Show I ROG UL BY H COMPULSION AN AFFAIR OT OP THE n SF T 7 SF ft F. ro in 7 Pape- Pape I J ix j i x V sine ft ch I had nad been Iwas j I from was vas quite qute impossible fora for n a to any practical useI use I g must have had some soma somo o for perjuring his un un 1 I nu u and th tit J only one I could I tia a that t ce to c had purposely ic Ic i c go 0 o agaInst me in order Ical Ial i j real cal al murderer lIe He had hai i Ii 11 ac with the knew their tastes inn in in- i n somewhat similar lines lines- lines I st at possible that he was wasi i had bad d committed tho the crime crim i ilg tg lg t filled me as it had ald alie al al- j I Id d me Ipe ie with a bitter fury j I i gain fain in my mj cell I had fan fart j j I 1 aping from the prison ig 19 the truth out of my cowl cou- cou j t ith my fingers and now I j rs 15 part part of this picture hadI had II j t I owed rowed silently to myself j I tg 19 stop the remainder c ving g it it- Whatever W pose e I 1 would see George Georget t ace e to face even if death r was was the price I had to tos I s 5 rived at this conclusion and ird the sound of footsteps n page sage ge outside Then the thee rte e door turned and Me- Me I pared aed on ne threshold with owing oming up behind him him- There is t s silence while the doe doe- ere re smiling down down on me meL L ever eYer II lome owe pome in he inquired I 1 t interrupting your tea I Ig Ir Ito r to g a done dene tea thank you 5 1 Ie gesture toward the tray va so o I ca cart t say but Mc Mc- preness ness always filled me of of repulsion There walI was wan Variously curiously sinister about it Ie I e forward into the room i who closed the nod him The latter then mss r ss and sat down on the tho 9 ill lIT m l remaining I Siy my bedside i read ead the Mail fail I see he lie e the paper I hope I he size of ot the headlines headlines' e of oI compliment I 1 r re ret t have bad rather too e out into a short gruff grun u lend he said is mote mot mod e of at th thirst nt for more fame tam ire tre into private life it lr Him to hi as though LIt LIt- his jf-his hIs own h i his daughter he spoke e a a distinctly foreign ac- ac a d rI Dr lc amia amia- e Mr Lyndon is one ono of jj that we cant can't afford to tP such as his are intend- intend Ie took off his glasses olish them thoughtful thoughtful- almost say say that he frust trust trust-in in trust for Provia Provi Provi- f a short silence on In account of my tal tal- iha have e been kind enough e IT I asked bluntly I or his pince pince-nez I 1 himself with some delibe dellb- dellb e foot of the bed tenet ct to assist a hunted tel tel fel- re rem re rebe he be observed is almost Then EThen ten he paused T i take taken noon neon n that you ou are not par par- axiom to rejoin your fri friends ds iP head Not ot if it there is sant alternative No o alternative t t e more unpleasant for fora or Ot Ota a Td d harshly i Gr bullying in his tone ne I I k up at once I F J I said I J can imagine ne nene e smooth voice intervened ed Mr Ii IIi Lyndon is one which Ich c 1 make lake a very special apu ap- ap u How would you like ti to and at the same name i you scientific work a him closely For once trace of mockery in hi his 1 d e e it very ery much indeed 0 Ible ole ale I answered leaned aped orward a little tie he aid quietly a short pause roff a gar garbIt bit off the end and md ando o he fireplace Then he heIng heYS heto heys YS to the chest of draw- draw na h. h I him he said jer jerking ln Ing ard rd me glanced t it at him hIm It it seemed a Impatiently Then he heo hevly o me 1 E t time me before Mr tl Markss Marks's eath leath he said slowly vly experimenting experimenting with h 2 a aI I iy Y head bead I had no idea d t his for as aware George was the theo thee 10 o a had any knowledge e of eve ou at were ere just on tho the success 8 when hi n you jou ou were ar arIn 1 In fly y i 1 was v I sate These Th hese r. r natters matters atter eat ft t Va uJ always s 's work ork out quit p to to EO well Il when you put them to a prat pur Meal test I Still c you yourself were quite sa sat sat- l with ute the prospects 1 I I 1 nodded again And nd unless I an ant wrong this this' new new neT I explosive will be Immensely more wore pow powerful erful than anything now In use Immensely I repeated repeaLed In fact tact there would be no practical com compari- compari comparison pari- pari v son on between them 4 Can you jou give give me nto any iny idea as to Its strength I hesitated According to my lations I 1 said slowly IY it ought to P prove at least twenty times as power power- ful ml UI cotton as gun cotton Sa aroff uttered a hoarse exclamation tion and sat upright in his seat Are you jou s speaking the truth he ae asked roughly I stared him full in the face and then without answering turned back bak backo o o 0 Ic The Toe latter made a gesture with his rand hand Leave the matter to me Sa he said sharply I understand under under- stand Mr 11 Lyndon better than you do Then addressing me Supposing you jou I had all the things that you jou ou required ia how long would it take jou O to manufacture manu mann facture ac some of this powder powder powder-or or what what- ever it is I Its ts t's difficult to say I answered i Perhaps a week perhaps a couple of months I could make male the actual stuff stul ilL at once