Evening star., 1927-12-04


ciously twisted at the flesh
- in which his fingers were
enmeshed. I'm going to
have the whole story now-or else
you'll follow Paul Cremarre. You've
seen enough in the last three years TO
know that / never make an ldle
threat. 1t will be quite simple. You
will disappear. I myself will be the
most solicitous of all about your dis
appearance. 1t would never be attrlb-
uted to me. Is it quite plain, Kun
nells? You deserve it, anyway! Fer
haps it's a waste of time to do any
thing but get rid of you now before
daylight. I'd rather like to do it.
Runnells. It's rather bad policy to
give a man a chance to stab you
second time in the back"
The man was almost in a state OF
collapse, Capt. Francis Newcombe
loosened his hold, and. standing back
a little and toying with caressing
fingers at his revolver's mechanism.
surveyed the other with eyes that in
meditation now were utterly calious.
IL know you'd do it." RunnellS,
easping for his breath, blurted out his
words wildly. II know it wouldn't do
me any good TO lie--but l amt lying.
Can't YOU believe me? / wasn't in it
at all never knew Paul was on the
island until just now"
GO on" encouraged Capt. Francis
Newcombe ironically. 80 it wasn't
you who telephoned Polly from the
boathouse here little while ago."
Runnells' eyes widened.
Me? Nor' he cried out vehement
ly Il haven't been near here.
Can't. Francis Newcombe frowned.
He knew Runnells and Runnells'
caliber intimately and well. The
mans surprise was genuine. Another
angle! It was possible of course. that
Paul Cremarre had been playing a
lone hand; but against that was Run
nells' own actions tonight. Well, as 1T
stood now, it was a very simple mat
ter to put Runnells' sincerity, or in
sincerity. to the proof.
No, of course not"' he observed
causfically Il didn't expect you to
admit it, Why don't you tell me you
spent the evening playing solitaire,
then went TO bed and slept like child
until l raped on your door?'
Runnells lifted miserable, hunted
eyes to Capt. Francis Newcombe's
face
Because I'm only telling the
truth" he said. with frantic insistence
in his voice. And that wouldn't be
the truth. I'll tell you everything
everything. You can see for yourself
it's Gawd's fact. / wasn't asleep when
you knocked. / had been out of my
room but | hadn't been out of tho
house, and I hadn't been i'm bed more
than 10 minutes when i heard you ut
the door"
You rather surprise me. Runnells,
said Capt Francis Newcombe coOlly.
Not at what you say, for l was
standing in the hall whensyou entered
your room-but that for once you are
guilty of an honest statement. Go on.
What were you doing around the
house?"
Runnells gulped, nervously massag.
ing his pinched throat.
Il got to go back to before we left
London. if I'm going to make clean
breast of it, he said, searching Capt.
Francis NewcOmbes 8 face anXiouSly.
II knew then about the money out
here. There was letter under your
pillow the day you got back from
Cloverley's and when / propped you
up in bed for your lunch II took it,
and read it while ] was feeding YOU
your His words were blotted out
in a sudden cry of fear. He was star
ing into revolver muZzle thrust close
to his face, and behind the revolver
We're a pair of eyes that burned like
living Goals. For Gawd's sake" he.
shrieked out, "captain-don'
Capt Francis Newcombe dropped
the revolver to his side again.
You are quite right. Runnells."
he said whimsically. 1T would be
inexcusable to stem any tide of verac-
ity flowing from you. Well?''
Il got to make you believe I'm tell.
ing the truth" choked Runnells.
"and-and l know now / have. /
n hi 70 DO n
Il was keeping it to myself. And
Paul didn't say anything to me. |
didn't know he knew about it. and
don't know now how he found out
but | suppose he must have. somehow,
for / suppose that's what brought him
here. AS for me. what I read in that
letter didn't make any difference after
all. because the minute | got here ]
knew what everybody else knew-that
the dippy old bird had got half
million dollars hidden away some
where" He hesitated a moment.
drawing the back of his hand several
times to and fro across his lips. well.
that's what | was doing tonight. and
that's what ] was doing last night ]
was searching the house trying to
find out where he'd hidden the money.
But I didn't find it."
No" said Capt. Francis Newcomhe
grimly: I'm quite sure you didn't
But il you had. Runnells-wha+
then"
Tim not sure" Runnells licked
at his lips again. II know what YOU
mean. lit would have depended
on you. You told me before we left
London that on account of the girl
being your ward we weren't to do any
thing slippery IN America. and if I'd
made sure of that and was sure YOU
wouldn't come in on the job, then Id
have copDed the swag and got away
with il if ] could: but if YOU would
have come in then Id have told you
where 1t was"