FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120  
121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>   >|  
rk for me." "And Joyce? How about him?" "He had the same opportunities as myself, but we have not reached the point of mentioning names. I thought it best to consult with you first." "Good! Then we'll drop it." It was decisively said, but Gryce gave no signs of yielding. "I'm afraid that's impossible," said he. Then with the dignity of long experience, he added with quiet impressiveness: "I have, as you know, faced crime these many years in all its aspects. I have tracked the ignorant, almost imbecile, murderer of the slums, and laid my hand in arrest on the shoulder of so-called gentlemen hiding their criminal instincts under a show of culture and sometimes of wide education. Human nature is not so very different in high and low; and what may lead an irresponsible dago into unsheathing his knife against his fellow may work a like effect upon his high-bred brother if circumstances lend their aid to make discovery appear impossible. "Mr. Roberts is the friend of many a good man who would swear to his integrity with a clear conscience. I would have sworn to it myself, a month ago, had I heard it questioned in the slightest manner; and I may live to swear to it again, notwithstanding the doubts which have been raised in my mind by certain strange discoveries which link him to this unhappy affair by what we are pleased to call circumstantial evidence. For, as I am obliged to acknowledge, the one great thing we rely upon, in accusations of this kind, is so far lacking in his case: I mean, the motive. "I know of none--can, in fact, conceive of none--which would cause a gentleman of even life and ambitious projects to turn a deadly weapon upon an innocent child with whom he is not, so far as we can discover, even acquainted. Dementia only can account for such a freak, and to dementia we must ascribe this crime, if it is necessary for us to find cause before proceeding to lay our evidence before the District Attorney. All I propose to do at present is to show you my reasons for thinking that the arrow which slew Angeline Willetts--or, as we have been assured by unimpeachable authority, Angeline Duclos masquerading under the name of Angeline Willetts--was set to bow and loosed across the court by the gentleman we have just mentioned." Here Mr. Gryce stopped for a look of encouragement from the severely silent man he was endeavoring to impress. But he did not get it. With a full sense of his years weighing upon
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120  
121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Angeline
 

gentleman

 

Willetts

 
evidence
 

impossible

 

deadly

 

weapon

 

innocent

 

projects

 

ambitious


discover

 
dementia
 

ascribe

 
acquainted
 
Dementia
 

account

 

conceive

 

obliged

 

acknowledge

 

circumstantial


affair

 

pleased

 

motive

 

dignity

 

lacking

 
accusations
 

mentioned

 

stopped

 

encouragement

 

loosed


severely

 

weighing

 
silent
 

endeavoring

 

impress

 

masquerading

 

propose

 

Attorney

 

District

 

proceeding


present
 
reasons
 

assured

 

unimpeachable

 

authority

 
Duclos
 

thinking

 
unhappy
 
opportunities
 

education