initials only-第27部分

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g　Brotherson　to　drag　him　into　the　closet；　he　stood　quiescent；　while　the　determined　man　who　held　him　with　one　hand；　felt　about　with　the　other　over　the　shelves　and　along　the　partitions　till　he　came　to　the　hole　which　had　offered　such　a　happy　means　of　communication　between　the　two　rooms。　　Then；　with　a　laugh　almost　as　bitter　in　tone　as　that　which　rang　from　Brotherson's　lips；　he　acknowledged　that　business　had　its　necessities　and　that　apologies　from　him　were　in　order；　adding；　as　they　both　stepped　out　into　the　rapidly　darkening　room：

〃We've　played　a　bout；　we　two；　and　you've　come　out　ahead。　　Allow　me　to　congratulate　you；　Mr。　Brotherson。　　You've　cleared　yourself　so　far　as　I　am　concerned。　　I　leave　this　ranch　to…night。〃

The　frown　had　come　back　to　the　forehead　of　the　indignant　man　who　confronted　him。

〃So　you　listened；〃　he　cried；　〃listened　when　you　weren't　sneaking　under　my　eye！　　A　fine　occupation　for　a　man　who　can　dove…tail　a　corner　like　an　adept。　　I　wish　I　had　let　you　join　the　brotherhood　you　were　good　enough　to　mention。　　They　would　know　how　to　appreciate　your　double　gifts　and　how　to　reward　your　excellence　in　the　one；　if　not　in　the　other。　　What　did　the　police　expect　to　learn　about　me　that　they　should　consider　it　necessary　to　call　into　exercise　such　extraordinary　talents？

〃I'm　not　good　at　conundrums。　　I　was　given　a　task　to　perform；　and　I　performed　it；〃　was　Sweetwater　s　sturdy　reply。　　Then　slowly；　with　his　eye　fixed　directly　upon　his　antagonist；　〃　I　guess　they　thought　you　a　man。　　And　so　did　I　until　I　heard　you　burn　those　letters。　　Fortunately　we　have　copies。〃

〃Letters！〃　　Fury　thickened　the　speaker's　voice；　and　lent　a　savage　gleam　to　his　eye。　　〃Forgeries！　　Make　believes！　　Miss　Challoner　never　wrote　the　drivel　you　dare　to　designate　as　letters。　　It　was　concocted　at　Police　Headquarters。　　They　made　me　tell　my　story　and　then　they　found　some　one　who　could　wield　the　poetic　pen。　　I'm　obliged　to　them　for　the　confidence　they　show　in　my　credulity。　　I　credit　Miss　Challoner　with　such　words　as　have　been　given　me　to　read　here　to…day？　I　knew　the　lady；　and　I　know　myself。　　Nothing　that　passed　between　us；　not　an　event　in　which　we　were　both　concerned；　has　been　forgotten　by　me；　and　no　feature　of　our　intercourse　fits　the　language　you　have　ascribed　to　her。　　On　the　contrary；　there　is　a　lamentable　contradiction　between　facts　as　they　were　and　the　fancies　you　have　made　her　indulge　in。　　And　this；　as　you　must　acknowledge；　not　only　proves　their　falsity；　but　exonerates　Miss　Challoner　from　all　possible　charge　of　sentimentality。〃

〃Yet　she　certainly　wrote　those　letters。　　We　had　them　from　Mr。　Challoner。　　The　woman　who　brought　them　was　really　her　maid。　　We　have　not　deceived　you　in　this。〃

〃I　do　not　believe　you。〃

It　was　not　offensively　said；　but　the　conviction　it　expressed　was　absolute。　　Sweetwater　recognised　the　tone；　as　one　of　truth；　and　inwardly　laid　down　his　arms。　　He　could　never　like　the　man；　there　was　too　much　iron　in　his　fibre；　but　he　had　to　acknowledge　that　as　a　foe　he　was　invulnerable　and　therefore　admirable　to　one　who　had　the　good　sense　to　appreciate　him。

〃I　do　not　want　to　believe　you。〃　　Thus　did　Brotherson　supplement　his　former　sentence。　　〃For　if　I　were　to　attribute　those　letters　to　her；　I　should　have　to　acknowledge　that　they　were　written　to　another　man　than　myself。　　And　this　would　be　anything　but　agreeable　to　me。　Now　I　am　going　to　my　room　and　to　my　work。　　You　may　spend　the　rest　of　the　evening　or　the　whole　night；　if　you　will；　listening　at　that　hole。　　As　heretofore；　the　labour　will　be　all　yours；　and　the　indifference　mine。

