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〃I want you；〃 said Mrs。 Pett； 〃to e here and watch some men〃
〃Men！ Thought so！ Wh' there's trouble； always men't bottom'f it！〃
〃You do not like men？〃
〃Hate 'em！ Suff…gist！〃 She looked penetratingly at Mrs。 Pett。 Her left eye seemed to pounce out from under its tangled brow。 〃You S'porter of th' Cause？〃
Mrs。 Pett was an anti…Suffragist； but； though she held strong opinions； nothing would have induced her to air them at that moment。 Her whole being quailed at the prospect of arguing with this woman。 She returned hurriedly to the main theme。
〃A young man arrived here this morning； pretending to be my nephew； James Crocker。 He is an impostor。 I want you to watch him very carefully。〃
〃Whassiz game？〃
〃I do not know。 Personally I think he is here to kidnap my son Ogden。〃
〃I'll fix'm；〃 said the fair Trimble confidently。 〃Say； that butler 'f yours。 He's a crook！〃
Mrs。 Pett opened her eyes。 This woman was manifestly petent at her work。
〃Have you found that out already？〃
〃D'rectly saw him。〃 Miss Trimble opened her purse。〃 Go' one 'f his photographs here。 Brought it from office。 He's th' man that's wanted 'll right。〃
〃Mr。 Sturgis and I both think he is working with the other man； the one who pretends to be my nephew。〃
〃Sure。 I'll fix 'm。〃
She returned the photograph to her purse and snapped the catch with vicious emphasis。
〃There is another possibility；〃 said Mrs。 Pett。 〃My nephew； Mr。 William Partridge； had invented a wonderful explosive； and it is quite likely that these men are here to try to steal it。〃
〃Sure。 Men'll do anything。 If y' put all the men in th' world in th' cooler； wouldn't be 'ny more crime。〃
She glowered at the dog Aida； who had risen from the basket and removing the last remains of sleep from her system by a series of calisthenics of her own invention； as if she suspected her of masculinity。 Mrs。 Pett could not help wondering what tragedy in the dim past had caused this hatred of males on the part of her visitor。 Miss Trimble had not the appearance of one who would lightly be deceived by Man； still less the appearance of one whom Man； unless short…sighted and extraordinarily susceptible； would go out of his way to deceive。 She was still turning this mystery over in her mind； when her visitor spoke。
〃Well； gimme th' rest of th' dope；〃 said Miss Trimble。
〃I beg your pardon？〃
〃More facts。 Spill 'm！〃
〃Oh； I understand；〃 said Mrs。 Pett hastily； and embarked on a brief narrative of the suspicious circumstances which had caused her to desire skilled assistance。
〃Lor' W'sbeach？〃 said Miss Trimble； breaking the story。 〃Who's he？〃
〃A very great friend of ours。〃
〃You vouch f'r him pers'n'lly？ He's all right； uh？ Not a crook； huh？〃
〃Of course he is not！〃 said Mrs。 Pett indignantly。 〃He's a great friend of mine。〃
〃All right。 Well； I guess thass 'bout all； huh？ I'll be going downstairs 'an starting in。〃
〃You can e here immediately？〃
〃Sure。 Got parlour…maid rig round at m' boarding…house round corner。 e back with it 'n ten minutes。 Same dress I used when I w's working on th' Marling D'vorce case。 D'jer know th' Marlings？ Idle rich！ Bound t' get 'nto trouble。 I fixed 'm。 Well； g'bye。 Mus' be going。 No time t' waste。〃 Mrs。 Pett leaned back faintly in her chair。 She felt overe。
Downstairs； on her way out； Miss Trimble had paused in the hall to inspect a fine statue which stood at the foot of the stairs。 It was a noble work of art； but it seemed to displease her。 She snorted。
〃Idle rich！〃 she muttered scornfully。 〃Brrh！〃
The portly form of Mr。 Crocker loomed up from the direction of the back stairs。 She fixed her left eye on him piercingly。 Mr。 Crocker met it； and quailed。 He had that consciousness of guilt which philosophers tell is the worst drawback to crime。 Why this woman's gaze should disturb him so thoroughly； he could not have said。 She was a perfect stranger to him。 She could know nothing about him。 Yet he quailed。
〃Say；〃 said Miss Trimble。 〃I'm c'ming here 's parlour…maid。〃
〃Oh； ah？〃 said Mr。 Crocker； feebly。
〃Grrrh！〃 observed Miss Trimble； and departed。
CHAPTER XVIII
THE VOICE PROM THE PAST
THE library； whither Jimmy had made his way after leaving Mrs。 Pett； was a large room on the ground floor； looking out on the street which ran parallel to the south side of the house。 It had French windows； opening onto a strip of lawn which ended in a high stone wall with a small gate in it； the general effect of these things being to create a resemblance to a country house rather than to one in the centre of the city。 Mr。 Pett's town residence was full of these surprises。
In one corner of the room a massive safe had been let into the wall； striking a note of incongruity； for the remainder of the wall…space was pletely covered with volumes of all sorts and sizes； which filled the shelves and overflowed into a small gallery； reached by a short flight of stairs and running along the north side of the room over the door。
Jimmy cast a glance at the safe； behind the steel doors of which he presumed the test…tube of Partridgite which Willie had carried from the luncheon…table lay hid： then transferred his attention to the shelves。 A cursory inspection of these revealed nothing which gave promise of whiling away entertainingly the moments which must elapse before the return of Ann。 Jimmy's tastes in literature lay in the direction of the lighter kind of modern fiction； and Mr。 Pett did not appear to possess a single volume that had been written later than the eighteenth centuryand mostly poetry at that。 He turned to the writing…desk near the window； on which he had caught sight of a standing shelf full of books of a more modern aspect。 He picked one up at random and opened it。
He threw it down disgustedly。 It was poetry。 This man Pett appeared to have a perfect obsession for poetry。 One would never have suspected it； to look at him。 Jimmy had just resigned himself； after another glance at the shelf； to a bookless vigil； when his eye was caught by a name on the cover of the last in the row so unexpected that he had to look again to verify the discovery。
