Charlevoix county herald., 1915-04-17
BY Howard y. Hockey
Copyrighf 1914 Howard -. Rocky


sam / to be put to the unpleasant
necessity of ringing for servants or
perhaps telephoning to Scotland
Yard ?"
"You will do neither" said Kand-
wahr. "See here, Harcourt, let's get
down to business. It's quite evident
that you believe am the murderer of
Captain Towneshend."
81 suppose such, supposition might
be pardoned?"
Between ourselves - possibly
Kandwahr admitted.
Harcourt crossed quickly to the
table and pulled open a drawer in
which lay a revolver.
"You won't need that said Kand-
wahr calmly as Harcourt drew it out.
IF / had wished to kill you | have
already had ample opportunity. have
no such desire, however, if you had
shown any disposition to be sensible
we might have discussed this affair
sanely-man to man. But you are in
no mood to listen to reason. There
fore | shall not intrude longer. / am
going now-not by the window, but
by your front door, and you will see
me out as you might any other call
err"
"Do you suppose for moment"
| Harcourt began, "that ! shall per-
nit"
"My dear sir, permit is not the
word. do not suppose anything. |
am fully aware that you might turn
me over to the police if you wished to
do so, charging me with housebreak-
ing and burglary. ! do not believe
you care to make such charges, how
ever, since it would necessarily follow
that the police would discover what /
came to secure. Their knowledge of
the fact that this knife was in your
osGession-unmentio in spite of
their questioning and carefully
locked away against possible discov-
cry would hardly tend to strengthen
your position just now"
"How about your own" Harcourt
suggested
81 think my act would bear inspec-
ton" Kandwahr answered. IF you
had killed Captain Towneshend with
knife belonging to mel state pure
lily hypothetical case now--would it
not be natural for me to wish that
knife out of the way of being found
lest l might be implicated in the
crime ?"
Quite natural--if such were the
case"
Kandwahr leaned towards him
across the table, his face set and
earnest. "Harcourt," he. said serious
ly. 81 tell you did not kill Towne-
shend-and ! do not know who did
/ have my suspicious, but that is ALL
The knife was mine--it is a very old
and valuable one that has been in my
family for many years. Look at the
steel in It" He bent the blade nearly
double against the table top. "Towne-
shend admired it greatly and while he
was in my rooms before we went to
the Grill club last evening, | present
ed it to him. He slipped it into the
pocket OF his dresscoat at the time"
Harcourt watched the man, fascin-
ated. His tone was earnest yet his
words seemed absurd.
you may not believe what l am
saying" Kandwahr said, observing
the others doubtful look, yet / as
sure you that it is true. How this
knife-my gift-came to be the in
strument of his death, or whose hand
struck the blow, is almost as great
a mystery to me as it is to you
DO you really expect. any one to
credit such story, Kandwahr?"
mo, to be perfectly frank, ! am
only too well aware of its seeming
improbability-yet ] can say no
more"
Perhaps you imagine that am the
guilty man." Harcourt suggested.
Under the circumstances such a
belief would be quite as reasonable as
your unreasoning suspicion of me-"
Granted" said Harcourt: II my
self admitted as much in your pres
ence this morning"
And you made a mistake in doing
So" Kandwahr returned. II do not
know just what your object was. Per-
haps you think you may have been
guilty. If so, l may say quite posi-
lively that | am sure you are not
Towneshend's murderer"
Thank you," said Harcourt mock
ingly.
You are still suspicious of me-"
kandwahr went on. "You all are. /
can see that readily. Perhaps you are
right in feeling as you do. am
| G. tsnt. t