Evening star., 1920-03-07


Of Oswald Street, his opinion, that it
was hollow Of interest, that it was not
. case at all, in fact. and that one does
not angle for big fish in clear shallow
waters, was sincere and final.
That was why he sent away Margaret
Wildravc, who had come, at my sug-
gestion. on behalf Of Street, who had
loved her before the clang Of a hung-to
prison door shut him out from her life.
IT was merely the call Of impulse,
therefore. which, fortnight later, as
Tredways and ! were passing Miss
Wildrave's house, which is within five
minutes walk of the Marble Arch.
spurred him to say, Suppose We see if
the lady is in?"
Two minutes later we were with her.
This is very kind Of you," she said
wistfully. but you have come too late
] experienced shock OF horror.
Street had ended his life?
The great convict prison called Chains
had opened to him for cgress its gates
three weeks ago. l was chaplain there;
the Rev Horace Francie. Men some
times pass through the Gehcnna Of
prison enormously condemned. When l
suspected as much brought such cases
to Hogg Tredways, who took them up
on the expiration of sentence. For
SOME years ] had watched Street l
could not think his conduct that of a
man who had committed a terrible
crime. His sentence had been reduced
because Of his self sacrificing bravery in
fire which had ragged through one of
the prison galleries l wished to take
him to Tredways, but he refused. He
went straight off and buried himself in
his sunless day. Persistent. ! sought
Miss Margaret Wildrave. who went to
my friend with Streets story AS ]
said, it was bald without u flicker of
suggestion that Street had not killec
Auguste Branderwine.
Indeed, he admitted it,
More, Branderwine himself lived long
though to scrawl a message, a dying
message, blurred feeble. but lcgible;
Oswald Street the man who murdered
me-"
And now we were in the house oC
the late Auguste Branderwine, who
had been u traveller and keen natu-
ralist in his hour
Miss Wildrave his niece, whom lie
had brought UP from babyhood had
been left his property.
TOO late?" Tredways echoed sharp
ly. What has happened:'
The lady flushed She was obvious
ly embarrassed. Time is SO precious:
we have lost another fortnight" she
stammered.
him.
Come" he demurred, pleasantly,
that is not so serious when we re-
member that street was eight years
sn Chains. l propose. very tcrsely. to
..ecapitulate the facts" he stopped
A picture on the wall had sripped his
attention.
THAT is almost horrible" said he.
II am of your opinion" answered
Miss Wildrave, turning round. Prof.
BrAnderwine brought it home with
' him from one OF his journeys into
the Malay peninsula. it is a native
painting done on some fbrous mate
rial. do not know what those char
Acters underneath mean"
'Is it the face of a corpse / asked.
s.At any rate it is a ghoulish fancy
not without merit" remarked Tired
ways. He jerked his chair round and
faced our hostess. Il understand
Miss Wildrave, that a mutual attach
ment was between you and Oswald
Street, and that it was not regarded
favorably by rrof. Branderwinc,
chiefly on account Of Streets COM
parative poverty. The latter, how
ever. persisted until he was ordered
to keep away altogether. This was
the motive for the crime put forward
by the prosecution. 1t lacks origin
atty. certainly, but is not without
strength, the power of u hopeless pas
sion on an uncontrolled will.
''On the night of the crime your lover
had determined to see you again. lie
climbed to balcony. helped in the feat
by his sailors life, he being then first
mate on n cargo boat His idea was to
traverse this balcony until he reached
your room. Cnluckily. as he climbed
over the iron parapct he was stopped
by Brandcrwinc himself. who was in his
room, the blinds being up and the glass
door open. Street stated that the pro-
fessor WAS sitting in an armchair. that
he bockoned to him TO enter. that he
asked him 10 fetch him "A certain phia,
from a shelf Of a cupboard in the room
and to pour him out a few drops i'm
,nediately lie conp1a iued Of faintuc ss