stories by modern american authors-第16节

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〃I　did　not　attempt　to　abandon　the　woman；　but　went　to　her　from　time

to　time　in　disguise　and　under　cover　of　the　greatest　secrecy。　　For　a

time　everything　ran　smooth；　the　woman　was　still　devoted　to　me　above

everything　else；　and　thought　always　of　my　welfare　first　and　seemed

content　to　wait　so　long　as　I　thought　best。　　My　business　expanded。

I　was　sought　after　and　consulted　and　drawn　into　the　higher　life　of

New　York；　and　more　and　more　felt　that　the　woman　was　an　albatross　on

my　neck。　　I　put　her　off　with　one　excuse　after　another。　　Finally　she

began　to　suspect　me　and　demanded　that　I　should　recognize　her　as　my

wife。　　I　attempted　to　point　out　the　difficulties。　　She　met　them　all

by　saying　that　we　should　both　go　to　Spain；　there　I　could　marry　her

and　we　could　return　to　America　and　drop　into　my　place　in　society

without　causing　more　than　a　passing　comment。



〃I　concluded　to　meet　the　matter　squarely　once　for　all。　　I　said　that

I　would　convert　half　of　the　property　into　money　and　give　it　to　her；

but　that　I　would　not　marry　her。　　She　did　not　fly　into　a　storming

rage　as　I　had　expected；　but　went　quietly　out　of　the　room　and

presently　returned　with　two　papers；　which　she　read。　　One　was　the

certificate　of　her　marriage　to　Walcott　duly　authenticated；　the

other　was　the　dying　statement　of　her　father；　the　Mexican　gambler；

and　of　Samuel　Walcott；　charging　me　with　murder。　　It　was　in　proper

form　and　certified　by　the　Jesuit　priest。



〃'Now；'　she　said；　sweetly；　when　she　had　finished；　'which　do　you

prefer；　to　recognize　your　wife；　or　to　turn　all　the　property　over　to

Samuel　Walcott's　widow　and　hang　for　his　murder？'



〃I　was　dumfounded　and　horrified。　　I　saw　the　trap　that　I　was　in　and

I　consented　to　do　anything　she　should　say　if　she　would　only　destroy

the　papers。　　This　she　refused　to　do。　　I　pleaded　with　her　and

implored　her　to　destroy　them。　　Finally　she　gave　them　to　me　with　a

great　show　of　returning　confidence；　and　I　tore　them　into　bits　and

threw　them　into　the　fire。



〃That　was　three　months　ago。　　We　arranged　to　go　to　Spain　and　do　as

she　said。　　She　was　to　sail　this　morning　and　I　was　to　follow。　　Of

course　I　never　intended　to　go。　　I　congratulated　myself　on　the　fact

that　all　trace　of　evidence　against　me　was　destroyed　and　that　her

grip　was　now　broken。　　My　plan　was　to　induce　her　to　sail；　believing

that　I　would　follow。　　When　she　was　gone　I　would　marry　Miss　St。

Clair；　and　if　Nina　San　Croix　should　return　I　would　defy　her　and

lock　her　up　as　a　lunatic。　　But　I　was　reckoning　like　an　infernal

ass；　to　imagine　for　a　moment　that　I　could　thus　hoodwink　such　a

woman　as　Nina　San　Croix。



〃To…night　I　received　this。〃　　Walcott　took　the　envelope　from　his

pocket　and　gave　it　to　Mason。　　〃You　saw　the　effect　of　it；　read　it

and　you　will　understand　why。　　I　felt　the　death　hand　when　I　saw　her

writing　on　the　envelope。〃



Mason　took　the　paper　from　the　envelope。　　It　was　written　in　Spanish；

and　ran：





〃Greeting　to　RICHARD　WARREN。



〃The　great　Senor　does　his　little　Nina　injustice　to　think　she　would

go　away　to　Spain　and　leave　him　to　the　beautiful　American。　　She　is

not　so　thoughtless。　　Before　she　goes；　she　shall　be；　Oh　so　very

rich！　and　the　dear　Senor　shall　be；　Oh　so　very　safe！　　The　Archbishop

and　the　kind　Church　hate　murderers。



〃NINA　SAN　CROIX。



〃Of　course；　fool；　the　papers　you　destroyed　were　copies。



〃N。　SAN　C。〃





To　this　was　pinned　a　line　in　a　delicate　aristocratic　hand　saying

that　the　Archbishop　would　willingly　listen　to　Madam　San　Croix's

statement　if　she　would　come　to　him　on　Friday　morning　at　eleven。



〃You　see；〃　said　Walcott；　desperately；　〃there　is　no　possible　way

out。　　I　know　the　womanwhen　she　decides　to　do　a　thing　that　is　the

end　of　it。　　She　has　decided　to　do　this。〃



Mason　turned　around　from　the　table；　stretched　out　his　long　legs；

and　thrust　his　hands　deep　into　his　pockets。　　Walcott　sat　with　his

head　down；　watching　Mason　hopelessly；　almost　indifferently；　his

face　blank　and　sunken。　　The　ticking　of　the　bronze　clock　on　the

mantel　shelf　was　loud；　painfully　loud。　　Suddenly　Mason　drew　his

knees　in　and　bent　over；　put　both　his　bony　hands　on　the　table；　and

looked　at　Walcott。



〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃this　matter　is　in　such　shape　that　there　is　only

