Chapter XXI · THE MURDERER.
Reading edition
Events developed rapidly in Philadelphia while Patsy was having his fight with Masson and defeating the abduction scheme.
Before they had discussed Ida’s information long both Nick and Chick had arrived at the same conclusion.
They believed they had found the murderer in Philadelphia, and that Nick’s instinct that Masson was not the person guilty of the murder of Ethel Romney had been right from the first.
“We must move without delay, Chick,” said Nick. “Our rescue of Ida will inform this man that we are in town, and he will run.”
“To make our conclusions a dead certainty,” said Chick, “we ought to prove that George Macrane was in New York on the day of the murder.”
“We’ll take the chances, and prove it afterward,” said Nick, grimly. “Come.”
“Where?” asked Chick.
“To see the chief of police.”
“At this hour? It is three in the morning.”
“He’ll have to stand for it.”
They went out and woke up the chief of police, who, understanding the situation, summoned two officers, whom he put at the disposal of Nick.
201
The four then set out for the house of Macrane, arriving there a little after four in the morning.
They approached the house cautiously, concealing themselves where they could watch it.
A light was burning in the third-story window, which Nick fancied was the window of the room occupied by George Macrane.
As they watched, two men came down the street, and, rapping at the door of the Macrane house, asked for George.
They were told that he had not yet returned home.
Chick’s sharp eyes recognized one of these men as one of those that had opposed their rescue of Ida.
These two men sat down on the lower step of the Macrane house.
“They mean to wait for George Macrane,” said Nick.
They did not wait long, for in ten minutes’ time a man was seen approaching from the opposite direction.
The two men stood up to meet him.
What they told him could not be heard by Nick and Chick, but it was followed by a frightful explosion of oaths and curses from George Macrane.
So frantic, indeed, was this outburst, that Nick thought it proceeded from a craven fear of the result.
Touching Chick, and, bidding the officers to follow, Nick slipped across the street, closely approaching the three men before they were seen.
Laying his hand on the shoulder of Macrane, Nick said:
202
“George Macrane, you are my prisoner. I want you for the murder of Ethel Romney.”
The shock was so sudden that Macrane dropped to the pavement in a heap.
If the other two had been disposed to make a resistance they were too much astonished at the charge made against their employer to offer any.
They stared in open astonishment, and made no show of objecting when the officers took them in charge.
George Macrane soon recovered possession of himself, and, rising, said rather tremblingly, to be sure:
“You must be wild to charge me with that. Ethel Romney is in New York.”
“She is in Greenwood by this time,” said Nick.
“I couldn’t have done her—she in New York and me here,” said Macrane, growing bolder as he talked. “She’s been there a week or more.”
“It is useless, Macrane,” said Nick. “We know the whole trick. You were in New York yourself. You laid the game up well, but we know it.
“You knew there was a man in New York who was following Ethel’s sister; you were told you looked like him; you saw him, and you trimmed your whiskers to be exactly like him.”
Nick stopped and looked at Macrane. What he had been saying was purely guesswork, but he saw that he had hit home.
“You called at Mrs. Constant’s home at eight o’clock on the night of the murder, giving the name of Masson. 203 You were told that Mrs. Constant had gone out to the dressmaker’s.
“You knew that wasn’t so—you knew it was Ethel who had gone out, but thereby you found out where she had gone to.
“You went to the dressmaker’s and waited till she came. You tried to speak to her as she went in. Then you went into the coach and waited.
“When she came to enter it she saw you and screamed, but you pulled her in and shut the door.
“The coach drove rapidly up the avenue, and during that drive you shot her, for she had told you that she was done with you forever, and meant to live with her sister.
“When the coach was checked, at Fifty-eighth Street, you stepped out, crossed the street, and, going down Fifty-eighth Street, you bowed to a man at nine o’clock, who spoke to you as Masson.
“Half an hour later, on the corner of Fifty-seventh Street and Fifth Avenue, you talked for a few minutes with a man who stopped you and called you Masson.
“You made yourself conspicuous in other places when you thought suspicion could be thrown on Masson.
“Then, when you thought you had done enough you started back to Philadelphia, but one of my aides was on the train. We were on your track. We were bound to land you as we have landed you.”
Turning to the officers, Nick said:
“Take us to the lockhouse. Chick, have you hand-cuffs?”
204
Chick had not, but one of the officers had, and Macrane was ironed.
It was daylight when Nick and Chick returned to their hotel to snatch a brief sleep.
Early in the morning they were out, making the proof strong that Macrane had been in New York.
They wired for Patsy to come on, with Moran and the storekeeper of Sixth Avenue that Chick had dug up, by an early train.
On their arrival they positively identified Macrane as the man seen entering and leaving the coach.
Patsy, on his arrival, reported his experiences with Masson and the rescue of Mrs. Constant and Edith.
Though Patsy told it with all modesty, Nick knew that Patsy had performed a most gallant and heroic deed, and so said, but it was not until he returned to New York that he learned how gallant and brave the deed was.
Speaking of the curious development of the case, Nick said:
“From the first I felt that Mrs. Constant’s natural bitterness toward Masson had misled her judgment. I never did believe that he did the murder.
“The strange thing is that Mrs. Constant did not give greater importance to the feeling of Macrane toward Ethel.
“However, she has a hold on Masson now, and if she will follow my advice, Masson will see the inside of a prison for his evil deeds. He deserves it.”
But he did not.
205
When Mrs. Constant learned that she had unjustly charged Masson with the murder of her sister, she seemed to feel that she had done him an injury which she could atone for only by refraining from following up the advantage she possessed.
Masson fled to Europe, so that Mrs. Constant is now free from his persecutions.
Macrane lies under conviction of murder in the first degree, and awaits execution.
He has confessed, saying that he visited New York to force Ethel to return with him, and, finding that he had lost her and all control of her, in a fit of anger he killed her.
Mrs. Constant devotes herself to her kennel, but her grief for the death of her sister is so great that she is a broken woman.
When Patsy wants to be particularly swell, he sports a fine diamond ring that Mrs. Constant gave him in recognition of his bravery when he prevented her abduction by Masson.
The case is referred to by Nick Carter’s outfit as “Patsy’s Triumph,” and as such is not easily forgotten.
THE END.
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