earlderrbiggers.thehousewithoutakey-第32部分

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　Greene　nodded　toward　the　detective。　〃Captain　Hallet　will　enlighten　you；〃　he　said。
　〃You　bet　I　will；〃　Hallet　announced。　〃As　perhaps　you　know；　Mr。　Brade；　Mr。　Dan　Winterslip　has　been　murdered。〃
　Brade's　washed…out　eyes　turned　to　John　Quincy。　〃Yes；〃　he　said。　〃I　read　about　it　in　a　Hilo　newspaper。〃
　〃You　didn't　know　it　when　you　left　last　Tuesday　morning？〃　Hallet　asked。
　〃I　did　not。　I　sailed　without　seeing　a　paper　here。〃
　〃Ah；　yes。　When　did　you　see　Mr。　Dan　Winterslip　last？〃
　〃I　never　saw　him。〃
　〃What！　Be　careful；　sir。〃
　〃I　never　saw　Dan　Winterslip　in　my　life。〃
　〃All　right。　Where　were　you　last　Tuesday　morning　at　twenty　minutes　past　one？〃
　〃I　was　asleep　in　my　room　at　the　Reef　and　Palm　Hotel。　I'd　retired　at　nine…thirty；　as　I　had　to　rise　early　in　order　to　board　my　boat。　My　wife　can　verify　that。〃
　〃A　wife's　testimony；　Mr。　Brade；　is　not　of　great　value　…〃
　Brade　leaped　to　his　feet。　〃Look　here；　sir！　Do　you　mean　to　insinuate　…〃
　〃Take　it　easy；〃　said　Hallet　smoothly。　〃I　have　a　few　matters　to　call　to　your　attention；　Mr。　Brade。　Mr。　Dan　Winterslip　was　murdered　at　one…twenty　or　thereabouts　last　Tuesday　morning。　We　happen　to　know　that　in　his　youth　he　served　as　first　officer　aboard　the　Maid　of　Shiloh；　a　blackbirder。　The　master　of　that　vessel　had　the　same　name　as　yourself。　An　investigation　of　your　room　at　the　Reef　and　Palm　…〃
　〃How　dare　you！〃　cried　Brade。　〃By　what　right　…〃
　〃I　am　hunting　the　murderer　of　Dan　Winterslip；〃　broke　in　Hallet　coolly。　〃And　I　follow　the　trail　wherever　it　leads。　In　your　room　I　found　a　letter　from　the　British　Consul　here　addressed　to　you；　and　informing　you　that　Winterslip　was　alive　and　in　Honolulu。　I　also　found　this　tin　of　Corsican　cigarettes。　Just　outside　the　living…room　door　of　Winterslip's　house；　we　picked　up　the　stub　of　a　Corsican　cigarette。　It's　a　brand　not　on　sale　in　Honolulu。〃
　Brade　had　dropped　back　into　his　chair；　and　was　staring　in　a　dazed　way　at　the　tin　box　in　Hallet's　hand。　Hallet　indicated　the　Hawaiian　boy　in　the　corner。　〃Ever　see　this　lad　before；　Mr。　Brade？〃　Brade　nodded。
　〃You　had　a　talk　with　him　last　Sunday　night　on　the　beach？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃The　boy's　told　us　all　about　it。　He　read　in　the　paper　that　you　were　ing　to　Honolulu。　His　father　was　a　confidential　servant　in　Dan　Winterslip's　employ　and　he　himself　was　brought　up　in　the　Winterslip　household。　He　could　make　a　pretty　good　guess　at　your　business　with　Winterslip；　and　he　figured　you'd　be　pleased　to　lay　hands　on　this　ohia　wood　box。　In　his　boyhood　he'd　seen　it　in　a　trunk　in　the　attic　of　Winterslip's　San　Francisco　house。　He　went　down　to　the　President　Tyler　and　arranged　with　a　friend　aboard　that　boat；　the　quartermaster；　to　break　into　the　house　and　steal　the　box。　When　he　saw　you　last　Sunday　night　he　told　you　he'd　have　the　box　as　soon　as　the　President　Tyler　got　in；　and　he　arranged　to　sell　it　to　you　for　a　good　sum。　Am　I　right　so　far；　Mr。　Brade？〃
　〃You　are　quite　right；〃　said　Brade。
　〃The　initials　on　the　box　are　T。M。B。〃　Hallet　persisted。　〃They　are　your　initials；　are　they　not？〃
