Samuel Boyd of Catchpole Square: A Mystery
Page 45
CHAPTER XLIV.
IN THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE
"Now Gracie," said Dick, as they wended their way to a small "jobbing"printer with whom he was acquainted; he himself had spent a few weeksin a printing office, and, as a Jack of all trades, could do somethingin the way of picking up stamps. "Now, Gracie, pay particularattention to what I'm going to say."
"_I'd_ like to have a word first, please," she said.
"Go ahead."
"Who is that young gentleman with the white face that the young lady'sso fond of?"
"The young lady's husband, the son of Mr. Samuel Boyd."
"Mr. Reginald. I thought so. He don't look as if he could have doneit."
"Done what?"
"You know. The murder."
"He did not do it, Gracie. I suppose you heard Dr. Vinsen say he did."
"He was talking to mother, but he didn't say it outright----"
"Ah, the coward! I hope you don't believe a word that drops from hislips."
"_I_ don't; but mother does. Don't blame her, Dick; she can't helpit."
"No, poor thing. I pity her from my heart, torn this way and that asshe is. But she's not the only one whose heart is aching over thisaffair. There's care and sorrow yonder." He pointed over his shoulderin the direction of Aunt Rob's house. "Gracie," he said energetically,"I'd pour out my heart's blood, drop by drop, if by doing so I couldclear that trouble away!"
"You're fond of her, Dick."
He glanced furtively at the sallow impassive face raised to his. "Sheis my cousin, and Aunt Rob has been a mother to me. I've lived withthem longer than I can remember. The last words I said to her just nowwere that I wanted to see her happy with the man she loved. That'swhat I'm working for, her happiness--that, and justice. Shall we gointo partnership, you and I?"
"Yes, Dick, please."
"Your hand on it."
They shook hands, and he resumed his old bright manner.
"There never was a successful partnership without implicit confidencebetween the partners. Do you understand?"
"They mustn't be suspicious of one another."
"That's it. There must be perfect trust between them. I believe inyou, Gracie, and I'd trust you with my life." Gracie's black eyesgleamed. "You're what I call thorough, and you've got the pluck oftwenty men. We're sailing, you and I, in the ship Endeavour for theport Safety. There's only one captain in that ship, as there must bein all properly commanded ships when they're sailing through dangerousrocks. Now, who's the captain?"
"You."
"Good. I'm captain, and you're first mate, and no captain could desirea better. Says the captain to the first mate, 'Mate,' says he, 'I hearas how your father's disappeared, and as how they're saying hardthings of him. That's what oughtn't to be, and we'll mend it. He's gotto be found, your father is, and brought for'ard,' says the captain,'so that he may knock them hard words down their con-founded throats.''That's so,' says the mate--it's you that's speaking now, you know"--Gracie nodded--"'that's so,' says the mate, 'and that's what I've madeup my mind to do, and what I'm going to do. I've had a dream wherehe's to be found,' says the first mate----"
"More than one, Dick--captain, I mean," said Gracie.
"Right you are, my hearty, and there's many a dream that's come true,and likewise many that haven't. 'But it isn't because you've had adream,' says the captain, 'that _I_ shouldn't have a shy at thediscovery of him, and that's what I've set _my_ mind on, if so be asyou've no objections,' he says. 'Objections!' says the first mate,'_I've_ no objections'"--Here Dick broke off. "I suppose he hasn't,Gracie?"
"No, Dick, he hasn't. He thinks it more than kind of the captain."
"Love your heart, I knew you wouldn't have. 'And how are you going toset about it?' says the first mate. 'Why,' says the captain, plantinghis wooden leg firmly on the deck--did I tell you he had a woodenleg?"
"No, you didn't," said Gracie, quite gravely.
"Well, I just remember that he had. 'Why,' says he, planting hiswooden leg firmly on the deck, 'seeing as how that good woman, Mrs.Abel Death, and Gracie, and all the other little ones, are moreunhappy than words can express because father doesn't come home, andas how it may be to some persons' interests to keep him _from_ cominghome, I'm thinking of offering a reward to anybody that can giveinformation as to his whereabouts--in point of fact to find him andrestore him to the bosom of his family.' That's what the captain saysto the mate--because he wants to act fair and square by him, and notdo anything behind his back as might make him doubt that he _wasn't_acting fair and square--and he asks the mate what he thinks of theidea."
"To _find_ him, captain, not to _catch_ him," said Gracie, slowly,with a strong accent on the two words.
"That is how the captain puts it. To find him, and restore him to thebosom of his family."
Gracie nodded, and pondered before speaking. "If the mate--that's me,Dick--found father, would _he_ have the reward?"
"As a matter of course."
"Who'd pay it to him?"
"It would be paid through the captain."
"Through you?"
"Through me."
"Then there'd be sure to be no cheating, and the mate could give it tomother."
"Could do what he pleased with it," said Dick, dropping his nautical,and coming back to his original, self, "and we're going straight tothe printer to get the bill printed."
"How much is the reward, Dick?"
"Two hundred pounds."
"Oh, my!" Gracie caught her breath. "I don't believe father was everworth as much as that in all his life. That's a big lot of money,ain't it?"
