Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent

by John Thomas McIntyre

  CHAPTER XXV

  CAUGHT!

  The expression upon the faces of the three as they gazed at Ashton-Kirkwere of mingled amazement and fear. But the secret agent only smiled inreturn; the twinkle in his eyes was altogether humorous.

  "I know," said he, "that I am exceedingly annoying in happeninghere--especially at such a time as this. But, you see, we all have ourtasks in life, and mine is to convince people that things are seldomwhat they seem."

  There was no reply; and the secret agent fixing his gaze upon the girl,continued:

  "That you think I am clever is a compliment for which I thank you. It ishard," with a smile, "to be indebted to a person and be able to makeonly a--so to speak--left handed return."

  The girl was the first of the three to recover. She stared at thespeaker unflinchingly.

  "And that is----?" she asked.

  "Only that in saying that you have won you made a slight mistake."

  "Don't be too sure that it _is_ one," she said. Then with a fierce,bitter ring in her tone, she added: "There would have been no mistakehad I had my way a few nights ago."

  The secret agent laughed.

  "Ah, no," said he. "I can well believe that. You urged our friend here,"nodding toward Drevenoff, "rather strongly, to be sure."

  Drevenoff's face was waxen with increased fear; the wide open stare ofhis eyes grew more marked. He was about to say something, but before hecould do so Karkowsky spoke.

  "Who," asked the elder Pole, "is this gentleman?"

  The girl laughed in a mocking sort of way.

  "An amateur policeman," she said. "Perhaps you have heard of him. Hisname is Ashton-Kirk."

  Karkowsky seemed to ponder; but at length he shook his head.

  "No," said he, "I do not recall the name." Then to the secret agent:"Would you mind stating your business, sir?"

  "You would make an excellent comedian, Mr. Karkowsky," said the other."I do not recall ever having seen that so well done before. And when oneconsiders how many times the device has been used, that is saying agreat deal."

  Drevenoff took a step toward the speaker.

  "What," demanded he, "did you mean a moment ago when you spoke of mybeing strongly urged?"

  "So!" Ashton-Kirk darted a keen look at him. "That attracted yourattention, did it?" He remained with his eyes upon the young man for amoment, and then continued: "You seem to have a habit, when dispatchedupon messages, of seeing to your own affairs first I recall,"reminiscently, "that upon the night of the murder of Dr. Morse I askedyou to go for the police."

  "I did so," said the Pole.

  "Oh, yes, to be sure. But you took occasion first to fasten a windowwhich had been previously neglected."

  For an instant it seemed as though Drevenoff would cry out, but with agreat effort he held himself in check.

  "I don't understand you," he said.

  "I sympathize with you in that," said Ashton-Kirk, "because there aremany things I do not understand myself. For example," and he wrinkledhis brow as though in an attempt to recall something, "I do notunderstand how you escaped the eye of the man I had at your heels theother night when Miss Corbin sent you to the city. Was it by a leap fromthe train while it was moving?" He shook his head in strong disapproval."That was dangerous."

  A quick look passed between the three; but the secret agent proceeded:

  "There are some, however, who are willing to take chances, no matter howdesperate. Then, again, there are others who dislike to risk anything.You, for example," and he looked once more at the girl, "refuse to runrisks of a certain sort. You are one of those who believe in clearingthe way of obstacles as you come to them. That," and he noddedappreciatively, "is an admirable method. But to be absolutely effectiveit should contain a dash of imagination. For, then, if one were planninga murder by illuminating gas, for instance, one would realize the resultof a raised blind. A grass plot is an excellent background for theshadows cast by a strong light."

  Again the quick glances were interchanged; and then Karkowsky spokebriskly.

  "We have listened to you, Mr. Ashton-Kirk, as you must admit, with agreat deal of patience. So you will pardon me if I insist upon yourstating the nature of your business without further loss of time."

  Ashton-Kirk looked at the fresh-faced little man with his frank, wellopened eyes and well-fed figure; and a look of amusement came into hisface.

  "As to that," said the secret agent, "I am entirely at one with you. Idesire to finish my business as quickly as I can. I am here upon muchthe same errand as the two who just left," he continued. "But there isthis difference. _They_ were willing to pay for the paper contained inthe scapular; while I expect to have it handed to me for the asking."

