Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Brentwood led the way from the dining
room up back staircase, and paused pc
fore what looked like portion of the wall
paper. There was little discolored spot
about half way between the dado and the
floor, and on this the doctor pressed shak-
Ing thumb. part of the wall fell away
and disclosed small room beyond. The
room had evidently been occupied lately,
for there was a fire In the crate and the
remains of meal on the table. The room
itself was empty.
well I'm hanged" Brentwood cried
Gentlemen. l can't tell you now. You
asked to see the body of Sir Charles
Darryll and have done my best to satisfy
your curiosity. The last time l saw the
body IL was here. 1t seems to have van
ished, and | know more than the dead
what has happened. I'm telling you no
more than the truth.
That the man was telling the truth was
evidenced by the expression of his face.
Field had no more questions to ask be-
cause he was quite sure of the fact On
the table lay a letter, which the Inspector
FIRST glanced at and then placed In his
pocket.
II am just little disappointed" he said.
because | fancied that | had the complete
and crowning surprise for you here to-
night colonel You had better go off with
my men. because l have no further need of
your services for the present DR.. Bent
wood. Perhaps tomorrow 1 may have the
pleasure OF calling upon you. Good night.
The doctor vanished from the house,
which was empty now. save for Bennington
and Field. The latter put out the lights
and prepared TO leave by way of the front
door.
what are you going to do next?" Ber-
rngton asked
Go back to headquarters and report
progress Field explained. The rest is a
matter Of chance. l fancy I can my
way pretty clearly as to what has happened.
Come along. sir; on the whole we have no
call TO be dissatisfied"
But the events of the night were by no
means over yet. A battered constable at
the Yard who had just had his head BAN
daGed up had a story to tell. The prison
ers from No. 100 Audley place had not been
conveyed to duranCe vile without one &C
cdent that had been attended with a fatal
tragedy. The officer told his story pain
fully.
1T was that little devil by the side of the
driver he said It's lucky for me that
he was not big man instead OF bag of
bones We'd come about half way when
he turned and half throttled the driver and
then put speed on the motor. There was
struggle for the steering gear. and then the
whole show came to grief on bridge. We
were all pitched out, but We hung to our
prisoners. who are a pretty sight. sir. Mr..
R!chford pitched over the side OF the bridge
on 10 the metals OF the railway lines below
and he was killed on the spot. don't want
another game like that"
Surely enough Richford had been killed.
HIS neck had been broken, and he had died
without the slightest pain. Bennington, lis
tening gravely to the story. felt no shock
from the recital that he had heard The
world was well rid of a poisonous scoundrel.
and Beatrice would be free now to marry
the man OF her choice.
Was Sartoris hurt?" he asked. little
ashamed to feel that he would have been
glad to hear so for Mary's sake. "A dell
cate man like that
Internally the doctor says" the officer
went on; been splitting blood ever since he
has"
Bennington expressed a desire to see the
cripple, who received him without any sign
OF feeling. He was lying back In an arm
chair. his face white and set,
You need not condole with me-" he said.
Dent ask me to make h-bed confess
sion for that kind of thing is sheer waste
OF time. / know that I'm dying. l know
TINT l may fall back at any moment. and
then there will be the end. I'm full of blood
inside. ! might have told that fool of a
doctor what he had come to find out-that a
broken rib has pierced the lung, and I'm
bleeding away quietly. Feel my hands"
Bennington touched the cold. clammy I'm
gers. They were Icy with the touch o!
death.
"Rigor norris" Sartoris said only a
few minutes now. It's good thing foI
you, and it's a good thing for Mary who
has been cursed with a brother like me
It's, It's
Sartoris said no more. There was bub
bling kind of sigh blood welled from his
mouth and ran down his coat his head
dropped on one side, and he was gone