　〃They　happen　to　be；〃　said　Brade。　〃But　they　were　also　the　initials　of　my　father。　My　father　died　aboard　ship　in　the　South　Seas　many　years　ago；　and　that　box　was　stolen　from　his　cabin　after　his　death。　It　was　stolen　by　the　first　officer　of　the　Maid　of　Shiloh　…　by　Mr。　Dan　Winterslip。〃
　For　a　moment　no　one　spoke。　A　cold　shiver　ran　down　the　spine　of　John　Quincy　Winterslip　and　a　hot　flush　suffused　his　cheek。　Why；　oh；　why；　had　he　strayed　so　far　from　home？　In　Boston　he　traveled　in　a　rut；　perhaps；　but　ruts　were　safe；　secure。　There　no　one　had　ever　brought　a　charge　such　as　this　against　a　Winterslip；　no　whisper　of　scandal　had　ever　sullied　the　name。　But　here　Winterslips　had　run　amuck；　and　there　was　no　telling　what　would　next　be　dragged　into　the　light。
　〃I　think；　Mr。　Brade；〃　said　the　prosecutor　slowly；　〃you　had　better　make　a　full　statement。〃
　Brade　nodded。　〃I　intend　to　do　so。　My　case　against　Winterslip　is　not　plete　and　I　should　have　preferred　to　remain　silent　for　a　time。　But　under　the　circumstances；　of　course　I　must　speak　out。　I'll　smoke；　if　you　don't　mind。〃　He　took　a　cigarette　from　his　case　and　lighted　it。　〃I'm　a　bit　puzzled　just　how　to　begin。　My　father　disappeared　from　England　in　the　'seventies；　leaving　my　mother　and　me　to　shift　for　ourselves。　For　a　time　we　heard　nothing　of　him；　then　letters　began　to　arrive　from　various　points　in　Australia　and　the　South　Seas。　Letters　with　money　in　them；　money　we　badly　needed。　I　have　since　learned　that　he　had　gone　into　the　blackbirding　trade；　it　is　nothing　to　be　proud　of；　God　knows；　but　I　like　to　recall　in　his　favor　that　he　did　not　entirely　abandon　his　wife　and　boy。
　〃In　the　'eighties　we　got　word　of　his　death。　He　died　aboard　the　Maid　of　Shiloh　and　was　buried　on　the　island　of　Apiang　in　the　Gilbert　Group　…　buried　by　Dan　Winterslip；　his　first　officer。　We　accepted　the　fact　of　his　death；　the　fact　of　no　more　letters　with　remittances；　and　took　up　our　struggle　again。　Six　months　later　we　received；　from　a　friend　of　my　father　in　Sydney；　a　brother　captain；　a　most　amazing　letter。
　〃This　letter　said　that；　to　the　writer's　certain　knowledge；　my　father　had　carried　a　great　deal　of　money　in　his　cabin　on　the　Maid　of　Shiloh。　He　had　done　no　business　with　banks；　instead　he　had　had　this　strong　box　made　of　ohia　wood。　The　man　who　wrote　us　said　that　he　had　seen　the　inside　of　it；　and　that　it　contained　jewelry　and　a　large　quantity　of　gold。　My　father　had　also　shown　him　several　bags　of　green　hide；　containing　gold　coins　from　many　countries。　He　estimated　that　there　must　have　been　close　to　twenty　thousand　pounds；　in　all。　Dan　Winterslip；　the　letter　said；　had　brought　the　Maid　of　Shiloh　back　to　Sydney　and　turned　over　to　the　proper　authorities　my　father's　clothing　and　personal　effects；　and　a　scant　ten　pounds　in　money。　He　had　made　no　mention　of　anything　further。　He　and　the　only　other　white　man　aboard　the　Maid；　an　Irishman　named　Hagin；　had　left　at　once　for　Hawaii。　My　father's　friend　suggested　that　we　start　an　immediate　investigation。
