Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-04

uous. and stepped little fA.,-er INTO
the deep shadow of the large uaH nee
near the curb. He was diatin-
suished looking man, with a close
cropped mustache. quite gray at 30. Il
steel-gray eye. a colorless skin and a
smile that some clever deputante had
said resembled the silver plate on a
coffin.
Except for an occasional smoothly
gliding limousine, the wide asphaited
street with its opposing rows OF hand
some residences was almost deserted
lie had moved for a moment into the
light of the corner arc lamp in order
to refer to his watch. It was $50
The tree beneath which he stood
was about 80 feet from the corner
but he had clear line of vision 70
where on the street running at right
angles. the porch lights threw into
white prominence the broad steps and
soaring doc way Of the club,
StandiSh tneW that in accordance
with his usual custom. Irving Brent
within few minutes would come
down the club steps and walk briskly
toward this corner where his car was
parked And he knew. from repeated
experiments with a stop watch. at
exactly what point he should leave
his shadow so as to meet Brent, as II
by accident, at the outer rim OF the
corner lamps radiance, He stood
and waited with characteristic cool
ness and patience. With his gloyed
left hand he could feel through the
folds of cloth the automatic revolver,
capped with a Maxim silencer. lying
snugly in the left side pocket of his
dinner jacket.
= * i
LIE was cool because in his brilliant
and orderly mind the perfectly
joined details Of his plan stood out
with the distinctiveness of blue
print. If it did not work tonight. it
would work tomorrow night or the
night after
He did not call his plan murder"
OF course he rea; lied that society
would call ii murd AZ if society ever
discovered the fac :. But his plan
was merely the logical next step in
his memorable determination TO
achieve for himself the material luNu-
ries and the leisure that he felt were
due him.
Irving Brent's tall thick figure,
easily recognizable, came down the
club steps. turned and began walk
ing toward the corner. When he
should reach the brass trehydrant
at the end of the club property, and
start to cross the street diagonally,
Standish would begin walking TO
meet him.
With AN acute fash Standish
realized that his r!an had left the
field of theorr and was to he put to
the acid test of action. He had
full confidence as to the outcome.
For years, long before his own plan
had occurred to him, as an amuse-
ment he had made an exhaustive
study of cases Of premeditated homi-
eide. and he had come to the con-
cluSon that failure to cover up ones
tracks was always due either to lack
of skill or to overlooking some inn
portant detail in a time of nervous
tension. In a word, it was due to
stupidity. Standish had little tolera-
ton for stupidity. He could not
imagine an occa sion upon which he
might become SO excited as to over
look a previously thought out detail.
The beauty of his present plan was
it's simplicity. 1t was 80 simple and
obvious that no one before had ever
thought of it. In all previous homi-
eide cases a motive was almost imme-
diately apparent. And the motive
led to the culnrit. In his plan there
was absolutely nothing in the form
of ii motive to connect him with
Irving Brent.
He had decided some time since
that there was no chance of making
any money out Of his small business.
where he bought and sold securities
on commission, and loaned ont his
own limited capital. And then he
had formed his present plan. Irving
Brent had Just interested himself in
the Consolidated Steel F'oundries, and
its stock had shot suddenly skyward
on the exchange solely by reason of
Brents reputation. Brent was known
never to interest himself in a venture
unless it promised large returns; and
he had never scored a failure. If
Brent should suddenly die Commit
suicide. for eXample) the Consolidated
Steel Foundries stock would drop in
the same rocket-like fashion that it
had assembled. If one were to have
secret advance notice of Brent'S
death he could sell Consolidated short
on the exchange and clean up a
fortune.
This was one reason for selecting
Brent. The second was that he and
Brent had no interests in common
that might possibly suggest a motive.
He knew Brent and Brent knew him.
quite casually. They would see each
other occasionally at the theater or
across the room at the club. And
that was all. They did not call upon
the same woman. They had never
played cards or even billiards to-
gether. No one had ever seen them
alone in conversation. There was alb
solutely no connection between them
except the accidental fact that they
happened to belong to the same club
WHEN Brent reached the brass
fire -hydrant he turned and
came diagonally across the street to-
ward the corner At the same time
Standish walked to the corner, turned
to the left and crossed the street.
His course met Brent's just where
he had planned. There was light
enough for Brent to recognize him,
but not enough for the two of them
to be distinguiShable from the club
porch
Hello, there" he said to Brent
IT was just thinking about you"
''Yes?" Brent swung to a stop in
a fashion Enthusiastically vigorous.
Aren't you interested in rare
coins?"
Its my only hobby. I'm not in
terested in them, l am raving mad
about them. Brent's teeth showed
white VI the dusk as he laughted
shortly.
How would you like to see a
copper coin issued by some Egyptian
emperor before the pyramids? H. is
stamped with pyramid in process Of
being built"
There amt no such COIN" cuckled
Brent. "If you've really got it, it's
the discovery of the century. Where
is it?'
"At my Office"
when can see It? Where is your
Office? What's the matter with going
down there now"
Htandish had counted upon just
such typical impetuoSity.