The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-02-15


chair, but nothing else. Over the cup-
board, at about the same height as the
voting girl, was a shelf Part Of this
shelf, on which could be seen several
small curios, was included in the pic
ture.
One glance was enough for me to be
certain who the young girl was.
! turned round to Mr. Howell. ut
is Eyelina, as I suspected
Yes, Of course; am only aston
ished that l could have taken her for
Miss Prick when first | saw her. 1t
must have been the costume which de-
ceived me- Miss Prick has worn it all
the spring"
Eyes know" I answered CURLY. It
was irritating always to have to return
to Sigrid in this manner.
Very well; on this occasion also
played the detective, Mr. Monk. | have
privately found ont from the other SER
wants that Miss Prick had, that same
afternoon, given the costume to Evelina.
You see everything is quite clear in that
respect"
VIII you allow the police TO keep the
photograph, Mr. Howell, and is there
anything else you can tell us about the
natter Ny manner was, perhaps,
somewhat abrupt
wait little" he answered; Il hope
you understand now the reason for the
question which l put to you at the be-
ginning of our. conversation
yes; you would rather not appear as
witness. as far as could understand"
Exactly; and as you yourself say,
the person in question is already ar
rested, and the circumstantial evidence
is SO strong that my evidence cannot be
of much importance one way or other.
This being the case, would it not be pos
sible for me to avoid appearing in court?
and could you not consider what I have
said as confidential, SO that might take
the photograph and destroy it? Other
wise / shall appear very much in the
light of a spy or tllief-catcher, Mr..
Monk Also, it would be most objec-
tionable to me to have to testify against
the unfortunate woman"
"Your sentiments do you all honor,
Mr. Howell; but | cannot all the same,
prevent your being called as witness.
Neither can I, of course, keep your pho
tograph against your will; but / must
mention it in my report, and most earn
estly request you to preserve it. What
you have said to me in my office, with
respect to matter concerning which
inquiries are now being conducted,
cannot, in my capacity as a police Off
cial, consider confidential"
We'll, Mr. Monk, l see it cannot be
helped, and I ought, perhaps, to have
denied all knowledge Of the matter. But
you can, at any rate, bear evidence that
l appear most reluctantly; | would ike
both the unhappy girl and the Prick
family to understand this"
81 can only confirm what you yourself
say, Mr. Howell, l answer stifiy, for
began to be more and more convinced
that the man was playing a part You
will leave the photograph then in the
hards of the police" | continued.
Eyes, I may just as well leave it;
cannot see that | can do any one any
good by rot doing SO. You police deal
with people in your own way,-we speak
and do just as you want US to do"
"Allow me one question: Mr.. Howell"
Il had again taken the photograph in
my hand, this photograph is very
small; it looks as though it had been
clipped at the sides Was the photo
graph originally broader, and did it in
clude nothing more of the room?"
yes, it was originally broader, but
only the middle part was clear and dis
tinct. Either side of it was, for some
reason or another, very foggy, so / cut
it off TO get the picture to fit between the
two glass plates had, besides, no in
terest for anything but what you see
there The young girl is, of course, the
principal object of interest, he sighed
gently
What time could it have been when
you took the photograph"
well, that question cannot answer
very exactly. I thought, of course, at
the time, that I should never be asked
about it, but-let me see--it can't have
been tar OFT SIX O'Clock, tor II was not
long after that l left for the railway
station, and that was somewhere about
seven"
r
The next minute Mr. Howell was
gone, and sat beside my desk in deep
thought
The Englishmans visit had made an
unpleasant impression upon me, and |
could not make ont what his purpose in
making it really was.
The man wished to come forward as
a witness-that | felt sure about All
the rest was mere discrimination; but for
what purpose? What could be his mo-
tives?
1t puzzled me at the time, and it puz-
zles me still
During the whole of this long story,
Monk had remained calm He had been
speaking evenly and dispassionately as
if he had been reading a police report.
But now he changed in expression and
manner He hogan ~ mare I'M and down