the efficiency expert-第26部分

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tly　in　the　nature　of　a　surprise；　and　perhaps　something　of　a　shock；　to　the　Lizard；　for　he　drew　back　with　a　muttered　oath；　backed　quietly　out　of　the　room；　closed　the　door　after　him；　and；　moving　much　more　swiftly　than　he　had　entered；　retraced　his　steps　to　the　fifth　window　on　the　alley；　and　was　gone　from　the　scene　with　whatever　job　he　had　contemplated　unexecuted。

A　half…hour　later　detective　headquarters　at　the　Central　Station　received　an　anonymous　tip：　〃Send　some　one　to　the　office　of　the　International　Machine　Company；　on　the　second　floor　of　West　Superior　Street。〃

It　was　ten　thirty　when　Jimmy　reached　the　plant。　　He　entered　the　front　door　with　his　own　latchkey；　pressed　the　button　which　lighted　the　stairway　and　the　landing　above；　and；　ascending；　went　straight　to　Mr。　Compton's　office；　turned　the　knob；　and　opened　the　door；　to　find　that　the　interior　was　dark。

　〃Strange；〃　he　thought；　〃that　after　sending　for　me　the　fellow　didn't　　wait。〃　As　these　thoughts　passed　through　his　mind　he　fumbled　on　the　wall　　for　the　switch；　and；　finding　it；　flooded　the　office　with　light。

As　he　turned　again　toward　the　room　he　voiced　a　sudden　exclamation　of　horror；　for　on　the　floor　beside　his　desk　lay　the　body　of　Mason　Compton！　As　Jimmy　stepped　quickly　toward　Compton's　body　and　kneeled　beside　it　a　man　tiptoed　quietly　up　the　front　stairway；　while　another；　having　ascended　from　the　rear；　was　crossing　the　outer　office　with　equal　stealth。

Jimmy　felt　of　Compton's　face　and　hands。　　They　were　warm。　　And　then　he　placed　his　ear　close　against　the　man's　breast；　in　order　to　see　if　he　could　detect　the　beating　of　the　heart。　He　was　in　this　position　when　he　was　startled　by　a　gruff　voice　behind　him。

〃Put　'em　up！〃　it　admonished　curtly；　and　Jimmy　turned　to　see　two　men　standing　in　the　doorway　with　pistols　leveled　at　him。




CHAPTER　XXV。

CIRCUMSTANTIAL　EVIDENCE。

At　first　Jimmy　thought　they　were　the　perpetrators　of　the　deed；　but　almost　immediately　he　recognized　one　of　them　as　O'Donnell；　the　erstwhile　traffic　officer　who　had　been　promoted　to　a　detective　sergeancy　since　Jimmy　had　first　met　him。

〃Compton　has　been　murdered；〃　said　Jimmy　dully。　〃He　is　dead。〃

〃Put　up　your　hands；〃　snapped　O'Donnell　for　the　second　time；　〃and　be　quick　about　it！〃

It　was　then　for　the　first　time　that　Jimmy　realized　the　meaning　that　might　be　put　upon　his　presence　alone　in　the　office　with　his　dead　employer。　O'Donnell's　partner　searched　him；　but　found　no　weapon　upon　him。

〃Where's　the　gat？〃　he　asked。

〃Whoever　did　this　probably　took　it　with　him。〃　said　Jimmy。　〃Find　the　watchman。〃

They　made　Jimmy　sit　down　in　a　corner；　and　while　one　of　them　guarded　him　the　other　called　up　central；　made　his　report；　and　asked　for　an　ambulance　and　the　wagon。　Then　O'Donnell　commenced　to　examine　the　room。　A　moment　later　he　found　an　automatic　behind　the　door　across　the　room　from　where　Compton's　body　lay。

