the agony column-第5部分

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〃I'm　sorry；〃　Bray　remarked　in　a　moment；　his　eyes　still　shifting　about　the　room　…　〃　especially　as　England　may　soon　have　great　need　of　men　like　the　captain。　　Now；　gentlemen；　I　want　to　say　this：　I　am　the　Chief　of　the　Special　Branch　at　the　Yard。　　This　is　no　ordinary　murder。　　For　reasons　I　can　not　disclose　…　and；　I　may　add；　for　the　best　interests　of　the　empire　…　news　of　the　captain's　tragic　death　must　be　kept　for　the　present　out　of　the　newspapers。　　I　mean；　of　course；　the　manner　of　his　going。　　A　mere　death　notice；　you　understand　…　the　inference　being　that　it　was　a　natural　taking　off。〃

〃I　understand；〃　said　the　lieutenant；　as　one　who　knows　more　than　he　tells。

〃Thank　you；〃　said　Bray。　　〃I　shall　leave　you　to　attend　to　the　matter；　as　far　as　your　family　is　concerned。　　You　will　take　charge　of　the　body。　　As　for　the　rest　of　you；　I　forbid　you　to　mention　this　matter　outside。〃

And　now　Bray　stood　looking；　with　a　puzzled　air；　at　me。

〃You　are　an　American？〃　he　said；　and　I　judged　he　did　not　care　for　Americans。

〃I　am；〃　I　told　him。

〃Know　any　one　at　your　consulate？〃　he　demanded。

Thank　heaven；　I　did！　　There　is　an　under…secretary　there　named　Watson　…　I　went　to　college　with　him。　　I　mentioned　him　to　Bray。

〃Very　good；〃　said　the　inspector。　　〃You　are　free　to　go。　　But　you　must　understand　that　you　are　an　important　witness　in　this　case；　and　if　you　attempt　to　leave　London　you　will　be　locked　up。〃

So　I　came　back　to　my　rooms；　horribly　entangled　in　a　mystery　that　is　little　to　my　liking。　　I　have　been　sitting　here　in　my　study　for　some　time；　going　over　it　again　and　again。　　There　have　been　many　footsteps　on　the　stairs；　many　voices　in　the　hall。

Waiting　here　for　the　dawn；　I　have　come　to　be　very　sorry　for　the　cold　handsome　captain。　　After　all；　he　was　a　man；　his　very　tread　on　the　floor　above；　which　it　shall　never　hear　again；　told　me　that。

What　does　it　all　mean？　　Who　was　the　man　in　the　hall；　the　man　who　had　argued　so　loudly；　who　had　struck　so　surely　with　that　queer　Indian　knife？　　Where　is　the　knife　now？

And；　above　all；　what　do　the　white　asters　signify？　　And　the　scarab　scarf…pin？　　And　that　absurd　Homburg　hat？

Lady　of　the　Canton；　you　wanted　mystery。　　When　I　wrote　that　first　letter　to　you；　little　did　I　dream　that　I　should　soon　have　it　to　give　you　in　overwhelming　measure。

And　…　believe　me　when　I　say　it　…　through　all　this　your　face　has　been　constantly　before　me　…　your　face　as　I　saw　it　that　bright　morning　in　the　hotel　breakfast　room。　　You　have　forgiven　me；　I　know；　for　the　manner　in　which　I　addressed　you。　　I　had　seen　your　eyes　and　the　temptation　was　great　…　very　great。

It　is　dawn　in　the　garden　now　and　London　is　beginning　to　stir。　　So　this　time　it　is　…　good　morning；　my　lady。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　STRAWBERRY　MAN。



CHAPTER　IV

It　is　hardly　necessary　to　intimate　that　this　letter　came　as　something　of　a　shock　to　the　young　woman　who　received　it。　　　For　the　rest　of　that　day　the　many　sights　of　London　held　little　interest　for　her　…　so　little；　indeed；　that　her　perspiring　father　began　to　see　visions　of　his　beloved　Texas；　and　once　hopefully　suggested　an　early　return　home。　　The　coolness　with　which　this　idea　was　received　plainly　showed　him　that　he　was　on　the　wrong　track；　so　he　sighed　and　sought　solace　at　the　bar。

That　night　the　two　from　Texas　attended　His　Majesty's　Theater；　where　Bernard　Shaw's　latest　play　was　being　performed；　and　the　witty　Irishman　would　have　been　annoyed　to　see　the　scant　attention　one　lovely　young　American　in　the　audience　gave　his　lines。　　The　American　in　question　retired　at　midnight；　with　eager　thoughts　turned　toward　the　morning。