He had been perfectly right。 There it was； in gold letters。
THE LONELY HEART
BY
ANN CHESTER
He extracted the volume from the shelf in a sort of stupor。 Even now he was inclined to give his goddess of the red hair the benefit of the doubt； and assume that some one else of the same name had written it。 For it was a defect in Jimmy's characterone of his many defectsthat he loathed and scorned minor poetry and considered minor poets； especially when feminine； an unnecessary affliction。 He declined to believe that Ann； his Ann； a girl full of the finest traits of character； the girl who had been capable of encouraging a parative stranger to break the law by impersonating her cousin Jimmy Crocker； could also be capable of writing The Lonely Heart and other poems。 He skimmed through the first one he came across； and shuddered。 It was pure slush。 It was the sort of stuff they filled up pages with in the magazines when the detective story did not run long enough。 It was the sort of stuff which long…haired blighters read alone to other long…haired blighters in English suburban drawing…rooms。 It was the sort of stuff whichto be briefgave him the Willies。 No； it could not be Ann who had written it。
The next moment the horrid truth was thrust upon him。 There was an inscription on the title page。
〃To my dearest uncle Peter； with love from the author； Ann Chester。〃
The room seemed to reel before Jimmy's eyes。 He felt as if a friend had wounded him in his tenderest feelings。 He felt as if some loved one had smitten him over the back of the head with a sandbag。 For one moment； in which time stood still； his devotion to Ann wobbled。 It was as if he had found her out in some terrible crime that revealed unsuspected flaws in her hitherto ideal character。
Then his eye fell upon the date on the title page； and a strong spasm of relief shook him。 The clouds rolled away； and he loved her still。 This frightful volume had been published five years ago。
A wave of pity swept over Jimmy。 He did not blame her now。 She had been a mere child five years ago； scarcely old enough to distinguish right from wrong。 You couldn't blame her for writing sentimental verse at that age。 Why； at a similar stage in his own career he had wanted to be a vaudeville singer。 Everything must be excused to Youth。 It was with a tender glow of affectionate forgiveness that he turned the pages。
As he did so a curious thing happened to him。 He began to have that feeling； which every one has experienced at some time or other； that he had done this very thing before。 He was almost convinced that this was not the first time he had seen that poem on page twenty…seven entitled 〃A Lament。〃 Why； some of the lines seemed extraordinarily familiar。 The people who understood these things explained this phenomenon； he believed； by some stuff about the cells of the brain working simultaneously or something。 Something about cells； anyway。 He supposed that that must be it。
But that was not it。 The feeling that he had read all this before grew instead of vanishing； as is generally the way on these occasions。 He had read this stuff before。 He was certain of it。 But when？ And where？ And above all why？ Surely he had not done it from choice。
It was the total impossibility of his having done it from choice that led his memory in the right direction。 There had only been a year or so in his life when he had been obliged to read things which he would not have read of his own free will； and that had been when he worked on the Chronicle。 Could it have been that they had given him this book of poems to review？ Or？
And then memory； in its usual eccentric way； having taken all this time to make the first part of the journey； finished the rest of it with one lightning swoop； and he knew。
And with the illumination came dismay。 Worse than dismay。 Horror。
〃Gosh！〃 said Jimmy。
He knew now why he had thought on the occasion of their first meeting in London that he had seen hair like Ann's before。 The mists rolled away and he saw everything clear and stark。 He knew what had happened at that meeting five years before； to which she had so mysteriously alluded。 He knew what she had meant that evening on the boat； when she had charged one Jimmy Crocker with having cured her of sentiment。 A cold sweat sprang into being about his temples。 He could remember that interview now； as clearly as if it had happened five minutes ago instead of five years。 He could recall the article for the Sunday Chronicle which he had written from the interview； and the ghoulish gusto with which he had written it。 He had had a boy's undisciplined sense of humour in those days； the sense of humour which riots like a young colt； careless of what it bruises and crushes。 He shuddered at the recollection of the things he had hammered out so gleefully on his typewriter down at the Chronicle office。 He found himself recoiling in disgust from the man he had been； the man who could have done a wanton thing like that without punction or ruth。 He had read extracts from the article to an appreciative colleague。 。 。 。
A great sympathy for Ann welled up in him。 No wonder she hated the memory of Jimmy Crocker。
It is probable that remorse would have tortured him even further； had he not chanced to turn absently to page forty…six and read a poem entitled 〃Love's Funeral。〃 It was not a long poem； and he had finished it inside of two minutes； but by that time a change had e upon his mood of self…loathing。 He no longer felt like a particularly mean murderer。 〃Love's Funeral〃 was like a tonic。 It braced and invigourated him。 It was so unspeakably absurd； so poor in every respect。 All things； he now perceived； had worked together for good。 Ann had admitted on the boat that it was his satire that had crushed out of her the fondness for this sort of thing。 If that was so； then the part he had played in her life had been that of a rescuer。 He thought of her as she was now and as she must have been then to have written stuff like this； and he rejoiced at what he had done。 In a manner of speaking the Ann of to…day； the glorious creat