earlderrbiggers.thehousewithoutakey-第44部分

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　The　girl's　eyes　were　wet。　She　rose　and　kissed　her　father。　〃Dear　old　dad；〃　she　said。
　〃e　on；　Jim；〃　pleaded　Captain　Cope。　〃Forget　your　pride　for　once。　Speak　up；　and　we'll　take　you　home　with　us。　I'm　sure　the　prosecutor　will　keep　the　thing　from　the　newspapers　…〃
　〃We've　promised　him　that　a　thousand　times；〃　Greene　said。
　Egan　lifted　his　head。　〃I　don't　care　anything　about　the　newspapers；〃　he　explained。　〃It's　you；　Arthur　…　you　and　Cary　…　I　didn't　want　you　two　to　know。　But　since　you've　guessed；　and　Cary　knows　too　…　I　may　as　well　tell　everything。〃
　John　Quincy　stood　up。　〃Mr。　Egan；〃　he　said。　〃I'll　leave　the　room；　if　you　wish。〃
　〃Sit　down；　my　boy；〃　Egan　replied。　〃Cary's　told　me　of　your　kindness　to　her。　Besides；　you　saw　the　check　…〃
　〃What　check　was　that？〃　cried　Hallet。　He　leaped　to　his　feet　and　stood　over　John　Quincy。
　〃I　was　honor　bound　not　to　tell；〃　explained　the　boy　gently。
　〃You　don't　say　so！〃　Hallet　bellowed。　〃You're　a　fine　pair；　you　and　that　aunt　of　yours　…〃
　〃One　minute；　Hallet；〃　cut　in　Greene。　〃Now；　Egan；　or　Cope；　or　whatever　your　name　happens　to　be　…　I'm　waiting　to　hear　from　you。〃
　Egan　nodded。　〃Back　in　the　'eighties　I　was　teller　in　a　bank　in　Melbourne；　Australia；〃　he　said。　〃One　day　a　young　man　came　to　my　window　…　Williams　or　some　such　name　he　called　himself。　He　had　a　green　hide　bag　full　of　gold　pieces　…　Mexican；　Spanish　and　English　coins；　some　of　them　crusted　with　dirt　…　and　he　wanted　to　exchange　them　for　bank…notes。　I　made　the　exchange　for　him。　He　appeared　several　times　with　similar　bags；　and　the　transaction　was　repeated。　I　thought　little　of　it　at　the　time；　though　the　fact　that　he　tried　to　give　me　a　large　tip　did　rather　rouse　my　suspicion。
　〃A　year　later；　when　I　had　left　the　bank　and　gone　to　Sydney；　I　heard　rumors　of　what　Dan　Winterslip　had　done　on　the　Maid　of　Shiloh。　It　occurred　to　me　that　Williams　and　Winterslip　were　probably　the　same　man。　But　no　one　seemed　to　be　prosecuting　the　case；　the　general　feeling　was　that　it　was　blood　money　anyhow；　that　Tom　Brade　had　not　e　by　it　honestly　himself。　So　I　said　nothing。
　〃Twelve　years　later　I　came　to　Hawaii；　and　Dan　Winterslip　was　pointed　out　to　me。　He　was　Williams；　right　enough。　And　he　knew　me；　too。　But　I'm　not　a　blackmailer　…　I've　been　in　some　tight　places；　Arthur；　but　I've　always　played　fair　…　so　I　let　the　matter　drop。　For　more　than　twenty　years　nothing　happened。
　〃Then；　a　few　months　ago；　my　family　located　me　at　last；　and　Arthur　here　wrote　me　that　he　was　ing　to　Honolulu　and　would　look　me　up。　I'd　always　felt　that　I'd　not　done　the　right　thing　by　my　girl　…　that　she　was　not　taking　the　place　in　the　world　to　which　she　was　entitled。　I　wanted　her　to　visit　my　old　mother　and　get　a　bit　of　English　training。　I　wrote　to　Arthur　and　it　was　arranged。　But　I　couldn't　let　her　go　as　a　charity　child　…　I　couldn't　admit　I'd　failed　and　was　unable　to　do　anything　for　her　…　I　said　I'd　pay　her　way。　And　I　…　I　didn't　have　a　cent。
