Herbert Rowse Armstrong*
revolve. Stiffly and hesitatingly thoy mov^d at ih'HU uh tho
Director of Prosecutions began to -make his own iudoptrndont
inquiries; but ever incroatiod in paw and nwooilmtssN and
momentum, until in the dock ot His Mujosty'H Awiiy^M of tho
county of Herefordshire they Hung oft ArtMMtrontf uiio tho outnr
darkness of ahamoful extinction.
The   Homo   Office  was,   naturally,   wlow   lo   muve   at   Mw
beginning;  it  does nofc do to  stiBpod. every ono uj^iin.st  whom
some  private   malice   or   feud   may   hwpiro  or  hu^oh!.   tumpi
cion;    moreover,    in    a    recent    oano    of    poisoning    allied
against a solicitor in Wales the defendant dad  ihh»ii  awjuiitcid;
and it was probable that the authorities woro dnUinnimul not- io
set the law in motion on such a diar^o  unless tluty  \v<»ro ahw*
luteiy certain that suspicion was properly I'oumlod, and thai. l,h«
case would be proved; for if it in a tiurriblo l.hinjj; Ihnl n nitinliuvi*
should escape, it is an equally terrible thinjr lhat ati  innowul.
man should be put on trial for hiw lilV.     Thorcforo, l-ho lirwl nlt^pn
were taken cautiously; but to Dr. Hinokw and tho Marl-inn, who
were convinced of Armstrong^ guilt,  and curtain  that  1m waK
engaged in a persistent attempt to poison Marl/m, the wavhimTy
seemed to  move slowly indeed.      You  miwt  conHider   Marlitfw
position.   He  was   afraid  of  Armstrong.    Ho ronwnborcui  that.
sinister occasion when he had yielded to Armsl-ron^N tmtroaticK
to go to tea with him, and the agonies that had  followed; and
here was the same man daily ringing him up and inwiMtin^ (hat
h© should go to tea with him again.    The two won* Molinioivi for
the vendor and purchaser of «omo properly roMporlivoly.    Arm
strong had failed to complete; Martin wan proving For Mm rodtrtt
of the deposit—some five hundred  potmdn—-bul;  noiihor  c,oinplo
tion nor deposit was forthcoming from A.nnHl.ronjjf--only  invita-
tions to tea.   If it were not nuoh a grim story Uuiro woul<l |m»
something comic in this almost furious bouibardinoni  of ivn hi
vitations across the village street in Hay.
"Will you come to tea this aftoruoon?" tolaphontw Ann*
strong. " Can't come to tea/' repliow Martin, ^f< but 1 \yitl liuik
in afterwards about six." " Oh, novor mind,'* Mays Anuwtron},!;.
"Any day will do. Come to tea to-morrow inntoad," Martin,
quaking with apprehension, does not go to toa to-morrow, Tlio
telephone bell rings again. "Why did you nofc come to \w1 "
says Axnxstrong. "Tea has been waiting for you for half an hour,"
8