the woman in the alcove-第23节

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amsdell　ball！　The　day　of　the　great　murder！　As　he　recalled　the　incidents　of　that　day　he　understood　why　the　record　of　Wellgood's　name　was　unaccompanied　by　the　usual　reference。　It　had　been　a　difficult　day　all　round。　The　function　was　an　important　one；　and　the　weather　bad。　There　was；　besides；　an　unusual　shortage　in　his　number　of　assistants。　Two　men　had　that　very　morning　been　laid　up　with　sickness；　and　when　this　able…looking；　self…confident　Wellgood　presented　himself　for　immediate　employment；　he　took　him　out　of　hand　with　the　merest　glance　at　what　looked　like　a　very　satisfactory　reference。　Later；　he　had　intended　to　look　up　this　reference；　which　he　had　been　careful　to　preserve　by　sticking　it；　along　with　other　papers；　on　his　spike…file。　But　in　the　distractions　following　the　untoward　events　of　the　evening；　he　had　neglected　to　do　so；　feeling　perfectly　satisfied　with　the　man's　work　and　general　behavior。　Now　it　was　a　different　thing。　The　man　had　left　him　summarily；　and　he　felt　impelled　to　hunt　up　the　person　who　had　recommended　him　and　see　whether　this　was　the　first　time　that　Wellgood　had　repaid　good　treatment　with　bad。　Running　through　the　papers　with　which　his　file　was　now　full；　he　found　that　the　one　he　sought　was　not　there。　This　roused　him　in　good　earnest；　for　he　was　certain　that　he　had　not　removed　it　himself　and　there　was　no　one　else　who　had　the　right　to　do　so。　He　suspected　the　culprit；a　young　lad　who　occasionally　had　access　to　his　desk。　But　this　boy　was　no　longer　in　the　office。　He　had　dismissed　him　for　some　petty　fault　the　previous　week；　and　it　took　him　several　days　to　find　him　again。　Meantime　his　anger　grew　and　when　he　finally　came　face　to　face　with　the　lad；　he　accused　him　of　the　suspected　trick　with　so　much　vehemence　that　the　inevitable　happened；　and　the　boy　confessed。　This　is　what　he　acknowledged。　He　had　taken　the　reference　off　the　file；　but　only　to　give　it　to　Wellgood　himself；　who　had　offered　him　money　for　it。　When　asked　how　much　money；　the　boy　admitted　that　the　sum　was　ten　dollars；　an　extraordinary　amount　from　a　poor　man　for　so　simple　a　service；　if　the　man　merely　wished　to　secure　his　reference　for　future　use；　so　extraordinary　that　Mr。　Jones　grew　more　and　more　pertinent　in　his　inquiries；　eliciting　finally　what　he　surely　could　not　have　hoped　for　in　the　beginning；the　exact　address　of　the　party　referred　to　in　the　paper　he　had　stolen；　and　which；　for　some　reason；　the　boy　remembered。　It　was　an　uptown　address；　and；　as　soon　as　the　caterer　could　leave　his　business；　he　took　the　elevated　and　proceeded　to　the　specified　street　and　number。

〃Miss　Van　Arsdale；　a　surprise　awaited　him；　and　awaited　us　when　he　told　the　result　of　his　search。　The　name　attached　to　the　recommendation　had　been'Hiram　Sears；　Steward。'　He　did　not　know　of　any　such　manperhaps　you　dobut　when　he　reached　the　house　from　which　the　recommendation　was　dated；　he　saw　that　it　was　one　of　the　great　houses　of　New　York；　though　he　could　not　at　the　instant　remember　who　lived　there。　But　he　soon　found　out。　The　first　passer…by　told　him。　Miss　Van　Arsdale；　perhaps　you　can　do　the　same。　The　number　wasEighty…sixth　Street。〃

