Evening star., 1921-05-25
Continued from Yesterdays Star.
CHAPTER III.
SSING THE CRIME.

CHAPTER Ill.
DISCUSSING THE CRIME.
The murder of Morris Barnes, con
sidered merely as an event. came a
a Godsend to the half-penny press
which has an unwritten but immuta
BILE contract with the public to pro
vide it with SO much sensation dur
ing the week. in season or out OF
/ season. Nothing else was talked
! about anywhere. Under the influence
| of the general example. Wraysor
i found himself within few days dis
| cussing its details with perfect cool
| ness, and with an interest which
| never Tagged. He seemed continually
| TO forget his own personal and actui
: connection with the affair.
| 1t was discussed, among other
places. at the Sheridan Club. of which
Wrayson was member. and where
he spent most of his spare time. AT
| one particular luncheon party the day
after the inquest nothing else was
spoken of. For the first time. in
; WraySon's hearing. new and some
what ominous light was thrown upon
i the affair.
There were four men st the lunch
con party. which was really not a
luncheon party at all. but promis-
men who usually sat at what was
called the colonel's table. First of all
there was the colonel himself-Col.
Edgar Fitzmaurice, C.B.. D.S.O.-easi- :
| ly the most popular member of the
club. a distinguished retired officer.
white haired. kindly and genial. Il
man of whom no one had ever heard
another say an unkind word, whose
hand was always in his none too
well-filled pockets, and whose SYM
pathieS were always ready to be en-
listed in any forlorn cause. deserving
or otherwise. At his right hand sat
Wrayson; on his left Sydney Mason.
rising young sculptor. and also a
popular member of this somewhat Bo-
hemian circle. Opposite was stephen
Heneage. d man Of a different and
more secretive type. He called him.
ticed; journalist at time, but he sell
dom put his name to anything he
wrote. His interests. il he had any.
he kept to himself. In q club where
mans standing was reckoned by
what he was and what he produced.
he owed such consideration as he re-
ceived to certain air of reserved
strength. the more noteworthy among
a little coterie of men. who. among
themselves, were accustomed to speak
If he was never brilliant. he had never
been heard to say a foolish thing or
make a pointleSs remark. He moved
on his way through life. and held his
place there more by reason of certain
negative qualities which. amongst a
community of optimists. were uni
versally ascribed to MIN, than through
any more personal or likable gifts.
He had A dark. strong face, but a
slim. weakly body. He was never un-
duly silent. but he was a better lis
tener than talker. # he had no close
fri ha
Whether he was rich or poor norman
knew, but next to the colonel him
self. no one was more ready to sub
scribe to any of those charities which
the Sheridanites were continually in
augurating on behalf of their less
fortunate members. The man who
succeeds in keeping the EGO" out of
sight as rule neither irritates nor
greatly attracts. Stephen Heneage
was one of those who stood in this po-
sition.
They were talking about the MUIR
Der. or rather the colonel was talking
and they were listening.
There is one point" ne remarked.
filing his glass and beaming good
!; humoredly upon his companions
overlooked. l am referring to the sex
of the supposed assassin"
Wrayson looked up inquiringly. 1t
was a point which interested him.
Nearly all Of you have assumed" :"
the colonel continued. that it must
have taken a strong man to draw the
cord tight enough to have killed that
poor fellow without any noticeable
struggle. AS matter of fact. a child
with that particular Knot could have
delicacy of touch. rapidity and nerve"
"A woman. then Wrayson be-
gan.
BLESS you, yes. woman could
have done it easily the colonel de-
clared. only unfortunately there don't
Why. I've seen it done in Korea with
turn of the wrist. It's all knack"
Wrayson suddered slightly The
| coloners words had troubled him
more than he would have cared to let
any one know.
woman or man or child" Mason
remarked. the person who did 1t
seems to have vanished in some re-
| markable manner from the face of
the earth
He certainly seems" the colonel
| admitted, Ito have covered up his
! traces with admirable skill. / have
| read every word of the evidence at
; the inquest and can understand that
the police are completely confused"
! Heneage and Mason exchanged
; glances Of quiet amusement while the
| colon helped himself to cheese.
Dear old boy" the latter murmur-
ed, hes off on his hobby. Let him
go on. He enjoys IL more than any
| thing in the world"
Heneage nodded assent and the col.
! onel returned to the subject with
avidity Il few mome:,ts later.
This man Morris Barnes" he af.
firmed. seems to have been a some.
what despicable. at any rate, a by nc
means desirable. individual. He wa:
I of Jewish origin. and he had not long
I fri
heaven knows what his occupation
| was. The money Of which he was
undoubtedly possessed he seems tC
| have spent. or at any rate some part
of i. in aping the life of dissipat ed
man about town. He was known tC
the fair promehaders of the Empire
| and Alhambra. he was an habitue OF
! the places where rhese-er-lade es
partake Of supper after the exertions
, of the evening. OF home life or re.
| had none.
This" Mason declared. leaning
back and lighting cigarette. ''is bet
ter than the newspapers. Go on. colo
mel! Your biography may not be
! sympathetic, but ii ts lifelike"
| The coloners eyes were full of a
! distinct and vivid light. He scarcely
! heard the interruption. He was on
! fire with his subject.
| You see" he continued. that the
| mans days were spent amongst a
! class where the passions run loose
where restraint is an unknown virtue
| where self and senSuality are the up.
| raised gods. One can easily imagine
that from amongst such a slough
might spring at any time the weed
! of tragedy In other words. this man
! Morris Barnes moved amongst class
| of people to whom murder. il it could
hr safely accomplished. would be lit
tie. more than an incident"
Tn. colonel lit cigar and leaned