Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1924-04-09

we can stand anything but sus-
pense." he declared. Get on with
your shock-giving."
1 believe that the person RESPONSE
Die for the death of Victor Bidlake is
IN this room at the present moment"
Francis declared.
Again the silence, curious. tense and
dramatic. Little Jimmy, the bartender,
VINO had leaned forward to listen,
stood with his mouth slightly open and
the cocktail-shaker which was in his
hand leaking drops upon the counter.
Inc first conscious impulse of every
oody seemed to be to glance suspi-
ciously around the room. The four
young men at the bar, Jimmy and one
waiter, Francis and Sir Timothy Brast,
were its only occupants.
say, you know, that's bit thick,
isn't ltY' Sidney Voss stammered at
last i wasn't in the place at all,
was in Manchester, but it's a bit rough
on these other chaps, Victor's pals"
J. was dining at the Cafe Royal"
Jacks declared, loudly.
Morse drew a little breath.
Every one knows that 1 was at
Brighton" he muttered.
I went home directly the bar here
Closed Jimmy said, in still dazed
tone. Il heard nothing about it till
the next morning"
"Alibis by the bushel," Fairfax
laughed harshly. GAS for me, l was
doing my show-every one knows that.
l was never in the place at ALL"
The murder was not committed in
the place." Francis commented calmly.
Fairfax slid off his stool. A spot of
col9r blazed in his pale cheeks, the
glass which he was holding snapped
in his fingers. He seemed suddenly
possessed.
4 say, what the hi are you get
ting at?" he cried "Are you accusing
me--or any of us-Victor's pals?"
accuse no one" Francis replied,
unSerturbed. "You invited a state
ment from me and l made it,"
sir Timothy Brast rose from his
place and made his way to the end
of the counter, next to Fairfax and
nearest Francis. He addressed the
former. There was an inscrutable
smile upon his lips, his manner was
reassuring.
Young gentleman" he begged,
pray do not disturb yourself. l will
answer for it that neither you nor any
of your friends are the objects of Mr..
Ledsams suspicion. Without a doubt,
it is l to whom his somewhat bold
statement refers
They all stared at him, immersed in
another crisis, bereft of speech He
tapped a cigarette upon the counter
and lit it. Fairfax, whose glass had
just been refilled by the bartender, was
still CHASTITY pale, shaking with nerv-
BUSINESS and breathing hoarsely.
Francis, tense and alert in his chair,
watched the speaker, but said moth
ing.
''You see," Sir Timothy continued,
addressing himself to the four young
men at the bar, 81 happen to have
two special aversions in life. One
is sweet champagne and the other am
ateur detectives-their stories, their
methods and everything about them.
l CHANGED to sit upstairs in the res
taurant, within hearing of Mr.. Ledsam
and his friend Mr. Wilmore, the novel
list, the other night, and l heard Mr..
Ledsam, very much to my chagrin,
announce his intention of abandoning
career in which he has, if he will
allow me to say. so,"-with a courte-
Gus bow to Francis-"attained con-
siderable distinction, to indulge in the
moth-eaten, Ramboyant and melodra-
matte antics of the lesser Sherlock
Holmes. 1 fear that could not resist
the opportunity of joking him about
his new avocation.'
Every one was listening intently,
including Shopland, who had just drift
ed into the room and subsidized into
chair near Francis.
81 moved my place, therefore," Sir
Timothy continued, 'and 1 whispered
in Mr. Ledsam's ear some rodomon-
planning to be the giant crime-detect-
or of the world, was by ambition the
archcriminal-or words to that effect
And to give emphasis to my words,
I wound up by prophesying a crime
in the immediate vicinity of the place
within a few hours"
"a somewhat significant prophecy
under the circumstances" Francis re-
marked, reaching out for dish of
sailed almonds and drawing them to-
wards him.
Sir Timothy shrugged his shoulders
deprecatingly.
81 will confess" he admitted, ''that
l had not in my mind an affair of
such dimensions. My harmless re-
mark, however. has produced cataclys-
mic effects. The conversation to which
I refer took place on the night of
young Bidlake's murder, and Mr.. Led
sam, with my somewhat, / confess,
bombastic words in his memory, has
pitched upon me as the bloodthirsty
murderer"