TT THE KING ve W Vi J By B Y J J. J S. S S FLETCHER FL n ER Published Copyright Jan January ary 1924 1924 b by Second Alfred Mfred printing A A. A Knopf February Inc 1924 I I v Continued from esterday Just so o. o I Ill I'll l tell you all about It when weve we've eaten our or breakfast or whatever these people mean by Heres Here's a promising prom pom ising place and you can air your you Italian In a quiet corner of ot the restaurant restaurant rant which they entered Wines Wines- combe over the cigars and coffee e. e told oId Graye what he had done that morning The place in In the Via one one of ot the very new looking streets coming down from the theata ata station sta ta tion tion- tion he said to which I found a reference In the pocketbook that I mentioned to you proved to be as asto asto asto to the ground floor a a- shop given up to o the sale of ot newspapers small articles of ot stationery and nd picture postcards postcards especially especially the latter and very Improper and most shameless the majority of ot them ar are considering considering consid consid- ering ening that they are under the very shadow of ot St. St Pet Peter r himself elt And as to the upper floor let off f J in rooms to families or on bachelors The proprietor of ot the cartolina shop was a pleasant and merry gentleman gentleman gentleman gentle gentle- man who If It he had been picturesquely arrayed arrayed instead of being Ina in ina ina a much stained che cheap p suit of ot tweed and in his shirt sleeves would have looked like one of ot the brigands that you OU see In operas and he turned out to be landlord of ot the rooms rooms above h he also turned out to be a very fair speaker of at t French which language doctor I J fortunately can speak a as as well veIl as my own It was not too early to treat him to coffee cottee to a little glass glassand glassand and a cigar at a small across the street and when I had ex c explained p a n. f lew tew enin g s sto to tn hI mm him nu n h. h ne he ex c explained p a n. f lew tew enin g s sto to tn hI mm him nu n h. h ne he became quite communicative Yes Yes Yes- he remembered ered the the man man Carlo Cafferata Cat Caf quite well well was vas he not Carlos Carlo's Carlos Carlo's Car Car- los lo's landlord for toJ a period yes yes yes for some two months months and and though i iwas It was now seven seven years since Carlo had crossed the threshold for the Hie thelast thelast last time he remembered him a as all It If It were but yesterday And then he h told me what I had sus sus- Which was doctor that Carlo Cafferata was was a Sr What made you 0 sUlp suspect et that asked askel Graye f Never ever mind mindS I will tell teU you lter A Corsican He lie came cameto to Rome Rome Rome- that is is according to tp what he told m my d. d rom from Ajaccio to att attend nd certain Jaw law lecture lec lee ture tures He lIe w was s a n mn o ot simple life and ta tastes tates niu muc h SIV given study When he left Rom Romeo on that fatal tatal journey to a he left a lot of ot law boo books s In his keepIng keeping keeping keep keep- ing saying that he should be back in three weeks The landlord recognized rec rec- this pocketbook In which you ou see there is the gilt-embossed gilt stamp tamp of ot a stationer In the Corso I round the corner This stationer had a big clearance sale my In Informant Informant In- In Informant formant bought up a a job lot of ot odds and ends and was as able to sell sen pocketbooks like this for tor or two lire Cafferata bought this one I have bave no doubt that the man whom you OU saw at Graffi's Graffis that night of ot the fog tog who lodged In Soho Sobo with Al- Al whom we saw v lying shot jn in the upper room of ot that empty house was was the man ot or whom my man of ot t the e Via ale told me Not ot a doubt nor doubt nor that he was lured Into info that empty house and murdered And that is why I had a notion a strong suspicion that he hailed from Corsica I 1 am a thinking slow-thinking chap said Graye I J want to know about this S i j t S SS S 5 Corsican theory How came crne you to toge ge get th that t and what has It to do do with the case smiled Wh t little I read doctor he answered Is chiefly In inthe the literature liter liter- a and d history ry of t my my own o pro pro- I have a pretty go go god Jd d library li li- li br ry of ot that sort of ot thing you thing you shall s see e it some day Now w I puzzled puzzled puzzled m my brains a good deal to gean ge gean an Idea as to the murder of ot the theman theman theman man man- wh Whom m we n now w know by the name of ot Carlo Cafferata And It suddenly struck me may me-may may not this J bo o the lt of ofa res result of a a vendetta Ah Ahl exclaimed Graye I I know what you ou mean but Im I'm afraid Im I'm not much up in the tr true e t facts of ot the ve vendetta dett Then let tet m me give you a bit of ot elementary Instruction said Win Win- l lescombe