The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-12-14

T. d
PILOTS Rest, IS you were at Win
chester. This affair has not been
entered upon lightly. l have three
skilled assistants In and around the
hotel"
l could quite understand that he
spoke truth, for the suborning Of
the warders at the prison suggested
careful organization. Nor was I
meditating any such attempt. My
policy seemed TO be to appear to &C.
cede to his demands in the hope
that during the fortnight's grace
might discover the missing link in
the evidence necessary to secure
my pardon. Since my arrest / had
always longed for q month Of abso-
lutte freedom to pursue independent
inquiries, and now not only would
the time be c.irtailed by one-half,
but I should be virtually in Her.
zog's custody.
As l have stated, the alleged
crime for which l had been con-
demned was the murder by poison
of my mother and my sister Clara.
The widow and daughter of a coun-
try clergyman, they had lived in a
modest way in cottage near
Brockenhurst In the New forest, to
which had been a visitor as often
as my military duties as captain in
the artillery would allow. One Of
the principal points made against
me at the trial was that their
deaths had occurred, at intervals of
six months, during these visits, and
that was the only one who would
benefit pecuniarily.
With the nurse and the doctor
had been present at the deathbeds
of both my dear ones-my mothers
first, and little later my sisters
and 1t was on three disjointed
words that Clara had whispered in
my ear that had built my slender
hopes. Raising herself with her
last effort, she had mustered
strength to breathe the unmeaning
words: Man, mask, Roger" On
being accused, had mentioned this
strange saying to my solicitor, who
had been able to make nothing Of
1t except that she may have al
luded to masked man whose
name was Roger. In this had
agreed with him, but had always
thought that he had made no real
effort to trace out the mysterious
Roger" In fact, my solicitor, like
all the world save one, was, knew,
after my first interview with him,
convinced of my guilt
Could l, in fortnight, and with
the basilisk eye of my unfathom-
able liberator on me, run this un-
known Roger to ground?. Well, as
the alternative was to 60 back to
Winchester and be hanged on
Thursday, would at least make
the attempt.
Draining my glass, flung the
stump of my cigar into the empty
CRATE and met Herzog's hooking
gaze. l struggled not to quail under
1t, for had to live up to my repu-
tation if l was to live at all. "A
desperate wetch, he had called me,
and desperate wretch he must
continue to think me while l
searched for a rift in the clouds.
We'll. my noble captain; l can
see that you have decided to cheat
the gallows by the paradoxical
method Of deserving them twice
over. Is it not so?" he said.
81 appear to have no option in
the matter" replied, affecting the
sullen resignation that under the
circumstances would have been
natural to the villain he deemed
me.
"Pshaw! knew all along that
you, being what you are, would
take the sensible view, and there is
this consolation-that II you are
caught after crime number two you
can only be hanged once" he
chuckled. And now, my friend,
that Is the last word l shall say to
harrow you," he went on in pleas
anter tone. "A little harshness was
necessary to show you the futility
Of trying to CANNON me with pleas
of innocence, but having accepted
the situation you shall be treated
with all courtesy during our asso-
lciation-so long as you are true to
Ae compact. Only so long as that,
mind. But 1t will be your own fault
II you do not find me a cheerful
and resourceful comrade, with CON-
passion enough to take a sporting
interest in your ultimate escape"
Every word this man spoke filled
me with loathing and disgust. l
was not sure that l did not dislike
his oily overtures for amity more
than his hostile sneers. LET us
come to business" l said. who is
it that l am to kill? He should be
porcou IF Gonna innnortan IN