The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-07-20

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He withdrew his arm. apparently
more IN sorrow than In anger. and the
two pursued their way in silence. n
And now we must follow Billery.
who was by this time seated ID Trus-
colts study awaiting the advent OF
his chief. He opened the black bag
and produced from 1T considerable
pile Of papers, folded into separate
packets. each bound round with Irvine.
He unfastened them and ranged them
In an. orderly mound on q side table,
and had just completed his task when
Truscott entered the room with q
CHEEKY greeting. ..ss IS
Well" he asked, what's the ma
ture Of the clue you wrote about?"
Il can give you part Of It." said
Billery, "and a part only. have be.
gun an investigation at two separate
ends, and am sertain as that I am
here alive that I can lay my hands
upon the man who comprised old
Brangwyn's death. I'll give you one
fact to begin with. At the inquest
held last week Aloysius Brangwyn
swore that at the time Of his uncle's
disappearance he was in Paris. You
remember that?"
Certainly" said Truscott. "The
old gentleman's man servant wired to
him when the case began to look
serious and he came over. You inter.
viewed him at the time"
Quite so," said Billery, gravely.
But at the time Of the old mans dis
appearance Aloysius was in London.
am in position to prove that fact.
l went to Paris to make sure, and
have my witness ready and can pro.
duce him at any moment"
Nm" said Truscott. III that is
true, it will have to be explained; but
it doesn't prove that he had hand in
spiriting the old man away"
II have second fact" said Billery.
'The elder Brangwyn's lawyer has
still in his possession the notes of the
instructions he received from him on
the last day on which he was seen
alive. The old mans estate was
sworn at something over half a mil.
lion. When his death was legally
presumed and the estate was admins
tered, 1t was equally divided between
the two surviving relatives. Now, the
instructions given to the lawyer were
that Aloysius was to receive G250
year fer life, that sum being charge.
able to the estate, which, with that
sole proviso, was made over to Alexis.
Mr.. Harrogate of Bond street, city, is
prepared to say that Aloysius had
been informed of the old mans in
tention to make this alteration in his
will, as an expression of his disap-
prevail of his nephew's conduct. My
suggestion is that Aloysius came to
London in the hope of persuading him
to relent, and, finding him alone in the
house and memorable in his purpose,
made away with him."
"That looks like the beginning Of
a case," Truscott admitted.
Motive proved" said Billery; "mo.
tive as clear as day. Presence of the
suspected man in London at the hour
at which the crime was committed
il crime there were-proved also. 4Sus-
picion increased by the fact that Alloy
sius perfumes himself with respect to
his whereabouts at that time"
mot enought to move on" Truscott
said, rising and pacing thoughtfully
about the room.
"Not enough to move on by them
selves" Billery assented. "But there
is more behind. You remember the
condition of the body when it was dis
covered. The old man might we'll
have been alive a week before. or
even less. Decomposition afterwards
set in SO rapidly that the body had to
be buried Immediately after identifi-
cation. What does that point to-"
What does it point to-" Truscott
asked. pausing in his thoughtful, walk.
you have your theory, l can see."
Ito Be continued.)