The Washington times., 1920-06-27

(ContinHed from Preceding Pd9eJ
,yid.ntly the last will and testA-
ment OF the man who now lay dead
on the roof. the other-a parch.
ment yellow with age and creased
with much usage. II was folded
lenstbvis and was endorsed In an
angular handwriting. Vivian Rem
ton took this over TO the light,
which came thlnly through the
blinds.
Al first. as he read, ne showed no
particular interest in the matter set
forth In the crsmped, faded calig-
raphy on the parchment. IL was
when he had reached the second
folio ef the document that look
of interest came into the keen eyes.
After that he read TO the end with
out raising them.
And. when he had finishec, he
dropped down In the easy chair and
sat, the parchment sheets hanging
down In his listless hands. his eyes
fixed, unseeing, on space. From
the street outside came the move
ment OF the life OF the afternoon,
the rumble OF vehicles, the shrill
laughter OF children. The only
sound within the room was the
eternal ticking of the clock.
"If | only dared"
The man in the chair breathed
the words.
a fortune in 1t, perhaps
and lost identity-at one stroke!
II | only dared!'
He rose TO his feet and took d
blotting-pad from its place on the
desk, and, choosing the spot where
the waning light was strongest,
placed it on his knee and COM
menced to write. Word for word
he made copy of what he had
been reading-a very rough copy
partly in a shorthand OF his own,
for the light would not last long
now aud he dared not risk candle.
The scheme, II what was nebu-
lousy forming In his brain could be
called that, necessitated, above all.
that the original document should
be returned with the will to the
secret drawer in the bureau. 1t
was necessary that, when the heir
to the dead solicitor came to take
possession. they should be found in
tact and should show no signs OF
having been tampered with.
It was all but dark when Vivian
put away his fountain pen, and.
folding what he had written, placed
I in his breast pocket, together
with the top sheet of the blotting
ped. He experienced a little diff
rnltv In replacing the drawer but
NJ lost he told himself that all was
c he had found 1t and that No, q
80 i~'ar Terrace showed no signs
'"r. The bank notes were
~ 50 in his possession, and moth
''- nairod for him but to take
- r : opportunity of leaving the
+ "va.
10 noticed with keen satisfac-
r',n that with the coming of night
t,o fog had again settled down over
M district, and although not so
dnrse as before, still would serve
as a curtain to cloak his departure.
He buttoned his coat closely round
his throat and felt his way out into
the hall. He had his hand on the
latch. when he started back and
stood motionless with fear.
There came the creak OF the gate
and then footsteps on the gravel
path. Vivian had, for the moment,
lost all power Of movement. Had
the person coming up the path
possessed a key, the game that
Vivian was planning would have
had but a short life. The steps
came to a stand on the top Of the
fight of stone stairs that led from
the door to the garden. To the
man on the mat the time seemed an
eternity; his nerves were in no MT
condition for this.
There was rattle at the door
and, with wave of relief flooding
over him, Vivian could just discern
a white envelope-a circular-be-
ing pushed through the letterbox.
He nearly shouted with laughter
as he heard the postman's steps die
away down the path.
It was a small matter in itself,
but Vivian Renton returned to the
room he had left and drank off the
remainder of the whiskey. He told
himself that he must pull himself
together: it was not usual for him
10 be frightened al shadow. But
then Vivian Renton had never
killed a man before.
An hour later the man closed the
door OF No. 9 Mortimer Terrace
softly behind him and walked
quietly out into the darkness.
CHAPTER IT,