combe Im only repeating to you of ot course course- what IV Ive I've learnt from books Principally be because ause of ot the h hereditary Influence which gave to the true rue Corsican an az Individuality individual Individual- ity itT of ot hI his lit own own own- which was was quite distinct from that ot of his nearest neighbors of ot the Mediterranean 1 or Italy the real law of ot Corsica was an unwritten code of ot honor which center centered d' d aro around nd the family h hod honor ri r. r N No Na government law was even as strong as this Let the member of ot any one family ever ever receive r the th Ie least st injury or slight even even a fancied fan fan- cled one from the member of ot another an other and immediately a blood feud arose rose between the two families which li exercised Its influence i flu nc to th the most distant relations Now the most awful t fact ct ab about abul ul this blood feud the vendetta was that noth noth- In HI a uk U Ut Of 01 on every ery branch of ot the two ta lUes coul coui could possibly stan stamp p it out The Te original principals would would- die their de descendants descendants descendants de- de would die generation after arter generation s would disappear but ut as long as the remotest remotest- collateral collateral col col- col- col lateral relation remained the ven detta cletta remained And you must bear in mind J jt was was' an oblIgation I which was regarded as sacred The who from cowardice d a athing thing utmost unbelievable In a a or Corsican or from natural shrink shrink- ing which ing-which which would by them be re regarded regarded re- re as the same thing as ns cowardice cow cow- ardice or ardice-or or from sentiment or pity or from any cause whatever re refrained retrained re- re trained from vengeance on the enemy of ot his family or party was regarded with a. a loathing loathing- und loathing and con con tem tempt t which h we cannot und understand In tn n short the true an was vas al always always always al- al ways wayson on on the qUI It vive it was was was' his tobe ever read ready for attacK attacK- or for defense If you Had hd been the sixteenth sixteen cousin removed removed-of of f the theman theman theman man who had slighted one of ot another another another an an- other family the most dUtant relative rela- rela tive Uve of ot that family would have shot you on sight if lie he had done his strict d duty ty in accordance the laws of ot the vendetta In lii fact concluded the detective e in my bit of ot reading Ive I've come across cases In which at last out of ot two flourishing and widespread families fam tarn Ules only one man was left o of one of ot them he having in the end man- man Then he is suddenly found assassinated in circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances which go to prove that he was lured Into the empty house for tor otherwise why should he go there Yes I think a vendetta might explain ex tx plain all that but to get a full history history his his- tor tory of ot it ft Im I'm afraid we should have to journey journe across to Co Coalca And It wouldn't surprise me either to find that old Marco larco Grams Graffi's murS mur- mur J S 2 i C der arose from a vendetta too The same vendetta exclaimed Graye Why not There are c certain matters on which rye Ive never been lieen able abler to get the he sUg slightest test When Wien did Cafferata first call on Marco matH Graff i How often otten did he come to to the flat in Austerlitz Mansions According to Lady Wargrave yOU Wargrave-you you s see e I did get a few scraps of ot Information from hershE her her her- she only saw Cafferata at the flat once before the night of ot the fog tog but I I 1 have no doubt that he frequently fre fre- re- re visited the the old old man after alter midnight He certainly possessed keys keys- to the building and to old Graffi's Graffis flat So so too did Ottilia Morro forro re remarked remarked re- re marked Graye reflectively Lady Wargrave told me that at Bow street I am hoping to get a good deal of ot information out of Ottilia Ottilla Morro l if If we find her and find her alive said said And it Is time now that We had some replies to those wires Lets Let's go and see If It anything has come But before they could leave the restaurant there appeared the of ot- whom had se secured se- se secured cured as Interpreter accompanied by a police functionary who seemed from his demeanor to De be the bearer of ot important news invited them tP- tP p 5 seats ats and refreshments refresh refresh- sh- sh ments knowing that there Is no objection to doing business in Rome Borne any more than than han there is In London or in New York STork or In in TImbuctoo over a glass glassand and a a. cigar I I You have ave news he asked when I the polite ceremonies had pad been dul duly 1 gone through through- You have heard heard- what The polled functionary with a bow which was of the nature of ot