Show synthetic 0 C gentleman by CHANNING H A NN 1 N POLLOCK 0 L copyright Chana laff pollock service CHAPTER XI 18 who murde murdered red mike kelly vat darling was it you the globe had answered the question but in southampton barry gil bert held field this girl of all girls to in his arms and asked it again for a moment slie she stared at him dazed and inert and then she pushed him away let me sit down please I 1 she said coldly she remained standing however ho ever when barry released her though she still clung to the chair at which she had stopped when she came into the room do you really think I 1 could kill anyone she asked with just a trace of 0 amusement tempering the wonder and resentment in her tone cut but of course I 1 know why you think it my father said lie coul dot tell the truth because of a woman the woman was my dead mother im sorry carry barry began it matter the girl interrupted nothing much matters now peter says this evenings globe completely clears young nidder and that probably release him tomorrow all you want it and if you dont mind ill go upstairs to my father hes really she had closed the door to the hall after her and barry opened it can I 1 do anything he asked lamely no I 1 dont think anybody can pat answered nothing father or I 1 could say now would help belp morano or anybody Is evans outside yes theo then of course see peggy her worries ari are over please tell her how glad I 1 am and that ill phone later about jacky I 1 they were in the hall by this time and the butler appeared on the landing will you come to your father miss T lie be said quietly tm im coming pat replied lust just as quietly and without looking at barry again turned and ran up the stairs well that was over along with everything ery thing else 1 I made a cle clean an sweep while I 1 was at it barry told himself ruefully on his way to the hospital what did I 1 have bare to shoot off my mouth for just at the last minute my dead mother three words nod and my whole train of suspicion clon went off tile hie rails I 1 it had taken harwood b barely arely more than 24 hours to get ills his man ile he certainly worked fast barry paid mental tribute otice once hed identified that voice on the phone some time before the evening papers would reach southampton what was the difference nothing much m matters now pat had said and it probably release young ridder tomorrow and two days later old Rid ridders derd be in N new ew york ive got plenty to do barry said to himself and to evans ive had a cable from mr ridder hes on the bremen arriving saturday better get your wife back to town they were at the hospital now and levans evans made no reply peggy came into the reception room 1 11 I cadt cant stay she began backys Jack ys in a good deal of pain the doctors up there re lie says every things all right but somehow im worried can you stand a bit of good news barry asked 1 I dont know I 1 bases I 1 had any jn in so long its about jack he wanted to break it gently but peg wait hes what Is it just soother another clue or go co on pl please easel arrested 51 morano orano peter phoned judge hambidge lie he says jackal be out tomorrow peg move at least her body but she ran her tongue over her lips add d her handa hand 4 opened and closed spasmodically after a moment xo no fo roolin ln she said it was an absurd thing to say but in a long experience with suffering B barry arry had learned that lust just such things are said under stress no fool lill tears came into the girls eyes nod aud mowed flowed down her cheeks its in to nights globe barry told her rile papers arent here yet but aill 1 I II 11 ask evans to bring you one there seem to be any possibility of mistake ril ill go 90 in to town by bv the first train in the morning rn ill take care of everything aal keep in close touch with ath you thanks peggy said one syllable but barry thought he had never heard beard so much praise and gratitude before his ill own eyes were threatened with moisture so tie he declared cl ared better get back to the boy going to phone later slid and ill ring up nil tonight all now and tie he left tile the room as abruptly as pat had left him a few minutes ago 1120 hodle hodie evans asked barry nodded that word was the last straw anything else sir evans inquired in front of the ridder house yes please the instant the evening papers get to southampton will you bring me a copy of the globe and take one to mrs rogers ile he gave the chauffeur a quarter kellys murderers darers under arrest he continued and were through sleuthing find it all in the globe yes sir evans brans was thinking of something else you understand about sirs mrs evans carry barry asked yes tes sir A pause you aint staying st here yourself I 1 take it im leaving tomorrow 1 I was wondering evans said would you like us to come with you very much barry answered but it cant be done you aint always going to live in a hotel begging your pardon sir mrs evans Is a mighty good cook thanks barry returned but my bookings coo kings going to be provided by the state of new york you may as well know the truth evans im not mr air ridder never was I 1 jimmied my way into this house for a nights shelter and then you and willetts Wll letts came and thought I 1 was and I 1 let you go on thinking so the games up now DOW the boss gets back saturday and what happens then Is guess evans erans said yes sir all except id be glad if tell willetts Wll letts and the rest save me introducing the subject yes sir and better stand by tonight I 1 may have to drive back to the hospital yes sir I 1 was wondering barry grinned you do a good deal of that dont you I 1 was wondering how like to go 90 to my sisters you know where abere I 1 live in town you could lay low there a while and then slip away somewhere swell of you barry responded spon ded much obliged but I 1 think ive done all the slipping good for a man tell willetts Wll letts when you get a chance and remember to bring me the globe it IE was close on to five fire then and plenty to do before dinner wll wil letts about luckily barry let himself in with his key and ran up to his room should he pack first or get the rest of it out of the way he decided to begin be in with the rest of it from fr om a long envelope in his inside pocket he took all his vouchers then on a sheet of 0 note paper he wrote Rec received elved cash beneath that he listed the check from sirs mrs ridder bidder and board lodging etc un j t al p I 1 X p that leaves