Picture Show (Oct 1920 - Apr 1921)

G Picture Show, November bth, 1920. " The Price gfs Honour." (ContPZueV)rom The Coming of Billy O'Farrel. BILLY O'FARREL was Galloway's partner and Dyson Mallet's partner. When the other two, tired out with their luck or lack of it, had left the Calamity Jano in North Rhodesia, with a small opinion of gold mines in general, and their own in particular, Billy O'Farrel had remained behind, unconquered. Ho had remained behind to toil and moil and sweat in the tunnels of the well -named Calamity Jane. Now he, too, had come homo to look for his partners. Ho had not even heard of the disaster to the Sweet Alice. The name brought nothing to him, because he did not know the name of the boat in which his two friends had travelled home. The newspaper boy did not call every morning at the door of the Calamity Jane, and, in fact, no newspaper of any sort happened along in Billy's direction. When he got down to Capetown and put himself in touch with the events of the day, the story of the wreck of the Sweet Alice was ancient history and he heard nothing about it. Consequently when he landed at Liverpool, and learned that one of his two partners was dead, and the other was on trial for murdering him. it was news indeed. Billy was a partner and a friend of the first water. He had many things to do, things of importance. But he dropped everything. This business of his two partners became instantly the ehief matter for him. Before doing anything else he must clear Galloway of this absurd charge. Ho thought it would be the simplest thing in the world, being himself a simple soul. Ho appeared suddenly before the police at Marlingham, and was interviewed by an inspector who had the case in hand, or said he had. " This man is innocent," said Billy briskly. " Why, of course, he's innocent ! The thing is absurd I tell you. John Galloway would rescue a cockchafer out of his tea and let it go again sooner than kill it." *' Very interesting," said the inspector. " But you see, Mr. O'Farrel, that is not evidence. What do you know about the prisoner and the dead man ? " " Why, I know all about them," said Billy, with vivacity. " I — I've lived with them both in a hole in "the ground for years. For years I tell you ! And if you want to know a man inside and outside, you live with him in a hole in the ground for years and years. Then you'll know him, and you won't know him before. Take that straight from me." " Very interesting, Mr. O'Farrel," said the inspector soothingly. " Where were you when the murder was committed ? " " In Rhodesia— no, on the high seas on my way back from Rhodesia," said Billy. " Ah ! Then I don't see that you can have anything to say about the matter of any weight at all." " But I tell you the man is innocent." persisted Billy. '' Isn't there any weight in that ? " " Very little," returned the inspector. " Of course, you can, if you like, give evidence with regard to Galloway's character when he was in Rhodesia with you, though I don't see that it could do him much good. Nevertheless, I will take your address, and hand it to those in charge of the ease. The adjourned hearing is the day after to-morrow, if you wish to be present." Billy left the address of his hotel in London, and extracted a private promiso from the inspector that he would send him a wire if there were any interesting developments before the adjourned hearing came on. Billy O'Farrel, however, was not the man to leave the matter at this. Ho was disappointed, because ho had imagined that after ho had made his statement to the police, Galloway would at once bo produced, and he would walk away with him arm in arm. As it wa9 things did not look vory promising. So Billy paid a visit to Dyson Mallet's house, where he interviewed Mrs. Weston and gavo that lady the same assurance as he had given to the police. Subsequently he went post haste to London, where he plunged in and out of the otlico doors of leading (inns of solicitors ; and even cornered » great criminal counsel, who listened to his vehement arguments and protestations with far more courtesy than Billy was, perhaps, entitled to. Finally, nobody held out to him the slightest hope that he would be able to do anything to help his much loved friend and partner in his hour of trial. So the same evening he rushed back to Marlingham, and nightfall found him wandering in Brandon woods, near the spot where Mallet's body had been found. And here, under a great beech tree, he found a girl on her knees weeping. When Billy, with his ready sympathy for any human creature in distress, touched the girl on the shoulder, she turned a blanched tear-wet face up to him. Billy was not old enough to be her father, but he was ten years her senior and looked more. " What is the matter, my dear ? " he asked gently. A flood of sobs answered him, and mingled with them ho caught the name of Dyson Mallet. At once Billy became on the alert. He sat down on a bole of the tree, and waited until sho had had her cry out. Then he spoke to her, and there was something in his voice, some magnetic quality of manly tenderness and sympathy with sin and frailty, which made her reach out to him blindly. " What is your name ? " he asked quietly. " Alice Mercer," replied the girl. " I don't know who you are," continued Billy, " but you have just spoken the name of a friend of mine, a friend and partner of many years — who is now dead." " Dyson Mallet — you are his friend ? " said the girl breathlessly, her wide eyes searching his face. " My name is O'Farrel, Billy O'Farrel. I was Dyson's partner. I have just come from Rhodesia, where wo worked a mine claim together called the Calamity Jane." " Yes, yes," whispered