With　a　satirical　play　of　feature　which　could　hardly　be　called　a　smile；　he　nodded　and　left　the　room。



XXI

A　CHANGE


〃It's　all　up。　　I'm　beaten　on　my　own　ground。〃　　Thus　confessed　Sweetwater；　in　great　dejection；　to　himself。　　〃But　I'm　going　to　take　advantage　of　the　permission　he's　just　given　me　and　continue　the　listening　act。　　Just　because　he　told　me　to　and　just　because　he　thinks　I　won't。　　I'm　sure　it's　no　worse　than　to　spend　hours　of　restless　tossing　in　bed；　trying　to　sleep。〃

But　our　young　detective　did　neither。

As　he　was　putting　his　supper　dishes　away；　a　messenger　boy　knocked　at　his　door　and　handed　him　a　note。　　It　was　from　Mr。　Gryce　and　ran　thus：

〃Steal　off；　if　you　can；　and　as　soon　as　you　can；　and　meet　me　in　Twenty…ninth　Street。　　A　discovery　has　been　made　which　alters　the　whole　situation。〃



XXII

O。　B。　　AGAIN


〃What's　happened？　　Something　very　important。　　I　ought　to　hope　so　after　this　confounded　failure。〃

〃Failure？　　Didn't　he　read　the　letters？〃

〃Yes；　he　read　them。　　Had　to；　but　…〃

〃Didn't　weaken？　　Eh？〃

〃No；　he　didn't　weaken。　　You　can't　get　water　out　of　a　millstone。　You　may　squeeze　and　squeeze；　but　it's　your　fingers　which　suffer；　not　it。　　He　thinks　we　manufactured。　　those　letters　ourselves　on　purpose　draw　him。〃

〃Humph！　　I　knew　we　had　a　reputation　for　finesse；　but　I　didn't　know　that　it　ran　that　high。〃

〃He　denies　everything。　　Said　she　would　never　have　written　such　letters　to　him；　even　goes　so　far　to　declare　that　if　she　did　write　them　…　（he　must　be　strangely　ignorant　of　her　handwriting）　they　were　meant　for　some　other　man　than　himself。　　All　rot；　but　…〃　　A　hitch　of　the　shoulder　conveyed　Sweetwater's　disgust。　　His　uniform　good　nature　was　strangely　disturbed。

But　Mr。　Gryce's　was　not。　　The　faint　smile　with　which　he　smoothed　with　an　easy；　circling　movement；　the　already　polished　top　of　his　ever　present　cane　conveyed　a　secret　complacency　which　called　up　a　flash　of　discomfiture　to　his　greatly　irritated　companion。

〃He　says　that；　does　he？　　You　found　him　on　the　whole　tolerably　straightforward；　eh？　　A　hard　nut；　but　hard　nuts　are　usually　sound　ones。　　Come；　now！　prejudice　aside；　what's　your　honest　opinion　of　the　man　you've　had　under　your　eye　and　ear　for　three　solid　weeks？　　Hasn't　there　been　the　best　of　reasons　for　your　failure？　　Speak　up；　my　boy。　Squarely；　now。〃

〃I　can't。　　I　hate　the　fellow。　　I　hate　any　one　who　makes　me　look　ridiculous。　　He　…　well；　well；　if　you'll　have　it；　sir；　I　will　say　this　much。　　If　it　weren't　for　that　blasted　coincidence　of　the　two　deaths　equally　mysterious；　equally　under　his　eye；　I'd　stake　my　life　on　his　honesty。　　But　that　coincidence　stumps　me　and　…　and　a　sort　of　feeling　I　have　here。〃

It　is　to　be　hoped　that　the　slap　he　gave　his　breast；　at　this　point；　carried　off　some　of　his　superfluous　emotion。　　〃You　can't　account　for　a　feeling；　Mr。　Gryce。　　The　man　has　no　heart。　　He's　as　hard　as　rocks。〃

〃A　not　uncommon　lack　where　the　head　plays　so　big　a　part。　　We　can't　hang　him　on　any　such　argument　as　that。　　You've　found　no　evidence　against　him？〃

〃N　…　no。〃　　The　hesitating　admission　was　only　a　proof　of　Sweetwater's　obstinacy。

〃Then　listen　to　this。　　The　test　with　the　letters　failed；　because　what　he　said　about　them　was　true。　　They　were　not　meant　for　him。　Miss　Challoner　had　another　lover。〃

