Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-25
CHAPTER XIII.
The Whole Truth.

|
impossible to understand. But, at the
same time, he recognized the peril of
his position. There was CHASTITY green
| tinge his face, his hand trembled
| Dallas regarded him pleasantly enough.
| There was nothing harsh or stern in the
| detectives manner. His quiet air of as
| sured triumph struck a great n terror into
| Stevens than any sternness would have
done. The shabby little man wriggled
about in his seat, looking very much like
a rat behind the bars Of cage
! Take your time" Dallas said, quietly
| ''You will find in the long run that it VIII
| pay you great deal better to tell the
| truth
Il have always told the TRUTH Stevens
| stammered.
Up to certain point. yes. But you
| didn't go far enough. For instance, you
| might have told the coroner that you
! saw Mr.. Delahay's lady visitor a second
| time. You might have gone further and
told the court that Mr.. DeIahay had other
visitors long after his first one had gone
! You see, that would have help the
! police good deal, and it would have e"
! fectually cleared an innocent lady whom
| we suspected of having a hand IN the
| murder. Now, who was it that called at
| the studio in the early hours of the
morning?"
'ow should know?" Stevens said, sui
lenly.
| lat. my good man. is for you to say
But you need not answer unless you like
1t so happens that you arc waiting here
for the individual in question this very
| moment"
The greenish hue crept over Stevens
face again He could only stare at the
speaker with open-m Juthed aston:shment
| Dallas manner grew a little more stern
and curt as he rose from his ssat
| You will stay where you are" he said
| fhplo fJUn 7 Will
into the next box. / think l can trust
you not to hetray our presence there. In
| act, your safety. to a large extent, d.
Ponds upon your actions In the next hour
or So"
Il have done nothing" Stevens burst
out. Il swear l have done nothing
had no hand in it at all
That l quite believe" Dallas replied
| IT was afterward that you began to see
your way to make some money out of It
And now let me tell you something. You
don't deserve any consideration at my
hands, but l am prepared to spare you
as far as possible. Oh, l know you will
play me false at the first chance But let
me tell you, l know all about your visit
20 your friend Perks of Cannon Green.
| know how you disposed of certain stolen
goods which, until the night of the muir
der. were in the possession of Mr.. Louis
Delahay. After that l don't think you
| VIII deem 1t prudent to try any of your
nonsense with me-"
Dallas turned away, and with his two
companions. entered the next box. It was
gloomy enough there. SO that their pres
ence was not likely to be detected by any
one who came in. Walter turned eagerly
| to Dallas. His curiosity was aroused
| now. He wanted to know how it was
that the inspector knew so puch.
| 1T was mare conjecture on nv part -
| Dallas said. "Of course. what you told
me gave me a great deal of assistance,
| but l did not begin to see my way quite
clearly until we followed Stevens here
| The landlord of this public-house has
| never got into trouble yet. But we
know perfectly well that a good deal of
stolen property Is disposed Of and when
| saw Stevens turn in here things became
| plain enough. He was coming to meet
| an accompl.ce and hand over his share of
the money which he had obtained from
| Perks. Before half an hour is over the
real culprit will be here. Please stop
talking directly anybody comes in. 1t will
| spoil everything if our presence here be-
| comes known"
1t was precisely as Dallas had said
| Some twenty minutes later a man lounged
into the bar and called for something to
| drink. He seemed to suspect nothing he
| appeared to be perfectly at his ease He
| whistled some musc-hal air merrily. The
| nan was fairly we'll dressed A gaudy
| cap on the back of his head disclosed a
plaster OF greasy curls on peculiarly low
| and retreating forehead. The stranger
Il
| best clothes. Certainly he did not sug-
gest pro essional criminal.
He swallowed his drink and strolled to-
| ward the fireplace without noticing the
| three occupants in the recesses of the
box. Then he caught sight of Stevens
and took a seat by his side. The CONVEX
sation was conducted in whispers. but it
vas possible for the listeners to hear most
Of what was taking place.
Well. did you manage 1t all right %
the newcomer asked
Don't trouble about that" Stevens
| muttered. But didn't get half as much
as you thought 1 should. Forty pounds
| was the price my man offered, and he
| wouldn't give another penny"
The newcomer growled something inco-
herent. Then there was a chink of money
stealthily passed, followed by a volley of
oaths from Stevens companion.
The game isn't worth playing" he
nuttered. Fancy. twenty quid for a job
like that, and the chance of hanging into
the bargain. l wish l had never gone
| there, John. l wish l had never met you
that night, when you told me all about
the house in F1tZjohn Square. l wake
UP in the night in a bath of cold sweat
when l think of 1t. Fancy going into
what you take to be an empty house and
finding a dead body staring up in your
face rom the floor Yes l took his
watch and chain all right. but 1 don't
know where l got the pluck from. Took
the risk of being strung up for it, bl me-
| And me ready to get married, and the
date fixed and ALL Lord, if 1 could only
see my way to get clear of it all. Twenty
quid against a mans life. You go and
try it yourself and see what it's like, nv
ancient pal. When / recollect as it was
you as told me of the broken catch on the
studio window. l could bash your face in.
Ii could. l cant forget it. 1 have tried
DIR nix. but that is no uss. You can stave
it off for hour or two, and then it
comes back worse than ever. And all for
the sake of twenty quid.
Stevens made no reply. He sat there
quivering rom head TO foot sick with
suspcns. and anxiety, wondering in his
mind when Dallas was going to strike At
any other time the CHASTITY color of his
face would have attracted the attention
of his companion, but the other man was
occupied with his own thoughts. He was
| staring modify into the fireplace
| Don't talk about it," Stevens managed
to say at length IF you had told me
about it at the time l never should have
touched that stuff. But l had got it in
my pocket. and l had given my word be-
FORE ever l had heard OF the murder And
| low was / to know that there was a
| chance of Mr.. Delahay coming back? If
anything happens you will say as much
for me. won't you?"
Stevens a ;ked the question with trem-
bling eagerness. He mad his request
more with a view to Expressing Dallas