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The Lone Inn

The Lone Inn image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
November
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

A n COPYRIGHT I L.L IÍS94 6r TMC AUTHOR CHAPTER XIV. We were no nearer the trnth than before. Rose Gernon had told tis nothing new, comparatively speaking. Certainly she declared herself to be innocent of the crime and acoused Strent, but if we found Strent he might declare himself innocent and accuse her. One or the other of them must necessarily be guilty, as they alono had seen Felix on that fatal night. Rose was being closely watched by a detective, so that we could obtain her evidonco at ony moment. It now rernained for us to find Strent and hcar his story. Francia believed Strent had killed his brother. I had niy doubts, as I could see no motivo for his committing the crime, whereas Rose, in a fit of blind anger, might have done so. Merrick's theory as to her guilt was more in accordance with my belief. Hitherto we kept the case f rom being meddled with by the pólice, but now they began to haiidle the matter. Informed by Francis as to the whereabouts of the body, they dragged the pool near the Feu inn and reeovertd the corpse of the unhappy young man. Then the inspector wrote a peremptory letter to Francis, requesting him to come down and attend the inquest. There was a note of suspicion in the letter, and Francis could not very well help obeying the summons. He requested me to come with him, which I had every intention of doing. We settled the time of our departure and before going saw Olivia and Dr. Merrick. Mrs. Bellin had not been informed of the death of Felix, nor did she suspect that anything -wrong was going on under her very nose. Thanks to the wonderf ui resemblance between the twins, she accepted Felix as Francis and Francis as himself without the slightest suspicion. At first she had objected to the engagement, but af terward, learning that Brairfield possessed a good income, conseuted. To be sure, she would have been better pleased had Olivia married a title, but as her daughter declared she would marry no oue but Francis Mrs. Belliu gave way with a good grace. As to Olivia, she was terribly dismayed when she heard Francis was going to Marshminster, and she dreaded lest he should be accused of his brother's murder. The actions of Francis had been . so very peculiar that I was afraid to teil them to the inspector lest he should think the young man guilty. At the same time it was impossiblo to keep them secret, as Francis had thrown the body of his brother into the pool and would have to explain to the inspector how it got there. Our only chance of proving him to be innocent lay in onding Strent, and where he was to be discovered none of us knew. Merrick 's clever brain discovered a clew to the destination of the fugitive. "Did you rid(i to the Fen inn from Marshminster?" he asked Francis. "No. Had I come by train to Marshminster I would have gone to Bellin Hall, where uiy brothor was staring, and seen him before Olivia. " "It's a pity you did not go there," said Merrick thoughtfully. "All this trouble might have then been avoided. Well, how did you get tothe Fen inn?" "I took the train from London to Starby, hired a horse there and rode to the Fen inn. ' ' "How f ar is it from Starby to the Fen inn?" "About 12 miles." ' 'And from the Fen inn to MarshminBter?" "Ten miles." "Much about a muchness, " said Merrick. "Did yoti teil Strent you had ridden from Starby?" ' 'Yes. I had no reason to conceal my movements. " "Quite so. Well, acnording to Rose Gernon, it was your horse Strent took to escape?" "It was. I wonder he did not take the horse of Felix. ' ' "For a very simple reason. He knew wben the alarm was given that you and Denham would go to Marshminster. Therefore, to hide his traii the better, he went back with your hoi-se to Starby." "Do you think so?" "I arn sure of it. Go to the livery stablo at Starby where you hired your horse, and I am certain you will find it thore, restored by Strent. ' ' "Well," said I, in nowise satisfied, "suppose we trace him to Starby. That will be of no use. No doubt he took the train there for London. " "Very probably, " said Merrick coolly, "and waited there for Rose Gernon." ' 'But she has not seen him since he fled from the inn." "So she says, but it is not true, for all that. When ho killed Felix, and the evidenee seems to póint to him as the murderer, he told Rose to take the gig and go to