Evening star., 1921-09-04
YOU think of things before.

ssn,s ssnS,. you think of things before
supt. Bell was startled out Of his
| wonted composure. God bless my
soul" he exclaimed, and stared at
| Reggie.
| Come upstairs. Fortune. please" he
said gravely.
Reggie let himself be taken up to
Herbert Charlecote's room. and when
he was there again nunE himself
| down on the couch. Thirdly and
lastly" said he. And that's the end
dear"
"Oh, don't take that tone" Lomaa
cried. We're in very difficult POSI-
tion. Fortune"
my dear Lomas! oh, my dear
Lomas! We have emerged with
credit from a most difficult case. We
/ have tracked and caught very cum
| ming criminal. who. when taxed WIN
the murders of which he was guilty;
became desperate and COMMITTED
suicide by fiinging himself from
fourth-story window"
You said you threw him out"
"Loomis. dear. my little jokes aren't
evidence"
you'll have to give evidence at the
inquest, you know" Reggie nodded.
| you'll tell this suicide story?"
| Sure" said Reggie.
Lomas wiped his forehead. Damn
1t, man, I can't leave it like this. ne
cried
"oh, don't be SO pedantic. The
scoundrel had two murders at least on
! his soul We hadn't evidence enough
to hang him. He was much too
dangerous to live, and he gets his
neck 5r9k. pt quietly ;n and wit Without scan
! "And what eveidence have you
got?"
"Ah. now reason resumes her sway.
Let's begin at the beginning. Herbert
Charlecote. rather less than a year ago.
i ws at his wits end for money. HIS
, uncle wouldn't give him any. Remem-
ber the betting book and passbook-
| But at that time he was his uncle's
; heir. He arranged with the family
/, doctor. Newton, to have the old man
killed Newton would want to be paid.
Probably the arrangement was bet
Suppose Herbert bet Newton ten thou
sand to one his uncle wouldn't die
within the year. Remember the N IN
the betting book. Newton began treat
ing the old man for gastric catarrh
Sent him gallons Of medicine. Probably
| that was poison. But nothing happened
because the old man didn't take II:
put down the sink. 1 suspect old Charlie
cote didn't much care for his family
doctor. The time began to run out.
And then came the reconciliation with
4 GeOuFey. IneTe was no TIME 10 lose
II the will was altered in Geoffrey's
favor. no use in killing the old man.
So Newton had to hustle. He Was pretty
neat. He chose an Italian knife and
did the killing close to the house where
the Italian Mrs. Godfrey lived. But he
did 1t. Remember the extraordinary
efficiency Of the assassin. Neat piece
of surgery, that murder. And then the
bottom fell out of the bucket. The will
had been altered. Herbert only got
twenty thousand. Hardly enough to pay
his debts. And so he wouldn't stump
up Newton's price. Newton would cut
up rought, of course. He threatened,
/ suppose. and Herbert threatened back.
ton was a man to take kindly to being
bilked. 1t may have been revenge. 1t
may have been that he thought Herbert
would give him away. Anyway, he
took Herbert out in his car yesterday
| afternoon. Now swe're coming to evil
dence which is evidence. Lomas. New
ton was out in his car yesterday aft
ernoon. sent my chauffeur to make
inquiries. And Newton drove himself.
And his car fits the marks on that road
IA Dunois Orleans, two steel-studded
bridge. l suppose Newton stopped the
car. pretended there was something
wrong, got down and prepared a chloro-
formed wad of cotton wool. He clapped
that on Herbert. anaesthetiZed him, and
dropped him in the canal. 1 found
scraps of the wool in Herbert's mouth
and nostrils. That's the case, Lomas,
old thing Come and have tea. That's
rather decent mullins at the Academ-
ies'."
Il 'Good God." said Lomas ''Munins."