Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-07-27
What Happened That Night.

What Happened That Night.
"You never suspected that h,
hated you before that timer" asked
Trent. and Mr.. Cupples asked a
the same moment: ITO what die
you attribute it,"
II never guessed until that night
answered Marlowe, that he had the
smallest ill-feeling toward me. How
long il had existed | do not know
I cannot imagine why it was there
I was forced to think, when | con-
sidered the thing in those awful days
after his death, that it was a case OF
madman's delusion, that he, be-
lieved me to be plotting against him
as they so often do. Some such in
sane conviction must have been at
the root of it. But who can sound
the abysses of a lunatic's fancy?
Can you imagine the state of mind
in which a man dooms himself to
death with the object of delivering
someone he hates to the hangman"
Mr.. Cupples moved sharply in his
chair. "You say Henderson was re-
sponsible for his own death"
he asked. Trent glanced at him with
an eye of impatience, and resumed
his intent watch upon the face of
Marlowe. In the relief of speech it
was now less pale and drawn.
II do say so,' Marlowe answered
concisely, and looked his questioner
In the face. Mr.. Cupples nodded,
Before we proceed to the elucida-
ton of you statement" observed the
old gentleman, in the tone of one
discussing point Of abstract
science, at may be remarked that
the state of mind which you attrib-
ute to Henderson"
Suppose we have the story first"
Trent interrupted, gently laying a
hand on Mr.. Cupples' arm. you
were telling us he went on, turning
to Marlowe, "how things stood be-
tween you and Henderson. N low
will you tell us the facts of what
happened that night?
Marlowe flushed at the barely per-
ceptible emphasis which Trent laid
upon the word facts" He drew
himself up.
"Bunner and myself dined with
Mr.. and Mrs. Henderson that Sun
day evening" he began, speaking
carefully. at was just like other
dinners at which the four OF us had
been together. Henderson was tact
turn and gloomy, as we had latterly
been accustomed to see him. We
others kept a conversation going.
We rose from the table, | suppose,
about 9. Mrs. Henderson went to
the drawing room, and Bunner went
I'D to the hotel to see an acqualnt-
ance. Henderson asked me to come
into the orchard behind the house,
saying he wished to have talk. We
paced up and down the pathway
there, out of earshot from the house,
and Henderson, as he smoked his
cigar, spoke to me in his cool, delib-
crate way. He had never seemed
more sane, or more well-dlsposed to
me.
ale said he wanted me to do him
an important service. There was a
big thing on. 1t was secret affair.
Bunner knew nothing OF it, and the
less I knew the better. He wanted
me to do exactly as he directed, and
not bother my head about reasons.
"This, | may say, was quite char
acteristic of Manderson's method OF
going to work. If at times he re-
CURED a man to be mere tool IN
his hand, he would tell him so. He
had used me in the same kind OF way
a dozen times. | assured HIM ne
could rely on me, and said | was
ready. Right nowH he asked.
said, of course | was.
"He nodded, and said-1 tell you
his words as we'll as | can recall!
them-'Well, attend to this. There
is a man in England now who is III
this thing with me, He was to have
left tomorrow for Paris by the noon
boat from Southampton to Havre.
His name is George Harris-at least
that's the name he is going by. DO
YOU remember the name?' Yes, l
said, when | went up to London a
week ago you asked me to book
a cabin in that name on the boat
that goes tomorrow. | gave you the
ticket. Here it is he said, produc-
ing it from his pocket.
"'Now,' Henderson said to me,
poking his cigar-butt at me with each
sentence in way he used to have
George Harris cannot leave Eng
land tomorrow. | find I shall want
him where he is. And l want Bun
ner where he is. But somebody has
got to 90 by that boat and take GER
tain papers to Paris. Or else my
plan is going to fall to pieces. Will
YOU go?' I said, Certainly. l am
here to obey orders.
"He bit his cigar, and said: That's
all right: but these are not just ordi-
nary orders;-not the kind of thing
one can ask of man in the ordinary
wav of his duty to an employer. The
point is this. The deal | am busy
with is one in which neither myself
nor any one known to be connected
with me must appear as yet. That is
vital But these people am up
against know your face as we'll as
thew know mine. If my secretary
IS known in certain quarters to have
crossed to Paris at this time and to
have interviewed certain people
and that would be known as soon as
it happened-then the game is up.