  Karkowsky sat down and crossed his legs much after the manner of a manwho is interested. The young man and the girl remained standing and weresilent.

  "A paper," said Karkowsky, as he stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "Willyou kindly be more explicit?"

  "Again I felicitate you upon your talent," said the secret agent; "youwere meant for the stage." He sat upon the edge of the table and nursedone knee with his clasped hands. "But let me assure you that you are butwasting your breath and your ability." He paused for a moment and thenwent on: "If every one concerned in this matter had displayed a likedegree of talent, things might not have turned out as they have. Let mesuggest to you," to the girl, "that you make an effort to change yourstyle of handwriting; if you continue in your present trade, you can'thope for success while possessing so noticeable a characteristic."

  For the first time since his discovery of the secret agent's presence,Karkowsky lost his presence of mind. He uttered an exclamation.

  "The postman," smiled Ashton-Kirk, "told me of Mr. Kendreg of LoweStreet, and it did not take a great deal of time to reason it out thatyou and he were one, and that the second address was a ruse to throw thepolice off the track should there be any need of it. The man who had youin charge also had orders to keep an eye out for a woman, for thehandwriting which had so attracted the attention of the postman,together with some other little things, had told me that a woman wasconcerned. But, as a matter of fact, he never had a glimpse of her untilyou went to meet her at the station and boarded the train forWashington. On the journey here, he occupied a chair in the same car."

  "He is a clever man," sneered the girl.

  "Quite so. But there are things which are out of his line. For example,he has not been able to find out how you obtained entrance to the VonStunnenberg house. But that you _did_ enter he knew, for he watched youas you went in. And then he called me on the telephone and describedyou. I knew that I could not mistake you," with a little bow, "for thereare not many of your marked type, and if that were not enough, yourcostume is unique."

  "Well?" said she.

  "I did not see you take the paper from Miss Corbin," said Ashton-Kirk."But I was quite sure that you had it, for all that."

  "And you allowed me to go!" The girl sneered once more; but Ashton-Kirkshrugged his shoulders.

  "It made no great difference," said he quietly. "The man who watched youenter was watching you when you left. His arrangements were such thatonly a miracle could have permitted your escape."

  For a moment the three were silent; then young Drevenoff spoke.

  "You heard what Okiu and the other said while they were here?"

  "All that was essential, I think. I know that _you_ have the paper, andthis being the case, it is to you whom I now direct my attention."

  "By that," said Drevenoff, "I suppose you mean that you expect me togive it up."

  The secret agent nodded.

  "I credit you with some common sense," said he, "and therefore thinkthat you will do so."

  The young man was about to answer, but Karkowsky stopped him. The elderthen bent toward Ashton-Kirk; his usually good-humored eyes wore anentirely different expression, his round face was set and hard.

  "I perceive," said he, in a cold, even voice, "that there is nothing tobe gai
ned by further evasion. We _have_ the paper of which you speak--wehave it after several years of constant effort; and the reward that wasto follow the finding of it is all but in our hands." He rose, and hissmall figure seemed to dilate as he proceeded: "Perhaps you heard thisreward mentioned a while ago. It is to be a large sum of money paid bythe Japanese government; but do not suppose that we," and he waved hishand so as to include the other two, "hoped for personal profit."

  Ashton-Kirk shook his head.

  "I do not suppose so," said he. "Some few facts which I gathered as toyour reading at the public libraries gave me an idea as to yourpurpose."

  "Humanity," declared Karkowsky, "its development and progress!--that isour creed. This money was to help fight tyranny as represented byRussia. The Japanese whom we have dealt with know nothing of ourintentions; for they, too, are ruled by a tyrant, and we feared thatrather than advance our cause, if they knew the truth, they would foregoleveling at your own country a blow which they longed to strike.

  "We have given ourselves to this thing," he went on, "have stopped atnothing. No chance has been too desperate, no hope too small. And nowthat, as I have said, the reward is all but in our hands, do you thinkwe will pause--that we will weaken in our purpose--that we willsurrender the paper to you because you come here and demand it?"

  "If you do suppose so," said Drevenoff, "you do not know us. You areonly one; if we failed before, it does not follow that we will failagain. You were right, Julia," to the girl; "I should have used therevolver you offered me instead of the gas. It would have been sure, andwould have saved us further trouble."

