The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-15

DloWn OH uylnB III agony, ana IToHl WHdI I learned subsequently, much the same thing had happened in other shell holes where company of eighty -two-we were not at full strength, and I had only three second lieutenants besides myself was the only one to come through alive And I lay in a state of semi-collapse in the shell hole for two days before being rescued when our men drove the Germans out of their trenches"
 "A dreadful experience" said Crewe sym pathetically.
 "Then he disappeared because he was afraid of you. If he had got under lock and key he might have risked coming into the open and giving evidence against you. But rather fancy that his intention was to get away to a foreign country with old Lumsden's money, and then put the police on your track by giving the true circum- stances under which Lumsden was shot,"
 "Did he write to you?' asked Marsland.
 "No."
 q was always afraid he would. What put you on my track?"
 HThe conviction that you had warned this girl to clear out as Gillett had ob- tained some awkward facts against her. You were the only person who had any object in warning her, though Gillett thinks you had even less reason to do so than Brett. I regarded you merely as an aver age human being and not actuated by quixotic impulses. I remembered that she had tried to sheet home the crime to you and therefore you had little cause to be grateful to her-so far I am in accord with Gillett But if you knew that she had nothing to do with the tragedy, and if you felt that Gillett's close questioning might lead to information from Brett which would tell against you, it was common sense on your part to get her out of the way"
 "It is wonderful how you have divined my mind and the line of thought I fol- lowed," said the young man. His even tones were an indication that he was re- gaining his composure.
 Next, there was your attempt to kill Brett instead of helping me to capture him. That told against you. True, it indicated that you had what you regarded as a just cause of deadly hatred. But if you were under the belief that Brett had killed Lumsden it would have suited you better to capture him than to shoot him. Your shot at Brett showed me that you knew it was not Brett who had killed Lumsden, and also that you feared if Brett was arrested he would charge you>with shooting Lums- den."
 "Go on," said the young man breathlessly.
 "There is little more to tell, said Crewe 'I had to ask Gillett yesterday not to refer to the doubts I had expressed to him re- garding Brett's guilt. l was afraid he might do so in your presence and that would have put you on your guard. The final proof came when Gillett discovered the bull let in the tree where Lumsden fell. At the moment Gillett found the bullet picked up these in the grass"
 -- Crewe produced from his waistcoat pocket pair of eyeglasses.
 ''So that is where lost them" exclaimed Marsland. 'It never occurred to me before. I have no recollection of their dropping off suppose I was too excited to notice they had gone."
 "Your meeting with him was accidental?" said Crewe.
 "Quite. I had been out riding on the downs and when struck the road I wasn't sure which way I had to go to get home. I saw man coming along the road and I rode up to him. It was Lumsden. I tell you, Crewe, he was terrified at the sight of memo doubt he thought that I had been killed in France. As I was dismounting and tying up my horse he pleaded for his uo foo ;, %bo ;,,t