Evening star., 1925-06-28

shortest intervals of any-tin we come
to those same vital words. And then
there is a sudden seventy-f1ve to a
hundred per cent increase-almost
| imperceptible while he spoke. but
, evident enough here. Moreover
| automatically in his first quickness
| he gave the curious association hide
to the word 'cupboard-the only one
| to do so; after that, recognizing his
| slip, he was on his guard-a little too
much on his guard" He chuckled
Mr.. Creighton
(which man, sir?"
"Mr. Darcy Vaughan"
Darcy Vaughan!" I echoed the
| name in astonishment. Mr.. Vaughan
| had seemed to me the most normal of
any Of those six men who had sat in
that chair-his answers unvarying in
| their glib rapidity. "And-you're 60
ing to arrest him. sir? Directly he
| of imminent crisis.
mot quite as soon as that, Mr..
| Creighton. What 1 have here Is evil
dence enough for myself. But it is
not legal evidence. I'm going to get
| that legal evidence. I'm going to get
| a. signed confession" His tone was
curt with a confidence I did not share.
| Q. Q. leaned back in his chair and
smiled at me with a grim blandness.
| You've heard of the third degree,
| suppose? 1t usually implies some
| physical pain to the prisoner under
examination. We're a little too civil
ized for that. I'm going to put Mr..
| DARCY Vaughan through what we
may call the fourth degree-consider
ably more subtle and quite as effica-
cious."
II don't understand. sir. Do come
in on this?"
| "You, Mr.. Creighton, will merely
quietly get up and lock that door be-
hind Mr.. Vaughan when he enters,
and then you will return to your desk
and get on with your work in abso.
lutte silence. You will not utter q
| word, unless I speak to you"
| very good, sir"
The office telephone bell rang, star.
ting me in the tension Of my nerves
The Chief answered 1t.
| 'Mr. Darcy Vaughan? Show him
in, please"
| The door opened. Mr.. darcy
| Vaughan, sprucely elegant, his mon
ocle in place, his good-looking features
happily serene, entered the room.
rose, went unobstrusively behind him
locked the door, returned to my place
Mr.. Vaughan advanced toward @. @.
| well. Mr.. Quayne," he said, IN a
voice that struck me as oddly cheer
| full for a man whose Office had been
the scene Of such tragic events
you've heard what's happened in this
terrible business? They've arrested
Oglethorpe-poor. queer old Ogle
thorpe, / would never have believed
it possible, but Scotland Yard seems
quite certain-and it knows It's bust
ness, suppose. Awful, Terrible
| terribler'
Yes, I had heard" replied Q. @
coolly.
| Mr.. Vaughan sat down in the chair
carefully deposited his glossy silk hat
on a corner Of Q. as desk. and casu
ally crossed one nicely creased trouser
| leg over the other. II he was indeed
the man. could not but admire his
perfect aploHb.
| And now. Mr.. Quayne," he said
before we come to whatever you
want to see me about, there's a little
| thing I'm curious to know. Did the
results Of your psycho-analytic test by
any chance coincide with those of the
police?"
Q. Q. leaned back in his chair
tapped his fiinger-tips together.
| No" he replied. they did not"
Mr.. Vaughan smiled.
"Ah?" His tone politely indicated 6
previous skepticism that was now jus
titled. Il trust you psycho-analysts
will have the grace to acknowledge
at least one failure OF your magic
methods"
"It was not a failure" O. Q. had
spoken these words in the quietest
most dulcet Of his tones. He rose
from his chair, stood erect, spoke ir
a voice that to me seemed like a
| tfhIInInrplor y, to CT fnr-ya xyot "a
mence. own up, Mr.. darcy
Vaughan! You're caught
1.-THE man had sprung up from his
chair also in an indignation that
whether real or simulated. was i'm
pressive in its apparent authenticity
What do YOU mean?" His voice
quivered, but it was with anger
What are you trying to suggest?'
Il am suggesting. Mr.. Darcy
| Vaughan,"-Q. Q.'s tone was sharply
explicit,-"that you are spy in your
own department. that you We're be
traying official secrets. that Mr.
Arbuthnot detected you. called you
into his room this morning as you
passed on your way to lunch and
taxed you with It, that he had the i'm
prudence, perhaps, to threaten you
possibly in self elf-defense-with his re
| volver during the alteration, that you
| seized that revolver and shot him
dead. that. hearing some one come tc
the door, you then sprang into the
clothes-cupboard and lodged out again
directly the coast was clear. Is thai
definite enough for your"
Mr.. Darcy Vaughan looked as
though he were going to strike his
accuser in the face. I saw his fists
clench, the lips go blanched under hi:
little dark mustache. He mastered
himself with an effort
Mr.. Quayne, IL you were a younger
man. I would thrash you for this out
rageous fmputation" he gasped in his
wrath. "As it is. you have chosen tc
utter this monstrous SANDER before 6
witness" He jerked his hand in my
direction. You shall hear from my
solicitors!' He strode toward the
door.
Fascinated, watched him as h,
reached 1t, tugged at the handle
twisted It in vain. Then he swung
round again, his face ablaze with
fury.
What does this mean?'
ut means. Mr.. Darcy Vaughan
said @. @. in his most coldly leve
tones, that you are prisoner in this
room until such time as you dictate
and sign your confession"
The man glared at him, livid. HI
could scarcely speak in the rage which
choked him.
This is an outrage monstrous
outrage! You dare, Mr.. Quayne-
you dare to subject a civil servant o,
my standing to this gross indignity
To illegal detention! Have care Mr.
Quayne! You are laying yourself oper
to an action which will fight through
court after court till ruin your
@. @. smiled grimly.
"You may have another case t