The Washington herald., 1908-03-22
CHAPTER XIV.


L saw you there. Rolfe. with my own
eyes" repeated Max. looking straight into
his face
He tried TO speak. What could he sayl
For AN instant his tongue Glove to the
roof of his mouth.
IL don't quite understand you" he
fsltered. What do you mean?"
Simply that saw you at the doctor S
house on the night of their disappear
ance"
My dear fellow" he laughed. in a mo-
ment. perfectly COOL you must have
been mistaken. You actually say you
saw me?''
Most certainly did" declared Max.
his eyes still upon his friend
Then all can say is that you saw
somebody who .resembled me. Tell me
exactly what you did see"
Max was for moment silent he never
expected that Rolfe would fatty deny his
presence there. This very fact had in
creased his suspicious a hundredfold.
well. the only person l saw. Charlie.
was you yourself-leaving the house.
That's all
Somebody who closely resembled me.
expect"
Then you deny having been a; the
house that EVENING"" asked Max, in great
surprise.
why, Of course. do. You're absolute
ly mistaken. old chap. was Charles re-
sponse. "Of course. can quite see how
this must have puzzled you. But what
now arises in my mind is whether some
.
{ II seems very much as though they have.
You say that left the house. When?"
After the removal You were in the
empty house. which you left secretly.
And you were there also. then?" he
asked
of course. called. ignorant that they
had left"
Charlie Rolfe did not speak for several
moments.
Well he exclaimed at last. 1T seems
that somebody has been .impersonating
me. I certainly was not there"
why should they impersonate your"
"Who knows2 Is there not mystery in
the whole AFFAIR."
But II somebody went there dressed to
resemble you. there must have been
motive in his visit Max said
Well old fellow, as you know. l have
kept away from the house Of late-at
Maud's request She feared that her
father did not approve Of my too frequent
visits"
And so you met her at dusk in the
quiet streets about Nevern Square and
the adjacent thoroughfares?
Certainly. ! tod you so. I made no
secret of it to you. Why should To-
rt-far-
visit 70 the house on that particular even
ing?"
4 don't make a secret OF it," he pro-
tested As I've already told you was
not there
But you didn't leave Chsring Cross as
you made people believe you had done.
You didn't even go to the station" re-
turned Max
Certainly ] did not"
You had no intention. when you saw
Marion at Cunnington's. Of leaving at all
Come. admit that"
You are quite right. did not intend
But statham had given you orders to
GO
Il do not always obey his orders when
it is TO his own interest that should dis
regard them" he replied. enigmatically
Then You had a reason for not going
tc Servia?''
Il had-a very strong one"
Connected with Maud Petrovitch?''
In no way whatever. It was a purely
personal motive"
And YOU thought fit to disregard Stat
hams injunctions in order to attend to
your Own private business"
1T was his business, as well as mine"
declared Charlie who. after a pause,
asked: Now, tell me, Max, why are you
crcss-examining me Ike a criminal law
yer? What do you suspect me off"
'Well-shall ! be frank?"
Certainly. We are old enough friends
for that"
Then I'm sorry to say. Charlie. that I
suspect YOU of telling a lie
Lies are permissible in certain cases
for instance where a woman's honor is
at stake" he replied. fixing his eyes
steadily upon those Of his friend.
Then you admit that what you have
just .old me is not the truth2"
II admit nothing. I only repeat that I
was not in Cromwell road on the even
ing in question"
But my eyes don't deceive me, mani. 1
saw your face. remember"
If it was actually my face. il was not
in Cromwell road. That's quite certainr"
laughed old Statham's secretary.
But il was your face"
1T was. / repeat. somebody who resem-
bled me-" he declared. But you haven't
told me what the person was doing in the
empty house"
That's just what l don't know" Bar
clay replied. II only know this: When I
entered that night I SAW nothing OF a
safe let into the wall Bat on going there
the next day the safe stood revealed, the
door was open, and II was empty"
And so you charge me with being a
thief" cried Roife. his cheek flushing.
Not at all You asked me for the
truth. and I've told YOU"
well, it's evident that you suspect me
OF sneaking into the house, breaking open
the Doctors safe. and taking the con-
tents he said. plainly annoyed.
THE doctor may have returned himself
in secret" Max replied. But such could
hardly be the. case for the door had been
blown open by explosives"
THAT would have created a noise"
Charlie remarked quickly. Shows that
whoever did it was a blunderer"
Exactly That's just my opinion
What 1 want to establish is the motive
for the secret visit and who made t."
well. l can assure you that I'm in en-
tire ignorance of the existence Of any safe
in the doctors house.
And so was l. II was concealed bv
the furniture until my second visit, on the
following morning"
Curious" Rolfe said. VERY curious
Indeed. The whole thing is most remark
able - especially how both father and
daughter got away without leaving the
least trace Of their flight"
Then you don't anticipate foul play?"
Max asked quickly.
why should one?"
enemies"
I'VE all have enemies. Who has not ? |