　〃And　then　Brade　came。　It　seemed　providential。　I　might　have　sold　my　information　to　him；　but　when　I　talked　with　him　I　found　he　had　very　little　money；　and　I　felt　that　Winterslip　would　beat　him　in　the　end。　No；　Winterslip　was　my　man　…　Winterslip　with　his　rotten　wealth。　I　don't　know　just　what　happened　…　I　was　quite　mad；　I　fancy　…　the　world　owed　me　that；　I　figured；　just　for　my　girl；　not　for　me。　I　called　Winterslip　up　and　made　an　appointment　for　that　Monday　night。
　〃But　somehow　…　the　standards　of　a　lifetime　…　it's　difficult　to　change。　The　moment　I　had　called　him；　I　regretted　it。　I　tried　to　slip　out　of　it　…　I　told　myself　there　must　be　some　other　way　…　perhaps　I　could　sell　the　Reef　and　Palm　…　anyhow；　I　called　him　again　and　said　I　wasn't　ing。　But　he　insisted；　and　I　went。
　〃I　didn't　have　to　tell　him　what　I　wanted。　He　knew。　He　had　a　check　ready　for　me　…　a　check　for　five　thousand　dollars。　It　was　Cary's　happiness；　her　chance。　I　took　it；　and　came　away　…　but　I　was　ashamed。　I'm　not　trying　to　excuse　my　action；　however；　I　don't　believe　I　would　ever　have　cashed　it。　When　Cary　found　it　in　my　desk　and　brought　it　to　me；　I　tore　it　up。　That's　all。〃　He　turned　his　tired　eyes　toward　his　daughter。　〃I　did　it　for　you；　Cary；　but　I　didn't　want　you　to　know。〃　She　went　over　and　put　her　arm　about　his　shoulder；　and　stood　smiling　down　at　him　through　her　tears。
　〃If　you'd　told　us　that　in　the　first　place；〃　said　Greene；　〃you　could　have　saved　everybody　a　lot　of　trouble；　yourself　included。〃
　Cope　stood　up。　〃Well；　Mr。　Prosecutor；　there　you　are。　You're　not　going　to　hold　him　now？〃
　Greene　rose　briskly。　〃No。　I'll　arrange　for　his　release　at　once。〃　He　and　Egan　went　out　together；　then　Hallet　and　Cope。　John　Quincy　held　out　his　hand　to　Carlota　Egan　…　for　by　that　name　he　thought　of　her　still。
　〃I'm　mighty　glad　for　you；〃　he　said。
　〃You'll　e　and　see　me　soon？〃　she　asked。　〃You'll　find　a　very　different　girl。　More　like　the　one　you　met　on　the　Oakland　ferry。〃
　〃She　was　very　charming；〃　John　Quincy　replied。　〃But　then；　she　was　bound　to　be　…　she　had　your　eyes。〃　He　suddenly　remembered　Agatha　Parker。　〃However；　you've　got　your　father　now；〃　he　added。　〃You　won't　need　me。〃
　She　looked　up　at　him　and　smiled。　〃I　wonder；〃　she　said；　and　went　out。
　John　Quincy　turned　to　Chan。　〃Well；　that's　that；〃　he　remarked。　〃Where　are　we　now？〃
　〃Speaking　personally　for　myself；〃　grinned　Chan；　〃I　am　static　in　same　place　as　usual。　Never　did　have　fondly　feeling　for　Egan　theory。〃
　〃But　Hallet　did；〃　John　Quincy　answered。　〃A　black　morning　for　him。〃
　In　the　small　anteroom　they　encountered　the　Captain　of　Detectives。　He　appeared　disgruntled。
