One Wonderful Night

rt seemed to be somewhat unwilling to take up any of the gauntlets so readily thrown down by Devar and the Curtis family, and, for a few second

for Steingall to take the lead, nudged

ing forward testimony of any value ought to come with

d the Earl, appealing to Steingall, since it was the

Steingall. "How did you two gentlemen get

gasped Cou

bduction, which will provide only one of a number of most s

ed him by the

French. "The rascal must have killed de Courtois in

speak English here," said Steingall

once. Lord Valletort is quite rig

obvious that the police could not conduct the inquiry in th

thers earlier, "can't you let us into this? We'll suppress anythi

high-toned strangers may not lik

no difficulty whatsoever about the presence of th

gentlemen. I know enough of newspaper ways to feel sure that a story of some sort will be star-headed in every news s

served only to increase his agitation. Steingall, to all intents and purposes paying less heed to the man than to any other person present, had not missed one labored breath, one twitch of an eyelid, one nervous gesture. His phenomenal instinct in the detec

ad gathered behind the closed door of the hotel's private o

o-night-that is, to the best of our knowledge," he said. "There is every reason to

ar. "I traveled with

was announced in most of the

k. Curtis never did speak to the clerk about the key; at that instant, he says, his attention was drawn to the queer behavior of the foreigner who had pushed against him, and who had been joined in the meantime by another man of similar type. They seemed to be very excited, and were apparently expecting someone to turn up, either in the street or from the hotel-Curtis fancied that they were on the look-out for interruption, or news, from both quarters. The porter on duty at the door, who is not quite intelligible to-night, remembers asking these men if they wanted a taxi, but they gave no heed to him. Then, according to Curtis's version of the affair, an automobile dashed up outside, and a young man in evening dress, carrying an overcoat, stepped out, and told the chauffeur to keep the engine going, as he would not be detained more than a minute. At that instant the two foreigners-Hungarians according to Curtis-sprang at the newcomer, and endeavored to force him back into the auto. Failing in this, one of them drew a knife, and stabbed him so severely that he died within a few minutes, and without uttering an intelligible word. Curtis ran to help, but was too far away to prevent the crime, and

display of terror on the part of a truculent looking, strongly built man would have been almost ludicrous; but Steingall found no humor in the spectacle. He was gazing at the Hungarian with a curious concentr

lty repressing his annoyance, explained that his friend was feeling the effects of a blow receiv

er that Count Vassilan has no connection with t

tly besought him to come away without another word. Though Valletort was in a

belied by his grating tone. "I am afraid I must postpone my bra

tis?" demanded Devar, and his clear, incisive vo

not," was the

d the Hungarian potentate have develope

nedly. "If Lord Valletort thinks his business can wait till Count Va

the Count is ill, and common humanity impels me to attend to him fi

. Though he was the ailing man, he literally drag

en the detective gazed around at the others with a placid smile which seemed to

ll that was said," he inquired, tossing the

," came the

you to keep all tha

what is there left?" said

ny of you are blind or deaf, and it will assist the police materially if no comment is made on what you have heard and seen. I don't like to put it otherwise than as a fr

ugh went around,

f some kind-if we cut out certain

in this room,'" rep

arrival of the Earl and

y n

ake you at your word, the charge made against my nephew will be publi

ng of the sort is to be

to state that my wife and I, as well as Mr. De

afely in the very capable hands of th

ld be found and arrested, and described him as a dangerous adventurer, but gave no shred of proof of his wild-cat statement th

up a hand in

at that. I am not trying to deprive the press of a sensation. Surely there is enough in Chapter One for to-night, and those reporters

confrères. "There are one or two items we want you to clear up, if you don't

and Curtis heard the man who was murdered address the c

sting facts from your summary," c

iece of sheer forget

the boards. I knew you had something up your sleeve the moment you began to fill in det

y be accounted for by the singular accident of the ex

tials of Henry R. Hunter, a member of our staff. The news editor wanted him to take hold in the first instance when the fact

ne of that name," sa

bright things there that caught the chief's eye, so he was brought to New York.… By Jove, Hunter is

ough a spirit of evil had suddenly made its presence fe

ibe Hu

r took off his spectacles, and began to burnish th

he neighborhood of 150 pounds. He is straight and well-built, and his

scar across th

es

necessary. Before Steingall uttered another word everyone in the room had a foreboding that they were on the

could gather nothing from his manner. But his invariable habit was to spea

come with me, and place the question of identity beyond doubt. I hope that you, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, and you, Mr.

rk had business to attend to, but he courteously invited t

began Devar, eager to dispossess his friend's relatives of any false impressions they might

his throat as a preliminary to some important announcement, but his better half had only kept silent because of a real fear that her nep

lways in China being on board the Lusitania, I says to Horace: 'Horace, it would be shame on us if we allowed your brother's son and your own nephew to arrive in New York without some of his kith and kin to bid him welcome,' and with that we hustled to catch the next train east, but the steamer did the trip quicker'n we counted on, and we just missed being at the docks, so if it hadn't been for our good luck in finding the man wh

reath, and Devar was able to explain smilingly that he, and

n the press, so I sent a wireless message about him to a journalistic friend in New York. I wondered why the reporters did not get hold of him when they came aboard at the quarantine station, but I r

booming proposition on his own account,

but Mrs. Curt

and had spread his hands in mild protest-"I know you didn't mean it, but barbed shafts of humor often fall in plac

-career, and fixed a

e demanded. "I've heard and read of some strange goings-on among people crossing the

an, but he thought the sit

vowed. "He read a good deal, and played cards occasionally, and walked the decks with me wh

he mentioned us at

s might be ponderous in body and speech but he cert

id he ought to have married a woman of some stability of character, and not a pretty, feather-headed girl who spent her days r

and he was right,

rac

r opened, and Steingall entered, accompanied by a tall, well set-up ma

rward with outstretched hand, "I'

ure, but before he could utter a r

Delancy Curtis?… Horac

t to be," said the stout man, gazing at

uld hardly believe his ears, but some resemblance in the portly Curtis to his own father w

rfully, "you must be my uncle and

urtis, that's our correct

eas in a pod, and if our little Horace had been spared he would have been his living imag

ook hands with his uncle, and was about to answer the lady's torrent of qu

to-night's crime demands your immediate attention, Mr. Cur

ered that fact

possibly realize then, though he had seen that the detective's extraor

he owner's name?" went

o, owing to a document I f

hat wa

I am prepared to tell you its natu

ere must be no

o accustomed to dealing with his fellow-men as was Curtis. But he shook off the premonition of

rriage licen

e names

an de Courtois, and of an English l

he man who was killed was th

ent the tumultuous pumping of his heart fr

never flinching from St

ntended for, the murdered man was no Frenchman, but a Ne

he had unwittingly trapped Lady Hermione into a m

he outrage which bulked so large in their minds. Mrs. Curtis wanted to scream aloud, but she dared not. Even Devar was staggered by his friend's unaccountable attit

uess Mrs. Curtis could do with one also. In fac