The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-01-31

ing to do with an aHalr III "uicn dnl
nowise concerned"
This sculptor may be an acquain-
lance of your own" he said gravely:
"and while we are arguing his MUIR
derers may escape"
"Murderers?"
Eyes, sir; murderers! The man has
been strangled and robbed"
The position was most embarrass-
ing. He asked me to go into part
of London that had always carefully
avoided. It was sufficient to know
that filth, immortality, and crime exist
without personally inspecting the
muckheap. Yet there he stood. his
head on one side. staring at my toes
like an tnquisitive terrier and my ar
guments faded before his sto1idity.
Why had Hendry ever let him in? l
should certainly speak to the old ras-
cal about his
"Well, Mr.. Phillips"
III agree to go. will you see to 1t
that I am not again troubled in this
matter?" I answered sulkily enough.
For will not be a witness or jury
man or anything like that. you under
| stand?"
Certainly. l will see that you are
| not further molested"
"Then, in the name of common
sense, let us get it over as quickly as
possible" said, kicking of my slip
| pers and ringing the bell for my boots
Big Ben was striking eleven as our
| hanson trotted down the long EN-
bankment with it's lights winking on
| the rushing tide below. Past the great
restaurants of pleasure, glowing with
shaded lamps from the windows Of all
| their balconies; into the silent city
where the tall offices of the day lay
like deserted palaces under the moon;
| over macadam, over gathering as
phalt, over greasy wood pavement; SO
we journeyed till of sudden we
dropped from wealth to restitution.
from solitude to babble, from the West
to the East Costers bawling their
wares under spouting flares. fringed
the sidewalks along which jostled the
chattering masses of the poor. The
section was largely foreign. The
patches of color in some Italian shawl,
the long coats and peaked headgear
of some moujik, the clatter of the
dialects seemed all the stranger from
the sullen London background of
mean shops, dingy lodgings, and low
.beer-houses. For, in the shadows Of
that underworld of the great metro
polls, sodden faces. cultural oaths.
dingy rags. the blow that precedes
| the word, are the manifestations of
the native born.
In side street the cab drew to a
standstill. 1t was the mortuary, the
Inspector told me. A young police
man at the door touched his hat, and
led the way down passage to bare
stone chamber. On slab in the CEN
ter the body lay with an elderly man
in ill-ftting clothes bending over it.
He looked up as we entered. and
nodded to the Inspector.
"You were quite right, Peace" he
said cheerfully; "chloroform first
strangling afterwards"
They took no risks. DR.. Chapple"
They made a clean job of It," said
the elderly man, looking down at the
slab with his thumbs in his waistcoat
| pockets. Never saw heater work
since-well, since l was invaded
home from India"
"Thugs?"
Eyes; they did it nigh as well as
Thug In regular practice"
The callous brutality of the CONVEX
sation filled me with disgust. I turn
ed away. leaning against the wall with
a feeling Of nausea.
And now, If may trouble you, Mr..
Phillips. will you look at this Door
fellow. and see If you can recognize
him." said Peace.
| | knew him we'll enough. The black
beard. the thin, hawk nose, the high
and noble forehead were not easily
forgotten. Talman had introduced
me to him at the Art Clubs Recon
ton in July. whispering that he was
a Pole and neighbor of his-a
deuced queer fish. though a clever
one. He had exhibited bust of Nero
at the Academy, which attracted much
attention.
And his manner" asked the inspec-
tor.
"Amaroff. I believe him to be from
Poland; that is about all l know of
him"
"How did you come to meet him ?"
/ told him of my Introduction. Would
I, he asked, give him Talman's adj
dress? Most certainly-No. 4 Harden
place, of the Kings road. Chelsea. !
had no objection whatever to Talman
being reused at one in the morning.
By all means let the old rascal be
turned out Of bed and cross.examined
His language would be a revelation tn
the police it would. really.
+ The Inspector left me on the door.
step for few minutes. while he whis.
pered to two shabbily dressed men
who lounged out Of the darkness. and
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BUSINESS HAD TO GO ON