Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-10
CHAPTER XVIII.

envy q better start. / hope you nave NOT
destroyed the address of that lawyer?'
"Oh, no." Violet cried. TT is in my old
memorandum book Perhaps you had bet
ter take copy Of it for your own use.
have no doubt that my letter has been de-
livered at Wandsworth by this time, but as
Mr.. Sartoris is cripple"
Field was not quite sure on that point
Sartoris, it was true was a cripple, but then
Field had not forgotten the black hanson
and the expedition by night to the Royal
Palace Hotel. He felt that Sartoris would
not let the grass grow under his feet. From
the memorandum book he copied the ad-
dress-which proved to be street in Lin
coins Inn Fields.
Evidently a pretty good f1rm," Field NUT
tered. It'll go round there at once and see
Mr.. George Fleming. But there is one
thing, you will be silent as to all l have
told you. We are on the verge of very i'm
portant discoveries, and a word at RANDOM
might ruin everything"
Violet Decie said that she perfectly well
understood what she had to do.
"Sartoris may try to see you again Field
continued. IF he does do not answer him.
Pretend that You are still ignorant: do
nothing to arouse his suspicious. Perhaps
1t would have been better if l had told you
nothing of this. but fancy that can trust
you"
You can trust me implicitly" the girl
said eagerly. "If 1t is to harm that
man"
oHe Sdlu 10 more, anu leu pciICShy uii-
derstood what her feelings were. By no
means displeased with his mornings work
he started off in the direction of Lincoln's
Inn Fields. He was pleased to find that the
firm of George Fleming & Co. occupied good
offices, and that the clerks looked as If they
had been there long time. 1t was just as
well not to have a pettifogging lawyer to
deal with. Mr.. Fleming was in. but he was
engaged for little time. Perhaps the gen.
tleman would state his business; but on the
whole Field preferred to wait.
He interested himself for some little time
behind the broad page of the Daily Tele-
graph" until at length an inner door mark
ed private" opened and tall man with
gray hair emerged, with a crooked figure
dragging on his arm. Field looked over the
paper for a moment, and then ducked down
again as he saw Carl Sartoris. Evidently
the cripple had lost no time. He was say
ing something now in low and rasping
voice to the lawyer
my dear sir, there shall be no delay at
ALL the latter replied II am bound to
confess that that deed has made all the
difference 1 always told Sir Charles that
that property was valuable. But he would
never see it, and if he had where was the
capital to work it? But why he never told
me that he had made the thing over to
you
Did he ever tell anybody anything that
facilitated business?" Sartoris laughed. Il
daresay he forgot all about it. poor fellow"
Sartoris shuffled painfully out of the office
with the help of the lawyer, and got into
cab moment later and Field was in the
inner office with Mr.. Fleming. He produced
his card and laid it on the table by the way
of introduction.
This is the first time I have been hon
ored by detective in all my long expe-
rience," the lawyer said as he raised his
eyebrows. Il hope there is nothing wrong,
sir?"
Not so far as any of your clients are
concerned SIR" Field replied. LAS matter
of fact, l the officer who has charge of
the investigation into the strange of
Sir Charles Darryll. And l am pretty sure
that the lame gentleman who has just gone
out could tell you all about 1t if he chose.
1 mean Mr. Carl Sartoris."
The lawyer again raised his eyebrows, but
said nothing.
81 see you have no disposition to help
me-" Field proceeded. But just now Mr..
Sartoris made a remark that gives me
opening. He came to you today with
deed which, unless I am greatly mistaken,
purports to be an assignment of property
from Sir Charles to Mr. Sartoris. And that
property is probably ruby mine in Bur-
NAH"
$50 far you are quite correct" the lawyer
said drily Pray proceed"
81 must ask you to help me a little,
Field cried. Let me tell you that Carl
Sartoris was in the scheme to obtain pos
session Of the body Of Sir Charles Darryll.
He was the lame man who was in the black
hanson. I have been in that fellows house,
and have seen the body of Sir Charles, un-
less I am greatly mistaken"
Then, why don't you arrest that MANI"
the lawyer asked.
Because 1 want the whole covey at one
bag" Field said coolly. Now, sir, will
you let me the deed that Carl Sartoris
brought here today? Yesterday he did not
know Of your existence"
He has been going to write to me for a
long time" Fleming said.
II am prepared to stake ly reputation
that Carl Sartoris never heard your name
till this morning." Field said cooly. II
prO1upe witness if If
like. My witness is Miss Violet Decie, only
daughter OF Lord Edward Decie of that ilk."
The lawyers dry, cautious manner SEEM
ed to be melting. He took up sheet of
parchment and read it. 1t was a deed of
some kind in which the names of Charles
Darryll and Carl Sartoris figured very fire.
quently. Field asked to be told the gist
of 1t.
IAN assignment Of mining rights" Flem-
ing explained. "A place in Burmah. 1t
was a dangerous place to get at some time
ago, but things have changed recently At
one time certain Burmese followed Sir
Charles about and threatened his life unless
he promised to let the thing drop. But Sir
Charles had assigned all his interest for the
sum of five hundred pounds paid to him by
Carl Sartoris. Here is the signature.
The deed looked regular enough Field
looked closely at the signature of Sir
Charles.
"Of course it would be easy to get the
body of the deed written by a clerk" he
said with a thoughtful air. "If there was
anything wrong about the thing, the false
note would ring out in the signature. Are
you that it is genuine?
Quite the lawyer said with conviction.
"Pl show you some old letters of poor Sir
Charles If you like. The signature is a lit
tie peculiar In the respect that it has long
loop to the first l, and short loop to the
second. That appears in every signature.
Besides there Is that little flourish over the
c.. The flourish really forms the initials
C. D. Can't you see that for yourself?
Leave out ever so little of the flourish, and
the C. D. disappears"
Field was fain to be satisfied though he
was little disappointed. too The pretty
little theory that he had been building up in
his mind had been shattered
IT suppose I shall have to give way on
that point" he said. "Only it strikes me
as strange that man should have allowed
this matter to lie for three years without
making use OF it. Unless, Of course, Sir
Charles death made all the difference AL
low me-"
Fields eyes began to CLEAN as they dwelt
on the parchment. There was a red seal
in the top left-hand corner. a red seal with
silver paper let into it and some small fig
ures on the edge.
What do those figures representa-" he
asked. The figures 4. 4. '03, mean.''
1.-The date" Fleming explained. Those
stamped skins are forwarded from Somerset
House to the various sub-offices, and they