The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-10

vvHEN my friend, Hogg Tredways,
MAJ that distinguished specialist in
Wv ways that are dark, turned down
the case of Oswald Street, his opinion,
that it was hollow of interest, that it
was not q 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 Mar
garet Widrave. who had come, at my
suggestion, on behalf Of Street, who
had loved her before the clang of a
iung-to prison door shut him out from
her life.
It was merely the call of impulse.
therefore. which, a fortnight later. as
Tredways and I 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 tn?"
Two minutes later we were with her.
This is very kind of you." she said
wistfu1ly. but you have come too late"
experienced a shock OF horror.
Street had ended his life?
The great convict prison called
Chains had opened to him for esress
its gates three weeks ago I was Chap
lain there: the Reverend Horace Fran
Gle. Men sometimes pass through the
Gehenna of prison enormously con-
demned. When I suspected as much I
brought such cases to Hogg Tredways.
who took them up on the expiration
OF sentence For some years I had
watched Street. I could not think his
conduct that Of a man who had COM
nitted q terrible crime. His sentence
had been reduced because of his self
sacrificing bravery in a fire which had
ragged through one of the prison gall
Ieries wished to take him to Tired
ways, but he refused He went straight
of and buried himself in his sunless
day. Persistent, I sought Miss Mar
garet Wildrave, who went to my friend
with Streets story. AS I said, it was
bald, without a flicker Of suggestion
that Street had not killed Auguste
Branderwine.
Indeed, he admitted It
More, Branderwine himself lived long
enough to scrawl a message, a dying
message, blurred, feeble, but legible;
Oswald Street the man who murdered
me-"
And now we were in the house OF the
late Auguste Branderwine who had
been a traveller and keen naturalist in
his hour.
Miss wildrave hts niece. whom he
had brought up from babyhood, had
been left his property.
TOO late?" Tredways echoed sharp
Iy. What has happened?'
The lady flushed. She was obviously
embarrassed. Time is 50 precious; we
have lost another fortnight" she stan-
mered.
Tredways took the chair offered to
him.
.acn - 5a-,,,,---e.5 v,Jeaaa1tIv
that is not so serious when we re-
member that Street was eight years in
Chains I propose, very tersely, to re-
capitulate the facts" he stopped. A
picture on the wall Ind gripped his
attention.
THAT is almost horrible" said he
IT am of your opinion" answered
Miss Witdrave, turning round. Pro
lessor Branderwine brought it home
with hdrn from one of his journeys into
the Malay Peninsula It is a native
painting done on some ffbrous material
I do not know what those characters
underneath mean"
rs it the face Of a corpse3" asked
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 attachment
was between you and Oswald Street
and that it was not regarded favorably
by Professor Branderwine chiefly on
account Of Streets comparative pow
erty. The latter, however, persisted
until he was ordered to kesp away
altogether. This was the mocive for
the crime put forward by tina prose-
cution. It lacks originality, certainly
but is not without strength, the power
Of a hopeless passion on an 1ncon-
trolled will.
'On the night Of the crime roar
lover had determined to see you again.
He climbed to a balcony, helped il the
feat by his sailors life, he being then
first mate on a cargo boat His idea
was to traverse this balcony untR he
reached your room Unluckily. as oe
climbed over the iron parapet he vas
stopped by BrandeTwine himself, VINO
was in his room, the blinds being Up.
and the glass door open. Street stated
that the professor was sitting in En
armchair, that he beckoned to him TO
enter. that he asked him to fetch him
a certain phial from a shelf OF a cup
board in the room and to pour him
out a few drops Immediately. He corl-
planned Of faintness, he said. Street
obeyed. No sooner had BranderwiTse
swallowed the liquid than he sank bacS
"a dead man. Horrifed, Street turned
a hasty attention to the contents Of the
phial. Too late he recognized in it g
powerful poison. Either he had
fetched the wrong bottle. or the pro-
lessor had asked for the wrong one
At any rate. he had inadvertently
killed Branderwine-
AT that moment he heard knock
ing at the door. Every instinct warned
him that to be caught there, in the
circumstances, would be fatal to him
He fed by the way he had come
He was arrested on the following
day. trying to get back to his ship
The imprints OF his fingers, soiled by
his climb, were plain on the label OF
- phial. Then he admitted his
stealthy ingress to the house. His
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