The Washington times., 1911-09-07

why dShSo hdChBOlc
VIZ more mystifed than ever
ID why should you trouble tc
embalm the poor chaps
.eorpse?"
Cant you see? Doesn't it strike
you! That corpse has TO be taken care
oil II contains-or, rather, 1t did coa-
taan-Very serious evidence against
some person or persons yet unknown
TO the police. 1: may bee necessary
10 move 1t about from place to place
"A corpse can't be hidden for long
q corpse betrays itself. One couldn't
throw. it in the Thames, for it would
have been found inside of twelve hours
One couldn't bury tit wasn't safe
yhe only thing was to keep it handy
and movable-ready for emergencies
needn't inform you that, without
embalmlng, you can't keep corpse
handy and movable for more than -four
or five days. It's the kind of thing
that won't keep. And so it was suss
gested that 1 should embaim it, and
Mind you. 1 still objected to the
murder, but 1 couldn't go back on a
colleague, you understand. You do un-
derstand that, don't you? Well, here
You are and here It is, and that's all
Rocco leaned back in his chair az
though he had said everything that
to indicate that, so far as he was CON
cerned, the conversation was also
closed.
Theodore Racksole stood up.
Il hope" said Rocco. suddenly open
Ing his eyes-',I hope you'll cali in the
police without any delay. It's ge;-
ting late, and don't like going with
out my nights rest
Where do you suppose you'll get
your nights rest?' Racksole asked.
In the cells, of course. Haven't 1
told you know when Tn beaten? I'm
not so blind as not to be able to see that
there's at any rate prima facie case
against me. 1 expect 1 shall get off
with a year or two's imprisonment as
accessory after the fact-I think that s
what they call it Anyway, shall be
In position to prove that l am not i'm
plicated In the murder of this unfor-
tunate nincampoop.''
He pointed with a strange. scornful
gesture of his elbow to the bed.
And now, shall We go? Everyone
is asleep. but there will be a policeman
within call of the Waterman in the por-
tico. I am at your service. Let us go
down together, Mr.. Racksole. l give
you my word to go quietly
RasfsySe curfS bers sd d Thf SEPT
1t won't do you any harm to forego
another hours sleep, especially as you
will have no work to do tomorrow.
have one or two more questions to put
to .{yT Ven, Rocco rO,rn,rr., ,,-,.,
air Of tired resignation as Il to say,
What must be must be-"
Where has Dimmock's corpse been
during the last three or four days, since
he-died?"
OH answered Rocco, apparently
surprised at the simplicity of the Ques-
uon. Its been in my room, and one
night it was on the roof; once it went
0W of the hotel AS luggage, but It came
back the next DAY as a case of Demer-
ara sugar. l forget where else ii has
been, but It's been kept perfectly safe
and treated with every consideration"
And who contrIved all these ma
neuvers?' asked Racksol- as calmly
as he could
II did; that is to say, I invented them
and I saw that they were carried out
You see. the suspicious OF your police
obliged me to be particularly spry."
'And who carried them out?'
"Ah! That would be telling tales.
But don't mind assuring you that my
accomplices were innocent .accomplices.
II Is absurdly easy for man like me
to impose on underlings - absurdly
what did you intend to do with the
corpse ultimately" Racksole pursued
his inquiry with an immova0le counte-
nance.
Who knows?" said Rocco, twisting
his beautiful mustache. That would |
have depended on several things-on |
your police, for instance. But probably |
In the end We should have restored this |
mortal clay''-again he jerked his ell |
bow."to the mans sorrowing. rela-
tive
DO you know who the relatives are?'
] need only hint that Dimmock had a |
prince for his father
ut seems to me-" remarked RacksoIe |
with cold sarcasm, that you behaved /
rather clumsily in choosing this bed |
room as the scene of your operations"
Not at ALL" said Rocco. There was
no other apartment 50 suitable in the |
whole hotel. Who would have guessed |
that anything was going on here. It
was the very place for me-" |
'T guessed" said Racksole succinctly. |
Yes, YOU guessed, Mr.. Racksole, |
but / had not counted on you. You are |
the only smart man in the business. |
You are an American citizen. and 1 |
hadn't reckoned to have to deal with |
that class of person"
Apparently I frightened you this
afternoon"
mot in the least"
you were not afraid of search?"
ct knew that no search was intended. |
I knew that you were trying to brighten
me- You must really credit me with |
little sagacity and insight, Mr.. Rack
cole.
Immediately you began to talk to
me in the kitchen this afternoon / felt |
that YOU were on the track But / was |
not frightened. / merely decided thai |
there was no time to be lost; that
must act quickly.
"I did act quickly, but. it seems, not |
quickly enough. grant that your /
rapidity exceeded mine. Let us 60"
Rocco rose and moved toward the
door. with in instructive action Rack
sole rushed forward and seized him by
the shoulder.
NO tricks" said Racksole. You're
In my custody. and don't forget IT"
Rocco turned on his employer a look
Of gentle. dignifed scorn.
Have / not Informed you" he said,
"that have the intention of going
quietly?"
Racksole. felt almost ashamed for the
moment u flashed across him that a
man can be great even in crime.
What an ineffable fool GU were,"
observed Racksole, stopping him at the
threshold, with your talents. your