Evening star., 1925-06-28

80 from ten to twelve to nearly
twenty past you were in the Regis
try?"
@. @. looked at him penetratingly
from under his heavy gray eyebrows.
"Very well. 1t is necessary for me
to check all the statements 1 re-
ceive. will just ring up the registry
and get them to confirm those times y
He reached for the telephone.
Don't do that, sir"' The lad had
half-sprung from his chair.
"Why?"
II did not tell you the truth. sir"
| saw perSpiration on the boys brow;
once more his tongue moistened his
lips.
Then please tell me the truth now!"
Yes, sir. II did not go straight to
the registry. 1 slipped out Of the
building"
"Out of the building? Why"
ITO send telegram-at the post
office across the road in Parliament
street.
'To whom did you send that tele-
gram?"
It'd rather not say. sir"
Johnson The chiefs voice was
sharply stern. you will tell me at
once to whom you sent that telegram
The lad hesitated miserably. / saw
his hands clench and unclench them
selves, his face go white.
1T was to a money-lender. SIR" he
burst out after moment when his
voice seemed to have refused to func-
ton.
"A money-lender?"
"Yes-yeS, sir, II wanted to keep
it a secret. He was threatening to de-
nounce me to my chiefs if 1 did not
pay today-you know what that would
have meant, sir?" The boy spoke
hurriedly now. imploringly. 81 had
written to my sister. telling her all
about it. At a quarter to IL I re-
ceived a telegram from her-saying
she, would help me. Here 1t is, sir. i"
The lad fished out a crumpled tele-
gram from his pocket, held it out to
10. O., who took 1t without removing
his eyes from the soul under their
scrutiny. Il dashed across to the
post office to send telegram to him
telling him that my sister was paying
Ito take no action" The lad stop.
ped breathlessly, his eyes miserably on
Q. Q.'s inscrutable face.
The chief glanced at the telegram.
This is not very explicit he said.
1T merely says, All right, Vera That
might mean anything. Do you grasp
the point of this questioning. John
SOM"
Mono. SIR" the lad suffered. "I
IL don't think I do"
THE point is that Mr.. Arbuthnot
was murdered in his room at 10 min.
utes past ~. On your story, you left
the building at 10 minutes before the
hour. Where were you at 10 minutes
past?"
I'm the post Office, SIR
From 10 minutes to the hour to 10
l
II had to wait in a queue, sir"
| And then you returned to the reg
istry?"
Yes, sir I took the file said 1
wanted, and went back to my room.
1t was then I first heard the news
about poor Mr.. Arbuthnot. SIR
HIN! Well, the post office records
will prove the truth Of your state
ments. Your telegram will note the
time 1t was handed in. You say that
was 10 past?"
mo, sir. The telegram was handed
in quarter past. At 10 past I was
still waiting in the queue"
Quarter past? How long, Johnson,
did it actually take you to run down
from the corridor where your room is
situated, to the post Officer
| Under two minutes, sir"
And you are sure-quite sure
|
and not just after 10 minutes past
that you ran to the post office? The
implication in that question was ter.
ribly obvious.
Yes. sir
We'll, 1 am going to test the truth
of youi- story. Now listen to me-
| a GAIN the chief explained the
method he was going to employ
ITO answer is the only way of clear.
ing yourself from the suspicion that
now rests upon you" he said.
Yes. sir. But-believe me, sir-I
know nothing about poor Mr.. Ar.
! buthnot's death-nothing- swear to
you, sir" The lad was evidently hor.
ribly alarmed. II was in the post
office at the time. sir.''
Q. as eyes probed him.
Calm yourself, Mr.. johnson. And
concentrate your mind on putting, as
rapidly as possible. an associated word
to the word I shall give YOU
The boy gulped.
Bread"
Butter! He forced himself to the
strain of an answer. hit the natural
!; association which all his predecessors
had given.
Sear-dot-dot.
| SnOT6.
Horse!"-dot.do .dot.dot.
"Hoof.'
The chief finished his inquistion
examined the paper with the irregular
rows of dots, the final answers, com.
pared them with the records Of the
others.
The telephone bell rang sharply
@. @. took up the instrument.
. Hello? Yes-Quayne speak
ing Who's that? Oh, Sebright?
: . What? You've got your man?
!, Who is it.? Oglethorpe?" @. O.
smiled, grimly. Beware Of those
} clear cases. Sebright. They're often
only the mirror Of your own ideas
I'm afraid you'll have to release
Oglethorpe-with apologies. Yes
Why? Because 1 happen to have
caught the man, and it isn't Ogle
thorpe. III hand him over to you
presently. By the way. Sc
bright sgt' where 1, are you ringing aI up
Would you mind asking Mr.. Darcy
Vaughan to step round here again as
soon as possible? I've something i'm
| portant to speak to him about
Thanks" Q. @. put back the receiver
* X *
'lVoUNG JOHNSON had sprung tc
l. his feet, stood quivering while O.
@. talked. I watched him narrowly
my muscles tense to leap on him
should he offer a sudden violence
There was wild look in his fright
ened eyes.
II didn't do it, SIR" he STAN
mered
The chief smiled at him.
II know you didn't he said.
"Then-then-why have you asked
Mr.. Vaughan to come here, sir:
| vo,,,ya mot eyo;po toI him, a hol1f