  "Ah," said the secret agent, "so it was a revolver she offered you. Irecall your refusal of it very well. And I also recall," thoughtfully,"that it was a pistol shot which ended the life of Dr. Morse. Perhapsshe also offered you the weapon in that instance."

  "What!" cried the young Pole. "Do you mean to say----"

  But Ashton-Kirk interrupted him.

  "I mean to say," said he, "that I know you were in the library on thenight of the murder.

  "Wait!" As Drevenoff seemed about to interrupt him. "Do you mean to saythat you were not in the library that night, secretly? Do you mean tosay that you did not steal down the front staircase, unfasten a rearwindow, and admit a woman? And do you mean to say that you did not makea search, and in doing so cut your hand upon a glass drawer knob?"

  Drevenoff gasped, and a wild look came into his eyes; in a moment thegirl was at his side, whispering soothingly to him, all her defiancegone, her manner soft and anxious.

  "If I were to tell these things in a court of law," said Ashton-Kirk,and he shrugged his shoulders, "and then followed them up by showingyour entire willingness to take human life, as demonstrated by yourventure with the illuminating gas, do you think there would be muchchance of your escaping conviction for the murder of Dr. Morse?"

  Drevenoff shook himself free from the girl; his face was white, and hetrembled from head to foot; but the wild look of terror in his eyes hadgiven place to one of desperate resolution. Karkowsky seemed to read thelook; and what it told him, apparently, agreed well with his owninclinations at the moment, for his hand stole to his pocket and he tooka forward step.

  "You would have us into a law court, would you?" asked the younger Pole,in a husky voice. "And you'd put a rope around _my_ neck! Well, maybeyou would, if you got the chance; but you have not yet done it, and you_will_ not!"

  With the last word he leaped upon Ashton-Kirk, his hands gripping at histhroat, and at the same moment Karkowsky drew a shining object from hispocket. What would have happened would be difficult to say; but at thefirst sign of violence, Fuller, Burgess and some others burst into theroom; Karkowsky was seized and the younger man was torn away from thesecret agent.

  The latter readjusted his collar with one hand, and smiled quietly.

  "To grip a man by the throat is a very primitive mode of attack, my dearsir," said he. "The very best authorities have set their faces againstit, for while you are so engaged, you leave yourself open to more orless deadly counter movements. But as it happened, this," and a scarletsomething showed in his hand, "is the only thing that happened to you. Iwas too seriously engaged in picking your pockets to think of anythingelse."

  What reply Drevenoff made to this did not seem to interest the secretagent a great deal, however; for he turned his back upon them all, and,under a light, began making an examination of his find. They caught therustle of paper, and saw him place something carefully in hispocketbook. When he finally turned, his aides were about leading theprisoners from the room. At the door there was a halt; the girl turnedtoward him.

  "It's too late to deny anything in which we have had a hand," said she,disregarding the muttered warnings of Karkowsky. "But the one thingwith which we had nothing to do I will deny. Neither he," pointing toDrevenoff, "nor I killed Dr. Morse. I admit everything else; but thatone thing we did not do."

  Ashton-Kirk said nothing; and the girl went on:

  "Drevenoff _did_ admit me to the house on the night the doctor waskilled. He had searched for the paper everywhere; and knowing that I wasclever at such things, he asked me to help him. It was for the samepurpose that I was in the house on the night we tried to fix you withthe illuminating gas.

  "But," and her hands went up dramatically, "we did not lay a hand uponthe doctor. He was seated in his chair, dead, when we went into thelibrary. If he was murdered," and her voice sank, "I can indicate theguilty person."

  "Who was it?" asked Burgess.

  "It was his secretary--Warwick."

  "You did not see him do it?" It was Fuller who asked the question.

  "No; but after we had searched everywhere, we heard a sound; I was justabout to open a bag which I saw on the floor and Drevenoff whispered tome to run. I did so, taking the bag with me. I had stepped out of thewindow and was looking about, when Warwick leaped out after me andseized the bag. I tried to tear it from him, but could not. Then I ran,leaving it in his hands." There was a silence for a moment, then sheadded, "What I have just said is the absolute truth. If you are evenhalf as clever a man as you are said to be," to Ashton-Kirk, "you willfind this to be so."

  And with that she followed Karkowsky and Drevenoff from the room, eachguarded by a stout plain clothes man.