A Chance Acquaintance
y Charlotte in the morning, certainly no one could have entered the apartment during the night by that door. And as the apartment was the dupl
ed for ventilation, were secured by a burglar-proof device, which fastened them at any desired point, leaving ample room for air, but far too sma
her occupants numbered but two. It didn't seem that it could have been Charlotte; a
e one had raised Miss Pembroke, and that
like a flash, I realized that he believed Janet guilty, an
ty! I, as a lawyer, followed the workings of his mind, and
of course. As to exclusive opportunity, that was mere foolishness. I remembered the chained door, but of course there must have been other ways of ingress to a professional bu
as it-the
ossible way to get in that house that night, surely he would ha
in was on the door when Charlotte opened it that morning! If I had not mentioned it, perhaps no one would
stupid as to tell of that chain? I who desired only to serve and assist the woman I loved-I had done
y he was worried and nervous at Charlotte's mention of the chain. That was why he looked
ouldn't be explained, which was as inexplicable to her as to me, but which no mor
lay on the couch, with closed eyes, and th
o be controlling himse
int, and the mere fact of a chained front door does not preclude other modes of housebreaking. I am by no means sure the windows were all secure
said the coroner coldly. "Will
I called here yesterday afternoon between five and six. My uncle was very cross and grumpy, and gave me no pleasant word while I was h
id you g
own apartment in
d t
some friends in Sixtieth street.
s, almost contempt, at this detailed question
" he said; "you spent the eveni
and then I went directly home. I reach
know the tim
night, and had not yet left my bedroom when my cousin telephoned for me this morning. That is my story, and, as I said, it throws no light on the case. But light shall be
t. It was no more than he ought to have felt, but his spontaneous enthusiasm charmed me. I determined to
though perhaps not specially trained, he was well set up, and
rhaps he gave more the effect of physical force than of mental strength
figure. Although I had heard he was an artist, he showed no trace of Bohemianism in his make-
er had said, there had been no definite accusation, and yet it was plain to be seen that as the evidence seeme
sked George m
h-key to this apa
I've still kept the key. I go in and out as I l
ways on a
ght, and I put on the chain. Since I left, my cousin has to
et on well wit
to live by myself. I hoped, too, that if I were not here to an
urn out t
not control his temper, even if he tried, and it was his c
the conditions of
e his sole heirs, but, though he seemed willing to leave
r business,
an illustrator. I make pictu
d it luc
work to gratify my simple ambitions. I trust I shall make a worthy use of
the young man hypocritical, and yet that attitude as
ke have any enemy
t I know very little of my uncle's business affairs or his acquaintances.
llers occa
es
hat s
or him, and sometimes strangers who came to ask contributions for c
saw these
ne who called. I suppose, as he never went out,
treated the
to them. However, he frequently use
esented
g favors, they were naturally more patient than if
his ill-temper on his
servant ever staid ver
who has lived with him who mig
definitely," he said. "I don't remember them individually. But there were several who were so badly treated by my uncle that it wou
collected from Mr. Pembroke's bedroom, and which we hope
glance he cast on the various articles I had laid before him,
were valueless. He glanced at them with an air of utter indiff
the J. S. who signed his
o his cousin and smiled. It was a flashing smile, as if caused by a humorous thought, and it s
oke flashed back an answering smile, showing
firmed the coroner, looking a little a
ear of him. When we asked him what name the initials stood for, he told us John Strong, but told us in such a way that he gave us clearly to understand that was not the real name of J. S. And so we came to look upon John Strong as a sort of mythical personage, and as the
g time
many years ago. At first the investment was unsuccessful. Then my uncle bought out John Strong's share, and after that the property became exceedingly valuable. I am perfectly sure my uncle dealt justly by his partner so far as the legality of the transaction was concerned. But John Strong seemed to think that my uncle wa
he partner's ini
yes; but I
never seen
often had callers who were stra
egram which was signed J. S.; "This message is dated yesterday and advised Mr. Pembro
ou have as evidence a telegram from a man known to be
's evidence, in addition to that of the servant, that there was no caller here last evening. Then after Miss Pembroke put the night-chain on the door and retired, there was no pos
am, and this implied that it was manufactured evidence, and so pointed to deeper and more complicated villainy th
Janet in all that he said, and the slightly amused air of both of them all seemed to me to prove that the John Strong episode
er, the Inspector, and the Jurymen, t
ent. However as this person did not call last evening before Miss Pembroke put the chain on the front door, and as he could not have entered this apartment afterward, I cannot feel that we should attach great importance to this message. The evidence given goes to prove that the
tness stand, the inquest was closed, and the