〃Ever　see　this　before？〃　asked　O'Donnell；　holding　the　pistol　up　to　Jimmy。

〃If　you're　asking　me　if　it's　mine；　no；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃I　have　a　gun；　but　it's　home。　I　never　carry　it。　I　didn't　do　this；　O'Donnell。〃　he　continued。　〃There　was　no　reason　why　I　should　do　it；　so　instead　of　wasting　your　time　on　me　while　the　murderer　escapes　you'd　better　get　busy　on　some　other　theory；　too。　It　won't　do　any　harm；　anyway。〃

The　wagon　came　and　took　Jimmy　to　the　station；　and　later　he　was　questioned　by　the　lieutenant　in　charge。

〃You　say　this　is　not　your　pistol？〃　asked　the　police　officer。

〃It　is　not；〃　replied　Jimmy。

〃You　never　saw　it　before？〃

〃No；　I　have　not。〃

The　lieutenant　turned　to　one　of　his　men；　who　went　to　the　door；　and；　opening　it；　returned　almost　immediately　with　Bince。

〃Do　you　know　this　man；　Mr。　Bince？〃　asked　the　lieutenant。

〃I　certainly　do；〃　said　Bince。

〃Did　you　ever　see　this　pistol　before？〃

Bince　took　the　weapon　and　examined　it。

〃Yes；〃　he　said。

〃Under　what　circumstances？〃　asked　the　lieutenant。

〃It　was　one　of　two　that　Mr。　Compton　had　in　his　desk。　　This　one　he　loaned　to　Torrance　two　or　three　weeks　ago。　I　was　in　the　office　at　the　time。〃

The　officer　turned　toward　Jimmy。

〃Now　do　you　recognize　it？〃　he　asked。

〃I　haven't　denied；〃　said　Jimmy；　〃that　Mr。　Compton　had　loaned　me　a　pistol。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　I　had　forgotten　all　about　it。　I　do　not　particularly　recognize　this　one　as　the　weapon　he　loaned　me；　though　it　is　of　the　same　type。　There　is　no　way　that　I　could　identify　the　particular　weapon　he　handed　me。〃

〃But　you　admit　he　loaned　you　one？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Jimmy。

〃What　did　you　do　with　it？〃　asked　the　policeman。

〃I　put　it　in　my　desk　within　five　minutes　after　he　gave　it　to　me；　and　I　haven't　seen　it　since。〃

〃You　say　you　couldn't　identify　the　pistol？〃　said　the　officer。

Jimmy　nodded。

〃Well；　we　can；　and　have。　　The　number　of　this　pistol　was　recorded　when　Mr。　Compton　bought　it；　as　was　the　number　of　the　other　one　which　is　still　in　his　desk。　They　were　the　only　two　pistols　he　ever　bought；　according　to　Mr。　Bince；　and　his　daughter；　aside　from　one　which　he　had　at　home；　which　has　also　been　accounted　for。　The　drawer　in　which　Mr。　Bince　saw　you　place　this　pistol　we　found　open　and　the　pistol　gone。　It　looks　pretty　bad　for　you；　young　fellow；　and　if　you　want　a　chance　to　dodge　the　rope　you'd　better　plead　guilty　and　tell　us　why　you　did　it。〃

Jimmy　was　given　little　opportunity　for　sleep　that　night。　　A　half…dozen　times　he　was　called　back　to　the　lieutenant's　office　for　further　questioning。　He　commenced　to　realize　that　the　circumstantial　evidence　was　strongly　against　him；　and　now；　as　the　girl　had　warned　him；　his　entirely　innocent　past　was　brought　up　against　him　simply　because　his　existence　had　been　called　to　the　attention　of　a　policeman；　and　the　same　policeman　an　inscrutable　Fate　had　ordained　should　discover　him　alone　with　a　murdered　man。

O'Donnell　made　the　most　of　his　meager　knowledge　of　Jimmy。　　He　told　the　lieutenant　with　embellishments　of　Jimmy's　association　with　such　characters　as　the　Lizard　and　Little　Eva；　but　the　police　were　still　at　a　loss　to　discover　a　motive。

