The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-09-28
Chapter 42
SUDDEN DEATH

of Dr. EaStleyS injections or HllH- istrations was to any avail. He gave it up at last
 Laxton, who had stood beside him, said:
 "We must get him out of this Eastley you and will see to It. The others stay here"
 He summoned the sentry at the door
 .3"Go and tell the servants that MT. Fotherbury has had stroke and is unconscious. Bring back one. Send another to tell young Fotherbury We're going to take him to his room"
 The man returned with the frightened Ferris. Laxton, East ley and the footman carried MT. Fotherbury away. The door closed behind them.
 Redslade, Somerfield and l were left in the library. Somerfield and | sat quietly down. Neither of us spoke. Minutes dragged by till 
 I.axton came in, now alone.
 He took his former place and re- garded us for a few moments with wrinkled face.
 "A damnable evening"" said he. The words broke the spell which had paralyzed our speech. T could kick myself! He was too quick for us all A short way out of the maze for Fotherbury! Perhaps the best way for all of usP"
 He looked the question at Red slade.
 @Certainly it was" said Redslade, harshly. Tt settles everything" '"
 Whatever Redslade thought, for me and Somerfield it had settled nothing. In the scene just passed Layton had deliberately accused Fotherbury of murdering Pell, and Fothcrbury had pleaded guilty in the most convincing way open to him.
 This business had me guessing before" Somerfield said, breaking a silence of several moments. And whats happened now gets me to guessing harder than ever, profess sor."
 That SOP" Laxton asked T thought that when asked MT. Grenofen to send that message to MT. Redslade, you saw through it. I said there was somebody in the background behind Marling - no question of that. I'll tell you now got at him"
 And Laxton told us--in series of jumps.
 From the first hint of connec- ton between Pell and the escaped prisoner, to his glimpse of rough looking customer with a black bag in the Woodcot lane :.
 i From the puzzle of that midnight digging to Fotherbury's anxiety ovel the book ..
 From the manifest abSurdity ol the theory of Roman remains to tht conviction that Fotherbury knew i was absurd and that it cloakec some other design.
 < From his own adventure in tht corridor at Newplace to the cer' tainty that his assailant knew tht house like book, and therefore his first suspicion about the iden tity of the escaped prisoner.
 Then" I interrupted, almost a soon as Pell was killed you hat Fotherbury and Redslade and som' link between them in your mind? .,"Only as shadows" Laxton said "till the eabroke-Grenofen-Red slade combination put me on th' firm trail. I knew that Pell wa not shot by his ghost because th' ghost was working hand in glov' with Pell. knew Marling for fraud. So I had the Dover affai looked into. It had taken plac' immediately after the sale of New place by Smithins to Fotherbury.
 We couldn't quite see, when w got that letter from you what ha put you on to Ostend," l inter 5ected.
 "Just circumstantial things. had report on the suicide of Red slade."
 In the end, what we unearthed a Ostend settled I.axton's last dout about the personality of the fugi tive.
 Towering between two theories c the murder of Pell-a Marling theo ry and a Fotherbury theory-h resolved to take a short cut an call in the only man in a positio to settle the question, Redslade.
 Redslade was able to i'll tn blanks by telling the story C Rell's life after his release frof prison.
 twas Pell duping Fotherbury a the time he was here?"
 somerfield put in the question.
 .Peil couldn't possibly dupe Una suaye old scoundrel," said Laxtoi