my account straight barry thought der disbursed he credited himself with the same check which aich bad been banked for peggy and with whatever sums he had given her and a few minor expenditures that leaves my account straight barry thought ex capt for unlawful entry tampering ilog with the malls and pretending to be somebody I 1 it left ills bank account far from straight when hed subtracted disbursed from received and made out his check for the balance the result was a rather startling overdraft all right barry said ill sell out my wardrobe studs and cufflinks cuff links and things I 1 guess I 1 wont need ern cm any more ue be wanted terribly to write a letter to mrs it would have begun dear mother not mine of course that was too maudlin me im m just a sob sister barry berated himself tucking his accounts accompanied only by his check into an envelope and inscribing it mrs john clarke ridder addressed ue be propped the envelope against a calendar and for a moment sat looking at it 11 1 I wish I 1 could find my mother he had thought his first morning at southampton he be wished it even more fervently now after all these weeks of make believe ive got to write pat he decided at last 1 I certainly owe her us un apology and a goodby good by this letter certainly be maudlin dear pat he started dear I pat at 1 I suppose I 1 should write miss ilam hills bidge aldge now but I 1 cant you et me say I 1 was sorry tor for what happened today but I 1 am I 1 wont try to excuse myself forget it I 1 hope as quickly as forget everything else in this grotesque association I 1 wont forget youre the realest lady I 1 ever knew so this Is thanks and goodby good by to you and your father and most sincerely trusting that your wor rles iles like pegs are over 1 retain remain always respectfully barry gilbert racking packing proved complicated most of his clothing paid tor for long ago was out here and had to be taken in but there was no suitcase suit sult case neat to the he end barry folded his belongings into two tal tailors lors boxes lie ile quite finished folding when willetts Wll letts knocked ry evening ening paper sir thank you and your key sir you left it in the front door belter beafter keep it and theres a letter for mrs ridder on the desk there id the like her ber to get it when she arrives very good sir dinner at seven it if you please that was all no reference to barrys packing or the confession that barry felt sure had bad been relayed by evans half balf an hour ago im taking the back to town tomorrow morning barry said as willetts Wll letts was closing the door but willetts Wll letts only answered yes sir and went on closing it morano been arrested so much was clear from tile the screaming headlines barry scanned however that ends it barry felt sure liar illar wood did a swell job why I 1 follow up tile the number of that cab it seem of the least importance when the taxi driving medico gave it to me I 1 might have known it was though when ernie wrote it down in his notebook dinner was lin uneventful eventful with willetts remember kig his position and behaving as any well trained butler might have been expected to behave beli ave afterward barry phoned reg peg she had seen tile the globe but was still dubious do you really hank think let jack out now certainly not going to get that sheet started again on tammany nail hall and be tomorrow you think probably ill keep in touch with you barry promised and finished his packing then lie reread re read the globe story and marked parts of it to ponder in town throughout breakfast next morning barry wondered whether this remarkable butler could know he was going for good ive left a few part parting ng g gifts on my desk he ventured at last insl IT for r cook and everybody will you ta take e care of em yes sir 1 I shant be back I 1 suppose evans told you yes sir that was too much barry said bell well what do you think about it not for me to say sir sly my place Is to obey orders ive tried to do that sir if ive made a mistake it been for want of trying your mistake was quite natural barry reassured him been told find young mr ridder here an and d you found me I 1 said I 1 was young sir mr that seems to let you out yes sir willetts Wll letts hesitated anyway that the mistake I 1 had in mind sir that was a natural mistake I 1 thought you were a gentleman an I 1 still think so its rive five after seven sir barry just made the train at he bought a morning paper and read of death even the conservative serva tive times re regarded carded that as the end of 0 the case against ilo rogers gers night club owner accused of kelly murder killer killed resisting arrest its headlines began and ended with move to free rogers expected today barry pored over both stories that in the times and that in lust last nights globe all the way to new york well he reflected one of my suspects was guilty anyway peter cant laugh that 0 off ff and suddenly lie let the newspaper fall nod and leaned forward with his wrists on ills knees its queer though he said almost aloud to the click of the wheels very queer very damned queer at tile the station he stopped for a timetable Is there one lie he asked that gives nil the trains out of here the men grinned at him thrusting forward three thick folders ten found him at Win winslows slows ollice office mr winslow wont be in today peters secretary announced mrs winslow had a had heart attack last night so bad that mr winslow telephoned to the with mrs winslow now was that your last news no mr winslow called up tip half an hour ago to say that mrs winslows Win slows a little better had lie he seen this barry indicated the headline in the times yes ile he talked to mr colton about it mr coltons collons Col tons one of the young men in the office you know hes gone to the district attorney to ask for rogers release mr winslow said it if you called I 1 was to tell you that would be only a matter of hours should you yon like us to phone you when theres anything certain please I 1 suppose theres no use of my going to tile the tombs now not much mr coltons collons Col tons going there from the district attorneys well phone you barry phoned peggy and then strolled across forty second street it was a delightful morning and ills his rather comic handles bundles had been dispatched to ills his hotel from the station no sense in my following em ein yet barry told himself 1 I dont want to sit around that cursed room all day TO KE BE CONTI NUEn |