The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-01-14
cHAPTER xIv-contInued.

pIOCSSQlUS.
4 went in and found Henry Craven
lying in his blood. That's gospel--it
was SO found him-lying just where
he had fallen in heap out Of the
leather chair at his desk. The top
rfght-hand drawer of his desk was
open, the key in it and the rest of the
bunch still swinging! A revolver lay
as it had dropped upon the desk 1t
had upset the ink and there were
cartridges lying loose in the open
drawer. and the revolver was loaded.
l swept 1t back into the drawer. turned
the key and removed it with the bunch
But there was something else on the
desk that silver-mounted truncheon
and mans cap was lying on the
floor. I picked them both up. My
first instinct, confess it. was to re-
move every sign of manslaughter and
ito leave the scene to be reconstructed
into one Of accident seizure any
thing but what it wasl"
He paused as if waiting for Ques-
tion. None was asked Toyes mouth
might have been sewn up, his eyes
were like hatpins driven into his head
The other two simply stared
1T was a mad idea, but / had gone
mad,p continued Cazalet. Il had hat
ed the victim alive. and it couldn't
change me that he was dead or dying;
that didn't make him white man
and neither did it necessarily blacken
the poor devil who had probably suf-
fered from him like the rest of us
and only struck him down in self
defense. The revolver on the desk
made that pretty plain. 1t was out
Of the way, but now saw blood all
over the desk as well; it was soaking
into the blotter. and it knocked the
bottom out of my idea. What was to
be done? had meddled already; how
could give the alarm without giving
myself away to that extent, and God
knows how much further? The most
awful moment of the lot came as
hesitated 1.-The dinner-gong went off in
the hall outside the door! remem
Der watching the thing on the floor
to see if it would move.
Then lost my head absolutely. |
turned the key in the door, to give
myself few seconds grace or start;
it reminded me of the keys in my
hands. One Of them was one of those
little round bramah keys. 1t seemed
familiar to me even after so many
years. | looked up, and there was my
70 e In Gle -
its little. round bramah keyhole
opened it as the outer door was
knocked at and then tried. But my
mad instinct of altering every pos
sible appearance, to mislead the po-
lice. stuck to me to the last And
took the mans watch and chain into
the closet with me. as well as the
cap and truncheon that had picked
up before.
Il don't know how long was above
ground, SO to speak, but one of my
fathers objects had been to make his
retreat ound-tight, and could scarce
ly hear what was going on in the room
That encouraged me; and two of yor
don't need telling how got out
through the foundations, because you
know ali about the hole made my
self as boy in the floor under the
l0ilcloth It took some finding with
single matches: but the fear of your
neck gives you eyes in your finger
ends, and ginlets. too, by Jove. The
worst part was getting out at the
other end. into the cellars; there were
heaps of empty bottles to move. one
by one, before there was room to open
the manhole door and to squirm out
over the slab; and thought they rang
Hike pal of bells. but put them
all back again. and apparently
nobody overheard in the scullery
THE big dog barked at me like
blazes-he did again the other day
but nobody seemed to hear him either.
i got to my boat. tipped fellow on
the towing path to take it back and
pay for it--why haven't the police got
hold of him?-and ran down to the
bridge over the weir. I stopped big
car with smart shaver smoking his
pipe at the wheel should have
thought he'd have come forward for
the reward that was put up; but pre-.
tended wos late for dinner l had in
town. and | let him drop me at the
Grand Hotel He cost me flyer. but
/ had on a waistcoat lined with notes, |
and I'd more than five minutes in hand
at Charing Cross. If you want to
know. II was the time in hand that
gave me the whole idea of doubling
back to Genoa; must have been half
'Eay up 10 town before thought of
I'll"
He had told the whole thing as he
always could tell an actual expert
encei that was one reason why it rang
so true to one listener at every point.
But the sick mans sunken eyes had
advanced from their sockets in cumu-
lative amazement. And Hilton Toye
laughed shortly when the end was
reached
lfr.st. -. -.