〃！〃　I　repeated；　quite　aghast。　〃Why；　Mr。　Fairbrother　himself！　The　husband　of〃

〃Exactly　so；　and　Hiram　Sears；　whose　name　you　may　have　heard　mentioned　at　the　inquest；　though　for　a　very　good　reason　he　was　not　there　in　person；　is　his　steward　and　general　factotum。〃

〃Oh！　and　it　was　he　who　recommended　Wellgood？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃And　did　Mr。　Jones　see　him？〃

〃No。　The　house；　you　remember；　is　closed。　Mr。　Fairbrother；　on　leaving　town；　gave　his　servants　a　vacation。　His　steward　he　took　with　him；that　is；　they　started　together。　But　we　hear　no　mention　made　of　him　in　our　telegrams　from　Santa　Fe。　He　does　not　seem　to　have　followed　Mr。　Fairbrother　into　the　mountains。〃

〃You　say　that　in　a　peculiar　way；〃　I　remarked。

〃Because　it　has　struck　us　peculiarly。　Where　is　Sears　now？　And　why　did　he　not　go　on　with　Mr。　Fairbrother　when　he　left　home　with　every　apparent　intention　of　accompanying　him　to　the　Placide　mine？　Miss　Van　Arsdale；　we　were　impressed　with　this　fact　when　we　heard　of　Mr。　Fairbrother's　lonely　trip　from　where　he　was　taken　ill　to　his　mine　outside　of　Santa　Fe；　but　we　have　only　given　it　its　due　importance　since　hearing　what　has　come　to　us　to…day。

〃Miss　Van　Arsdale；〃　continued　the　inspector；　as　I　looked　up　quickly；　〃I　am　going　to　show　great　confidence　in　you。　I　am　going　to　tell　you　what　our　men　have　learned　about　this　Sears。　As　I　have　said　before；　it　is　but　forestalling　the　reporters　by　a　day；　and　it　may　help　you　to　understand　why　I　sent　you　such　peremptory　orders　to　stop；　when　your　whole　heart　was　fixed　on　an　attempt　by　which　you　hoped　to　right　Mr。　Durand。　We　can　not　afford　to　disturb　so　distinguished　a　person　as　the　one　you　have　under　your　eye；　while　the　least　hope　remains　of　fixing　this　crime　elsewhere。　And　we　have　such　hope。　This　man；　this　Sears；　is　by　no　means　the　simple　character　one　would　expect　from　his　position。　Considering　the　short　time　we　have　had　（it　was　only　yesterday　that　Jones　found　his　way　into　this　office）；　we　have　unearthed　some　very　interesting　facts　in　his　regard。　His　devotion　to　Mr。　Fairbrother　was　never　any　secret；　and　we　knew　as　much　about　that　the　day　after　the　murder　as　we　do　now。　But　the　feelings　with　which　he　regarded　Mrs。　Fairbrotherwell；　that　is　another　thingand　it　was　not　till　last　night　we　heard　that　the　attachment　which　bound　him　to　her　was　of　the　sort　which　takes　no　account　of　youth　or　age；　fitness　or　unfitness。　He　was　no　Adonis；　and　old　enough；　we　are　told；　to　be　her　father；　but　for　all　that　we　have　already　found　several　persons　who　can　tell　strange　stories　of　the　persistence　with　which　his　eager　old　eyes　would　follow　her　whenever　chance　threw　them　together　during　the　time　she　remained　under　her　husband's　roof；　and　others　who　relate；　with　even　more　avidity；　how；　after　her　removal　to　apartments　of　her　own；　he　used　to　spend　hours　in　the　adjoining　park　just　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　her　figure　as　she　crossed　the　sidewalk　on　her　way　to　and　from　her　carriage。　Indeed；　his　senseless；　almost　senile　passion　for　this　magnificent　beauty　became　a　by…word　in　some　mouths；　and　it　only　escaped　being　mentioned　at　the　inquest　from　respect　to　Mr。　Fairbrother；　who　had　never　recognized　this　weakness　in　his　steward；　and　from　its　lack　of　visible　connection　with　her　horrible　death　and　the　stealing　of　her　great　jewel。　Nevertheless；　we　have　a　witness　nowit　is　astonishing　how　many　witnesses　we　can　scare　up　by　a　little　effort；　who　never　thought　of　coming　forward　themselveswho　can　swear　to　having　seen　him　one　night　shaking　his　fist　at　her　retreating　figure　as　she　stepped　haughtily　by　him　into　her　apartment　house。　This　witness　is　sure　that　the　man　he　saw　thus　gesticulating　was　Sears；　and　he　is　sure　the　woman　was　Mrs。　Fairbrother。　The　only　thing　he　is　not　sure　of　is　how　his　own　wife　will　feel　when　she　hears　that　he　was　in　that　particular　neighborhood　on　that　particular　evening；　when　he　was　evidently　supposed　to　be　somewhere　else。〃　And　the　inspector　laughed。

