Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1924-04-11
sYNoPsis
by Irwin Myers


ting him off. only to be told by young,
prepossessing woman, who says that
she is oliver Hilditch's wife. that Hill
ditch Is an arch-criminal and that Led
sam has turned loose a dangerous man
to resume h!g preying upon society.
CHAPTER II-Ledsam dining with
his best friend, Andrew Wilmore, meets
Hilditch and his wife and is invited to
dine with them at their home.
CHAPTER III-At dinner with the
Hilditches, oliver shows Ledsam how
he killed his victim and says his own
death the same way would make his
wife supremely happy Returning
home, Ledsam receives phone call
from Margaret, saying oliver has been
murdered.
CHAPTER IV-Ledsam gets the cor
oner to set divers death down as
suicide. Later on he admits to Will
more that he has developed keen in
terest in Margaret. He meets her ia
ther, Sir Timothy Brast, the evil shep-
herd, who tells him a crime will be
committed before they leave the cafe.
CHAPTER v-The crime Is COM
mitted and Shopland, Scotland Yard
detective, asks Ledsam to interview the
girl In the case.
[ am a hunter Of sin. / am out to oe-
stroy. There's a touch Of melodrama
in this for you, Andrew" he concluded,
with little laugh, "but, my God, I'm
In earnest! J"
"What does this mean so far as re-
CARDS the routine of your daily life?"
Wilmore asked curiously.
"Well, it brings us to the point we
discussed down at Brancaster," Fran
els replied. 'It will affect my work to
this extent. 1 shall not accept any
brief unless, after reading the evi-
dence, / feel convinced that the ac-
cused is innocent"
"That's all very WE'LL" Wilmore OBJ
served "but you know what 1t will
mean, don't you? Lawyers aren't likely
to single you out for a brief without
ever feeling sure whether you will ac-
cept it or not"
''That doesn't worry me-" Francis
declared II don't need the fees, for
tunately, and I can always pick up
enough work to keep me going by
attending sessions. One thing
can promise you-I certainly shall not
sit in my rooms and wait for things to
happen. Mine Is a militant spirit and
1t needs the outlet Of action"
"Action, yes, but how?" Wilmore
queried. You can't be always hang
ing about the courts, waiting for the
chance of defending some poor devil
who's been wrongfully accused-there
aren't enough of them, for one thing
On the other hand, you can't walk
down Regent street, brandishing q
two-edged sword and hunting for pick
pockets"
" Francis smiled
Nothing so famboyant, I can as
sure you, Andrew he replied, "nor
shall l play the amateur detective with
nois mouth open for mysteries. But
teisten," he went on earnestly. "Tve
lolad some experience, as you know,
tnd Notwithstanding the Oliver Hill
litches of the world, 1 can generally
ell criminal when I meet him face
o face. There are plenty Of them
bout, too, Andrew-as many in this
ddiillace as any other. I am not going to
,;1e content with negative position as
hoegards evildoers. / am going to set
, oy heel on as many of the human YER
lin of this city as I can find"
"A laudable, a most eXhilarating
nd delightful pursuit human ver-
2 hin, too, is excellent. 1t opens up
thew and fascinating vista for the mod
arn sportsman. My congratulations !"
1t was an interruption of peculiar
and wonderful significance, but Fran
els did not for the moment appreciate
the fact. Turning his head, he simply
saw complete stranger seated unac-
countably at the next table, who had
butted into private conversation and
whose tone of gentle sarcasm, there
fore, was the more offensive.
"Who the devil are you, Sir" he de-
manded, "and where did you come
fromY'
The newcomer showed no resentment
smiled with deprecating amiability-a
tall, spare man, with lean, hard race,
complexion almost unnaturally white; !;
black hair. plentifullv besprinkled
with gray; thin, cynical mouth, not
withstandlng Its distinctly humorous
curve. and keen, almost brilliant dark
eyes. He was dressed In ordinary
dinner garb; his linen and jewelry was
indeed In the best possible taste. Fran
els, at his second glance, was troubled
with a vague sense Of fapiliarity.
LET me answer your last question
first, Sir" the intruder begged. Il was
seated alone, several tables away,
when the couple next to you went out
and having had pointed out to me the
other evening at Claridge's hotel. and
knowing we'll by repute, the great bar
rister, Mr.. Francis Ledsam, and his
friend, the world-famed novelist, Mr..
Andrew Wilmore, I-er-unobtrusiv
made my way, half yard at a time, in
your direction-and here am. I came
stealthily, you may object? Without a
doubt If l had come in any other