Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-17
THE PARADISE MYSTERY
BY J. S. Fletcher
Copyright. 1880, ov Alfred A. knopt. Iro

| spoke Of no. r.ung Inc rumor you
s,, smow what you can tell. I have re.
Sp5Suteu your confidence, so far"
| he tWo men looked at each other
snnlo md t9ns time 1T was Ransford who
IL 1t seems to me-" he said, that ther.
no great reason for privacy. II ru.
more are flying about in Wrychester
me- % tbes rs am an end e,n Of privacy. Dick tell,
IS known that Braden called on me n,
my mouse shortly before he was found
oead' l know nothing whatever Of any
sucn cali Butt left you in my sur.
sery ssa that nat. morning. Do you know IL hs
"Yes!" answered Bryce. HE did
come; soon after you'd gone out"
why did you keep that Becret?" de.
,nahaed Hansford. You could have told
to me. Why didn't your
before Bryce could answer, all three
neard O sharp click OF the front garden
sate, ana loking round, saw Mitching-
| Ton coming up the walk
Bryce calmly. Probably come to ex-
tract Information. would much rather
ne didn't see you here--but I'd also like
you to hear what ! shall say to him.
Step inside there" he continued, draw
ing aside the curtains which shut off
the back room. Don't stick at tribes I!
you don't know what may be afoot."
lie almost forced them away, drew
tne curtains again, and hurrying to the
Iyons Iv ns,,s door, returned almost Immediate
Hope I'm not disturbing you.- doc
tor. said the inspector, as Bryce
brought him In and again closed the
door Not? All right, them came
round to ask you a question. There's a
queer rumor getting out in the town,
about that affair last week. Seems to
have sprung from some of those old
dowagers in the Close
"Of course!" said Bryce. He was mix
Ing a whisky-and-soda for his caller,
and his laugh mingled with the splash
OF the siphon. "Of course! I've heard
You've heard?" remarked Mitching-
ton. "um 4! Good health, sir heard, of
"That Braden called on Doctor Rams
ford not long before the accident, or
murder, or whatever It was, happened"
said Bryce That's it-eh?"
Mitchington. "It's being said. anyway,
that Braden was at Ransford's house,
and presumably saw him, and that
Ransford, accordingly, knows something
about him which he hasn't told. Now
do you know II Ransford and Braden
did meet that morning.
mot at Ransford's house. anyway"
answered Bryce promptly. can prove
that. But since this rumor has got out,
I'll tell you what do know. and what
the truth Is. Braden did come to Rams
ford's-not to the house, but TO the
| surgery. He didn't see Rapsford-
Ransford had gone out, across the close.
Braden saw--me"
Bless me IL didn't know thsA,- re-
marked Mitchington. "You never men
toned it,
You'll not wonder that I didn't
| said Bryce. laughing lightly, when
| tell you what the man wanted
What did he want. them" asked
Mitchington.
Merely to be told where the Cathe
dral Library was" answered Bryce.
Ransford, watching Mary Bewery
saw her cheeks flush, and knew that
| Bryce was cheerfully telling lies. But
| Mitchington evidently had no suspicion.
THAT all?" he asked Just a ques'
| tion2"
| Just a auestlon-that question" re-
I piled Bryce II pointed out the libary
and he walked away never saw him
again until / was fetched to him-dead
And thought so little Of the matter
that-well. it never even occurred to me
| to mention It,"
| "Then--though he did call-he never
saw Ransford?" asked the inspector.
| "I tell you Ransford was already gone
out" answered Bryce, HE saw no one
but myself. Where Mrs. Deramort
made her mistake.-I happen to know
Mitchington, that she started this rumoi
was in trying to make two and two
| into five. She saw this man crossing the
| close, as II from Ransford's house-ant
she at once imagined he'd seen and beer
| talking with Ransford."
"Old fool " said Mitchington. "Oi
course, that's how these tales get about
However, there's more than that In the
| air."
The two listeners behind the curtains
| glanced at each other. Ransford's glance
showed that he was already chaflng al
Marys only betokened apprehension
"Oh?" said Bryce. More In the air?
| About that business?"
Just So" assented Mitchington. "Tc
start with, that man Warner, the mason
has never ceased talking. They say he's
verdict OF the jury at the inquest was all
wrong, and that his evidence was pu,
clean aside. He persists that ne did
see-what he swore he saw
He'll persist in that to his dying
day said Bryce carelessly. 'It that's
all there is"
TT isn't" interrupted the inspector.
Not by long chalk But Warmers is
direct affirmation-the other matters
sort of ugly hint. There's man
named Collishaw. townsman, who's
been employed as a mason's iaborer
about the cathedral of late. This Colli-
shaw. 1t seems, was at work somewhere
UP in the galleries, ambulatories. or
whatever they call those upper regions.
on the very morning Of the affair. And
the influence Of drink. and talking the
matter over with his mates at tavern,
he let out some dark hints that he could
tell something II he liked. OF course,
he was pressed to tell them-and
wouldn't Then-so my informant tells
ln 10 call
surllly silent That, of course. spread,
and got to my ears. I've seen Collishaw."
"Well?" asked Bryce.
II believe the man does know some
thing" answered Mitchington. That's
the impression | carried away, anyway.
straight out with knowing something
but II was no good. | told him OF what
I'd heard All |he would say was that
whatever he might have said when ne d
got a glass of beer or SO too much. ne
wasn't going to say anything now neither
for me nor for anybodyl''
Just So" remarked Bryce. But
he'll be getting glass too much again,
some day and then--then. perhaps he'll
add to what he said before. And
you'll be sure to hear of It,"
I'm not certain of that" answered
Mitchington. II made some inquiry and
| find that Collishaw is usually very
sober and retiring sort of chap-hed
been lured on to drink when he let out
what he did. Besides, whether I'm right
or wrong. l got the idea into my head
that he'd already been-squared -
Squared !" exclaimed Bryce. when
then, II that affair was really murder
he'd be liable TO being charged as ap
accessory after the fact!"
II warned him of that" replied Mitch
ington. Yes, l warned him solemnly."
with no effect?" asked Bryce.
Hes surly sort of man." said Mitch
ington. THE sort that takes refuge In
silence. He made no answer beyond a