Part 48 (1/2)
Garrison turned. Dorothy had risen quickly to her feet.
It was Theodore who stood in the doorway. He had come before Garrison's note could be delivered.
”Come in,” said Garrison. ”You're just the man I wish to see.”
CHAPTER x.x.xVI
GARRISON'S VALUED FRIEND
Dorothy, catching up the precious will, had retreated from Theodore's advance. She made no effort to greet him, even with so much as a nod.
”I thought I might possibly find you both, and save a little time,”
said Robinson, striding in boldly, with no sign of removing his hat.
”Seems I hit it off about right.”
”Charmingly,” said Garrison. ”Won't you sit down and take off your hat and stay a while?”
”You sound cheerful,” said Theodore, drawing forth a chair and seating himself in comfort. ”Perhaps you realize the game is up at last.”
”Yes,” agreed Garrison. ”I think we do--but it's good of you to come and accept our notice, I'm sure.”
”I didn't come to accept notice--I came to give it,” said young Robinson self-confidently. ”I've recently returned from Rockbeach, where I went to investigate your so-called marriage.”
He had seen or heard nothing of Fairfax; that was obvious.
”Well?” said Garrison. ”Proceed.”
”That's about enough, ain't it?” said Theodore. ”The marriage having been a fraud, what's the use of beating around the bush? If you care to fix it up on decent terms, I'll make no attempt to break the will when it comes up for probate, but otherwise I'll smash your case to splinters.”
”You've put it quite clearly,” said Garrison. ”You are offering to compromise. Very generous. Let me have the floor for half a minute.
I've had your man Tuttle on your trail, when you thought you had him on mine, for some little time.
”I happen to know that you stole two necklaces in the keeping of Mrs.
Fairfax, on the night I met you first, and placed them on the neck of some bold young woman in the house next door, where, as you may remember, I saw you dressed as Mephistopheles. You----”
”I stole nothing of the kind!” interrupted Theodore. ”She's got them----”
”Never mind that,” Garrison interposed. ”Let's go on. You installed a 'phone in your closet, at the house in Ninety-third Street, and on the night when you overheard an appointment I made with Mrs. Fairfax, you plugged in, overheard it, abducted Dorothy, under the influence of chloroform, stole her wedding-certificate, and delivered me over to the hands of a pair of hired a.s.sa.s.sins to have me murdered in Central Park.
”All this, with the robbery you hired Tuttle to commit at Branchville, ought to keep you reflecting in prison for some little time to come--if you think you'd like to go to court and air your grievances publicly.”
Theodore was intensely white. Yet his nerve was not entirely destroyed.
”All this won't save your bacon, when I turn over all my affidavits,”
he said. ”The property won't go to you when the will's before the court. The man who married you in Rockbeach was no justice of the peace, and you know it, Mr. Jerold Garrison. You a.s.sumed the name of Fairfax and hired a low-down political heeler, who hadn't been a justice for fully five years, to act the part and marry you to Dorothy.