Marshminster. Then he rode off to Starby and rejoined her in London. ' ' "But why should she conceal his movements?' ' "Because he knows too much about the crime," said Merrick decisively. "Lither she did it herself and is afraid of his speaking, or he did it, and she wishes to screen him. ' ' "Why should she wish to screen a man. who killed her lover?" "I can't answer all questions, " said Merriok irritably, flnding himself at a loss. ' 'All this is pure theory, but I think it is so. I am certain there is an understanding between Rose and Strent. If that detective watching Rose only knew Streut, I am certain he would catch him paying her a visit. " "Why not give the detective a picture of the man?" snggested Fraucis. "Why not indeed?" I retorted derisively. "Becausewe haven't gota picture. ' ' ' 'I have one at my rooms, ' ' said Francis. "Where did youget it?" "I drow it while waiting for Felix at the Feu inn. You know, Denhaxn, I have some skill in catching expressions and watching faces. The fellow struck me as such a smng scoundrel that I penciled a caricature of him while he moved about the dining room. It is not a photograph certainly. Still I think it is sufficiently like him." "Capital," said the doctor, rubbing his hands. "It's a good thing yoïi employed your leisure in that way, Mr. Briarfield. It may do you a great service. ' ' "You think I am in danger?" ' 'I think you stand in a perilous position, ' ' replied the doctor gravely. ' 'Your very efforts to preserve your secret and bafflo Denham wiil score against you with the pólice. And you must teil them alJ, seeing you know where the body was to be iound. ' ' "I'll teil them all and do the best I can, ' ' said Francis, turning pale, ' 'but Rose can prove I was never out of my room. ' ' "No, she can't. Rose went to bed, and for aught she knows you might have come down and quarreled with your brother afterward. Your only chance, Mr. Briarfleld, of proving your innocence is to find Strent. If you give that portrait to the detective watching Rose Gernon, I believe you'll lay hands on him, but it's a mere chance. " ' 'There is another means of ideutification, " said I. "Strent is lame, so if a lame man calis on Miss Gernon my detective, aided by the picture, will know it is Strent. ' ' "Well, go and try my plan," said Merrick, shaking Francis by the hand. "I hope for your sake, Mr. Briarfield, it will be successful. ' ' When we left the doctor, Francis looked pale and upset. He was just beginning to realize the predicanient in which he stood. I was afraid myself that when all was known he wóuld be arrested. His own actions looked black, though I knew they were done out of pure foolishness. Had he only trusted me at the time, all the trouble would have been averted. As it was, I determined to stand by him to the end. "Cheer up, Briarfield," said I, clapping him on his back. "If Merrick and I solved so much of the mystery, you may be sure we'll find out the rest. " "It's the newpapers I'm thinking of," he said ruefully. "If all thia foolishness gets into the press, Mrs. Bellin will never let me marry Olivia. ' ' "I don't think Mrs. Bellin will have much say in the matter, ' ' I answered dryly. "Olivia is not the kind of wonian to give up her lover so easily, particularly when she knows the truth. She'll stick to you, as I inteud to do. As to the press, you forget that the inijnest is at Marshminster, which only possesses a weekly paper. I know the editor and can keep all details out of it. Uheer up. ' ' "Thauk you, Denham," said the poor fellow gratefully. "You are the best friend I have. ' ' "Faith, you didn't think so at Paris, Briarfield. I've no doubt that there you cursed me by all your gods tor i meddlesome fooi. " At this he laughed and begau to piek up his spirits. We saw the detective who was watching Rose Gernon aart gave him the picture drawn by Francia, with a full description of the man he wanted. E.specially did We lay stress on the lameness, and in the end jour detective promised that he would nail any man answering to our description. I gave him my address at Marshminster and told him to wire when he iound out the whereabouta of Strent. I also told him to wire to Merrick, as I the doctor was anxious to know if his theory would prove correct. Next day we went down to Marsh - rr.nster. By permission Francis staid with me at Aunt Jane's house, and learuing that he was in trouble the two old ladies made much of him. We saw the inspector of pólice, who was a friend of mine, and