〃Is　the　steward's　disposition　a　bad　one。〃　I　asked；　〃that　this　display　of　feeling　should　impress　you　so　much？〃

〃I　don't　know　what　to　say　about　that　yet。　Opinions　differ　on　this　point。　His　friends　speak　of　him　as　the　mildest　kind　of　a　man　who；　without　native　executive　skill；　could　not　manage　the　great　household　he　has　in　charge。　His　enemies；　and　we　have　unearthed　a　few；　say；　on　the　contrary；　that　they　have　never　had　any　confidence　in　his　quiet　ways；　that　these　were　not　in　keeping　with　the　fact　or　his　having　been　a　California　miner　in　the　early　fifties。

〃You　can　see　I　am　putting　you　very　nearly　where　we　are　ourselves。　Nor　do　I　see　why　I　should　not　add　that　this　passion　of　the　seemingly　subdued　but　really　hot…headed　steward　for　a　woman；　who　never　showed　him　anything　but　what　he　might　call　an　insulting　indifference；　struck　us　as　a　clue　to　be　worked　up；　especially　after　we　received　this　answer　to　a　telegram　we　sent　late　last　night　to　the　nurse　who　is　caring　for　Mr。　Fairbrother　in　New　Mexico。〃

He　handed　me　a　small　yellow　slip　and　I　read：

〃The　steward　left　Mr。　Fairbrother　at　El　Moro。　He　has　not　heard　from　him　since。

〃ANNETTA　LA　SERRA

〃For　Abner　Fairbrother。〃

〃At　El　Moro？〃　I　cried。　〃Why；　that　was　long　enough　ago〃

〃For　him　to　have　reached　New　York　before　the　murder。　Exactly　so；　if　he　took　advantage　of　every　close　connection。〃



XIV

TRAPPED

I　caught　my　breath　sharply。　I　did　not　say　anything。　I　felt　that　I　did　not　understand　the　inspector　sufficiently　yet　to　speak。　He　seemed　to　be　pleased　with　my　reticence。　At　all　events；　his　manner　grew　even　kinder　as　he　said：

〃This　Sears　is　a　witness　we　must　have。　He　is　being　looked　for　now；　high　and　low；　and　we　hope　to　get　some　clue　to　his　whereabouts　before　night。　That　is；　if　he　is　in　this　city。　Meanwhile；　we　are　all　gladI　am　sure　you　are　alsoto　spare　so　distinguished　a　gentleman　as　Mr。　Grey　the　slightest　annoyance。〃

〃And　Mr。　Durand？　What　of　him　in　this　interim？〃

〃He　will　have　to　await　developments。　I　see　no　other　way；　my　dear。〃　

It　was　kindly　said；　but　my　head　drooped。　This　waiting　was　what　was　killing　him　and　killing　me。　The　inspector　saw　and　gently　patted　my　hand。

〃Come；〃　said　he；　〃you　have　head　enough　to　see　that　it　is　never　wise　to　force　matters。〃　Then；　possibly　wit