Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-01

frightened nor anxious.
aso on Nv hwe,i,.-seysntsen an.,ss 70 twenty years
were Of q nature which suggests that
the reappearancc OF Braden on Rams.
fords present stage OF life would be
extremely s;u UNPLEASANT and unweicome 10
,r.,vs,g "vsgue !" marmured Mary. "Ex-
But quito enough" rstcrted Bryce.
TO give the police the suggestion Of mo.
enough 70 ' know SSu .ss ss Rasn ss tnSs srts M
n.en In the world. the last man Ransford
desired TO see cross his path again, And
MGon tnat morning on which the Para
his path Therefore, in the conventionsi
police wav OF thinking and looking at
things. there's motive"
motive Tor what3" asked Mary.
Sryss s,ssss srrysa srS here at one Of his crit
order TO choose his words
Dont set any false IDEAS or impress
s,ons ne said at last I'm not accus-
ing ing xanstora xan OF anything; I'm only tell
ana are on the very edge Of accusing
him OF. To put It plainiy--of murder.
They say he'd motive for muir
tis dierhs braden--and nd with them mo-
they seem to think Of; the arst a Question %
they ask themselves. why should this
man have murdered that man do YOU
seeY what motive had he7'--that's the
Mitehington and the London man.ethat e hat
Hansford certainly had a motive for get.
tinE rid Of Braden when they met"
.yTn yMnnM was the motiveH" asked Mary.
haps a good deal----about what happened
between Draden and Ransford some
tssarv ysss5s ago" 60 replied Bryce, And their
ptrnth,Tthat prnhon Ransford ran away with
looking for him ever since"
Bryce had kept his eyes on Mary's
ll' nhnus' ana now at last he saw the
girrs fingers tremble. But her voice
rs that mere conjecture on their part.
or s 1t based on any fact7" she asked,
I'm not in full knowledge Of ali their
secrets" answered Bryce, but I've
basis Of undeniable fact on which they're
going. know. for instance. beyond
doubt, that Braden and Ransford were
BOSOM friends, years ago, that Braden
was married to a girl whom Ransford
suddenly left him, mysteriously, q few
years later. and that, at the same time,
Hansford made an equally mysterious
SWpsSappearanee' WSIp,p The police know all that:
What Inference would any ouS@you,
yourself. for example--draw ."
None: till I've heard what Doctor
Ransford had to say" replied Mary.
was beginning to feel that ne was being
met by some force stronger than his
own.
That's all very WELL" he remarked.
Don't say that l wouldn't do the
same. But I'm only explaining the po-
lice position. and showing you the dam
ger likely to arise from It. The police
theory is this, as far as I can make
II out; Ransford, years ago. did Braden
revenge when he could find him. Cir
oumstances prevented Braden from seek
ing him closely for some time; at last
they met here, by accident. Here the
police aren't decided. One theory is that
there was an alteration. blows, a strug-
gle, In the course Of which Braden met
his death; the other Ia that Ransford
desperately took Braden up into the
gallery and flung him through that open
THAT" observed Mary. with some-
thing very like a sneer, Seems so like
ly that I should think It would never
you're t.ax nSs sf aSe o a 8i
any real sense would believe It for a
Some people Of plain common sense
Bryce ss'yf It s Gs quite all 'Aps petSD re'0TSs BS
course. the rest OF It follows on that.
The police theory is that Colltshaw witt
messed Braden's death at Rarsfords
Collishaw knew. of that. and that he
therefore quietly removed Collishaw.
And 1t 10 on all that that they're going,
and win 60. Don't ask me If ! think
they're right or wrong I'm only tell
ing you what I know 30 as to show
you what danger Ransford is in."
Mary made no immediate answer, and
Bryce sat watching hor. Somehow-he
Nga NJ 1Aa 10 lot %
things were not going as he had ex-
pected He had confidently believed that
the girl would be. frightened. scared, up
set, ready to do anything that he asked
frightened. And the fingers which bus
led themselves with the fancy-work had
become steady again. and her voice had
been steady all along
Pray" she asked suddenly and with
q little satirical infection Of voice which
Bryce was quick to notice, pray. how
10 II that you--not q policeman, not q
detectiye--come to know go much OF all
IT, x. eosnSs snSs Shsf s ySa sn na into
mysterious person from London?'
"You know as well as l do that I
have been dragged into the case against
nTsn %y Tshes fetched ecyis sc srassn
saw him die. II was who found Colt:
shaw--dead. OF course, I've been mixed
up. whether would or not, and I've
had to soc a good deal OF the Police.
And what have you learned that
makes you come here and tell me all
this?" shs exclaimed. DO you think
I'm a simpleton. Doctor Bryce? You set
out by saying that Doctor Ransford Is
in danger from the police, and that you
know more-much more than the police
What does that mean? Shall ! tell you?
"It seems that you--you know that
the police are wrong. and that II you
like you can prove to them that they
are wrong! Now. then.im.t that soP,
Il am in possession OF certain facts,'
began Bryce. "I---"
Mary stopped him with a look.
my turn!" she said You're In pos
session Of certain facts. Now isn't II
the truth that the facts you are In pos
session Of are proof enough to YOU that
Doctor Ransford Is as Innocent as am 7
It's no use your trying to deceive me
1T could certainly turn the police off
his track" admitted Bryce, who was
growing highly uncomfortable Il could
Mary gave him another look and
dropping her needlework continued to
watch Rim steadily.
do you call yourself gentleman?"
she asked quietly. "Or well leave the
term out. Do you call yourself even de-
you have the sheer impudence--more In:
solence ito come here and tell mo all
this when you know that the police are
wrong and that you could--to use your
own term, which e your way OF putting
Whatever sort OF man are you? DO you
want TO know my opinion OF you In plain
wo9rdsY" - r,, .nx,ov. % v,v. ,
anyway" retorted Bryce.
IT win give It, and Il VIII perhaps pqt