New Britain herald., 1922-08-04

after all; possibly that his advice may
 pc wanted in the matter. say, of pay
 ing Roberts debts, or getting him a
 passage back to Australia; possibly
 that his physical assistance may be
 wanted to get an obstreperous Robert
 out of the house. We'll, he sits there
 for moment. and then goes into the library. Suddenly he hears a pistol-
 shot For the moment he would ] hardly realize what it was He lis- tens. Perhaps it wasn't pistol-shot after all, After moment or two he gees to the library door again. The profound silence makes him uneasy
 now. No harm in going into the
 office just to reassure himself. So he
 tries the door-and finds it locked
 What are his emotions now?
 Alarm, uncertainty. Something is
 happening. Incredible though it seems, it must have been pistol shot.
 He is banging at the door and calling cut to Mark. and there is no answer. safety? Marks, obviously. Robert is a stranger; Mark is an intimate friend. Robert has written a letter that morning, the letter of a man in a dangerous temper. Robert is the tough customer; Mark the highly civilized gentleman. If there has been quarrel, it is Robert who has shot Mark. He bangs at the door again.
 Of course, to Antony, coming sud- denly upon this scene, Cayley's con- duct had seemed rather absurd, but then, just for the moment, Cayey had lost his heead. But, as soon as An tony suggested trying the windows Cayley saw that that was the obvious thing to do So he leads the way to the windows-the longest way
 Whyo To give the murderer time to escape? If he had thought then that Mark was the murderer. perhaps, yes. But he thinks that Robert is l the murderer. If he is not hiding anything he must think so. Indeed l he says so, when he sees the body: II | was afraid it was Mark; he says, when he finds that it is Robert who | Is killed No reason. then, for wish ing to gain time On the contrary, every instinct would urge him to get l into the room as quickly as possible, md seize the wicked Robert. Yet he goes the longest way round. Why? | And then, why run?
 That's the question: said Antony Q himself, as he filled his pipe, "and bless me if I know the answer"
 He sat there with his unit ,ipe in his hand. thinking. There were one or two other things in the 'ack of his brain, waiting to be taken ut and looked at. For the moment le left them undisturbed. They would come back to him later.
 He laughed suddenly, and lit his 'ipe.
 T was wanting new profession" le thought, land now I've found it. Antony Dillingham;, our own private leuthhound. I shall begin today"
 Whatever Antony Dillingham; s ther qualifications for his new pro- ession, he had at any rate brain mich worked clearly and quickly. md this clear brain of his had al- eady told him that he was the only erson in the house at that moment a 'ho was unhandicapped in the search [ or truth. The inspector had arrived [ l it to find a man dead and a man It 1issing. It was extremely probable, f 0 doubt, that the missing man had a hot the dead man. But it was more k nan extremely probable, it was almost V ertain that the inspector would start .ith the idea that this extremely robable solution was the one true k olution. and that, in consequence, he b -ould be less disposed to consider t ithout prejudice any other solution. g
 Inspector Birch was certainly pre- [ ared to believe that Mark had shot S is brother. Robert had been shown n ito the office (witness Audrey); o lark had gone in to Robert (Witness c ayley); Mark and Robert had been D card talking (witness Elsie); there o as a shot (witness everybody; the V ,om had been entered and Roberts e ody had been found (witness Cayley C, Id Dillingham;. And Mark was D issing Obviously, then, Mark had lied his brother: accidentally, as al ayley believed or deliberately, as Q,