　〃We　were　just　remarking；〃　said　John　Quincy　pleasantly；　〃that　there　goes　your　little　old　Egan　theory。　What　have　you　left？〃
　〃Oh；　I've　got　plenty；〃　growled　Hallet。
　〃Yes；　you　have。　One　by　one　your　clues　have　gone　up　in　smoke。　The　page　from　the　guest　book；　the　brooch；　the　torn　newspaper；　the　ohia　wood　box；　and　now　Egan　and　the　Corsican　cigarette。〃
　〃Oh；　Egan　isn't　out　of　it。　We　may　not　be　able　to　hold　him；　but　I'm　not　forgetting　Mr。　Egan。〃
　〃Nonsense；〃　smiled　John　Quincy。　〃I　asked　what　you　had　left。　A　little　button　from　a　glove　…　useless。　The　glove　was　destroyed　long　ago。　A　wrist　watch　with　an　illuminated　dial　and　a　damaged　numeral　two　…〃
　Chan's　amber　eyes　narrowed。　〃Essential　clue；〃　he　murmured。　〃Remember　how　I　said　it。〃
　Hallet　banged　his　fist　on　a　table。　〃That's　it　…　the　wrist　watch！　If　the　person　who　wore　it　knows　any　one　saw　it；　it's　probably　where　we'll　never　find　it　now。　But　we've　kept　it　pretty　dark　…　perhaps　he　doesn't　know。　That's　our　only　chance。〃　He　turned　to　Chan。　〃I've　bed　these　islands　once　hunting　that　watch；〃　he　cried；　〃now　I'm　going　to　start　all　over　again。　The　jewelry　stores；　the　pawn　shops；　every　nook　and　corner。　You　go　out；　Charlie；　and　start　the　ball　rolling。〃
　Chan　moved　with　alacrity　despite　his　weight。　〃I　will　give　it　one　powerful　push；〃　he　promised；　and　disappeared。
　〃Well；　good　luck；〃　said　John　Ouincy；　moving　on。
　Hallet　grunted。　〃You　tell　that　aunt　of　yours　I'm　pretty　sore；〃　he　remarked。　He　was　not　in　the　mood　for　elegance　of　diction。
　John　Quincy's　opportunity　to　deliver　the　message　did　not　e　at　lunch；　for　Miss　Minerva　remained　with　Barbara　in　the　city。　After　dinner　that　evening　he　led　his　aunt　out　to　sit　on　the　bench　under　the　hau　tree。
　〃By　the　way；〃　he　said；　〃Captain　Hallet　is　very　much　annoyed　with　you。〃
　〃I'm　very　much　annoyed　with　Captain　Hallet；〃　she　replied；　〃so　that　makes　us　even。　What's　his　particular　grievance　now？〃
　〃He　believes　you　knew　all　the　time　the　name　of　the　man　who　dropped　that　Corsican　cigarette。〃
　She　was　silent　for　a　moment。　〃Not　all　the　time；〃　she　said　at　length。　〃What　has　happened？〃
　John　Quincy　sketched　briefly　the　events　of　the　morning　at　the　police　station。　When　he　had　finished　he　looked　at　her　inquiringly。
　〃In　the　first　excitement　I　didn't　remember；　or　I　should　have　spoken；〃　she　explained。　〃It　was　several　days　before　the　thing　came　to　me。　I　saw　it　clearly　then　…　Arthur　…　Captain　Cope　…　tossing　that　cigarette　aside　as　we　reentered　the　house。　But　I　said　nothing　about　it。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃Well；　I　thought　it　would　be　a　good　test　for　the　police。　Let　them　discover　it　for　themselves。〃
　〃That's　a　pretty　weak　explanation；〃　remarked　John　Quincy　severely。　〃You've　been　responsible　for　a　lot　of　wasted　time。〃
　〃It　…　it　wasn't　my