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Show J JE y 1 RfllITOroiQTrAia QUITE m K ARTHURDHORNBLOW V ' i Mm j&WMl illustrations BY RAY WALTERS ji jggSGl COPYRIGHT, 1909, BV. C.W. DILLINGHAM COMMNV SYNOPSIS. Howard Jeffries, banker's son, under the evil influence of Robert Underwood, a fellow-student at Tale, leads a life of dissipation, marries the daughter of a gambler who died in prison, and is disowned dis-owned by his father. He tries to get work and fails. A former college chum makes a business proposition to Howard whloh requires $2,000 cash, and Howard la broke. Robert Underwood, who hno been repulsed re-pulsed by Howard's wife, Annie, in his college- days, and had once hesn engaged to Alicia. Howard's stepmother, It's apartments at the Astrurla. Howard decides de-cides to ask Underwood for the $2,000 he needs. Underwood, taking advantage of his intimacy with Mrs. Jeffries, Sr., becomes be-comes a sort of social highwayman. Discovering Dis-covering his trun character she denies him the house. Alicia receives a note from Underwood thren fenl ns? flillcirie. Art dealers for whom .he has been acting, as commissioner, demand an accounting. He cannot make good. Howard Jeffries-calls Jeffries-calls In an Intoxicated condition. He asks Underwood for $2,000 and is told by the latter that he is in debt up to his eyes. Howard drinks himself into a maud.'tn condition, and goes to sleep on a divan. A caller is announced and Underwood draws a screen around the drunken sleeper. Alicia enters. She demands a promise from him that he will not take his life, pointing to the disgrace that would attach to herself. Underwood refuses re-fuses to promise unless she will renew her patronage. This she refuses to do. Underwood kills himself. The report of the pistol awakens Howard. He stumbles over the dead body of Underwood. Realising Reali-sing his predicament he attempts to flee and is met by Underwood's valet. Howard How-ard is turned over to the police. CHAPTER IX. Continued. "But what's the good of sitting here in this death house?" protested Howard. How-ard. "Take me to the station if I must go. It's intolerable to sit any longer here." .The captain beckoned to Maloney. "Not so fast, young man. Before we go to the station we want to ask you a few questions. Don't we, Maloney?" Ma-loney?" The sergeant came over, and the captain whispered something in his ear. Howard shivered. Suddenly turning to his prisoner, the captain shouted in the stern tone of command: com-mand: "Get up!" : Howard did as he was ordered. He felt he must. There was no resisting that.powerful brute'a tone of authority. authori-ty. Pointing to the other side of the table, the captain went on: "Stand over there where I can look at you!" The two men now faced each other, the small table alone separating them. The powerful electrolier overhead over-head cast Its light full on Howard's How-ard's haggard face and on the captain's cap-tain's scowling features. Suddenly Maloney turned off every electric light except the lights in the electrolier, elect-rolier, the glare of which was intensified inten-sified by the surrounding darkness-. The rest of the room was in shadow. One saw ' only these two figures standing vividly out in the strong light the white-faced prisoner and his stalwart inquisitor. In the dark background stood Policeman Delaney. Close at hand was Maloney taking notes. "You did it, and you know you did it!" thundered the captain, fixing, his eyes on his trembling victim. "1 did not do it," replied Howard slowly and firmly, returning the policeman's police-man's stare. "You're lying!" shouted the captain. "I'm not lying," replied Howard calmly. The captain glared at him for a moment and then suddenly tried new tactics. "Why did you come here?" he demanded. de-manded. "I came to borrow money." "Did you get it?" "No he said he couldn't give It to me " "Then you killed him." "I did not kill him," replied Howard positively. Thus the searching examination went on, mercilessly, tirelessly. The same questions, the same answers, the same accusations, the same denials, hour after hour. The captain was tired, but being a giant in physique, he could stand it. He knew that his victim could not. It was only a question ques-tion of time when the hitter's resistance resist-ance would be weakened. Then he would stop lying and tell the truth. That's all he wanted the truth. "You shot him!" "I did not." "You're lying!" "I'm not lying it's the truth." So it went on, hour after hour, relentlessly, re-lentlessly, pitilessly, while the patient Maloney, in the obscure background, took notes. CHAPTER X. The clock ticked on, and still the merciless browbeating went on. They h;:d been at it now five long, weary hours. Through the blinds the gray daylight outside was creeping its way in. All the policemen were exhausted. exhaust-ed. The prisoner was on the verge of collapse. Maloney and Patrolman Deianey were dozing on chairs, but ! Capt. Clinton, a marvel of iron will ' md physical strength, never relaxed Ior a moment. Not allowing himself ,o weaken or show signs of fay sue. he kept pounding the unhappy youth with searching questions. By