The Washington times., 1908-08-02
When StefanO Died.


then. Of course, only I myself knew
that For a while ] thought that you
had Il: and then thought that
Stefano had Il; but II was not until
last year that knew that he had had
fl.
which means for 20 say that he
had It no louger7'
Exactly. He had it no longer. and
! never knew where IL was until /
saw 1t a few minutes ago"
The two men sat staring at each
other after Lal lass last words
Each searched the others face-the
HindOo with keen, steadfast eyes
Lindsay with a half-furtive glance.
Look here. said Lindsay. What's
it all mean? What's the true signih-
canoe Of It? amt good at riddles
and mysteries; give Us a plain reckon
ing OF tt"
1T means" answered the Hindoo.
that in the beginning StefHno car
rled away the box. Somehow or other
he got 10 this place. Plymouth. at last
AS I explain #. he deposited the box
with the man who then kept this inn,
no doubt asking him 70 take care Of
IL until ne returned. He must then
have been a long time away, and when
ne came back the man had sold the
box"
We'll, wsu.' said Lindsay. And
then
.Or at any rate, as / read the story.
the box was not forthcoming. Per
haps the man thought that stefano
was never coming back. and had dis
posed OF Il with Stefano's other er-
fects."
IAN guessworlC. interrupted Lind
say Contemptuously. It's your in
fernal way Of putting together things
that never had no existence"
so when Stefano found that out.
continued Lal Dass imperurbably.
there was a disagreement. You re-.
member that StefanO was a man az
violent temper. conclude that ne
laid hands on the man. and that they
fought And, Of course. Stefano had
knife. and it was with the knife that
he killed him"
killed him."
Yes. he killed him in this very
room. The man was found sitting in
your chair stabbed through the
heart"
Lindsay left his seat hastily,
Here" he said, none o. your nasty
tales to me. Dye mem to say that
Stefano stabbed the ,nan TO death IN
that chair, where I've been sitting
quiet and PEACEFUL"
Yes. IT is So" answered the Hindoo.
Lindsay surveyed the chair with a
certain amount Of repugnance.
well. I'm blowed!" he said. Here,
/ amt going 10 sit there any more.
Go on with your yarn. Mr.. LaI Dass;
III have IL standing"
Il was in Plymouth ar the time,
continued the HindoO. 7 read II in
all the newspapers case before
the magistrates. and the trial at the
superior cOuTt-the assizes. are they
not called ?-and everything.
The defense was that Stefano had
intrusted valuable property TO the care
OF the landlord Of this little inn. and
on coming back for il he could not
get II restored to him, and so lost his
temper and began lighting. with the
result that he used his knife and killed
the man who had misused the prop
erty. At first everybody said he would
be hanged. but In the end the court
found him guilt OF manslaUghter, AID
he was sentenced to ten years penal
servitude.'
why didn't they hang him?"
growIed Lindsay. He'd IA been bet
ter out Of the way altogether"
You perceive now why I made my
self acquainted with this house" con-
tinued the Hindoo. There was talk
and chatter Of the affair among folk
that I wanted TO know what property
it was that Stefano had been so eager
TO reclaim. I kept my ears open. The
widow Of the dead man retained this
house for a time, and there was much
custom, for people were curious
she was a foolish woman. and she
talked. II vas for small reason, she
said that Stefano had killed her man.
She spoke with contempt OF the goods
which Stefano had left