onre provided I 1 had the materials but its it's a question o of doing it in a away away way that one could li handle It safely for practical purposes I was experimenting experiment experiment- ing on that at the time of my arrest nodded t Us is head slowly You have been candid with us he said aid and now I 1 will be equally candid vi with you My 1 friend frien M. M and nj myself are very largely interested Inthe Inthe in inthe th the manufacture of high explosives mv The appearance of an invention like yo yose yours on the market would be a very se serious matter indeed for us On theether theether the theether ether hand band if we had control of It we we sh should I 1 imagine be in a position to dl dictate our own terms You certainly would I said therea theres there s a no question about that My Iy explosive ex ex- plosive would be no more expensive to manufacture than cordite So you see when some fome exceedingly convenient nt chance bl brought you In through the kitchen window It naturally naturally nat nat- occurred to me to invite you to tay s-tay and discuss the matter matler You happen happen happen hap hap- pe pen to be in a position in which you u could be useful to us us and I 1 think that we wc on the the other other hand might might be be- beof of It some assistance to you He leaned back and watched me e I with that cold smile of his What do you say Mr Lyndon he be 16 added I did some rapid necessary thinking It was quite true that the new explosive would V the bottom out of the present methods cf of manufacture manufacture manu facture and nd Ic lurUe's Interests inthe inthe in the matter might well be large enough to make him run the risk of helping me ne There seemed no reason to doubt that he was speaking the truth and and yet vet somehow or other other I mistrusted I him mistrusted him mistrusted him from my soul How did you Imo know about my my experiments ex- ex exi dj s f j i I 1 asked quietly i Ile He shrugged hi his shoulders There ire are such things as trade secrets It ItIs Is Isep i necessary for a business man to keep keepIn ep In touch with anything 1 tb that t may ay threaten his Interests I hesitated a second What is It t that you propose propose exactly exactly I 1 Inquired ed I 1 saW saw saw-or or the thought I 1 saw saw saw- the faintest faint faintest nt- nt est cst possible gleam of satisfaction steal into his eyes I propose that ym yu should finish isble JJ your Jour experiments as soon as possible le make some of this explosive and hand band nd j the actual stu stuff and tho the full secret or of over to us In return i I 1 Imd will guarantee you your freedom and md let pt et you jou have a quarter interest in all alln profits Croats we make out of your invention n He lie brought out these somewhat hat startling terms as coolly s e-s as s though it were an ever day every day custom of his to do doI I business with escaped convicts I bent ent down from the bed and under coyer cover yer of f picking up my second cigarette from fr dm m the tile tray secured a few useful moments for considering the situation I have hae no objection to the bargain in I 1 said slowly helping mn myself eH to a match itch I off of the table the tho only question is jg whether it Is possible to carry it out I v M-v ry experiments arent aren't the kind that can cm be conducted In a back bedroom cm I 1 should want a large shed of some ome someI I kind and the further away it was from rom romal any auy houses bouse the better There is always al al- alI I ways the chance of blowing o ones one's es e's sell self up I at this sort of business and in that case an explosive like Ute mine would DUld I probably wreck everything within a aI aI I couple of miles i You shall work under any conditions condi you fOU please said Mc trie amiably If It suits you we wo will fix ou up a hut but and some sheds down j on the Tham Thames marshes and you c can live there till the experiments are Lre fin Ha- I i fished hed J But Hut I should be recognized I lob ob- ob I I J 1 am bound to be he recognized zed I t am fairly w well wall known as it ft is and ano- with my picture and description placarded placarded all over England I shouldn't l stand tand a d dots does rs r's chance However lonelY a p place lace it u was some one would UE be i i bound to see me and give me away ana I boon booner 01 or later i f M Ic shook his head You Yo there is l' l may be seen he said but no reason v. v hy hy you should be recognized I I paused in thin the act ct of or lighting m mj my cigarette What hat do you mean I 1 asked aked with ome some curiosity My l dear Mr Ir L Lyndon udon said tur Ic tile court courteously o as a scientist yourself your jour self you dont don't imagine th that t its it's beyond the art o 0 of an au intelligent surgeon to cope with a a. little difficulty Wee like that t Hut But in what way I I objected A 1 dl disguise Any one OM can sec see through s a except In novels nO The rhe doctor smiled I am not nol sugA suggesting sug sug- gesting A wig and a pair of ot spectacles he observed It is rather too late in inthe inthe I the worlds world's history for rr that sort wrt of thing Then he stopped and studied nib Wb for an instant attentively In a f fortnight rl and practically without hurting hurting hurt hurt- ing you ho added I 1 can make