　〃Well；　gentlemen〃　…　Brade　looked　about　the　circle　of　interested　faces　…　〃what　could　we　do？　We　were　in　pitiful　circumstances；　my　mother　and　I。　We　had　no　money　to　employ　lawyers；　to　fight　a　case　thousands　of　miles　away。　We　did　make　a　few　inquiries　through　a　relative　in　Sydney；　but　nothing　came　of　them。　There　was　talk　for　a　time；　but　the　talk　died　out；　and　the　matter　was　dropped　But　I　…　I　have　never　forgotten。
　〃Dan　Winterslip　returned　here；　and　prospered。　He　built　on　the　foundation　of　the　money　he　found　in　my　father's　cabin　a　fortune　that　inspired　the　admiration　of　Honolulu。　And　while　he　prospered；　we　were　close　to　starvation。　My　mother　died；　but　I　carried　on。　For　years　it　has　been　my　dream　to　make　him　pay。　I　have　not　been　particularly　successful；　but　I　have　saved；　scrimped。　I　have　the　money　now　to　fight　this　case。
　〃Four　months　ago　I　resigned　my　post　in　India　and　set　out　for　Honolulu。　I　stopped　over　in　Sydney　…　my　father's　friend　is　dead；　but　I　have　his　letter。　I　have　the　depositions　of　others　who　knew　about　that　money　…　about　the　ohia　wood　box。　I　came　on　here；　ready　to　face　Dan　Winterslip　at　last。　But　I　never　faced　him。　As　you　know；　gentlemen〃　…　Brade's　hand　trembled　slightly　as　he　put　down　his　cigarette　…　〃some　one　robbed　me　of　that　privilege。　Some　unknown　hand　removed　from　my　path　the　man　I　have　hated　for　more　than　forty　years。〃
　〃You　arrived　last　Saturday　…　a　week　ago；〃　said　Hallet；　after　a　pause。　〃On　Sunday　evening　Kaohla　here　called　on　you。　He　offered　you　the　strong　box？〃
　〃He　did；〃　Brade　replied。　〃He'd　had　a　cable　from　his　friend；　and　expected　to　have　the　box　by　Tuesday。　I　promised　him　five　thousand　dollars　for　it　…　a　sum　I　intended　Winterslip　should　pay。　Kaohla　also　told　me　that　Hagin　was　living　on　a　ranch　in　a　remote　part　of　the　Island　of　Maui。　That　explains　my　journey　there　…　I　took　another　name；　as　I　didn't　want　Winterslip　to　follow　my　movements。　I　had　no　doubt　he　was　watching　me。〃
　〃You　didn't　tell　Kaohla　you　were　going；　either？〃
　〃No；　I　didn't　think　it　advisable　to　take　him　pletely　into　my　confidence。　I　found　Hagin；　but　could　get　nothing　out　of　him。　Evidently　Winterslip　had　bought　his　silence　long　ago。　I　realized　the　box　was　of　great　importance　to　me；　and　I　cabled　Kaohla　to　bring　it　to　me　immediately　on　my　return。　It　was　then　that　the　news　of　Winterslip's　death　came　through。　It　was　a　deep　disappointment；　but　it　will　not　deter　me。〃　He　turned　to　John　Quincy。　〃Winterslip's　heirs　must　pay。　I　am　determined　they　shall　make　my　old　age　secure。〃
　John　Quincy's　face　flushed　again。　A　spirit　of　rebellion；　of　family　pride　outraged；　stirred　within　him。　〃We'll　see　about　that；　Mr。　Brade；〃　he　said。　〃You　have　unearthed　the　box；　but　so　far　as　any　proof　about　valuables　…　money　…〃
　〃One　moment；〃　cut　in　Greene；　the　prosecutor。　〃Mr。　Brade；　have　you　a　description　of　any　article　of　value　taken　from　your　father？〃
　Brade　nodded。　〃Yes。　In　my　father's　last　letter　to　us　…　I　was　looking　through　it　only　the　other　day　…　he　spoke　of　a　brooch　he　had　picked　up　in　Sydney。　A　tree　of　emeralds；　rubies　and　diamonds　against　an　onyx　background。　He　said　he　was　sending　it　to　my　mother　…　but　it　never　came。〃
　The　prosecutor　looked　at　John　Quincy。　John　Quincy　looked　away。　〃I'm　not　one　of　Dan　Winterslip's　heirs；　Mr。　Brade；〃　he　explained。　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　was