The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-25
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"'All the same I went on, even
without your beard and mustache
you might be recognizable. Unless.
of course broke on.
Unless what?'
You pretend TO be Robert
began to laugh to myself again. BY
JoveP said, that's not bad idea.
Pretend to be Robert, the wastrel
brother, and make yourself objec-
tionable to Miss Norris. Borrow
money from her, and that sort OF
thing
Robert he said. Yes. How
shall we work it?'
There was really a Robert, Mr..
Gillingham, as I have no doubt you
and the Inspector both discovered.
And. he was a wastrel and he went
to Australia. But he never came
to the Red House on Tuesday after
noon. He couldn't have, because he
died (unlamented) three years ago.
But there was nobody who knew
this, save Mark and myself, for
Mark was the only one of the family
left, his sister having died last year.
Though / doubt, anyhow, If she
knew whether Robert was alive or
dead. He was not talked about.
For the next two days Mark and
worked out our plans You under.
stand ny now that our aims were not
Identical. Marks endeavor was
that his deception should last for.
say. couple of hours; mine that it
should go to the grave with him. He
had only to deceive Miss Norris and
the other guests; l had to deceive
the world.
When he was dressed up as
Robert, I was going to kill him.
Robert would then be dead, Mark tof
coursel missing. What could any
body think but that Mark had killed
Robert? But you see how important
it was for Mark to enter fully into
his latest land LAST impersonation.
Halfmeasures would be fatal
You win say that it was impos-
sible to do the thing thoroughly
enough. I answer again that you
never knew Mark. He was being
what he wished most to Bean ar
fist. No OthelIo ever BACKED
himself all over with such en-
thusiasm as did Mark His beard
was going anyhow-possibly a
chance remark of Miss Norburys
helped here. She did not like
boards. But 1t was important for
me that the dead mans hands
should not be the hands of a mani
cured gentleman. Five minutes
playing upon the vanity of the artist
settled his hands He let the nails
grow and then cut them raggedly.
Miss Norris would notice your
hands at once / had said. Besides,
as an artist
so with his underclothes. It was
hardly necessary to warn him that
his pants might show above the
edge Of his socks; as an artist he
had already decided upon Robertian
pants. l bought them. and other
things. in London for him. Even If
l had not cut out all trace of the
makers name. he Would have in.
stinctively have done it. As an Aus
tralian and an artist. he could not
have an East London address on his
underclothes. Yes, we were doing
the thing thoroughly, both of US: he
as an artist. I as a-well. you may
say murderer, If you like. ] shall
not mind now.
Our plans were settled l went to
London on the Monday and wrote
him a letter from Robert. CThe artis-
tic touch again1 ! also bought a re-
volver. On the Tuesday morning he
announced the arrival OF Robert at
the breakfast-table. Robert was now
alive-we had six witnesses to prove
it; six witnesses who knew that he
was coming that afternoon. Our
private plan was that Robert should
present himself at three o'clock, in
readiness for the return of the
golfing party shortly afterward.
THE maid would go to look for
Mark. and having failed to find him,
come back to the Office to find me
sence. 1 would explain that Mark
must have gone out somewhere, and
would myself introduce the wastrel
brother to the. tea-table. Marks abb
sence would not excite any comment,
for it would be generally felt-indeed
Robert would suggest it-that he
had been afraid of meeting his
brother. Then Robert would make
himself amusingly offensive to the
guests. particularly. of course, Miss
Norris, until he thought that the
joke had gone far enough.
THAT was our private plan. Per-
haps l should say that 1t was Marks
private plan. My own was different.
Continued in Our Next Issue)