the girl, " I have SPECIAL NOTICJb ! NEXT MONDAY will begin the thrilling story of "THE WONDER MAN," in which GEORGES CARPENTIER, the world-famous boxer, takes the star part in the screen play soon to be released by the Ideal Film Company. " THE WONDER MAN " is a tale of LOVE, SPORT, and INTRIGUE. Don't miss the Story in next Monday's "PICTURE SHOW." It will make you appcgi/iate the photoplay more when you sec it on the scree:i. heard of it and of you. He often spoke of you in his letters. Oh, and now he is dead, and will never speak to mo again." " You — you were in love with him ? " said Billy, in a very low voice. The girl held her head up, turned her face to him proudly. " Yes," she said. " He promised to marry me when ho came home. 1 believe he would have done." " I believe so, too," said Billy, and hoped the untruth might bo forgiven him. "Now listen," he continued. " Dyson was my partner. There were three of us in the Calamity Jane. The other is the man who stands charged with Dyson's murder. His name is Galloway, and although I cannot prove it, I know as well as I know anything, that Galloway did not murder or kill his old partner." " I know he did not, said the girl quickly. Billy concealed a start. " Do yon know who killed him t " " Yes. No — oh, no ! How can I say such a thing ! I know nothing, like you ; but — but " " There is something in your mind that is troubling you ? " " Yes, that is it," she answered slowly. " Will you tell me about it t said Billy. " You are not speaking to the police. You can look on this place as a confessional if that helps you any. But think. Remember thore is a man on'trial for his life, and I know, and I think you know also, that he is innocent. I may bo able to help you. Two heads are better than one. I am the partner of both men, and foi that reason I am your friend." " I know nothing," said the girl, lowering her head. " But — but I believe Jack Belcher did it. I don't think it was murder. Jack Belcher would not do that if he was in his right mind. But I believe there may have been a fight." " Who is Jack Belcher ? " " He lives in the village," continued the girl. " He is in love with me ; has been for years. Oh, 1 have been very wicked, and it is my fault. When it seemed that Dyson was never coming back, and — and sometimes he did not write to me for six months at a time, I let Jack think I was in love with him a bit. " Then when Dyson was rescued from the sea and brought back here ill, I told Jack the truth and sent him away. I told him I had never loved him, but had always loved Mr. Mallet. " He was almost mad with jealousy, and swore he would kill Dyson. Of course, that was not Dyson who was brought to the house, but I thought it was at first. I went there one night to see him, and while we were standing in the room, a shot was fired. It smashed a mirror over the mantelpiece." " Who fired the shot ? " asked Billy sternly. " Jack Belcher. He confessed it afterwards to me. He was poaching and had the gun in his hand when he saw me with Mr. Galloway, whom he thought was Dyson. He said he did not fire the shot to hit us, but to frighten me. But I was not sure. " I believe after that he lay in wait for him, still believing him to he Mallet, although I told him he was not. That is all 1 know, but I believe he met this man and learned that he was Mallet, and — there was a fight, perhaps." Billy O'Farrel found Jack Belcher in his cottage. Although the hour was nearing midnight, the man was sitting up in the little room which opened on to the village street. A tiny lamp was burning, and through the window, before entering, O'Farrel saw the man sitting at the table with his elbows on it and his face buried in his hands. When Billy O'Farrel entered softly and closed the door behind him, the man started up with a face like chalk. • Then he shook his big shoulders and folded his arms across his chest with a rough dignity. " You have come for me ? " he said. O'Farrel nodded. " Right," he said ; and it seemed that the long breath ho drew was one of relief. " I am ready." " One minute," said Billy. " You are making a mistake. You think I am a policeman or a detective. I am nothing of the sort." « " Who are you, then ? " " I am Dyson Mallet's partner and John Galloway's partner. You admit that I have a right to interest myself in this matter ? " The man nodded grimly. " You know that John Galloway did not kill his old partner ? " said Billy. " I know it," said Belcher. " I killed him. I'm glad you've come. Mind you, I would never have let an innocent man go to his trial, but I was trying to hang it out until after the next proceedings at the police-court to see how things shaped. But I don't think I could havo held out much longer. " You're his partner, so I'll tell you. Then we'll go to tho police together. They can't hang me, and I don't mind much if they do. We quarrelled about a girl. I was hanging about the house and I met this man coming out and followed him to Brandon Woods. He admitted he was Dyson Mallot.and whon wespoko of the girl ho laughed at me and taunted me. " We fought out there in the woods like two dogs. It was a fair fight, with only our baro fists for weapons, and he stood up to me well enough. "There must havo been something tho matter with him. I knocked him down, only once, and — it was all up with him. He died in n»y arms. I have hit many a man harder without any harm coming of it. Then I got frightened and ran away. That's where I made my mistake. Now I am ready to go to Marlingham with you." An hour later the two men walked into tho police-station at Marlingham, and Jack Belcher gave himself up. ( The conclusion of this splendid story next Monday.)