this time Howard's condition was pitiable to witness. His face was white as death. His trembling Hps could hardly articulate. It was with the greatest difficulty that he kept on his feet. Every 3ioment he seemed about to fall. At times he clutched the table nervously, for fear he would stumble. Several times, through sheer exhaustion, he sat down. The act was almost Involuntary. Nature was giving giv-ing way. "I can't stand any more," he murmured. mur-mured. "What's the good of all these questions? I tell you I didn't do it." He sank helplessly on to a chair. His eyes rolled in his head. He looked as If he would faint. "Stand up!" tkundered the captain angrily. Howard obeyed mechanically, although al-though -,he ree'fca in the effort. To steady himself, he caugb.t hold of the table. His strength waa fast ebbing. He wan Ifising his power to resist. The cap'tftlti saw1 he was weakening, and he smiled with satisfaction. He'd soon get a confession out of him. Suddenly Sud-denly bending forward, so that his fierce, determined stare glared right into Howard's half closed eyes, he shouted: "You did It and you know you did!" "No I " replied Howard weakly. "These repeated denials are useless!" use-less!" shouted the captain. "There's out being seen. Y ou hadn t even stopped to wash the blood off; your hands. All you fellers make mistakes. You relied on getting away unseen. You never stopped to think that the blood on your hands would betray you." Gruffly he added: "Now, coine, what's the use of wasting all this: time? It won't go so hard with, you if you own up. Yon killed, Rpbert Underwood ! " Howard shook his head. There was a pathetic expression of helplessness on his face. "I didn't kill him," he faltered. "I was asleep On that sofa. I woke up. It was dark. I went out. I wanted to get home. My wife was waiting for me." "Now I've Caught you lying," interrupted inter-rupted the captain quickly. "You told the coroner you saw the dead man and feared you would be suspected of his murder, and so tried to get away unseen." un-seen." Turning to his men, he added: "How is that, Maloney? Did the prisoner pris-oner say that?" The sergeant consulted his back notes, and replied: "Yes, Cap', that's what he said." Suddenly Capt, Clinton drew from his hip pocket the revolver which he had found on the floor near the dead man's body. The supreme test was about to be made. The wily police captain would now play his trump card. It was not without reason that his enemies charged him with employ- r.jt. u.m, mu jai in "Why Did You Come Here?" already enough evidence to send you to the chair! " Howard shook his head helplessly. Weakly he replied: "This constant questioning Is making ma-king me dizzy. Good God! What's the use of questioning me and questioning ques-tioning me? I know nothing about it." "Why did you come here?" thundered thun-dered the captain. "I've told you over and over again. We're old friends. I came to borrow money. He owed me a few hundred dollars when we were at college together, to-gether, and I tried to get it. I've told you so many times. Y'ou won't believe be-lieve me. My brain is tired. I'm thoroughly thor-oughly exhausted. Please let me go. My poor wile won't know what's the matter." "Never mind about your wife," growled the captain. "We've sent for I her. How much did you try to borrow?" bor-row?" Howard was silent a moment, as if racking his brain, trying to remember. "A thousand two thousand. I forget. for-get. I think one thousand." "Did he say he'd lend you the money?" mon-ey?" demanded the inquisitor. "No," replied the prisoner, with hesitation. hesi-tation. He couldn't he poor chap he" "Ah!" snapped the captain. "He refused re-fused that led to words. There was a quarrel, and " Suddenly leaning forward until his face almost touched Howard's, he hissed rather than spoke: "You shot him!" Howard gave an involuntary step backward, as if he realized the trap I being laid for him. ! "No, no!" he cried. Quickly following up his advantage, , Capt. Clinton shouted dramatically: i "You lie! He was found on the I Poor in this room dead. You were ; trvinc to get out of the house with- l ing unlawful methods in conducting his inquisitorial examinations. "Stop your lying!" he said fiercely. fierce-ly. "Tell the truth, or we'll keep you here until you do. The motive is clear. Yrou came for money. You were refused, and you did the trick." Suddenly producing the revolver, and holding it well under the light, so that the rays from the electrolier fell directly on its highly polished surface, he shouted: "Howard Jeffries, you shot Robert Underwood, and you shot him with this pistol!" Howard gazed at the shining surface sur-face of the metal as if fascinated. He spoke not a word, but his eyes became be-came riveted on the weapon until his face assumed a vacant stare. From the scientific standpoint, the act of hypnotism had been accomplished. In his nervous and overfatigued state, added to his susceptibility to quick hypnosis, he was now directly under the influence of Capt. Clinton's stronger will. He was completely re ceptive, i ne past seemed an a blur on his mind. He saw the flash of