Was He the Man?

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10228, 3 May 1911, Page 2

Was He the Man?

OUR SERIAL.

BY F. L. DACR&, . o Author of "A Phantom of the Past," "Tronholme'.s Trust," "The Doctor's Secret," "A Loveless Marriage," "Sir John's Heiress," etc.

CHAPTER XXV.—Continued. "With pleasure. When the magistrate granted bail I was furious, for I knew that Fitzgerald would use the opportunity to escape. He knew, as well as I did, that the evidence of my two witnesses, together with Burton's confession, at which Mr Fenton hinted, would insure his extradition, and that, once in the hands of our police, his fato would be sealed. I therefore, decided not to lose sight of him until I had him safe in France, if I had to hunt him round the world to get him there.

"While ho was with you and his newly-found friend, I knew he was safe; I also knew that he was to sleep at your chambers, and that he would, ..therefore have to make an escape from there. I calculated that I had at least Six hours to make my preparations. I first communicated my suspicions to Scotland Yard, and was snubbed for my pains. I then telegro \ hed Fitz-erald's description to every London terminus, and to every port from which steamers would sail within the next twenty four hours. I procured time-tables of every railway out of London, and studied them in detail. I found that the later Fitzgerald got away from you, the smaller would be his chances of getting out of England before the next day. Then, again, he wanted money, and this I knew he could only obtain by getting his luggage, or part of it, from the Paddington Hotel. 'I disguised myself so as to put some twenty years on to my apparent age, and went to Colonel Hawtrey's hotel. The colonel was not there, so I argued that he was with you. and Fitzgerald, probably at your rooms. At any rate,' if not there, you and Fitzgerald would return to sleep; so I kept your door under observation. That was about half-past eight. After a three hours' watch I saw Fitzgerald come out and walk toward Victoria. Then he took a cab, and I heard him give the direction, 'Paddington Station.' I followed him in another cab, He stopped at the hotel; so did I.' He went in, with me close at his heels. He went upstairs, and I en-| gaged the hall porter in conversation about an imaginary friend who, ought to have'been staying at the hotel, and should have met me there at that time. In fifteen minutes Fitzgerald came downstairs with a satchel in his hand. This he had taken to his cab, and then he went to the bar, and or-, dered a glass of hot brandy and water, and, a cigar. "While he was having his drink, I slipped out and informed his cabman that his faro was a criminal, who was about to break bail. I also gave him half sovereign not to drive too fast, and told him that I should follow himin another cab and would make up the full sovereign if he tracked his fare to his destination for the night. This arranged, I told my driver to keep the other in sight, wherever it went, and got in to wait for Fitzgerald to start.

place in the world thai he would be looked for; therefore to Paris he was going. Added to this, next to London, Paris is the best hiding place on earth. "Well, Mr Grey, we went to Dover in the same train, and to Calais in the same boat, and the moment he set foot on Calais pier I arrested him. Tho remainder of the story you know as well as I do." i When Morel had duly acknowledged our compliments on the ease with which ha had run his man to earth, we filled our glasses again, lit fresh cigars, and then Fenton unfolded Burton's manuscript and said: "If we are going to have any sleep to-night, I had better get on without delay. This document is practically in the form of a letter to you, with an attested signature. Aa you handed it .to me, and expressed a wish lLat :. should read it, I did so.' I found that: it contained' directions for getting the very evidence we- wa-nted for placing Fitzgerald's 1 true identity beyond any doubt. Now, apart from the strange influence which was controlling you at the time, I know you were desirous of bringing the murderer of Major Denver to justice, and this letter gave us the means of doing so. I felt that if it were left in your hands you might tell Fitzgerald of its existence, or even show it to him, when he would either have destroyed it himself, or made you- do so. I, therefore, felt justified in retaining it, and making such use of the information it contained as you would have made had you been a free agent. Have I done as I should?" "Oh, certainly," I replied.

I had not long to wait. Within five minutes he came out, puffing his cigar, and, in an unnecessarily loud voice, told his man to drive to your address. 'That is a blind,' I thought, and away we went. When we reached Buckingham Palace Road he stopped his cab and got out, with his satchel in his hand. L stopped my, cab a few yards from him, and sat stilL. Out of the side window I saw him turn back toward the station. Then I got out, but not on the pavement side of the cab, and crossed the street, keeping Fitzgerald in sight. "He walked straight to the Grosvenor Hotel, where I followed him, also making one or two important changes in my personal appearance as I went along. He engaged a room, and directed that he should be called at seven, as he wished to catch the Dover Express. I confess I was not a little astonished to hear this order. By taking the seven-fifty, from Victoria, he could have crossed to Flushing, and he was evidently bound for France. I took a bed, and retired to think it over. "I lay for some time revolving the matter in my mind before I could find any satisfactory reason for his taking' the Dover'train, in stead of that to Queensborough. A little reasoning," , however, showed me that there was I really no cause for surprise. Fitzgerald was a first-class criminal, an adept in his profession, and the expert criminal always does the unexpected. In the circumstances Paris was the last

"I thought you would say that," rejoined Fenton. "Shall I read the letter, ? or give it to you to read at your leisure?" "I think, as we ar,e here for the purpose of clearing up the mystery, it will be better if you read it," I replied. Then you can leave it with me, to oiake what further use of it I think necessary- that is, ff Monsieur Morel has not already had enough of the story." "On th-a contrary I should prefer to hear it again in detail before I finally pigeonhole the case," replied the Frenchman^ (To be Continoetn.