The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-26
CONTINUED From Our Last Issue)

CONTINUED From Our Last Issue)
'"The announcement at breakfast
went well. After the golfing-party
had gone off. we had the morning in
which to complete our arrangements.
What 1 was chiefly concerned about
was to establish as completely as
possible the identity OF Robert. For
this reason I suggested to Mark that.
when dressed. he should go out by
the secret passage to the bowling
green, and come back by the drive,
taking care to enter into converse
ton with the lodge-keeper.
I'm this way I would have two
more witnesses of Roberts arrival
first the lodge-keeper, and secondly
one OF the gardeners whom I would
have working on the front lawn.
Mark, of course, was willing enough.
He could practice his Australian ac-
cent on the lodge-keeper. 1t was
really amusing to see how readily he
fell into every suggestion which /
made. Never was a killing more
carefully planned by it's victim.
HE changed into Roberts clothes
In the office bedroom. This was the
safest way-for both OF US. When
he was ready, he called me In, and
inspected him. It was extraordinary
how well he looked the part. I sup
pose that the signs of his dissipa-
ton had already marked themselves
on his face, but had been concealed
hitherto by his mustache and beard;
for now that he was clean-shaven
they lay open to the world from
which we had so carefully hidden
he f,,In ton fvxal
which he was pretending to be.
Wonderful I said to myself
Nobody could possibly guess
IT peered into the hall. 1t was
empty. We hurried across to the
library: he got into the passage and
made of. I went back to the bed
room, collected all his discarded
clothes, did them up in bundle and
returned with them to the passage.
Then I sat down in the hall and
j., waited.
You heard the evidence of
Stevens, the maid. AS soon as she
was on her way to the Temple in
search of Mark. stepped into the
office. My hand was in my side
pocket, and in my hand was the re-
volver.
He began at once in his character
of Robert-some rigmarole about
working his passage over from Aus
tralia; little private performance
for my edification. Then in his
natural voice. gloating over his we'll
planned retaliation on Miss Norris,
he burst out, It's my turn now. You
wait 1t was this which Elsie heard.
She had no business to be there and
she might have ruined everything,
but as it turned out It was the lucki.
est thing which could have hap
pened. For 1t was the one piece OF
evidence which 1 wanted; evidence,
other than my own. that Mark and
Robert were in the room together.
''I said nothing. / was not going
to take the risk Of being heard to
speak in that room. 1 just smiled at
the poor little fool. and took out
my revolver, and shot him. Then ]
went back into the library and
waited-just as ] said In my evi.
dence.
"Can you imagine, Mr.. Gilling.
ham, the shock which your sudden
appearance gave me? Can you
imagine the feelings of a murderer
who has (as he thinksl planned for
every possibility. and is then sSn
fronted suddenly with an utterly
new problem2 What difference
would your coming make? 1 didn't
know. Perhaps none; perhaps all
And had forgotten to open the win
dow!
ST don't know whether you viii
think my plan for killing Mark G
clever one. Perhaps not. But If
do deserve any praise In the matter
I think deserve It for the way
pulled myself together in the face OF
the unexpected catastrophe of your
arrival Yes, got a window open
Mr.. Gillingham, under your very
nose: the right window too. yoU
xrora Kind enough to say nd the