steel and the police captain's angry, determined-looking face. He felt he was powerless to resist that will any longer. He stepped back and gave a shudder, averting his eyes from the blinding steel. Capt. Clinton quickly followed up his advantage: "Y"ou committed tills crime, Howard Jeffries!" he shouted, fixing him with a stare. To his subordinate he shouted: "Didu't he, Maloney?" "He killed him all right," echoed Maloney. His eyes still fixed on those of his victim, and approaching his face close to his, the captain shouted: "Y'ou did it, Jeffries! Come on, own up! Let's have the truth! Y'ou shot Robert Underwood with this revolver. ! Vnn did it and vnn can't denv it! You know you can't deny it! Speak!" he thundered. "You did it!" Howard, his eyes still fixed on the shining pistol, repeated, as if reciting recit-ing a lesson: "I did it!" Quickly Capt. Clinton signaled to Maloney to approach nearer with his note-book. The detective sergeant took his place immediately back of Howard. The captain turned to his prisoner: "You shot Robert Underwood!" "I shot Robert Underwood," repeated re-peated Howard mechanically. "You quarreled!" "We quarreled." "You came here for money!" " "I came here for money." "He refused to give it to you!" "He refused to give it to me." "There was a quarrel!" "There was a quarrel." "You drew that pistol!" "I drew that pistol." "And shot him!" "And shot him." Capt. Clinton smiled triumphantly. "That's all," he said. Howard collapsed into a chair. His head dropped forward on his breast, as if he were asleep. Capt. Clinton vflwned an d looked at his watch. Turning to Maloney, he snid with a chuckle: "By George; it's taken five hours to get it out of him!" Maloney turned out the electric lights and yetii to pull up the window shades, letting the bright daylight stream into the room. Suddenly there was a ring at the front door. Officer Delaney opened, and Dr. Bernstein Bern-stein entered. Advancing into the room, he shook hands with the captain. cap-tain. "I'm sorry I couldn't come before, captain. I was out when I got the call. Where's the body?" The captain pointed to the inner room. "In there." After glancing curiously at Howard, How-ard, the doctor disappeared into the inner room. Capt. Clinton turned to Maloney. "Well, Maloney, I guess our work is done here. We want to get the prisoner over to the station, then make out a charge of murder, and prepare the full confession to submit to the magistrate. Have everything ready by nine o'clock. Meantime, I'll go down and see the newspaper boys. I guess there's a bunch of them down there. Of course, it's too late for the morning papers, but it's a bully good story for the afternoon editions. Delaney, De-laney, you're responsible for the prisoner. pris-oner. Better handcuff him." The patrolman was just putting the manacles on Howard's wrists when Dr. Bernstein re-entered from the inner in-ner room. The captain turned. "Well, have you seen your man?" he asked. The doctor nodded. "Found a bullet wound in his head," he said. "Flesh all burned must have been pretty close range. It might have been a case of suicide." Capt Clinton frowned. He didn't like suggestions of that kind after a confession which had cost him five hours' work to procure. "Suicide?" he sneered. "Say, doctor, doc-tor, did you happen to notice what side of the head the wound was on?" Dr. Bernstein reflected a moment "Ah, yes. Now I come to think of it, it was the left side." "Precisely," sneered the captain. "I never heard of a suicide shooting himself him-self in the left temple. Don't worry, doctor, it's murder, all right." Pointing Point-ing with a Jerk of his finger toward Howard, he added: "And we've got the man who did the job." Officer Delaney approached his chief and spoke to him in a low tone. The captain frowned and looked toward his prisoner. Then, turning toward the officer, he said: "Is the wife downstairs?" The officer nodded. "Yes, sir; they just telephoned." "Then let her come up," said the captain. "She may know something." Delaney returned to the telephone and Dr. Bernstein turned to the cap tain: "Say what you will, captain, I'm not at all sure that Underwood did not do this himself." "Ain't you? Well, I am," replied the captain with a sneer. Pointing again to Howard, he said: "This man has just confessed to the shooting." At that moment the front door opened and Annie Jeffries came in escorted es-corted by an officer. She was pale and frightened, and looked timidly at the group of strange and serious-look-, ing men present. Then her eyes went round the room in search of her husband. hus-band. She saw him seemingly asleep in an armchair, his wrists manacled in front of him. With a frightened fright-ened exclamation she sprang forward, but Officer Delaney intercepted her. Capt. Clinton turned around angrily at the Interruption. "Keep the woman quiet till she's wanted!" he growled. (TO 1:13 CON'TINTIICn.) but steady love of good and steady scorn of evil. Fronde. For liver and kidney troubles, nothing is quite so mild, pleasant and effective as Gariield Tea. Many a girl repenls at leisure he-cause he-cause she didn't marry in haste. |
