the red seal(红印)-第36章
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bewilderment and then with rising wrath； found his voice。
〃You drunken scoundrel！〃 he roared。 〃How dare you！〃
〃Dare！〃 Rochester laughed recklessly。 〃Jimmie kept his wits to the
last； his mind was clear； he recognized you in the prisoner's pen and he
tried to call you； but his palsied tongue could not say Ben； but stuttered … B
… b … b。〃
〃And what did he wish to tell me？〃 gasped Clymer； down whose
colorless face perspiration trickled。
〃Aye； what？〃 broke in Kent significantly。
〃Jimmie may not have gotten the information he wished at your house；
Colonel McIntyre； but his presence there on Monday night showed the
forger he was in danger； and like the human snake he is； he poisoned
without warning。 Don't move … Sylvester！〃
With a backward spring Kent caught his clerk as he sped for the door。
〃Don't make any mistake in putting on the handcuffs this time；
Ferguson；〃 he shouted。 〃A forger and a contortionist make a bad
customer to reckon with。〃
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CHAPTER XXI
THE RIDDLE ANSWERED
There was absolute stillness in the room； then a babble of
exclamations broke out as Sylvester； his expression of dumb surprise
giving place to one of fury； struggled to free himself from the detective's
firm grip。
〃You cannot escape； Sylvester；〃 declared Kent； observing his efforts。
〃Your carelessness in using your peculiar gift of penmanship in copying
Barbara McIntyre's signature in this memorandum of her visit here〃 …
Kent held up a sheet torn from his pad； 〃gave me the first clew。 These；
the second；〃 he showed several pieces of blotting paper freshly used。
〃See； in the mirror here is reflected the impression from your clever
imitations of the handwritings of Barbara； Colonel McIntyre； and Mrs。
Brewster。〃
They crowded about Kent； all but Ferguson and his prisoner； who had
subsided in his chair with what the detective concluded was dangerous
quietude。
〃My next step； now that suspicion was directed against Sylvester； was
to make personal inquiries regarding him；〃 went on Kent。 〃Judge
Hildebrand； who had just returned to Washington； said that he first met
Sylvester at a circus sideshow where he gave exhibitions as a contortionist。
One of his special stunts was to slip out of handcuffs and ropes。〃
〃So that explains last night；〃 Ferguson grinned。 〃You'll not do it
again； Sylvester；〃 and he shook an admonitory finger at the erstwhile
clerk。
〃Judge Hildebrand became interested in Sylvester； found he was handy
with his pen and tired of the show business； and gave him an opening by
engaging him as confidential clerk；〃 continued Kent。 〃You will recall；
Colonel McIntyre； that you sent business papers in your handwriting and
that of your daughters to Judge Hildebrand's office to be typed by his staff。
That is how Sylvester became so well acquainted with your writing and
was able to forge a letter to the bank treasurer directing him to turn over
your negotiable securities to Jimmie Turnbull。〃
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〃But how in the world did Sylvester induce Jimmie to present the
forged letter？〃 asked Colonel McIntyre。
Kent turned to the sullen prisoner。 〃Answer that question； Sylvester；〃
he commanded； and the man roused himself from his dejected attitude。
〃Anything in it for me if I do？〃 he asked with a cunning leer。
〃That's for the courts to decide；〃 declared Kent。
The man thought a minute。 〃I'll take a chance；〃 he said finally。 〃But
that I waited for an opportunity to get my swag out of this safe； I wouldn't
have been caught … curse you！〃 and he scowled at Kent。
〃Cut that out；〃 admonished Ferguson with a none too gentle dig in the
ribs； and Sylvester continued his statement。
〃I overheard Colonel McIntyre tell Judge Hildebrand about his
securities and their present value； and the next day he came to consult the
judge about engaging a secretary。 I fixed up credentials and went to Mr。
Turnbull； he believed my story that I was the colonel's new secretary and
got the securities。〃 Sylvester paused。 〃If I'd rested content with that
success I'd been all right；〃 he added。 〃But I was in too great a hurry and
forged Mr。 Clymer's signature to a check for five thousand dollars and
presented it at the Metropolis Trust Company。 As luck would have it Mr。
Turnbull cashed it for me himself。〃
〃But didn't he suspect you？〃 exclaimed Clymer。 He had gradually
