INTRODUCING MR. SMITH.
All that long morning Clifford Heath sat alone in his cosy, parlor, and
what his thoughts were no observer, had there been such, could have
guessed. His features were grave, even stern, but there was no
apprehension, no expectancy, no fear; nothing but calm gravity and
inflexible haughtiness could be discerned in the face that was sometimes
bent over a favorite book, sometimes submerged in clouds of smoke from
his big German meerschaum; but that never once turned toward the window
that overlooked the scene of the morning's discovery. All day the sounds
from thence penetrated to his ear; all day men were coming and going,
with much loud talk as they passed his doorway, and much bustle and
excitement. But Clifford Heath might have been deaf and blind, so little
interest did he manifest in the sights and sounds that were attendant
upon the scene of John Burrill's low, rain-soaked bed of death.
Crouched at his feet lay the great dog Prince, who had been comforted by
his master for any harshness that he had suffered necessarily, and he
now lay watchful but quiet, seeming to share, in a measure, the mood of
his master and best friend.
At one o'clock Mrs. Gray came in and spread his luncheon beside him in
tempting array, and the doctor laid aside his pipe, and, favoring Mrs.
Gray with one of those kindly smiles that she always melted under to the
extent of admitting to herself that her master _was_ "a man who _meant
well_, in spite of his horrid ways."
Then he drew his chair up beside the lunch table, and immediately set
Mrs. Gray's good humor awry by indulging in one of his "horrid ways,"
namely, the tossing of dainty bits to Prince, who caught them in his
mouth with much adroitness and without quitting his position upon the
Turkish rug.
Finally, when Prince had received his share of Mrs. Gray's dainties, the
doctor fell upon the rest and made a hearty meal.
As he was washing down a tart with a large tumbler of claret, there came
a knock upon the street door, and without a moment's hesitation--indeed,
with some alacrity--he arose to answer it in person.
Once more it was his neighbor, O'Meara.
"Come in O'Meara," said he, coolly. "I'm just finishing luncheon," and
he led the way back to the parlor.
"I just looked in for a moment in my capacity of friend and neighbor,
Heath," said the little lawyer, briskly, at the same time seating
himself near the table. "Later on I may give you a call in my
professional capacity, but not now, not now, sir."
"Don't do it at all, O'Meara," said the doctor, with a short laugh; "I
have no earthly use for a lawyer."
"No more have I for a medical adviser just this minute, sir; but I may
need one before night."
"And before night I may need a lawyer, O'Meara--is that it?"
The little man shook his head.
"I'm afraid of it, Heath; I'm afraid of it, as things look now."
"And things look now very much as they did this morning, I suppose?"
O'Meara nodded.
"Then, this is the prospect ahead--a coroner's verdict thus: 'Deceased
came to his death at the hands of Clifford Heath, M. D.;' and
circumstantial evidence thus: 'Deceased has on several occasions been
threatened by accused; he was found buried near the premises of accused,
and upon his person was found a handkerchief bearing the name, Clifford
Heath.' This, and how much more I can't tell. It's a beautiful case,
O'Meara."
The little lawyer stared, astonished at his coolness.
"Don't underrate this business, Heath," he said, anxiously. "I'm glad to
see that it has not had the opposite effect on you. I'm glad to see
plenty of pluck, but--"
"But, there's a strong case against me; that's what you would say,
O'Meara. I don't doubt, and let me tell you that neither you nor I can
guess _how_ strong the case is; not yet."
"Such an affair is bad enough, at the best, Heath; I don't see anything
in the case, thus far, that will hold up against an impartial
investigation; as for other evidence, am I to understand--"
Clifford Heath bent forward, and lifted one hand warningly.
"Understand nothing for the present, O'Meara; after the verdict come to
me, not as a lawyer, but as a friend, and I will explain my language
and--attitude; for the present I have nothing to say."
"Then I must be satisfied with what you _have_ said," replied the lawyer
cheerfully. "Of course you will be at the inquest?"
The doctor nodded.
"Well, having seen--and heard you, it is not necessary to offer any
suggestions, I see that," and the lawyer arose and took up his hat, "and
it won't be policy for me to remain here too long. Count on me Heath, in
any emergency. I'm your man."
"Thank you, O'Meara; rest assured such friendship is fully appreciated."
And he extended his hand to the friendly lawyer, who grasped it
silently, seemed struggling, either to speak or to repress some thought,
and then dropped it and went out silently, followed in equal silence by
his host, who closed the door behind him, and then went thoughtfully
back to his claret.
"Zounds!" muttered Lawyer O'Meara, picking his way back across the muddy
street, and entering his own dwelling. "To think of accusing a man of so
much coolness, and presence of mind, of such a bungling piece of work as
this. It's a queer suspicion, but I could almost swear that Heath smells
a plot."
At this moment a carriage drove hastily by, all mud bespattered, and
lying open in defiance of the rain.
"It's Lamotte's landau," said the lawyer, peeping out from the shelter
of his verandah; "it's Lamotte's carriage, and it's Lamotte himself; I
would like to see how he looks, just for one moment; but it's too wet,
and I must go tell the old woman how her favorite doctor faces the
situation."
A few moments after the landau had deposited Jasper Lamotte at the gate
of the vacant lot, a pedestrian, striding swiftly along, as if eager to
be upon the scene and sate his curiosity, came in among the group of men
that, all day long, had hovered about the cellar.
"What's a going on here?" he demanded of the first man upon whom his
glance fell, "an--accident?"
"Good Lord!" exclaimed the man, who was one of Old Forty Rod's
customers; "where have _you_ come from that you don't know a man has
been killed!"
"Killed!"
"Yes, murdered! stabbed last night and buried in this old cellar."
"Heavens, man! was--was he a citizen?"
"Well, I should say! and a rum chap, too. Why, you are a stranger to
these parts if you don't know John Burrill."
"Never heard of him in my life, old Top," replied the stranger. "I
_don't_ live in these parts."
The man drew back a little, and seeing this, the stranger came closer
and laid one hand familiarly upon his arm, at the same time leaning
nearer, and saying in a loud whisper:
"Any of the stiff's friends in this gang?"
[Illustration: "Any of the stiff's friends in this gang?"]
The satellite of "Old Forty," who had at first seemed somewhat disposed
to resent too much familiarity on the part of the stranger, turned
toward him, drew closer, and allowed his features to relax into a grin
of friendliness. He had not been so fortunate as to receive a morning
dram, and the breath of the stranger had wafted to his nostrils the
beloved, delicious odor of "whisky killers."
"Hush!" he whispered confidentially, "that man over there the tall,
good-looking one with the whiskers, d'ye mind--"
"Yes, yes! high toned bloke?"
"Exactly; that's the dead man's father-in-law."
"Father-in-law, eh!"
"Yes, and that young chap beside him, the pale, handsome one, that's his
son."
"Whose son?"
"The tall man's son; Frank Lamotte's his name."
"You don't say; good-looking duffer! Found the assassin?"
"Not exactly, but they say--"
"Look here, pard, this sniffs of romance; now I'm gone on romance in
real life; just let's step back among these cedars, and out of the
crowd, where I can give you a pull at my brandy flask, and you can tell
me all the particulars."
And the jaunty young man tapped his breast suggestively and winked
knowingly down at his new found friend.
"Agreed," said the man, eagerly, and turning at once toward the nearest
clump of trees.
"I may as well say that my name is Smith," said the stranger, as he
passed over his brandy flask. "Now then, pard, fire ahead, and don't
forget when you get thirsty to notify Smith, the book peddler."
The man began his story, and the book peddler stood with ear attentive
to the tale, and eye fixed upon Jasper Lamotte.