you OU as safe from the police as If you were dea dead and buried I sat up In bed Under the circumstances circumstances circum circum- sta stances stances I said QuIl excuse my ray being be in ing lug a little inquisitive Oh there is no secret about It Any sui surgeon could do it I 1 have only to to alt alter the shape of your nose a am and mal make e your forehead rather higher ain and aud wider A stain of some sort will do the rest rest Yes I said but what about the fin first part of the 1 He shrugged his Iris shoulders Childs pis play he lie answered Merely lerel a questin ques ques- Injections and th the ti tin of of paraffin X-i X X s 's He spoke e with such careless conti conti- de dence dente that for once it was impossible t tx doubt his sincerity 1 I lay back ana and drew in a large ex ex- of cigarette smoke I 1 ja had suddenly realized that if tr Ic lur tries trie's offer was genuine and he could really do what he promised there were wera 1 iJ J longer any difficulties in ill the way of m my getting at George The idea of meeting him and perhaps even speaking speak ing jag to him without his being able to me filled tilled me with a wicket satisfaction on that no words can do justIce justice jus- jus tic tIce to I dont don't think I l betrayed my emotion however for or keen eyes were were on en me me and I 1 was not in the least anxious to take him into int my con con- enc I 1 blew out the sm te to In a gray cloud and th than is l raising myself on my elbow carefully tUcked the ash w. w T oolf rW l m my T c Ii TSo r to I How ow am I 1 to know V that you will wil k keep your promise l I asked m made de an angry movement L Lot at before he could speak lc e had bad broken broten in You forget what an embarrassing position we wo shall be putting ourselves n a n Mr Lyndon he skid d with perfect good good temper Shielding a a. runaway runaway c convict is an Indictable offense offense to to nse-to to sa say n nothing of altering his appearance A As Asfor for the money moneY he he made a little s gesture ture lure of contempt well contempt well do you think thin Jt it t would pay us to cheat you Ther There I 53 is always the that a gentleman v vho can Invent things like this explosive ex ex- plosive and the Marwood Lyndon-Marwood to torpedo tor p may have other equally tory tort nol o notions s. s Very well I said quietly I will willa a accept ept the offer on one condition that condition that I 1 can have a a week in London before beginning work e With an oath started up lip from rom the window sill Gott in Himmel and who are you y m to make malte terms he exclaimed rough jh- jh 1 ly Why we have only to wend send you ou back to the prison and and you will b bs flogged like a dog dog- I In Iii which distressing event I lOb lOb-I observed observed ob- ob served ser you would not get your ex plosive ve My Iy 1 dear interrupted Mc Mc- j He-j Murtrie soothingly there Is no need aed I to threaten Mr 11 Lyndon I 1 am sure SUTe are j I that he appreciates tho situation n. n Then ho he turned to me I suppose you Lave have some reason for making this condition condition con Silently in my rny heart I invoked the aid of Ananias If you had been in Dartmoor three ree years ears I 1 said sala with a rather well-forced well ced I laugh you would find several excellent excel excel- eel eel- j Ilent lent reasons for wanting a week in r. r Landon I My Iy attin must have been good forI torI for tor I could have s sworn sorn orn I 1 saw saw a faint faint eiker expression expression ex ei I of relieved contempt flicker ker across Jc face I I J see A little holiday holiday holiday-a. a brief rief taste of the pleasures of liberty Well Weli fell that seems to me a very natural an and reasonable request What do you think ink That gentl gentleman man l himself self with a singularly ungracious grunt t. t 1 dont don't think there would be much tuch risk about It I 1 said boldly If you youcan youcan can change my appearance as completely com om omone as you jou u say you can can no one would be the least likely to recognize me After three years rears of that dogs dog's life are up there thera r cant can't settle down in a abut hut but on the Thames marshes wIthout hou having a few Cew days' days fun run first I should I DC Jc c very careful what I did naturally ally I I have had quite enough of the prison Ison I 11 t bin in outside M lc nodded Very well he said I 1 see no objection to your having your our few days days' fun in Lon London Condon if yo you you want them It rt would be s safer perhaps s to get you yon away from house a as soon as possible I sho should ld tink three weeks would be quite enough for our h and te purposes and I 1 daresay res it will take us a month to fix fix in ip a satisfactory place you to work in Then he paused Of course if it H you jcu go to town Lown he lie added you will have to 10 o sLa stay it at some address addres we sha J arrange for and you will have bavo to be ready to start work directly we tell you on to t. t Naturally I said d I r only wantI want ar I was sa saved from l finishing l ing my false false- l l by br a sudden sound from outside the the sound of It i swing gate gate banging against its post For a n moment I had hada a horrible feeling that it might be the police jumped up and looked out of ot the window T |