recovered from the shock of Rochester's charges on his arrival； and was
listening with keen attention to Sylvester's confession。
〃No。 I made the check payable to Colonel McIntyre and forged his
endorsement；〃 Sylvester spoke with an air of pride； and he smiled in
malicious enjoyment as； catching his eye； Barbara shrank back and
sheltered herself behind Kent。 〃Mr。 Turnbull accepted the check； later
something must have aroused his suspicions； and I found when he
questioned me that he believed Colonel McIntyre had forged the check。〃
〃Good heavens！ You let him think that？〃 gasped McIntyre； then
wrath gained the mastery。 〃You scoundrel！〃
〃Oh； I encouraged him to think it；〃 Sylvester grinned again。 〃You
must have handed Mr。 Turnbull a raw deal； he was so ready to think evil of
you。〃
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〃That is a lie！〃 exclaimed Helen hotly。 〃When I went downstairs to
investigate the noise I heard in the library； father； Jimmie told me who he
was to quiet my fright。 He showed me a letter； which he had just found
on your desk in the library； confessing that you had forged Mr。 Clymer's
name on the check； and begging Jimmie to conceal your crime and save
Barbara and me from the shame of having you exposed as a forger and a
thief。〃
〃I never wrote such a letter！〃 shouted McIntyre； deeply incensed。
〃No； it was a clever plan；〃 acknowledged Sylvester。 〃On one of my
trips to your house； Colonel McIntyre； I secured wax impressions of your
front door lock。 I went to your house Monday night and put the letter
among your papers just before Turnbull was admitted by your fool of a
butler。〃
〃And you gave Jimmie Turnbull a dose of poison … charged Kent； but
Sylvester； his lips gone dry； raised his manacled hands in protest。
〃I did not poison him；〃 he cried。 〃I waited just to see if Turnbull got
the letter and to find out what he'd do with the securities； which he had
refused to turn over to me。 After he had read the forged letter Mr。
Turnbull acted sort of faint and went out in the hall。 I could just see him
put down a box on the hall table and lean against the wall。 Then he went
into the dining room and came back a second later carrying a glass of
water； and I saw him take up and open a small box and toss some white
pills into his mouth； then he took a good drink； and； picking up a
handkerchief lying on the table； he went back into the library。〃
There was silence as Sylvester's callous recital of the tragedy ended。
Helen； her eyes tearless and dark with suffering； sank slowly back in her
chair and rested her head against Barbara's sympathetic shoulder。
〃So Turnbull's death was accidental after all；〃 exclaimed Ferguson。
〃Or was it suicide？〃
〃Accident；〃 answered Kent。 〃I found some nitro…glycerine pills in
the umbrella stand by the hall table。〃 Colonel McIntyre nodded。
〃Evidently Turnbull put down his pill box before getting a glass of water；
and in his attack of giddiness accidentally opened your box of aconitine
pills； Mrs。 Brewster； instead of his own； and swallowed a fatal dose；
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thinking they were nitroglycerine。〃
Mrs。 Brewster bowed her head in agreement。 That must have been
it；〃 she said。 〃However； I saw Colonel McIntyre tear off the paper
wrapping and open my package of pills just before dinner； and when I
heard that Jimmie had died from aconitine I … I …〃 she stammered and
stopped short。
〃You suspected I had murdered him？〃 asked McIntyre softly。
〃Yes；〃 she looked appealingly at him。 〃Forgive me； I should never
have suspected you； but the pills； box and all； were missing the next
morning from the hall table。〃
〃Turnbull must have thrown the box into the umbrella stand；〃
explained Kent。 〃That was where I found it。 Did you get the securities；
Sylvester？〃 turning to the prisoner。
〃No；〃 sullenly。 〃She did；〃 and a jerk of his thumb indicated Helen
McIntyre。
Helen raised her head and addressed them slowly。
〃Jimmie and I expected Barbara to come in at any moment； and he
started to leave when we saw you coming downstairs；〃 she turned to Mrs。
Brewster。 〃Jimmie declared that if we were found together I might be
compromised。 He couldn't explain his presence without exposing father …
we both thought you a forger； father；〃 she interpolated； as McIntyre took
her hand and pressed it understandingly。 〃So he insisted that I should
treat him like an ordinary burglar … we had both forgotten Barbara's silly
wager in our horror about father。
