Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-07
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
By AGATHA CHRISTIE.


! but on the other side of the world. He
Is now in the Argentine"
"In the Argentine" said en-
viously,
have always wanted to go to South
| America. / sighed, and then looked
| up TO find Mr.. Porrott cycling me
| alphabetically. He seemed an UNI
derstanding little man.
You will go there, yes?' he asked.
| shook my head with a sigh.
II could have gone" | said, "a year
ago. But | was foolish-and worse
than foolish-greedy. I risked the
substance for the shadow"
II comprehend" said Mr.. Porrott.
You speculated?'
/ nodded mournfully, but in spite of
myself / felt secretly entertained.
This ridiculous little man was SO por-
tentously solemn.
Not the Porcupine Oilfelds?" he
asked suddenly.
| stared.
Il thought of them. as n matter of
fact. but in the end I pumped for a
gold mine in Western Australia"
My neighbor was regarding me with
a strange expression which ! could
not fathom.
1T is Fate" he said at last.
What is Fate?" I asked irritably.
THAT / should live next to man
who seriously considers Porcupine Oil
fields, and also West Australian Gold
Mines Tell me, have you also a pen
chant for auburn hair?"
stared at him open mouthed, and
he burst out laughing.
mo. no, it is not the insanity that
suffer from. Make your mind
easy. 1t was foolish question
that I put to you there, for, see
YOU. my friend of whom / spoke was
a young man. a man who thought all
women good and most of them beau
tiful. But YOU are man OF middle
age, doctor. man who knows the
folly and the vanity of most things in
this life of ours. Well, well, we are
neighbors. I beg of you to accept and
present to your excellent sister my
best marrow"
He stopped, and with flourish pro-
duced an immense specimen of the
tribe, which 1 duly accepted in the
spirit in which it was offered.
Indeed" said the little man, cheer
fully. this has not been a wasted
morning. I have made the acquain-
lance of a man who in some ways re-
sembles my far.off friend. BY the
way. 1 should like to ask you a ques-
ton. You doubtless know every one
in this tiny village. Who is the young
man with the very dark hair and eyes
and the handsome face? He walks
with his head flung back, and an easy
smile on his lips?"
The description left me in no doubt.
That must be Capt. Ralph Patton"
said slowly.
II have not seen him about here
before?"
mo: he has not been here for some
time. But he is the son--adopted son,
rather-of Mr.. Ackroyd of F'ernly
Park"
My neighbor made a slight gesture
"Of course. should have guessed.
Mr.. Ackroyd spoke of him many
tines
You know Mr.. Ackroyd?' I said,
slightly surprised.
my Acsroyd knew me in London
when / was at work there. / have
asked him to say nothing of my pro-
fession down here"
II see." I said, rather amused by
this patent snobbery, as I thought it.
But the little man went on with an
almost grandiloquent snirk.
"One prefers to remain incognito. /
"
not even troubled to correct the local
version of my name"
Indeed" I said, not knowing quite
what to say.
Capt Ralph Patton" unused Mr..
Porrott. And so he is engaged to
Mr.. Ackroyd's niece, the charming
Miss Flora
who told you so?'' / asked, very
much surprised.
Mr.. Ackroyd. About a week ago
He is very pleased about it--has long
desired that such a thing should come
to pass, or so / understood from him.
even believe that he brought some
pressure to bear upon the young man.
That is never wise. A young man
should marry to please himself-not
| to please a stepfather from whom he
has expectations.
My ideas were completely upset.
could not see Ackroyd taking hair
dresser. into his confidence, and dis
cussing the marriage of his niece and
stepson with him. Ackroyd extends a
genial patronage to the lower orders,
but he. has very great sense of his
Porrott couldn't be a hairdresser
after all.
| To hide my confusion, i said the
first thing that came into my head.
| what made you notice Ralph Pa
ton?- His good looks?"
mo; not that alone-though he is
unusually good-looking for an English
nan--what your lady novelists would
call a Greek god. No; there was
something about that young man that
/ did not understand"
He said the last sentence in a
musing tone of voice which made an
| indefnable impression upon me. 1t
was as though he was summing up
the boy by the light of some inner
knowledge that / did not share. 1t
was that impression that was left
with me, for at that moment my SIS
ter's voice called me from the house.
| I went in. Caroline had her hat on,
and had evidently just come In from
the village. She began without pre-.
amble.
| II met Mr.. Ackroyd."
| "Yes?" said.
IT stopped him. of course. but he
seemed in a great hurry, and anxious
| to get away"
| I have no doubt but that that was
the case He would feel toward Caro-
line much as he had felt toward Miss
Ganett earlier in the day--perhaps
more so. Caroline is less easy to
shake off.
1T asked him at once about Ralph.
He was absolutely astoniShed. Had
no idea the boy was down here. He
actually said he thought must have
made a mistake. II A mistaken
Ridiculous" said. HE ought to
have known you BETTER"
"Then he went on to tell me that
Ralph and Flora are engaged"
II know that, too,' / interrupted,
with modest pride.
who told your
"Our new neighbor."
Caroline visibly wavered for a sec.
ond or two, much as a roulette ball