Two men came in through the door together, each with a small grip in
his hand, which Timmons took from them, and deposited beside the stove.
The larger wrote both names in the register, and then straightened up,
and surveyed the landlord.
"Any chance to eat?" he asked. "We're both of us about starved."
Timmons scratched his head.
"I reckon there's plenty o' cold provender out thar," he said
doubtfully, "an' maybe I could hustle you up some hot coffee, but we
don't aim ter do no feedin' at this time o' night. What's the matter
with the diner?"
"Hot box, and had to cut her off; be a good fellow, and hustle us up
something."
"I'll see what there is," and Timmons started for the kitchen, "but I
wouldn't wake Ma Timmons up fer a thousand dollars. She'd never git
over it."
The large man, a rather heavy-footed fellow, with scraggly grey
moustache, turned to his companion.
"Better luck than I expected at that, Colgate," he said, restored to
good humour. "The old duffer seems to be quite human."
His eyes caught sight of Cavendish, and hardened, the grizzly moustache
seeming to stiffen. His mouth was close to the ear of his companion,
and he spoke without moving his lips.
"Our bird; stand ready."
The three were talking earnestly, and he was standing before them
before any of the group marked his approach. His eyes were on
Cavendish, who instantly arose to his feet, startled by the man's
sudden appearance.
"There is no use making a scene, Burke," the big man said sternly, "for
my partner there has you covered."
"My name is not Burke; it is Cavendish."
"So I heard in Denver," dryly. "We hardly expected to find you here,
for we were down on another matter So you are not Gentleman Tom Burke?"
"No."
"I know he is not," interposed Westcott. "I have been acquainted with
this man for nearly twenty years; he is a New York capitalist."
"And who the hell are you--a pal?" the fellow sneered. "Now, see here,
both of you. I've met plenty of your kind before, and it is my
business not to forget a face. This man is under arrest," and he laid
a hand heavily on Cavendish's shoulder.
"Under the name of Burke? On what charge?"
"Robbery, at Poughkeepsie, New York; wanted also for burglary and
assault in Denver. My name is Roberts," he added, stiffly, "assistant
superintendent of the Pinkerton agency; the man with me is an operative
from the New York office."
Cavendish glanced past Roberts toward Colgate, who stood with one hand
thrust in his side pocket.
"You know this man Burke?" he asked.
"I saw him once; that's why I was put on the case. You certainly gave
me some hot chase, Tom."
"Some chase? What do you mean?"
"Well, I've been on your trail ever since that Poughkeepsie job--let's
see, that was two months ago. You jumped first to New York City, and I
didn't really get track of you until the night of April 16. Then a
copper in the Pennsylvania depot, to whom I showed your picture, gave
me a tip that you'd taken a late train West. After that I trailed you
through Chicago, down into Mexico, and back as far as Denver. It
wasn't hard because you always signed the same name."
"Of course; it's my own. You say you had a photograph of me?"
"A police picture; here it is if you want to look at it--taken in
Joliet."
Westcott grasped the sheet, and spread it open. It was Cavendish's
face clearly enough, even to the closely trimmed beard and the peculiar
twinkle in the eyes. Below was printed a brief description, and this
also fitted Cavendish almost exactly.
"Well," said Roberts, none too pleasantly, "what have you got to say
now?"
"Only this," and the miner squared his shoulders, looking the other
straight in the eyes. "This man is not Tom Burke, but I can tell you
where Tom Burke is."
"Yes, you can?"
"Yes, I can. I cannot only tell you, but I can prove it," he went on
earnestly. "This description says that Burke had a small piece clipped
out of one ear, and that he had a gold-crowned tooth in front, rather
prominent. This man's ears are unmarked, and his teeth are of the
ordinary kind."
The two detectives exchanged glances and Roberts grinned sarcastically.
"You'll have to do better than that," he said gruffly. "All right. Is
there any mention in that description of a peculiar and vivid scar on
the chest of this man Burke? It would be spoken about, if he had any,
wouldn't it?"
