Evening star., 1927-12-06

| first is because you are morally re-
sponsible for Mr.. Marlin's death, and
the second is because YOU are-what
you are-and as such. from the mo-
ment YOU say good-by to her here,
you are going out OF Polly's life for
ever"
Capt. Francis Newcombe came still
step nearer.
! Lockes eyes had not left the others
face He read a cold, ugly glitter in
the gaze that held on his; he saw the
curious whitening of the others lips
and knotted fist suddenly drawn
back to strike. And with lightning
movement Locke caught the others
wrist and flung the blow aside.
| Don't do that he said in a dead
tone. God knows, it's hard enough
to keep my hands off you as it is;
but what is between you and me Is
not measured, or in any way altered
| by a brawl-and besides l cannot
brawl here in this house where Mr..
Marlin lies dead, and where there is
already distress enough"
For moment Capt. Francis New.
combe did not speak; then abruptly
| he began to laugh, and, stepping over
| to a chair at the end of the table,
flung himself nonchalantly into it.
upon my soul. Locke" he said
coolly, what l said at first in jest,
believe now must be true. / believe
you've gone completely off your head.
I'd like to hear why you think / am
morally responsible for Mr.. Martins
death: and, particularly. I'd like to
know what"
Locke, with a set face. "You are
trl f,{y
| sense of morbid vanity in you, that
they say all criminals possess, grant
at once that you are as clever a
| scoundrel. and as miserable and in.
human and INSCRIPTIONS a one, as
| ever blasphemed the image in which
God made him."
| Capt Francis Newcombe strained
upward from the chair, his lips work
ing-but Locke stood over him now
and pushed him back.
Don't get up.' he said with savage
| curtness. You are going to hear
| more than that before 1 am through.
| I said you were clever-but your clev.
| erness will do you no good here. This
| is the end, Newcombe. You took
child out of the slums of London
bought her in some unholy fashion,
/ imagine, from a woman named Mrs.
Wickes; you sent the child out of
England to America, and educated
her in a school, especially selected !
also imagine, where she would be
brought into intimate contact with
and form her friendships among the
daughters of wealthy Americans of
high social position. Why! In the
light of what has happened, the an.
swer is plain enough: That you might
use her introduction into these homes
as an entree for yourself to further
your own criminal purposes.
Locke paused.
A cold sneer had gathered on Capt.
Francis Newcombe's lips.
You employed the word imagine
on both counts" he said. II con.
graduate YOU"
| may even employ it again. I am not
imagining, however, when say that
you received a letter from Polly telling
you that Mr.. Marlin had half a mil.
lion dollars in cash here on this island.
and"
did Polly tell you that?" de.
manded Capt. Francis Newcombe
sharply.
"Innocently-yes," Locke answered.
And in her letter she also told Won
all about everything here to use her
own words, which could not help but
embrace the fact that Mr.. Marlin was
not right in his mind-yet, strangely
enough. in the smoking room of the
inner, you will perhaps remember, YOU
| had had no idea of any such thing
and even expressed anxiety for the
safety OF your ward"
Capt. Francis Newcombe was pains.
takingly polishing the fingernails of
one hand on the palm of the other
now. iei
| one might possibly conceive a man
TO be eccentric and attribute his idio.
syncrasies to that cause-without
thought of classifying him as a ravinp
lunatic," he observed in bored voice
| Locke shrugged his shoulders.
=, Ferhaps there is better expla ma
tion OF your mistake" he said evenly.
you did not, at that time, have the
snshtest IDEA that l, too, would be
one or the party on his island"
capt. Francis Newcombe looked I'm
from his fingernails. Np
Did you?" he inquired SOFTLY.
Yes. said Locke curtly.
AM Capt. Francis Newcombe
WIN eyes half closed now, studied
Lockes race for a full minute before
ne spoke again. II am BECOMING
rather curious as to Just who vo,,
are, Locke" he murmured finally.
You ought to know" Locke re.
sponoed grimly. Il imagine it was
you you VINO went through my papers
that night in my cabin"
Ihat Is the third time" suggested
Capt. FRANCIS Newcombe, that vou
have said imagine " w"
Yes" Locke smiled without ~,
NOR. Il happen to know. however
that from the moment of your arriva !
mere Mr.. Marlin became more and
more onsessed with the belief that he
was being watched and followed 7
KNOW from his own statement that he
rather cunningly laid a false trail
10 an old hut in the woods behind
tne mouse. wasn't it, Newcombe? And
rs rather conclusive evidence.
snoulo say, that the man who followed
tnat trail was the man who was
watching Mr.. Marlin. 1 saw you com.
ing from that direction at 3 o'clock
tnls morning. You were unsuccessful
Oh course; but you are none the less
as said before, morally responsible
Tor Mr. Martins DEATH"
tapt. Francis Newcombe leaned
, PACK IN his chair. and laughed softly
. insolently, contemptuously.
AS l understand that indictment. >
, he said coolly, 'it is to the effect tba
l left London for the purpose of com
, ing here and stealing some none,
that l knew a madman had hidden
q The evidence against me is from be
ginning to end purely circumstantial
= and most Of it is admittedly imagina
i tive. The one 'damning' fact adducet
. Is that was seen coming from some
\ where at o'clock this morning.
. This is a bit thick, Locke-comin,
from YOU" His voice was herinp;p.
4 to lose its suavity. "You don't imag
inc, do you, that any such case a.
4 that would hold water for an instan
:. in any court of law"
e No. said Locke quiatIy: Il know