The Washington herald., 1914-01-18

Never mind whether Its hair was likl
pigs" he said. WAS it woman's?"
"a womansP cried the soldier.
Great God, nor
The last witness said it was" COM
mented the counsel with unscrupulous
swiftness. "And did the figure have
any of those serpentine and semi-femi-
nine curves to which eloquent allusion
has been made? No? No feminine
curves? The figure, If l understand you,
was rather heavy and square than 9TH
erwiseT
"He may have been bending forward"
said Cutler, in hoarse and rather faint
voice.
"Or, again, he may not" said Mr..
Cutler, and sat down suddenly for the
second time.
The third witness called by Sir Wal
ter .Cowdray was the little Catholic
clergyman-so little that his head
seemed hardly TO come above the box.
compared with the others; SO that it
was like cross-examining a child. But.
unfortunately, Sir Walter had somehow
got into his head (mostly by some ram
ifcations of his family's religion) that
Father Brown was on the side of the
prisoner because the prisoner was wick
ed and foreign and even partly black.
Therefore he took Father Brown up
sharply whenever he tried to explain
anything and told hirl to answer yes or
no and tell the plain facts without
Jesuitry. When Father Brown began,
| in his simplicity, TO say who he thought
! the man in the passage was, the bar
rlster told him that he did not want
his theories.
"A black shape was seen in the pas
sage; and you say you saw the black
shape. Well. what shape was it,"
Father Brown blinked as under re-
buke; but he had long known the literal
nature of obedience.
The shape" he said, was short and
thick. but had two sharp black projec-
tions curved upward on each side OF
the head. rather like horns, and
"Oh, the devil with horns. no doubt
triumphant jocularity. 1T was the devil
come to eat the Protestants."
NO" said the priest dispassionately;
Il know who it was"
Those in court had been wrought UP
! to an irrational but real sense OF some
monstrosity. They had forgotten the
figure in the dock, and thought only OF
the figure in the passage. And the fig-
ure in the passage described by three
capable and respectable men who had
all seen it, was shifting nightmare;
one called il woman. and another d
beast, and the other devil.
The Judge was looking al Father
Brown with level and piercing eyes.
You arc a most extraordinary wit
ness" he said, but there is something
about you that makes ME think you are
trying to tell the truth. Well, who was
the man you saw in the PASSAGE
He was myself said Father Brown.
BAtler. n C., sprang TO his feet in all
extraordinary stiffness, and said quite
calmly:
Your lordship will allow me to cross
examiner" And then. without stopping,
he shot at Brown the apparently diScon-
nected question: You have heard about
this dagger; you know the experts say
the crime was committed with short
i blade"
A short blade" assented Brown.
nodding solemnly like an owl, but d
very long hilt.'
Before the audience could quite dis
miss the idea that the priest had really
seen himself doing murder with short
dagger with long hilt (Which seemed
some way to make II more horrible), he
had himself hurried on TO explain:
Il mean. daggers aren't the only
things with short blades. Spears have
short blades. And spears catch at the
end OF the steel just like daggerS. Il
they're that sort OF fancy spear they
have in theatres: like the spear old
Parkinson killed his wife with, Just
when she'd sent for me 10 settle their
/ family troubles: and | came Just too
late. God forgive me. But he died pen
/ itent-hc just died OF being peniteut.
He couldn't bear what he'd done
! The general impression in court was
that the little priest, who was gabblinS
away. had literally gone mad in the box.
But the Judge still looked at him with
bright and steady eyes OF interest; and
/ the counsel for the defense went on
with its questions unperturbed.
| III Parkinson did ii with that panto-
mime spear" asked Butler, he must
have thrust from four yards away. How
do you account for signs OF struggle,
| like the dress dragged off the shoul-
der?' He had slipped into treating this
mere witness as an expert; but no one
noticed it now.
The poor lady'S dress was torn"
said the witness. because it was caught
in panel that sid to just behind her
She struggled to free herself, and as
she did so, Parkinson came out of the
prisoners room and lunged with the
| spear.
A panel. repeated the barrister in a
curious voice.
1t was looking glass on the other
side explained Father Brown. when
| was in the dressing room. | noticed
that some OF them could probably be
slid out into the passage
There was another vast and unnat-
ural silence; and this time it was the
judge who spoke:
so YOU really mean that. when Won
looked down that passage the man you
saw was yourself-in a mirror"
Yes. my lord, that was what was
trying to say" said Brown But they
asked me for the shape; and our hats
have corners just like horns; and
So
The Judge leaned forward, his old
eyes yet more brilliant, and said in Spe-
cially distinct tones:
DO YOU really mean to say that when
Sir Wilson Seymour saw that wild
what-you-call-him with curves and
woman'S hair and mems trousers. what