This；　however；　was　furnished　the　next　morning；　when　Elizabeth　Compton；　white　and　heavy…eyed；　was　brought　to　the　station　to　identify　Jimmy。　There　was　deep　compassion　in　the　young　man's　face　as　he　was　ushered　into　the　presence　of　the　stricken　girl；　while　at　sight　of　him　her's　mirrored　horror；　contempt；　and　hatred。

〃You　know　this　man？〃　asked　the　lieutenant。

〃Yes；〃　she　replied。　〃His　name　is　Torrance。　　I　have　seen　him　a　number　of　times　in　the　past　year。　He　worked　as　a　clerk　in　a　store；　in　the　hosiery　department；　and　waited　on　me　there。　Later　I　〃she　hesitated〃　I　saw　him　in　a　place　called　Feinheimer's。　He　was　a　waiter。　Then　he　was　a　sparring　partner；　I　think　they　call　it；　for　a　prizefighter。　Some　of　my　friends　took　me　to　a　gymnasium　to　see　the　fighter　training；　and　I　recognized　this　man。

〃I　saw　him　again　when　he　was　driving　a　milk…wagon。　　He　　delivered　milk　　at　a　friend's　house　where　I　chanced　to　be。　The　last　time　I　saw　him　was　at　my　father's　home。　He　had　obtained　employment　in　my　father's　plant　as　an　efficiency　expert。　He　seemed　to　exercise　some　strange　power　over　father；　who　believed　implicitly　in　him；　until　recently；　when　he　evidently　commenced　to　have　doubts；　for　the　night　that　the　man　was　at　our　house　I　was　sitting　in　the　music…room　when　they　passed　through　the　hallway；　and　I　heard　father　discharge　him。　But　the　fellow　pleaded　to　be　retained；　and　finally　father　promised　to　keep　him　for　a　while　longer；　as　I　recall　it；　at　least　until　certain　work　was　completed　at　the　plant。　This　work　was　completed　yesterday。　That's　all　I　know。　I　do　not　know　whether　father　discharged　him　again　or　not。〃

Harriet　Holden　had　accompanied　her　friend　to　the　police　station；　and　was　sitting　close　beside　her　during　the　examination；　her　eyes　almost　constantly　upon　the　face　of　the　prisoner。　She　saw　no　fear　there；　only　an　expression　of　deep…seated　sorrow　for　her　friend。

The　lieutenant　was　still　asking　questions　when　there　came　a　knock　at　the　door；　which　was　immediately　opened；　revealing　O'Donnell　with　a　young　woman；　whom　he　brought　inside。

〃I　guess　we're　getting　to　the　bottom　of　it；〃　announced　the　sergeant。　　〃Look　who　I　found　workin'　over　there　as　Compton's　stenographer。〃

〃Well；　who　is　she？〃　demanded　the　lieutenant。

〃A　jane　who　used　to　hang　out　at　Feinheimer's。　　She　has　been　runnin'　around　with　this　bird。　They　tell　me　over　there　that　Compton　hired　her　on　this　fellow's　recommendation。　Get　hold　of　the　Lizard　now；　and　you'll　have　the　whole　bunch。〃

Thus　did　Sergeant　Patrick　O'Donnell　solve　the　entire　mystery　with　Sherlockian　ease　and　despatch。

At　Jimmy's　preliminary　hearing　he　was　held　to　the　grand　jury；　and　on　the　strength　of　the　circumstantial　evidence　against　him　that　body　voted　a　true　bill。　Edith　Hudson；　against　whom　there　was　no　evidence　of　any　nature；　was　held　as　a　witness　for　the　State；　and　a　net　was　thrown　out　for　the　Lizard　which　dragged　in　nearly　every　pickpocket　in　town　except　the　man　they　sought。

Jimmy　had　been　in　jail　for　about　a　week　when　he　received　a　visitor。　　A　turnkey　brought　her　to　his　cell。　It　was　Harriet　Holden。　She　greeted　him　seriously　but　pleasantly；　and　then　she　asked　the　turnkey　if　she　might　go　inside。

〃It's　against　the　rules；　miss；〃　he　said　〃but　I　guess　it　will　be　all　right。〃　He　recalled　that　the　sherif