The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-11-05

he asked. Astounding! Inc 1gnOr-
ance gives you away. You must be a
barrister with nothing to do. Idle
hands and the devil-you know the
proverb. That hole? Like that when
l came in. Wanted to see what you
thought of it, so stayed. Rather won
dered whether you would come back
at all, you were in such a hurry this
morning"
He jerked out his sentences in a
disconnected fashion suggestive OF
cheap clockwork which was running
down.
"You do not tell me who you are"
l said.
"And you don't explain why you
were in such hurry this morning"
81 have no intention of doing So"
Expect you'll have to. First of all
1 must ask you to come down and see
Mr.. Anderson. He isis waiting for
you to see him."
81 don't know him."
mot by sight?"
81 have met him on the stairs once
or twice, but he hasn't been here for
months"
"He has come back. I expect he
will explain why l am here"
Screed closed the door of my cham
bers as we went out and spoke of the
weather as we went down the stairs.
I wanted to resent his manner, but
was too interested in him, and the
adventure, to do so. He was per-
sonality you instinctively wanted to
study. He might be burglar, trust
ing to bluff, and although I went with
him meekly enough I was prepared
to put up fight if necessary.
He knocked at Anderson's door,
which was opened Immediately. Al
though it was still daylight, heavy
curtains drawn across the windows
shut it out, and the electric light was
switched on.
"We've come to see Mr.. Anderson"
said Screed to the man who opened
the door. Ever been in these cham
bers before, Mr.. Yates?"
Never"
.'No one been here for months, the
porter says, and he ought to know.
There Mr.. Yates?"
He had shepherded me across the
room, and as he spoke he whisked
sheet from chesterfield which was
pushed back against the wall. l stop
ped with half strangled cry in my
throat. Lying there was a man-dead,
murdered. He had been stabbed in
the neck.
Does Mr.. Anderson explain why
am fere?" Screed asked after a pause
did not answer Immediately. l
looked at him, then at the dead man
again, and unpleasant ideas rushed
into my brain. Here was an adven-
ture could easily have done without.
"A detective" 1 said slowly. began
to have vague impression that l had
heard the name of Screed before, had
seen it in a newspaper perhaps.
"That's the position" he answered.
I bent down to look at the dead
man, to look closely into his face.
"That is not Anderson" I said.
..Look at him again. Violent death
alters the aspect of man."
"That is not Anderson" l repeated.
every, curious" said Screed, taking
a. case from his pocket. "That is
photograph of Anderson-authentic.
Seems to me it is the picture of the
man lying there"
eyes, but it is not Anderson" l an
swered.
Gan interesting point" he said re-
placing the sheet and the case. I'VE
must argue it out. Shall it be here
or upstairs?"
"In my chambers" I said.
He said soemthing which I could
not catch, to the man as he opened
the door for us, and we went upstairs
in silence. Screed took my most COM
Portable chair without invitation.
"First suggestion" he said. Draw
the curtains and switch on the light.
Prevents people in the opposite
houses getting too interested"
1 complied
Second suggestion. Don't tell me
anything you don't want me to repeat.
Talking to me is sometimes like talk
ing into a gramaphone."
Look here, Mr.. Screed, are you
thinking that I killed the man down
stairs?"
Suggestion three. Should advise
you to tell me everything you know"
"You do not answer my question"
l returned.
nj