The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1906-08-30
CHAPTER Ix-(Continued.)

mere WASH Il man III ali INC rotSO
not one--as ever dreamed of account
Ing for the old party's disappearance
and discovery. II you'd throw in your
lot with me, you'd rise, sir
No" said Billery. "I'll explain. l
suppose can speak before NJ. Ribot?'
"Oh, yes" assented the sergeant.
Hes one OF US and he's In the
know"
Mr. Alexis Brangwyn, the cousin OF
the man you're watching" began
Billery, lis friend of mine, and has
done me a good many kindnesses
Now, when old Mr.. Brangwyn disap-
peared, people were so puzzled that
they didn't know what to think, and
there were some who thought that
Aloysius had a hand in It. and some
that thought Alexis had a hand in It,,
and some who thought the two had d
hand in it together
Il remember 1t ALL" said the SER
geant, like as IL it was yesterday
There was large sum of money in
volved-a matter of over half mil
lion. Both cousins profited by the old
mans death"
Now from the very first" Billery
went on, my suspicious pointed in the
direction In which they point to-day
| knew Alexis a great deal too well to
suppose that he ever conceived, and
much less carried out, murder. He's
a man who wouldn't hurt a fly. And
at this present moment he's suffering
horribly at the idea that AlOysius Is
under suspicion. The bare thought or
II Is just wearing him into the grave
rs he really, now. taking 1t as seri-
Gus as all that?" asked the sergeant.
II assure you" said Billery, that
when | told him that the people at the
Yard were on his cousins track he
tainted like girl"
did he really?" said the sergeant.
with a certain dryness in his voice
which impressed Billery in disagree.
able way. Them sensitive natures
feels lot more than other people"
And what might you mean by
that?" asked Billery
"Mean?" returned the sergeant. 81
don't know as mean anything in par
ticular. But doesn't 1t strike you as
being rather odd now?" He leaned
forward and tapped Billery on the
chest. These two gentlement has
been at daggers drawn for years. Why
should one of them have that tender
sort of solicitude for the other. as a
man might say?"
Il don't suppose" said Billery, that
there's any tenderness or friendship
in the case. But It's a very old fam
lily, to begin with The first de Brang-
wyn who set foot in England came
over with the Conqueror and fought at
Hastings. It's pretty dreadful thing
for one of them to learn that his only
relative is coming to the gallows.'
We'll, yes" the sergeant assented,
81 suppose it is pretty dreadful
thing"
What am getting at" resumed
Billery," Is this. So far as the track
ing down of the criminal is concerned
have done everything | am going to
do. | am quite resolved on that.
have brought bitter trouble on one
of my best friends-a man who has
treated me with the very greatest
kindness, and I'm sorry that l ever
had anything to do with 1t. You can
count me out, sergeant"
well, sir" said the sergeant, that's
as you choose, of course. We can't al
low ourselves that sort of luxury"
Quite So" said Billery. you've
got your duty to society. but that par
ticular duty doesn't lie on me, I'm
sorry that ever meddled with the
matter"
"As a matter of fact" said the SER
geant, scratching his chin in con-
templative sort of way, Il don't sup
pose as you could be of much practical
use now. Mr.. Billery. We've got ma
terial in hand to go along with, and of
course we shall carry the inquiry to a
finish. You might help us with regard
to that there photograph" Billery
shook his head with an air Of decision.
at might ha' saved time, perhaps. but
II can make no other sort of difference.
suppose you've quite made up your
mind?"
YES" said Billery. "Ive quite made
up my mind. I'm not cut out for that
sort of work. was very keen ON it at
first, but now | wish I'd let the thing
alone"
very well. sir" said the sergeant
rising. "In that case it's no use for me
to stop here and waste your time any
longer. I'll say good afternoon. Mr.
Billery."
Good afternoon" said Billery, and
the sergeant and his Partisan col
league walked down stairs and into
the street together. They walked In
silence for hundred yards or so. and
then the Englishman tapped his com
panion on the shoulder and brought
him to momentary halt
Whats your idea about that move
Ribot?"
II do not know enough about the
people concerned" the Frenchmar
answered. What of this cousin?"
"Oh, he's all right enough" said thu
sergeant. There's nothing agains
him. He was the old gentleman's IA
vorite. and he seems to have los
something like ten or twelve thousan,