〃Only　another？　　I　thought　there　were　a　half…dozen；　at　least。〃

〃Another　whom　she　favoured。　　The　letters　found　in　her　possession　　…　not　the　ones　she　wrote　herself；　but　those　which　were　written　to　her　over　the　signature　0。　B。　were　not　all　from　the　same　hand。　Experts　have　been　busy　with　them　for　a　week；　and　their　reports　are　unanimous。　　The　0。　B。　who　wrote　the　threatening　lines　acknowledged　to　by　Orlando　Brotherson；　was　not　the　0。　B。　who　penned　all　of　those　love　letters。　　The　similarity　in　the　writing　misled　us　at　first；　but　once　the　doubt　was　raised　by　Mr。　Challoner's　discovery　of　an　allusion　in　one　of　them　which　pointed　to　another　writer　than　Mr。　Brotherson；　and　experts　had　no　difficulty　in　reaching　the　decision　I　have　mentioned。〃

〃Two　0。　B。s！　　Isn't　that　incredible；　Mr。　Gryce？〃

Yes；　it　is　incredible；　but　the　incredible　is　not　the　impossible。　The　man　you've　been　shadowing　denies　that　these　expressive　effusions　of　Miss　Challoner　were　meant　for　him。　　Let　us　see；　then；　if　we　can　find　the　man　they　were　meant　for。〃

〃The　second　0。　B。？〃

Yes。〃

Sweetwater's　face　instantly　lit　up。

〃Do　you　mean　that　I　…　after　my　egregious　failure　…　am　not　to　be　kept　on　the　dunce's　seat？　　That　you　will　give　me　this　new　job？〃

〃Yes。　　We　don't　know　of　a　better　man。　　It　isn't　your　fault；　you　said　it　yourself；　that　water　couldn't　be　squeezed　out　of　a　millstone。〃

〃The　Superintendent　…　how　does　he　feel　about　it？〃

〃He　was　the　first　one　to　mention　you。〃

〃And　the　Inspector？〃

〃Is　glad　to　see　us　on　a　new　tack。〃

A　pause；　during　which　the　eager　light　in　the　young　detective's　eye　clouded　over。　　Presently　he　remarked：

〃How　will　the　finding　of　another　0。　B。　alter　Mr。　Brotherson's　position？　　He　still　will　be　the　one　person　on　the　spot；　known　to　have　cherished　a　grievance　against　the　victim　of　this　mysterious　killing。　　To　my　mind；　this　discovery　of　a　more　favoured　rival；　brings　in　an　element　of　motive　which　may　rob　our　self…reliant　friend　of　some　of　his　complacency。　　We　may　further；　rather　than　destroy；　our　case　against　Brotherson　by　locating　a　second　0。B。〃

Mr。　Gryce's　eyes　twinkled。

〃That　won't　make　your　task　any　more　irksome；〃　he　smiled。　　〃The　loop　we　thus　throw　out　is　as　likely　to　catch　Brotherson　as　his　rival。　　It　all　depends　upon　the　sort　of　man　we　find　in　this　second　0。　B。；　and　whether；　in　some　way　unknown　to　us；　he　gave　her　cause　for　the　sudden　and　overwhelming　rush　of　despair　which　alone　supports　this　general　theory　of　suicide。〃

〃The　prospect　grows　pleasing。　　Where　am　I　to　look　for　my　man？〃

〃Your　ticket　is　bought　to　Derby；　Pennsylvania。　　If　he　is　not　employed　in　the　great　factories　there；　we　do　not　know　where　to　find　him。　　We　have　no　other　clew。〃

〃I　see。　　It's　a　short　journey　I　have　before　me。〃

〃It'll　bring　the　colour　to　your　cheeks。〃

〃Oh；　I'm　not　kicking。〃

〃You　will　start　to…morrow。〃

〃Wish　it　were　to…day。〃

〃And　you　will　first　inquire；　not　for　0。　B。；　that's　too　indefinite；　but　for　a　young　girl　by　the　name　of　Doris　Scott。　　She　holds　the　clew；　or　rather　she　is　the　clew　to　this　second　0。　B。〃

〃Another　woman！〃

〃No；　a　child；　…　well；　I　won't　say　child　exactly；　she　must　be　sixteen。〃

〃Doris　Scott。〃

〃She　lives　in　Derby。　　Derby　is　a　small　place。　　You　will　have　no　trouble　in　finding　this　child。　　It　was　to　her　Miss　Challoner's　last　letter　was　addressed。　　The　one　…〃

〃I　begin　to　see。〃

〃No；　you　don't；　Sweetwater。　　The　affair　is　as　blind　as　your　hat；　nobody　sees。　　We