"Sure; they never overlook them things."
"Good; unbutton the front of your shirt, Fred."
The two stared at the scar thus revealed, still incredulous, yet unable
to refute the evidence of its existence. Roberts touched it with his
fingers to better assure himself of its reality.
"Darn it all," he confessed. "This beats hell."
"It does," coincided Westcott. "This whole affair has been of that
kind. Now I'll tell you where Tom Burke is--he lies buried in the
Cavendish family lot in Brooklyn."
He turned to Colgate, who stood with mouth half open.
"You're from New York; ever hear of the Cavendish murder?"
"Only saw a paragraph in the Chicago papers. It wasn't my case, and
the only thing that interested me was that the name happened to be the
same as assumed by the man I was following--why?"
"Because this gentleman here is Frederick Cavendish, who was reported
as killed--struck down in his apartments on the night of April 16.
Instead he took the midnight flier West and you followed him. The dead
man was Tom Burke; wait a minute and I'll tell you the story--all I
know of it, at least."
He told it rapidly, yet omitting no detail of any interest. The two
detectives, already half convinced of their mistake, listened
fascinated to the strange narrative; it was a tale of crime peculiarly
attractive to their minds; they could picture each scene in all its
colours of reality. As the speaker ended, Roberts drew in his breath
sharply.
"But who slugged Burke?" he asked. "The fellow went in there after
swag; but who got him?"
"That is the one question I can't answer," replied Westcott gravely,
"and neither can Fred. It doesn't seem to accord with the rest of our
theories. Enright told Lacy he didn't know who the dead man was, or
who killed him."
Miss Donovan pushed her way in front of Cavendish, and faced the
others, her cheeks flushed with excitement, a paper clasped in one hand.
"Perhaps I can help clear that up," she said clearly. "This is the
letter found under Miss La Rue's bed. I have read part of it. It was
written by Jack Cavendish just as he was taking a boat for South
America. It is not a confession," she explained, her eyes searching
their faces, "just a frightened boy's letter. I wouldn't understand it
at all if I didn't know so much about the case. What it seems to make
clear is this: The La Rue girl and Patrick Enright schemed to get
possession of the Cavendish property through her marriage to John; this
part of the programme worked out fairly well, but John could not get
hold of enough money to satisfy them.
"Enright and the girl decided to put Frederick out of the way, but
lacked the nerve to commit murder--at least in New York. Their scheme
seems to have been to inveigle their victim away from the city, and
then help him to get killed through an accident. In that case the law
would award the entire estate to John. They never told John this plan,
but their constant demands for money fairly drove the young man to
desperation.
"The making of the will, and the sudden proposed departure of Frederick
for the West, compelled immediate action, yet even then John was kept
largely in the dark as to what they proposed doing. All he knew was
that Frederick had made a will disinheriting him; that he left the
College Club with this document in his pocket, and intended later to
take a night train."
She paused, turning the letter over in her hands, and the men seemed to
draw closer in the intensity of their interest.
"Some of what I say I learned from this letter," she went on quietly,
"and some I merely deduce from the circumstances. I believe the boy
went home half mad, his only thought being to destroy that will. In
this state of mind, and fortified by drink, he stole later into
Frederick's apartments. I don't believe the boy actually intended to
murder his cousin, but he did intend to stun him with a blow from
behind, seize the paper, and escape unseen. It was a wild,
hare-brained project, but he was only a boy, half drunk, worked into
frenzy by Celeste La Rue. He got into the room--probably through the
bath-room window--unobserved, but after Frederick had departed. This
other man--Burke--was then at the table, running through the papers he
had taken from the safe, to see if any were of value. John, convinced
the man was his cousin, stole up behind him and struck him down. He
had no idea of the force of the blow delivered, and may even have left
the apartment without realising that the blow had been a fatal one.
Afterward there was nothing to do but keep still, and let matters take
their own course."
