Evening star., 1920-02-01
THE PERUVIAN ABORIGINES

oTHi-Wdo louhu WIN d uuicl III "iS
brain. You were arrested. and some
of his property was found upon you"
That's simple enough. and the bare
TRUTH" answered our guest, his head
again dropping dejectedly, The gen.
tleman came into the shop in the late
afternoon and walked round among
the cases and shelves, looking at the
books. Every one was asked to do
that. so I didn't speak to him.
II understand you had never seen
him before?"
Not that l could remember After
, the books / had. 1 said there Were
plenty more upstairs. and showed
him two rooms full, on the first floor,
. one at the 'front.' the other at the
back. He went into the back one
first. i was wondering IL I'd leave
= him alone there or not when he cried
out: That's most interesting
work" He was pointing to Il row of
ten volumes called The History Of
the Peruvian, Aborigines.' l. was an
old work. in a tattered leather bind
ing. He was as excited as ii he had
found a. treasure--or, rather. more
agitated than excited. for his. hand
shook as he pointed. and 1 thought
he had turned extremely pale"
/" History Of the Peruvian AboIig-
ines. in ten big volumes?" calculated
Tredways., And excited about that?
Surely no one had ever wished to
purchase it?" ,.,.. .....
e-"well, 1t SO happened that ] had
got a postcard only the day before,
asking me to reserve the volumes
for few days until the sender called
and purchased them"
"Indeed?". queried Tredways. "a
mere coincidence"
mo doubt. sir. The card wasn't
signed, nor did 1T bear any address.
One of the public had seen the book
and had scrawled off the request
some time after. meaning to purchase
1t. ] mentioned this to Mr.. Pendrill.
He said in husky kind Of tone:
That's all right. But perhaps you
won't mind my staying here for half
an hour while I make some extracts
from the books?' OF course / had
no objection, and left him there.
. That was the last saw of him alive"
The bookseller stopped, Beads OF
sweat gathered upon his pale fore
head. He seemed unable to. continue.
Take courage" urged Tredways
do not vince at. the question / must
ask. i have made a careful study
OF this singular case in a. file copy
OF the Times, When you returned TO.
the room where you had left your
customer he was sone-leaving on
the table his umbrella and ovcrcoat.
That was what you asked the jury to
believe. Keep calm: i do not say
+. that + disbelieve it. He could easily
have quilted the premises without
you seeing him. The mystery was
his leaving his topcoat with a mat
ter Of fifty pounds in notes and gold
in the pockets" s..
That's It," said the other in
hollow tone. -.
III you had taken the garment and
money to the police all might have
been we'll with you. Unfortunately
you were in considerable financial
straits at the time and you very fool
iShly yielded to temptation by help-
Ing yourself to some Of the money
when three days had passed without
the owner reappearing. At the end
of that time your wife made an ap-
palling discovery. On a voyage to a
cellar which was little used the body
of the missing man was found. In
the center of his forehead was a large
bruise where he had been struck a
blow. A pistol was lying on the
green, damp stones Of the vault, and
bullet from 1t had been discharged
into the brain. The case against you.
Spells, was that YOU had frst stun
ned Mr. Pendrill then carried him
into the vault and killed him out
right. 1t was supported, by the fact
Of your admitted purloinins of part of
the money. On the other hand, the
pistol could not be traced to your
former possession, and, The position of
the fatal wound--just under the right
iemple--wss not incompatible, with "a
theory of suicide. This saved your.
life. Are my facts in 'order?"
Spells made a motion OF assent.
Trcdways went on, choosing each
word with care: ..'