"A tidyish sum. You don't object?"
"You can't do nothing wrong, Dick."
"Then the partnership goes on swimmingly, and you won't mind seeing iton the walls. There will be another bill, offering a larger reward forthe conviction of the murderer. All we want to get at is the truth, sothat the innocent may be cleared and the guilty punished. I'm of theopinion it will surprise Dr. Vinsen. The slimy reptile! I'd like totwist his neck for him."
"I'd like to see you do it," said Gracie, not a muscle of her facemoving.
"You're something like a partner. Have you any idea where the reptilelives?"
"No."
"You could find out, I dare say."
"Oh, yes, I can find out if you want me to," said Gracie, quiteconfidently.
"That's your sort. Only don't look for him in the reptile house at theZoo, where his relations live. I want to know ever so many thingsabout him. Whether he lives alone, or has a wife. Whether he has anychildren, and whether they have little bald heads with halos roundthem like their venerable parent. Whether he practises as a doctor,and what his neighbours think of him, etc., etc., etc. It's a largeorder, Gracie."
"I'll do it, Dick."
"You're a brick. Here we are at the printer's. But you mustn't go awaywithout the needful for current ex's. You might want to jump into abus, and if you keep out all day you'll want something to eat. Holdout your hand--one shilling, two shillings, a sixpence, and somecoppers. If you've anything to tell me come to Aunt Rob's house anytime between six and eight. I've a particular reason for not wantingto be seen with you in Catchpole Square to-night. Here are a couplemore coppers for brandyballs for the babies at home. Now, off withyou, my little detective. No sleeping partners in our firm. You and I,working together, will make Scotland Yard sit up. We'll beat theCriminal Investigation Department, even if it has a dozen Dr. Vinsensto back it up. Here's a kiss for good luck, Gracie."
"Thank you, Dick," said Gracie, and away she scudded, proud of thetask entrusted to her.
Neither of them had noticed that they had been followed in a shamblingsort of way by an old man in list slippers with a skull cap on hishead, sucking at a pipe which, in his close observance of them, he hadallowed to go out. He was blear-eyed, and was cursed with a spasmodictwitching on the right side of his face, which imparted to hisfeatures a ghastly mirth; and close as w
as his observance of them hehad so managed as not to draw their attention upon him. During thelast moment or two he had shuffled so near to them as to brush theirclothes as he passed, and had heard the concluding words of theirconversation.
"'Thank you, Dick,'" he echoed, with a half-tipsy lurch, as Gracieflew away and Dick entered the printing office. "Dick! It's the manhimself. Who'll give _me_ a kiss for good luck?"
He laughed and twitched, and with his eye on the door through whichDick had passed, proceeded with trembling fingers to refill his pipe.
There was a fair stock of "jobbing" type in the printing office, andthe master, a working printer himself, was the very man Dick neededfor the job in hand, trade being rather slack. In imitation of theofficial announcement of a reward in the Great Porter Square murderDick had placed a Royal Coat of Arms at the top of his bill, but theprinter argued him out of it, being doubtful whether a privateindividual had the right to use it for the detection of theperpetrator of a criminal offence. But for the better publicity of thereward Dick was bent upon a pictorial illustration, and out of a lotof old woodcuts they fished a rough wood-block of the figure ofJustice, blindfold, holding the scales, which suggested the linebeneath, "In the Cause of Justice." Within an hour the type was setup, corrected, locked in its chase, and on the press, the paper wasdamped, the "devil," a young apprentice, was wielding his roller, andthe master printer, his sleeves tucked up to his shoulders, waspulling off the posters, which read thus:
At the top the figure of even-handed Justice; then--
_IN THE CAUSE OF JUSTICE_.
_MURDER_. _AL500 REWARD_.
_Whereas, on the Morning of Saturday, the 9th of March, the Dead Bodyof Mr. Samuel Boyd was Found on his Premises in Catchpole Square undersuch circumstances as prove that he was Murdered, and MedicalTestimony has been given to the effect that the Murder must have beenCommitted either on the night of the 1st or the 2nd of March. Theabove Reward will be paid to any Person who shall give suchInformation as shall lead to the Discovery and Conviction of theMurderer or Murderers_.
_Evidence may be given to Mr. Lamb, 42, High Street, N., Solicitor toMr. Reginald Boyd, Son of the Murdered Gentleman, who will pay theReward, or at any Police Station in the United Kingdom_.
The services of a bill-sticker not being immediately procurable, alarge tin of paste had been mixed while the bills were being printed.Begging the loan of a pasting brush, and begging also the loan of the"devil" to carry the paste tin, Dick, now more than ever a Jack of alltrades, issued forth to stick the bills himself, leaving behind himthe copy of the poster offering a reward for the discovery of AbelDeath. He was pasting the first of the bills on a dead wall when hesaw the figure of the old man in list slippers and skull cap standingby his side.
"Hallo!" he said, peering down at the twitching face, with itsexpression of ghastly mirth.
"Hallo!" said the old man, peering up at the flushed, handsome face ofthe bill-sticker.