Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-11-17

~Then | shouldn't have got to say
goodby TO Cecily'
ITO whomT -
To Ceclly-Tremaine's sweetheart.
you know. He shipped her back to
Martinique this morning"
"Oh. did heg" and my Commanders
eyes narrowed suddenly. why was
hat2"
! related briefly the incidents of the
preceding evening and Of the morn
ing.
Godfrey" l added impulsively. "if
you knew Tremaine personally / think
you'd realize what poor case we've
got against him. Why. it's no case
at an, Theorizing's all very well. but
what a jury wants is evidence-plain.
straight out direct evidence-and we
haven't enough Of that TO build a cob
web. 7 thought I'd found some yes
terday afternoon. but il was all the
effect Of self induced hypnosis" and
told him Of my visit TO Sing Sing.
lie listened with intent face
I'm not so sure 10 WIS hypnosis"
he said. when had finished. AT
least, I'll have look at those photo
graphs myself before 1 accept that
theory. In fact. rather think it's
Tremaine who has hypnotized you.
not I.
II don't believe he's guilty" re
peated.
"Then who isT"
"Ceciiy" said blunHy. "I believe
she's the one who killed Thompson.
anyway"
where's your evidenceT"
CT haven't any" I said helplessly:
comfy kind of intuition
We'll I've The same kind Of intuition
If was Tremame."
but we haven't any evidence
against him. either; not shred Of real.
direct. convincing evidence"
Perhaps not" DE agreed. "but We're
going To get it-enouSh TO convict him
and some 60 spare"
Convict him of whatT'
COZ two murders and one robbery
"Then YOU believe he's implicated in
this Edrolucro anairgr
"Tm sure OF it,
"But there isn't a shred OF evidence
against him. I protested again. com
Ing back Co my old objection. Really
Godfrey was allowing his prejudices
20 carry him too rar.
Not "a shred. apparently" he assent
ed readily.
well then. how
Here's the landing" Dee interrupted
eve can talk &c over on the train"
We left the boat and FASTENED across
90 the station. The tr,.in was waiting
the word To- start and was ln motion a
moment after we stepped aboard.
There were not many passengers. Tor
The morning travel Is toward the city
not from &C.. and we had no difficulty
m finding seat where we could talk
without fear OF being overheard.
Vow" began Godfrey. las you say
there isn't shred OF evidence. appar-
emily. against Trcmaine How about
your cieutt"
Against Drysdalc." answered
tho evidence seems 60 be unusually
complete"
"Nou mi-ht have used a stronger
phrase It's not only complete: it's
cousummately perfect. Not link is
MISSING. he was ou the spot: his re-
volyer is found near boy with blood on
30, button from bis coat is I'm the
dead mans hand; whom hc returns 10
the house hc is visibly disturbed: at
the moment OF his arrest he was pre-
pairing to escape. hc refuses 90 ex-
plain where he was &C the time the
crime was committed, he s. Involved i'm
steel speculation and presumably-needs
ready money"
"Wcut"
We'll" said Godfrey earnestly. "that
very perfection is It's greatest weak
ness. It's too perfect ANY one OF
those things might have happened,
perhaps any TWO OF them: but that
they should all have happened out
RACES the law OF probabilities. That
every link OF the chain is complete
means that it has seen artihcially pro
duced, like stage storm. where the
lightning flashes at just the right in
slant The fellow who arranged it
wanted 10 be too sure. He overleaped
himself"
THAT may ali be true" I said slow
", after a moment, "but it would be
worse than folly TO use that argument
with a jury To say that man isn't
guilty because the evidence against
him appears to be conclusive"-
We're not going 10 use il 10 a jury.
We're using 10 between ourselves. In an
effort TO ind a working hypothesis.
And here's another argument which
would carry no weight with a jury. vet
which with me. personally. is concu-
siye: l know Jack Drysdale. I've
known him for a long time, aad know
that it's utterly impossible that he
should have committed such a crime.
Hes not very original fellow, not AT
all a genius. He's never done any.
thing, perhaps. which either OF US
would think really worth doing: but
he's kind and honest and gentle and
honorable. | repeat that crime like
this is as far beyond his horizon as II is
beyond yours. further. I'm sure, than
1t is beyond mine. and yet don't be
heve you'd think me guilty. no matter
what the evidence against me seemed
to be"