Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-06
II A N u S
By Robert Orr Chipperfied

| cheap. highly polished light 'oalx a.
were the center table and chairs. 4
| wide. comfortable looking couch stoo,
against the opposite wall. and from
| pehtnd tie half-drawn curtain I'm III,
corner the end of IL small gas stow,
was visible. with pots and pans hang.
ing beneath shelf upon which chin;
and canned goods were stacked in,
discriminatory.
evidently this room was more tina!
Il rendezvous: It was n complct,
apartment In itself In which one coult
iiVe Indefinitely without aid or inter.
| ference from the outside world
| OF course this is not the Belle
monde Annex" Drew remarked with
an Ironically deprccatory air as II
reading the others thoughts. 1T has
It's uses, however. Sit down. SER
Eeant. Will you smoke"
Odell shook his head. but pulled n
| chair up to the table and seated him
self. Drew hal assumed the upper
hand IN opening the interview. and
| the detective was well content to
leave the situation for the time being
in the others control. He was Gu
| ric-us to learn the motive back OF
his hosts attitude. Drew had spoken
| of mutually satisfactory under
standing" That could only mean n
bargain, compromise or attempted
bribery. Odell believed the man be-
| fore him to be too clever to essay
| the latter; yet what compromise coul,l
he hope to effect with the police. The
very fact that he sought to cstab-
| lish one told against him in tho pres
ent situation. as he must realize.
Drew, meanwhile, had taken a box
of cigars from a drawer of the side
board. selected one. and lighted It
icisurely before he strollcd over TO
the chair across tho table from his
guest and seated himself.
Odeil looked up and waited for him
to speak.
Sergeant" he began at length,
with speculative eye on the glow
ing tip of his cigar from what my
young friend. Gene Chalmers. has
told me tonight. believe YOU TO be Il
man of not only common sense but
intelligence: Il l did not. should
not have sought This interview. As
/ understand II. Mr.. I.orne sent for
YOU through the mediation OF his at
torney to look into the coincidence
Of the deaths and other recent acct
dents which have taken place in his
home. That, OF course. is no concern
of mine; but IL. in the pursuit OF
your investigation. you should en-
counter evidence OF some-er--irrcg-
ularity which had no possible bearing
on your case. what would YOU dc?"
"Irregular;ty?" Odell repeated.
Don't let US waste time by split
ting hairs" Drew shrugged. I'VE will
say rather that you might uncarth
n matter which would In no way In
terest the homicide department OF
your organizations; n strictly family
matter, the probing of which would
cause only shame and unhappincss to
people already burdened with grief
and perplcxity. Would you consider
it your duty without consulting
those most Immediately concerned
to bring il to the attention offer
another branch OF the police SER
vice.
IF discovered evidence Of an
other and separate crime unconncctcd
with the matter now under invcstiGa-
tion?" The detective paused in
seeming reelection. That is rather Il
complex question. Mr.. Drew. fancy
I, would depend largely upon the ma
ture of the crime and who ultimately
benefited by it,"
Farlew Drew's eyes narrowed. but
his tone was still that OF one pro-
h-fr
sonal argument.
"If the crime. as you call II. were
for gain and happened TO be COM
mitted by u member OF the family
IL would be reasonable 10 suppose
that the guilty person would be the
one 10 profit ultimately. would III
not?"
ultimately. perhaps. but not
necessarily directly" y quick fash
of memory had recalled the note
which Odell himself had laid before
his chief an hour before, and with
IL q sudden inkling of the possible
truth had come. III some member
OF the family were placed in COM
promising position by an outsider
and forced into crime for the immc-
der to gain immunity for himself,
1t would cease TO he purely family
matter. and it's investigation would
very likely bring shame and unhap
pincss and possibly Incarceration to
the instigator. Are you entirely dis
interested in this theoretical discus
sion, Mr.. Drew"
He smiled steadily into the dark.
smoldering eyes across the table. and
Drew forced a sickly grimace in re-
turn, but the fingers holding his
cigar twitched murdcrously.
quite" His voice was curiously
even. II confess ] am disappointed
in you, sergeant; had taken you
to be man OF Independent thought
and action. not hidebound like the
majority Of your confrercs. I have
been speaking from purely altru
istic point of view. l wished to spare
heartbroken. and panic-stricken
family from further pain. and to save
one young person from an unmerited
punishment"
and In saving the family from
further annoyance incidentally pro-
tect the real criminal. who had used
the young person you mention as a