Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-04

his beat. Mitchinstor stopped to ex-
change few words with him.
This man Flndgate," he said. rejoin-
ing the others. lives alone--flfth cot
tage down here. He'll be about having
his tea we shall take him by surprise"
door at which Mitchington knocked
gently, and II was on their grave and
watohful faces that a tall, clean .shaven,
very solemn-looking man gased In as
started back. He went white to the
lips and his hand fell trembling from
the latch as Mitchington strode in and
the rest crowded behind.
Now then, Fladgate" said Mitch.
ington, going straight to the point and
detective approached him closely on the
other side. "I want you and a word
with you at once. Your real name 10
FLOOD! What have you to say to that7
And-it's no use beating about the bush
Braden affair, and your share with Fol-
liot In II, whose real name is wraye
It's all come out about the two of YOU
II you've anything to say. you'd better
The vereer. whose black gown lay
thrown across the back of a chair,
looked from one face to another with
frightened eyes II was very evident that
the suddenness OF the descent had com.
pletely unnerved him. Ransford's prao.
ticed eyes saw that he was on the verge
of a collapse.
"Give him time. Mitchington," he said
Pull yourself together" he added, turn
Ing to the man. Don't be frightened I:
answer these questions
For Gods sake, gentlemen =" gasped
the verger 'What-what is Il? What
am I TO answer? Before God. I'm as
innocent as-as any Of you--about Mr..
Brakes death Upon my soul and
You know all about IT," insisted
Mitchington. rComc, now, isn't It trus
that you're Flood, and that Folliots
Wraye, the two men whose trick on him
got Brake convicted years ago? Answer
Yes, that's true" he said at last.
cipal. I was only-only wraye's agent
as It were wasn't responsible. And
when MT. Brake came here, when met
He paused. stiil looking from one to
their belief.
80, "a sure W a. as I'm J., a living man. gentle.
willing hand In Mr.. Brakes death! I'll
tell you the exact truth I'll take my
oath Of II whenever you like. I'd have
been thankful to tell, many q time, but
first, and afterward Il got complicated.
Il was this way. That morning-when
Mr.. Brake was found dead-I had
occasion TO 20 un into that gallery under
the. the clersstory ssoo suddenly came on him
I'm telling you the solemn. absolute
truth. gentlemen he'd no sooner
recognized me than he attacked me,
sesisng SsIss n me BY the, the arm m I hadn't reGog,
hold Of me. ! tried to shake him off.
tried to quiet him he Struggled don't
know what he wanted to do-he began
to cry QUIT was wonder he wasn't
have been only the organ was being
played rather loudly. And in the
struggle he slipped-it was just by that
open doorway--and before l could do
more than grasp at him, he shot through
pure accident gentlemen! Upon my
soul, I hadn't the least intention of
harming him"
And after that7" asked Mitchington,
at the end of n brief silence.
"I saw Mr.. Folllot-Wraye." continued
Flood. Just afterward. that was. /
told him; he bade me keep silence unit
we saw how things went. Later he
forced me to be silent What could
dlsclaimed mel shouldn't have had a
chance. So held my tongue"
Now. then, Collishaw2 demanded
Mitchington. Give us the truth about
tboS' " hotONeh Nho oNiti "oS, tHat
was murder! !"
Before God. gentlemen !" he answer
ed. Il know no more-at least little
more-about that man than you do
7 of course. met now and then and
talked about this. 1t got to our ears
at last that Collishaw knew something.
NV own impression is that he saw what
he was working somewhere up there, I
wanted to speak to Collishaw. wraye
wouldn't let me, he bade me leave II to
him. A bit later he told me he'd sauar-
ed Collishaw with fifty pounds.
o,s Mits6instSn tss ,stS,n and the detective ex'
"Wraye~that's Folliot--paid colli-
shaw fifty pounds. did hsT" asked the
HE told me So" replied Flood. ITO
that when I heard Of Collishaw's 5 sud-
den death. And as to how that hap
pened. or who-who brought It about
mgpEn notSm my stSs, soul gentlemen i,p. know
I never mentioned It to Wraye-never |!
IL daren't! You don't know what a
man Wraye Is! I've been under his
thumb most of my life and-and what
are are, you you going to do with me- gentle
Mitchington exchanged a word or two
with the detective. and then, putting his
head out of the door beGsoned to two
policemen
Get your tea" no said sharply to tho
verger. These men will stop with you
you're not to leave this ROOM" He
gave some instructions to the Two po-
licemen In an undertone and notioned
Ransford and the others to follow him.
Mrs. Folliot was out. Sackville Bon
ham was still where bryce had left him,
at the Rolf-links, when the pursuers
reached Folliots. Folliot and Bryce saw
them coming and looked at each other
"Glassdale p excla imed Bryce. by
heaven, man he's told on your
window. He saw Ransford and Harker
following the leading figures. And sud
denly he turned to Bryce.
you've no hand in this?" he de-
~" exclaimed Bryce. IT never knew
Foiliot pointed to the door.
go down" he said. Let em In.
bid 'em come up! Il--1ll settle with
Bryce hurried down to the lower
apartment. He was Allied with excite
Inent-an unusual thing for him-but In
the midst OF It, az he made for ths outer
door. II suddenly struck him that all
for nothing. The truth was at hand,
and II was not going to benefit him In
the slightest degree. He was beaten.
But that was no time for philosophic
beating at the door. He flung It open,
and the foremost men started In sur
prise at the sight Of him. But Bryce
bent forward to gton-anxious
to play a part to the last.
Hes upstairs he Whispered. up
there! He'll bluff It out II he can, but
he's Just admitted TO me-"
Mitchington thrust Bryce aside, al
most roughly.
I'VE know all about that" he said,
II shall have a word or two for you
later Come on. now
The men crowded up the stairway