Evening star., 1920-03-14
>REDWAYS had asked me to his
rooms in Half Moon street to
listen to his reading of the
,oonus,r,nt of bic hooL on tho

manuscript of his book on the
secret cypher In crime. And he only
1ust got started when in came Mr. Abei
Heriot OF Piqua. Ohio, and very re-
csntly of the English prison called
Irons.
Here was no hating. no abashed
visitor struck through and through with
shame. He entered like healthy
breeze. His light dust coat and glimpse
Of dress clothes underneath showed a
man Of good taste well able to back it
Up. ~,
Mr.. Tredways." he began in the in
cisive tones of your keen American
business man. ''ten hours ago l was In
Irons prison. have been there year
And half. I got my discharge papers
this morning all right. l have had
! some new experiences in this country,
and this one beats all the rest I rather
think you'll admit that. was convicted
I on . charge Of manslaughter.,, As you
i are the foremost criminoiosist in Eng
z lana you will recall that matter. They
said killed Lacey Cassidy. can't
Imagine any more telling evidence
Ia4aAnst a man than that which con-
Victs1 me; but I pleaded not guilty at
my trial; ] plead It now. and IN keep
( on. .untif i pub clean through.
fs iHS, drew ,tremendously on his weed
! and became tenveloped IN a cloud Of
smoke. Il ~ :t
saw the twinkle Ia Tredways eyes.
/, s::"The experience, hasn't knocked you
put. M:iHsyiot," he made reply.
..,..xhprs II hasn't, ,Yo1 see. although I
didn't XIII Cassidy yet l meant to.
That: makss : difference. Shall go
] ovek the fstdryiE" T.. = is Il,
1fsdways played with his fountain
] peH and looked, at our visitor in a Curl
!. Gus lmapper. .'Dh.sI don't know that II
is sitos1ahsr necessary" said be at last.
! II ;aid dleeSss II At the time with my
friend here, the Rev. Horace Francie.
chaplain Of Chains convict prison. who
! interests himself in my cases.
\ "And you decided"
''That you killed Lacey Cassidy;
killed him under the powerful influence
Of those extenuating circumstances
which nearly got you of altogether"
III had killed that loathsome
sceundrel I'd have borne the conse-
Qusnces without a murmur. What gets
prisonment which another ought to
haye suffered That is not fair 1t Is
not business, Mr.. Tredways. I want to
spot that coward, whoever he is, and
+ have come to you for your help. AS
matters stand l appear behind a lie.
That doesn't suit me. But I'm not
going to SAT l killed Cassidy when I
didn't.
I'm an accursed day 1 bought his
place at tidewater. called The As
pens 1t is one Of the Oldest houses
III Buckinghamshire. The Cassidys
have lived there for centuries. You
q won't and one Of them figured as a
q saint in a window Of the chapel down
the combe, and you won't find halo
in their crest. The property was on
one leg when Lacey came into 1t. and
IL soon fell over. heard about 1t,
rot an Introduction to Lacey, bought
/ Il and settled there.
'The hrst thing I get to know Is
that Lacey Cassidy looks too long
after my wife with his spotted evil
Syes. / dropped him a hint. He toss-
I Matt In the discard. I gave him the
!. &tFaight tip. He took 1t in damned
~ Q00 way Uut 40 uc nioO %OoA ''A''SSA'
IN that didn't cost me loss Of sleep
M SYThe next thing I get to know II
thst my wife misses Cassidy. Mine
:. fon. I'm not suggesting anything II
the least unpleasant. That doesn'
: klay any part in my story. My Tan
Sic 10 pure gold through and through
3 You know what women are when Il
bones to romance. The Cassidy fami
" 10 stuffed with 1t; the very walls
II. The Aspens' drip with senti
mental legend and story. Then sh'
Father Ditied Lacey; said he owet
muca, Of his badness to his-his for
hears. think she called It; daret
< me to deny that he was the handsom
2 1st English man wished l had neve
|. met; that his ease and languid au
: thority had taken centuries to make
that in a scarlet hunting coat he look
ed perfectly-bah! you know the stuf
! mean.
"Did get the least bit Jealous? Yes
I think I did. although 1t was nothini
more than the least bit ought t
have laughed back. Instead. l fel
Sore-like a fool. That gave her
chance to laugh, and she did not lie
It slip. That ought to have cleare
my brain. but 1t didn't. I made Ger
Tain remarks about Lacey, Cassidy
They were heard by other people.