The Breaking Point - Page 48/275

Bassett lounged outside the neat privet hedge which it was Harrison

Miller's custom to clip with his own bachelor hands, and waited. And

as he waited he tried to imagine what was going on inside, behind the

neatly curtained windows of the old brick house.

He was tempted to ring the bell again, pretend to have forgotten

something, and perhaps happen in on what might be drama of a rather high

order; what, supposing the man was Clark after all, was fairly sure to

be drama. He discarded the idea, however, and began again his interested

survey of the premises. Whoever conceived this sort of haven for Clark,

if it were Clark, had shown considerable shrewdness. The town fairly

smelt of respectability; the tree-shaded streets, the children in socks

and small crisp-laundered garments, the houses set back, each in its

square of shaved lawn, all peaceful, middle class and unexciting. The

last town in the world for Judson Clark, the last profession, the last

house, this shabby old brick before him.

He smiled rather grimly as he reflected that if Gregory had been right

in his identification, he was, beyond those windows at that moment, very

possibly warning Clark against himself. Gregory would know his type,

that he never let go. He drew himself up a little.

The house door opened, and Gregory came out, turning toward the station.

Bassett caught up with him and put a hand on his arm.

"Well?" he said cheerfully. "It was, wasn't it?"

Gregory stopped dead and stared at him. Then: "Old dog Tray!" he said sneeringly. "If your brain was as good as your

nose, Bassett, you'd be a whale of a newspaper man."

"Don't bother about my brain. It's working fine to-day, anyhow. Well,

what had he to say for himself?"

Gregory's mind was busy, and he had had a moment to pull himself

together.

"We both get off together," he said, more amiably. "That fellow isn't

Jud Clark and never was. He's a doctor, and the nephew of the old doctor

there. They're in practice together."

"Did you see them both?"

"Yes."

Bassett eyed him. Either Gregory was a good actor, or the whole trail

ended there after all. He himself had felt, after his interview, with

Dick, that the scent was false. And there was this to be said: Gregory

had been in the house scarcely ten minutes. Long enough to acknowledge a

mistake, but hardly long enough for any dramatic identification. He was

keenly disappointed, but he had had long experience of disappointment,

and after a moment he only said: "Well, that's that. He certainly looked like Clark to me."