And　she　was　not　disappointed。　　When　her　maid；　a　stolid　Englishwoman；　appeared　at　her　bedside　early　Saturday　she　carried　a　letter；　which　she　handed　over；　with　the　turned…up　nose　of　one　who　aids　but　does　not　approve。　　Quickly　the　girl　tore　it　open。

DEAR　Texas　LADY：　I　am　writing　this　late　in　the　afternoon。　　The　sun　is　casting　long　black　shadows　on　the　garden　lawn；　and　the　whole　world　is　so　bright　and　matter…of…fact　I　have　to　argue　with　myself　to　be　convinced　that　the　events　of　that　tragic　night　through　which　I　passed　really　happened。

The　newspapers　this　morning　helped　to　make　it　all　seem　a　dream；　not　a　line　…　not　a　word；　that　I　can　find。　　When　I　think　of　America；　and　how　by　this　time　the　reporters　would　be　swarming　through　our　house　if　this　thing　had　happened　over　there；　I　am　the　more　astonished。　But　then；　I　know　these　English　papers。　　The　great　Joe　Chamberlain　died　the　other　night　at　ten；　and　it　was　noon　the　next　day　when　the　first　paper　to　carry　the　story　appeared　…　screaming　loudly　that　it　had　scored　a　beat。　　It　had。　　Other　lands；　other　methods。

It　was　probably　not　difficult　for　Bray　to　keep　journalists　such　as　these　in　the　dark。　　So　their　great　ungainly　sheets　come　out　in　total　ignorance　of　a　remarkable　story　in　Adelphi　Terrace。　　Famished　for　real　news；　they　begin　to　hint　at　a　huge　war　cloud　on　the　horizon。　Because　tottering　Austria　has　declared　war　on　tiny　Serbia；　because　the　Kaiser　is　to…day　hurrying；　with　his　best　dramatic　effect；　home　to　Berlin；　they　see　all　Europe　shortly　bathed　in　blood。　　A　nightmare　born　of　torrid　days　and　tossing　nights！

But　it　is　of　the　affair　in　Adelphi　Terrace　that　you　no　doubt　want　to　hear。　　One　sequel　of　the　tragedy；　which　adds　immeasurably　to　the　mystery　of　it　all；　has　occurred；　and　I　alone　am　responsible　for　its　discovery。　　But　to　go　back：

I　returned　from　mailing　your　letter　at　dawn　this　morning；　very　tired　from　the　tension　of　the　night。　　I　went　to　bed；　but　could　not　sleep。　　More　and　more　it　was　preying　on　my　mind　that　I　was　in　a　most　unhappy　position。　　I　had　not　liked　the　looks　cast　at　me　by　Inspector　Bray；　or　his　voice　when　he　asked　how　I　came　to　live　in　this　house。　I　told　myself　I　should　not　be　safe　until　the　real　murderer　of　the　poor　captain　was　found；　and　so　I　began　to　puzzle　over　the　few　clues　in　the　case　…　especially　over　the　asters；　the　scarab　pin　and　the　Homburg　hat。

It　was　then　I　remembered　the　four　copies　of　the　Daily　Mail　that　Bray　had　casually　thrown　into　the　waste…basket　as　of　no　interest。　I　had　glanced　over　his　shoulder　as　he　examined　these　papers；　and　had　seen　that　each　of　them　was　folded　so　that　our　favorite　department　　…　the　Agony　Column　…　was　uppermost。　　It　happened　I　had　in　my　desk　copies　of　the　Mail　for　the　past　week。　　You　will　understand　why。

I　rose；　found　those　papers；　and　began　to　read。　　It　was　then　that　I　made　the　astounding　discovery　to　which　I　have　alluded。

For　a　time　after　making　it　I　was　dumb　with　amazement；　so　that　no　course　of　action　came　readily　to　mind。　　In　the　end　I　decided　that　the　thing　for　me　to　do　was　to　wait　for　Bray's　return　in　the　morning　and　then　point　out　to　him　the　error　he　had　made　in　ignoring　the　Mail。

Bray　came　in　about　eight　o'clock　and　a　few　minutes　later　I　heard　another　man　ascend　the　stairs。　　I　was　shaving　at　the　time；　but　I　quickly　completed　the　operation　and；　slipping　on　a　bathrobe；　hurried　up　to　the　captain　s　rooms。　　The　younger　brother　had　seen　to　the　removal　of　the　unfortunate　man's　body　in　the　night；　and；　aside　from　Bray　and　the　stranger　who　had　arrived　almost　simultaneously　with　him；　there　was　no　one　but　a　sleepy…eyed　constable　there。