"And what happened then?"
"Naturally this: the La Rue woman wormed the truth out of him, and told
Enright. From that moment the boy was entirely in their hands. While
they remained in New York they helped him keep his nerve, but as soon
as he was left alone, he went entirely to pieces. He was no criminal,
merely a victim of circumstances. At last something happened to
frighten him into flight."
The four men straightened up as her voice ceased speaking. Then
Roberts laughed, as though ashamed of the breathless interest he had
exhibited.
"I guess she's got that doped out about right, Colgate," he said,
almost regretfully. "And it's clear enough that we are on the wrong
trail. Anyhow this man here isn't Tom Burke, although he would deceive
the very devil. What is it, landlord? Am I ready to eat? Just lead
the way, and I'll show you." He glanced about at the others. "Any of
you missed your supper? If so, we'd be glad to have your company."
"I'll accept the invitation," returned Cavendish. "I was asleep
up-stairs, and failed to hear the bell. Perhaps you gentlemen can tell
me what steps I'd better take in a case like mine."
The three passed out together, following the guidance of Timmons, and
as the sound of their voices subsided into a confused murmur, Westcott
glanced into the face beside him.
"You must be very tired, dear."
"I am tired, Jim," she said, "but I mustn't allow it. I have a big job
on hand. Farriss will want three thousand words of this and he'll want
it to-night so that he can scoop the town."
"Scoop the town?" Westcott repeated.
"Yes, that means my paper gets a story that no other paper gets. And
this Cavendish case is going to be my scoop. Will you walk with me
down to the station?"
Big Jim Westcott nodded silently and took her arm in his and together
they went out into the night.
Each stone, shrub, each dark frowning cliff reminded them of their
meeting, and silently, with their hearts full, they walked along until
a dilapidated box car hove into view, with one oil-lamp still burning,
twinkling evidence that Carson had not retired for the night; and as
they came abreast the door they found him dozing.
"Wake up, Carson," cried Jim, tapping him on the shoulder, "wake up and
get ready to do a big job on the keys. And keep your ears open, too,
old timer, for it's interesting, every word of it--Miss Donovan is
going to tell a story."
Carson rubbed his eyes, sat up, gave ample greeting, got up, lit
another lamp, and tested his wire.
"East wire free as air, Jim," he said. "You can begin that there story
whenever you want."
And so, weary as she was, and with nerves still high-pitched, Stella
Donovan began, slowly at first, until she got the swing of her "lead,"
and then more rapidly; one after another the yellow sheets on which she
wrote were fed past Westcott's critical eyes and into the hands of
Carson, who operated his "bug" like a madman.
An hour went past, an hour and a quarter--Stella Donovan was still
writing. An hour and a half. Westcott saw her face tensing under the
strain, saw it grow wan and white, and, reaching down he gripped the
fingers that clenched the pencil.
"No more, Stella," he said firmly, "you've sent four thousand!"
She looked at him tenderly. "Please, Jim," she begged, "just let me
add one more paragraph. It's the most important one of all."
The miner released her hand and the girl wrote hurriedly, this time
passing the sheets direct to Carson. Heroically the station agent
stuck to his task, and as he tossed the first of the sheets aside, an
eddying wisp of wind caught it, danced it a moment on the table-top,
then slid it over under the very palm of big Jim Westcott's right hand.
Slowly he picked it up and read it.
"So!" he said, with something strangely like a cry in his deep voice,
"so you've resigned from the _Star_, and you're going to stay in
Haskell?"
The girl looked at him, her lips trembling.
"I never want to be a lady reporter again," she whispered. "Never!"
They were in the open doorway now, and through the lush, warm gloom a
belated light twinkled down in Haskell, slumbering like a bad child in
the gulch below. And as they stood there watching a fair young moon
making its first bow in a purple sky, their lips met in a long tender
kiss; when they lifted their eyes again it was to let them range over
the eternal misty hills with their hearts of gold in which lay the
future--their future.