a salute made a communication to the the- interpreter ter which sounded pretty pret pret- retty ret ret- ty the finding of ot a court- court martial f read yd d out in stiff and formal sentences by its presiding officer lle He says said s said ald the Interpreter Interpreter- that It is reported from Genoa that three persons persons- answering the des descriptions t forwarded on information Information mation matlon supplied by you by-you you ou arrived at I that city In the early hours 0 of this i morning orning b by the he from here hete and nd having only personal baggage Good said Con Continue tit But he also says says says- went wenton on the Interpreter that it seems doubtful If ft these are the three persons you ou se search of ot because according to your information those persons whom you want took tickets for tor Paris at the station here in n Rome whereas the persons who arrived in Genoa gave gate up tickets from Rome Rometo Rometo to that place Oh indeed said irles combe That was a highly Ingenious trick on their part I and shows that his reverence up there at th the convent convent- was right In supposing them to have had plenty of ot money about them The man took good care to book twice you see see doctor he continued continued continued contin contin- turning to Graye He lIe looked at the police functionary and nodded nodded nodded nod nod- ded as with satisfaction Tell the gentleman he went went on on addressing the that thai I have- have no doubt the three persons who vho alighted at Genoa are the three persons persona upon whom I wish to la lay hands and that I hope he is able to tell me what became of ot them The police functionary once more delivered deU red himself of formal sen ecu f i- i He says continued the Interpreter Interpreter interpreter Inter Inter- preter that these three persons on arrival at Genoa proceeded to an hotel and that they there registered their name as Mr Mrs Irs and Miss Smith of ot London Mr 1 Smith being of ot the rank of gentl gentleman man Very good said Has the signor anything else to tell or to ask He desires to know if you wish the police at Genoa to keep observation observation j on this Mr Smith and his hla accompanying ladies ladles replied the Interpreter It must at the same sam time be understood that unless good reason be shown nothing can bedone be done In the way of ot detention or ar arrest ar- ar rest they test they so far being apparently innocent and arid inoffensive travelers Tell him that it will certainly be beof beof beof of advantage to me If th the authorIties authorities author author- authorities at Genoa can keep an eye eye eye- several eyes eyes on on these three people peo peo- pIe pe replied the detective Tell Teli him to tell the Genoa police that I leave leae for their city as soon as I Ican Ican Ican can get a train from here ana and that I shall be glad if they will watch the hotel until I come and If Jt the three persons leave it ascertain ascer ascer- tam tain where they go Then the gathering broke up antI and and Graye having returned re returned returned re- re turned to their h hotel tel paid their acCounts accounts accounts ac ac- ac- ac counts and made their arrangements arrangements arrangements arrange arrange- ments crossed to the station and took the next train for Genoa where after is a a. dismal Journey in which both anathematised the Italian aged to kill the last survivor of ot the theother theother theother other before he himself was killed by him And you think that Cafferata's murder In London may have been the result of ot a vendetta said Grave Graye I do taking do-taking taking all the circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances into consideration He lie was according to our informative a peaceable young man a n studious one of quiet habits he led a a sober lif life here here and in London too during durIng during dur dur- ing the tho short time he ha lodged with Ideas Idea of ot comfort t and speed the they arrived bout about midnight to be accosted accosted ac ac- ac by a little man In a large fur collared coat who made a ceremonious ceremonious cere cere- bow and introduced himself himself himself him him- self a as a police agent and remarked Incidentally that he spoke the English English English Eng Eng- lish very good goo gooI I have the news for you he continued continued continued con con- drawing his English confrere confrere confrere con con- frere aside Into a tL shadow The three people they ha have e gone Departed Departed De De- parted from the hotel where they was until they were not there before be be- fore lore fore eh uttered an exclamation exclamation tion which signified angry The little man wagged two fingers But But ma ma fol tot he said consoling consoling- ly Jy I 1 myself I I watch They have gone to the private establishment establishment es es- of the Doctor Moreno There they There they went Continued tomorrow