Bray's　greeting　was　decidedly　grouchy。　　The　stranger；　however　…　a　tall　bronzed　man　…　made　himself　known　to　me　in　the　most　cordial　manner。　　He　told　me　he　was　Colonel　Hughes；　a　close　friend　of　the　dead　man；　and　that；　unutterably　shocked　and　grieved；　he　had　come　to　inquire　whether　there　was　anything　he　might　do。　　〃Inspector；〃　said　I；　〃last　night　in　this　room　you　held　in　your　hand　four　copies　of　the　Daily　Mail。　　You　tossed　them　into　that　basket　as　of　no　account。　May　I　suggest　that　you　rescue　those　copies；　as　I　have　a　rather　startling　matter　to　make　clear　to　you？〃　　Too　grand　an　official　to　stoop　to　a　waste…basket；　he　nodded　to　the　constable。　　The　latter　brought　the　papers；　and；　selecting　one　from　the　lot；　I　spread　it　out　on　the　table。　　〃The　issue　of　July　twenty…seventh；〃　I　said。

I　pointed　to　an　item　half…way　down　the　column　of　Personal　Notices。　You　yourself；　my　lady；　may　read　it　there　if　you　happen　to　have　saved　a　copy。　　It　ran　as　follows：

〃RANGOON：　The　asters　are　in　full　bloom　in　the　garden　at　Canterbury。　They　are　very　beautiful　…　especially　the　white　ones。〃

Bray　grunted；　and　opened　his　little　eyes。　　I　took　up　the　issue　of　the　following　day　…　the　twenty…eighth：

〃RANGOON：　We　have　been　forced　to　sell　father's　stick…pin　…　the　emerald　scarab　he　brought　home　from　Cairo。〃

I　had　Bray's　interest　now。　　He　leaned　heavily　toward　me；　puffing。　Greatly　excited；　I　held　before　his　eyes　the　issue　of　the　twenty…ninth：

〃RANGOON：　Homburg　hat　gone　forever　…　caught　by　a　breeze　…　into　the　river。〃

〃And　finally；〃　said　I　to　the　inspector；　〃the　last　message　of　all；　in　the　issue　of　the　thirtieth　of　July　…　on　sale　in　the　streets　some　twelve　hours　before　Fraser…Freer　was　murdered。　　See！〃

〃RANGOON：　To…night　at　ten。　　Regent　Street。　　…　Y。0。G。〃

Bray　was　silent。

〃I　take　it　you　are　aware；　Inspector；〃　I　said；　〃that　for　the　past　two　years　Captain　Fraser…Freer　was　stationed　at　Rangoon。〃

Still　he　said　nothing；　just　looked　at　me　with　those　foxy　little　eyes　that　I　was　coming　to　detest。　　At　last　he　spoke　sharply：

〃Just　how；〃　he　demanded；　〃did　you　happen　to　discover　those　messages？　You　were　not　in　this　room　last　night　after　I　left？〃　　He　turned　angrily　to　the　constable。　　〃I　gave　orders　…　〃

〃No；〃　I　put　in；　〃I　was　not　in　this　room。　　I　happened　to　have　on　file　in　my　rooms　copies　of　the　Mail；　and　by　the　merest　chance　…　〃

I　saw　that　I　had　blundered。　　Undoubtedly　my　discovery　of　those　messages　was　too　pat。　　Once　again　suspicion　looked　my　way。

〃Thank　you　very　much；〃　said　Bray。　　〃I'll　keep　this　in　mind。〃

〃Have　you　communicated　with　my　friend　at　the　consulate？〃　I　asked。

〃Yes。　　That's　all。　　Good　morning。〃

So　I　went。

I　had　been　back　in　my　room　some　twenty　minutes　when　there　came　a　knock　on　the　door；　and　Colonel　Hughes　entered。　　He　was　a　genial　man；　in　the　early　forties　I　should　say；　tanned　by　some　sun　not　English；　and　gray　at　the　temples。

〃My　dear　sir；〃　he　said　without　preamble；　〃this　is　a　most　appalling　business！〃

〃Decidedly；〃　I　answered。　　〃Will　you　sit　down？〃

〃Thank　you。〃　He　sat　and　gazed　frankly　into　my　eyes。　　〃Policemen；〃