The Washington herald., 1915-10-17


But there is still another reason be-
hind it, Mr.. Cleek. The noblest and
the bravest soldier God ever put the
breath of life into has lost his prop
and mainstay-the son in whom his
every hope was centered. He is not
rich, that dear old Gen. Stanheld;
he has not money to pour out in
bringing his sons murderer to JUS
tice. l have; and what he may not do
for himself, l under heaven, will do
for him. He has not been able to
leave his room for days and days,
poor dear. l called there yesterday
and Johnston. his man, told me that
he had not been able to come down
stairs for week past, or Why are
you smiling, Mr. Cleeko You surely
cannot see anything amusing in
that"
mo. Miss Wixtead, l do not. The
smile was born of the knowledge that
our waiting is over at last Here comes
Mr.. Narkom with the tickets. you see.
and We are free to get aboard the
train as soon as we like
1t was a quarter past nine o'clock
when they arrived at their destina-
ton and found Col. McManus
and Lieut. Hobhouse waiting to
receive them and to escort them to
the Albion where rooms had been Sc
cured for their accommodation.
And here Miss Wixtead found for
the first time that even the most will
ful and most eager of women may not
at all times set the law at defiance or
dispute authority with impunity. For
the lord chancellor, receiving Lady
Victoria Bellhaven's letter, had lost no
time in wiring down orders to have
his refractory ward placed under the
charge of two specially engaged ma
irons and held in durance until such
time as newly appointed chaperon
could be sent down to escort her back
to London.
But you will bring me every scrap
OF news. Mr.. Cleek,-oh, say that you
will" she implored, as she was de-
llvered over to the protection and
guardianship of the two matrons, and
he and Mr.. Narkom prepared to take
their leave in company of the two
army officers. Il shall 60 insane if
you leave me in suspense"
you shall not be left in it. Miss
Wixtead." he promised. II will get
Mr.. Narkom to telephone up to the
Lord Chancellor and ask as a special
favor to the Yard that you be al
lowed to remain down here until the
end Of the igation-which, if l
am not very far out, will be much
sooner than you fancy-and | prom
ise that you shall know all that l
l-rnyt- hAfnya L,-
Now then, colonel, we are at your
service IS soon as you and the lieu
tenant see fit to take US in tow"
He saw fit to do it there and then.
Now then. Mr. Cleek, what's the
first step?" he queried. as they issued
into the balm and brilliancy OF this
particularly brilliant night.
81 think the first step will be to
go over and have look at the body
OF the victim: and you can tell me
all the news as we walk. Anything
further been heard regarding the re-
puted presence OF James Pebblecote
in Falmouth on the night before the
murder"
Yes And he not only was here
then, but he is here now"
"Oho, Returned to face the thing.
did heo'
Not he One Of my men got wind
this morning that chap answering
to his description was stopping at
farmhouse on the other side of
Penryn and l gave him leave to go
over and see. 1t was Pebblecote. fast
enough and he was lying low there,
like fox in hole The boobies nip
ped over there like a couple of
steeplechasers taking a hurdle, nabbed
him on the spot and brought him
here in double quick time He'll come
up before the Magistrate for exam
nation tomorrow"
What does Pebblecote say about
the matter"
"Oh, the same as he said about the
other oharge-denIes it in toto. Ad-
mits that he was over here the night
at that place where the Germans let
ter was found. Asked what he did
that for. he replied that it is nobody's
business but his own and that as he
was cashiered nobody connected with
the R. E.'s has a right to question or
to command him. Beyond that, he
doesn't say a word-just sits and
stares at you like a blessed stone
image | expect you will succeed in
fastening the murder on him when
you come to get down to business
especially now that the police have
searched his effects at the farmhouse
and have found the long, gray, pad
dock coat"
whats that. what's that," inter-
jected Cleek. sharply. what do you
mean by long. gray paddock coat2
What has garment of that sort got
to do with the case. if you please"
"Oh, l forgot that you didn't know
about that" returned the colonel
Its got a great deal to do with it,
however 1t seems that between eight
and nine o'clock on the night of the
murder one of the civilians new
conner to Falmouth he is; clerk in
one of the shops and didn't know
that he was trespassing on govern
ment property-well it seems that a
fellow of that sort passel by the cleo
trio light premises and hearing high
words, looked in and there saw two
men in violent alteration. One of
them he has since recognized-as
being poor, Stanheld: the, other had
his back toward him so he couldn't
see his face at all. But he remembers
quite distinctly that the fellow was
tall and straight (Pebblecote is both,
by the way) and that he wore a long
eray paddock coat and a soft felt
hat and had something that looked