learned that the body of Felix Briarfield was at the morgue of Marshminster. The inquest wils to be held next morniug, and all irrangementa had teen ma Ie. Whea ;he inspector had snpplied us with this information, we sat down and told him the whole story as has been hero set forth. He listened with much astonishment and expressed himself to that end. "I never read a novel to touch this," ie said, staring at Francis. "Truth is stranger than fictiön, after all. You jreatly resenible your unhappy brother, Mr. Briarfield. " "Is the body much decomposed?" asksd I, seeing that Francis remaiued silent, "It's recognizable only, " replied the inspector. "You acted very foolishly in this matter, both of you. Why did you aot come and teil me about it all at snee?" "I was afraid of being accnsed of killing my brother," said Francis Eaintly. "You've made it ten times worse aow, " said the inspector dryly. "Had yon wished to damn yourself, yon conld aot have gone to work in a more piaeaded fashion. " "Are you going to arrest me?" "No. There is not sufficient evidence against you. Besides I quite believe pour story. Still, ' ' added he, with some aesitation, "you have to face the coroaer tomorrow. He may not believe you so easily as I. " "What do you think is best to be ïone?" I askod dlsmally. "Well, judging from what you have told me, I should think the best thing would be to find Strent, "said the inspector. "Ho is the only man to solve the myatery. Failing hún, you'd better get Rose Ciernou down. Her evidpnce inay go to provo that Mr. Briarfield was in bed at the timo Félix was in the tiouse. " 'Til wire for her to come down at Mice, ' ' I said, jumping up. "It will be as well. I'll send a man 3ver to Starby and flnd out if Strent ïelivered the horse to the livery stable keeper. I wish to heaven, Denham," ;aid the inspector, raging at me, "that pou had told me all about this at first. " "I acted for the best. " "I've no doubt you did," he replied ill temperedly, ' 'but I hato your amateur detectives. They siiuply muddie things. I'd have straigh tened out this 3oil long ago had I taken it in hand. " "I have my doubts of that," said I iryly and went off to the telegraph ofEice. There I sont a telegram to Rose 3ernon asking her to come down by the early train next morniug and also informed the detective that I wished ner to come. I knew quite weli she (vould not dare to refuse, and, moreDver, that my detective would send a man to watch her, while he waited round lier houso for the possible appearance of Strent. When I got back to the inspector's room, I found that his ill temper had vanished, and he was doing his best to 3onsole Francis. "I've seen a man in a worse plight than is yours, Mr. Briarfield," ho was saying when I entered, "and yet he carne out all right in the end. The cause of his predicament was similar. " "What's that?" said Francis, looking up. "Lack of moral courage. Had yon told Denhain at the time and then both Df you had told me, we raight have laid our hands on Rose Gernon and Strent. As it was, you gave them time to make up their plans and get away. ' ' "Rose hasn't got awav," said I grimly. "She's safe enough and will be here tomorrow. ' ' "I wish we could say the same about Strent, ' ' said the inspector. "Do you think he is guilty?" asked Francis. "Upon my word, sir, after all my experience of the law, I am afraid to say who is guilty and who isn't. That theory of Dr. Merrick's regarding Rose Gernon is feasible enough. She certainly seems to have had more motive for killing your brother than had Strent. " "It's my opinión, " said I, "that there Is a relationship between Strent and Rose. In such relationship lies the secret of the crime and her silence. " "Humph! There's something in that, " said the inspector. "They might bo man and wif e. ' ' "ür brother and sister, " suggested Francis. "ür even lovers," 1 said, nodding my head. "Jealousy on the part of Streut might have spurred him on to killing Felix. " These, however, were all theories, and we parted for the night without 3Óming to any decisión as to who was the guilty party. In the moraing 1 receivei a telegram f rom Merrick and went off v th it at once to the inspector. It ran (luis: "Have secnred Strent. Am bringing him down with Rose. Arrive at noon. Hold over inquest il possible." "By Jove, sir, "said the , "that man is lost as a doctor. He o0ut to be a detective. ' '

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Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News