one　thing　to　do。　　This　growth　must　be　cut　out　at　the　roots；　and　cut

out　quickly。　　This　is　the　first　fact　to　be　determined；　and　a　fool

would　know　it。　　The　second　fact　is　that　you　must　do　it　yourself。

Hired　killers　are　like　the　grave　and　the　daughters　of　the　horse

leech；they　cry　always；　'Give；　Give。'　　They　are　only　palliatives；

not　cures。　　By　using　them　you　swap　perils。　　You　simply　take　a　stay

of　execution　at　best。　　The　common　criminal　would　know　this。　　These

are　the　facts　of　your　problem。　　The　master　plotters　of　crime　would

see　here　but　two　difficulties　to　meet：



〃A　practical　method　for　accomplishing　the　body　of　the　crime。



〃A　cover　for　the　criminal　agent。



〃They　would　see　no　farther；　and　attempt　to　guard　no　farther。　　After

they　had　provided　a　plan　for　the　killing；　and　a　means　by　which　the

killer　could　cover　his　trail　and　escape　from　the　theater　of　the

homicide；　they　would　believe　all　the　requirements　of　the　problems

met；　and　would　stop。　　The　greatest；　the　very　giants　among　them；

have　stopped　here　and　have　been　in　great　error。



〃In　every　crime；　especially　in　the　great　ones；　there　exists　a　third

element；　preeminently　vital。　　This　third　element　the　master

plotters　have　either　overlooked　or　else　have　not　had　the　genius　to

construct。　　They　plan　with　rare　cunning　to　baffle　the　victim。　　They

plan　with　vast　wisdom；　almost　genius；　to　baffle　the　trailer。　　But

they　fail　utterly　to　provide　any　plan　for　baffling　the　punisher。

Ergo；　their　plots　are　fatally　defective　and　often　result　in　ruin。

Hence　the　vital　necessity　for　providing　the　third　elementthe

escape　ipso　jure。〃



Mason　arose；　walked　around　the　table；　and　put　his　hand　firmly　on

Samuel　Walcott's　shoulder。　　〃This　must　be　done　to…morrow　night；〃　he

continued；　〃you　must　arrange　your　business　matters　to…morrow　and

announce　that　you　are　going　on　a　yacht　cruise；　by　order　of　your

physician；　and　may　not　return　for　some　weeks。　　You　must　prepare

your　yacht　for　a　voyage；　instruct　your　men　to　touch　at　a　certain

point　on　Staten　Island；　and　wait　until　six　o'clock　day　after

tomorrow　morning。　　If　you　do　not　come　aboard　by　that　time；　they　are

to　go　to　one　of　the　South　American　ports　and　remain　until　further

orders。　　By　this　means　your　absence　for　an　indefinite　period　will

be　explained。　　You　will　go　to　Nina　San　Croix　in　the　disguise　which

you　have　always　used；　and　from　her　to　the　yacht；　and　by　this　means

step　out　of　your　real　status　and　back　into　it　without　leaving

traces。　　I　will　come　here　to…morrow　evening　and　furnish　you　with

everything　that　you　shall　need　and　give　you　full　and　exact

instructions　in　every　particular。　　These　details　you　must　execute

with　the　greatest　care；　as　they　will　be　vitally　essential　to　the

success　of　my　plan。〃



Through　it　all　Walcott　had　been　silent　and　motionless。　　Now　he

arose；　and　in　his　face　there　must　have　been　some　premonition　of

protest；　for　Mason　stepped　back　and　put　out　his　hand。　　〃Sir；〃　he

said；　with　brutal　emphasis；　〃not　a　word。　　Remember　that　you　are

only　the　hand；　and　the　hand　does　not　think。〃　　Then　he　turned　around

abruptly　and　went　out　of　the　house。





III





The　place　which　Samuel　Walcott　had　selected　for　the　residence　of

Nina　San　Croix　was　far　up　in　the　northern　suburb　of　New　York。　　The

place　was　very　old。　　The　lawn　was　large　and　ill　kept；　the　house；　a

square　old…fashioned　brick；　was　set　far　back　from　the　street；　and

partly　hidden　by　trees。　　Around　it　all　was　a　rusty　iron　fence。　　The

place　had　the　air　of　genteel　ruin；　such　as　one　finds　in　the

Virginias。



On　a　Thursday　of　November；　about　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　a

little　man；　driving　a　dray；　stopped　in　the　alley　at　the　rear　of　the

house。　　As　he　opened　the　back　gate　an　old　negro　woman　came　down　the

steps　from　the　kitchen　and　demanded　to　know　what　he　wanted。　　The

drayman　asked　if　the　lady　of　the　house　was　in。　　The　old　negro

answered　that　she　was　asleep　at　this　hour　and　could　not　be　seen。



〃That　is　good；〃　said　the　little　man；　〃now　there　won't　be　any　row。

I　brought　up　some　cases　of　wine　which　she　ordered　from　our　house

last　week　and　which　the　Boss　told　me　to　deliver　at　once；　but　I

forgot　it　until　to…day。　　Just　let　me　put　it　in　the　cellar　now；

Auntie；　and　don't　say　a　word　to　the　lady　about　it　and　she　won't

ever　know　that　it　was　not　brought　up　on　time。〃



The　drayman　stopped；　fished　a　silver　dollar　out　of　his　pocket；　and

gave　it　to　the　old　negro。　　〃There　now；　Auntie；〃　he　said；　〃my　job

depends　upon　the　lady　not　knowing　about　this　wine；　keep　it　mum。〃



〃Dat's　all　right；　honey；〃　said　the　old　servant；　beaming　like　a　May

morning。　　〃De　cellar　door　is　open；　carry　it　all　in　and　put　it　in　de

back　part　and　nobody　ain't　never　going　to　know　how　long　it　has　been

in　dar。〃