daybreak.
About u l wandered off to ths
club. The sight of Talman was q
very present joy to me- He was
engaged in denOuncing the police to
a select circle. choosing as his text
that the Englishman's house is his
castle. | offered my sincere SYM
pathy when he told me that he had
been invaded at l in the morning
by inquiring detectives | suggested
that he should write to the Times
about il. He said he had already
done so. Incidentally he mentioned
that CZarnecli'S address had been
y Harden place.
| lunched at the little table by the
window; but it was in the smoking
room afterwaId that the idea oc-
CURED to me. l fought against IL
for some time, but the temptation
increased upon consideration. Fin
ally 1 yielded. ant I'D the waiter to
call a cab. wcula myself have q
look at the dead mans studio.
l dismissed the hanson at the
turning off on Kings road, and walk
ed down Harden place on foot IL
was an eddy in the rush of London
improvements pool of silence in
its roaring traffic. There were trees
in the little gardens. The colds and
browns of the withering leaves peep
ed and rustled over the old brick