The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-09-04
THE FARMER: SEPTEMBER 4, 1909

myself in the old armchair.
 Well" asked at last, "what makes you so anxious about mel"
 Because I want to tell you some thing privately. Phil. old chap" he answered. looking at me very serious ly. "You recollect that curious affair in Radcliffe Gardens, don't your"
 Certainly
 '"Then just tell me the truth. Gran vile Cough. whom everybody calls Granny. a thorough-going cosmopoi1- tan. is a friend of yours. I recollect you speaking of him."
 Certainly he is."
 Well, the police are in search of him. They are convinced that he kill ed that poor woman"
 I held my breath. and tried to ap- pear surprised.
 "I think the police are slightly off the track this time. George" salo quite calmly. You can tell Morton that, with my compliments"
 tBut my dear fellow. there's evil dence."
 "CircunstantiaI only" said. "Gough knew the woman"
  the woman was his enemy" "who was she?' I asked quickly. 'tHer name is not known" Who's the informant?" Morton hasn't told me" "Is is a, man named Garshore?" Cunliffe fixed his keen eyes upon mine in silence for few seconds Then he replied:  'T don't exactly know. but I've heard that name mentioned in con- nection with the inquiries"
 "Is Granny arrested? ?" | i've not heard of it. He's in hiding | somewhere near Grantham. the police have ascertained." "But tell me, George" I said, whats the evidence that causes the police to suspect?" 1 Tt was contained in some baggage he left at the Cecil. which was at onca seized by the police. There was found a tiny bottle which Sir Henry Ker- shaw, the home office analyst has been experimenting on for the past couple of days" l what" I gasped.
 .They found in one of your friends | was undoubtedly committed" replied the journalist.
 | sat staring at him. aghast
 ''I know. old fellow. quite we'll thai Fielder of Scotland Yard followed you both down at Sydenharn, and that you very c1everly gave him the slip. He came back furious.n my friend, laugh ed. 'sYou were afterward watched but you also lodged out of the way As a matter of fact I never expected you back at Talbot House so soon."
 5ssI had no reason for absence" de. clared rive committed no crime"
 ..But you've assisted a criminal tt
 escape-which places you.- my deai Phil, in a rather awkward predica.
 ment,'' he remarked. And the crimi
 nal was, without doubt. one of tn cleverest and most ingenious who haa r ever troubled the London police. Hi . methods. they declare. are marvellous
 and this certainly is not his frs
 crime"
 '.Do you therefore. believe that m, friend. Granny Cough. is an assassi1
 of women ?'' I demanded f1ercely. "Re
 collect, he and I are friends" : .I don't care 8 hang for that. Rals
 ton,", answered the journalist err merely telling you the police theory.
 .They've blundered in this instance,
 asserted.
 My friend only shrugged his should
 CTS and drew hard at his cigar.
 .sYou believe Cough killed that wom , amp cried. "Yes. Ralston. do.'' he answered , "And the reason I wanted to spea , with you is to warn you of the dange
 in acting as his accomplice.'' p .'IIe's my friend''
 t.I know that But surely there is : point where the bond of friendshi T breaks"
 .eYes, cuniiffe. I. will snap onl : when Granny is condemned by : jury.'' | why has lie fed?" asked the jou, : na1ist.
 a His question was decidedly awl lward ore That self-eame problel
 had presented itself to me constant : during the past couple of days-a prol lem that was beyond solution. ? Where was Cough? Why fndee :. had he fled if innocent? ,l But was ne not Rulty! hdu tnot, on that night down at Sydenhar
 admitted his fear of the police?
 My thoughts wandered to the fai . faced girl who trusted him. and WI ', had refused to hear the words of u - slanderer. And they wandered also lo the brown-haired woman whose brig . eyes held me in a strange fascinat1e lo such as I had never before expeI T enced. "shau I tell you, Ralston. why Gous - has fled?" Because of this unfounded accus {. tion against him. said. le "No. Because of the witness '' against him."
 'sWitnesses?" I cried hoarsely. sta = ing at my friend. - "Yes-two. One of them is a man
 clever international thief named Wint " alias Grinfield. and the other a wol ~ an-or rather girl"