CHAPTER XXI
THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S ART AND ARTFULNESS
When the lawyer came back from lunch, the new clerk went out to his.
His meal consisted--apart from a sandwich and glass of beer--of theabsorption of the contents of a catalogue of photographic materials.
He spent the greater part of his dinner hour on the second floor atBenetfink's in Cheapside. That firm's photographic department is there.
He was purchasing a small snapshot hand camera, and the difficulty hehad was in getting one which went off at short range.
He wanted to photograph a picture at about two yards' distance. Hesucceeded finally in procuring what he wanted.
Gerald knew nothing of photography, and the assistant very kindly"loaded" his camera for him.
There is a dark room on the premises kept for the convenience ofcustomers, and a few moments later, Gerald emerged--armed with theloaded camera.
When he returned to the office, Mr. Loide went out to keep anappointment at the West End of London. That left the floor free forGerald.
He went into his employer's room, and stood opposite the fireplace. Withthe "view finder" on his camera, he brought the mantel within focus.
He did that because hanging above the mantel was an oil painting of thelawyer.
There was a little tablet let into the frame of the painting inscribed,"From a grateful client."
Gerald rather wondered whether the artist--the client filled withgratitude--could have been quite sane; but his business just then waswith the painting--not the painter.
He had described the room to Benetfink's assistant, the light it faced,and so on; and had been told to pull down the lever, count seventy-fiveseconds by his watch, and then let go.
These instructions he carried out.
First he measured off two yards, and piling up tin boxes till he got thelevel he required, he snapped his first photograph for seventy-fiveseconds' exposure.
He used all six plates, varying the distance of his tin boxes support aninch each time, to insure focus.
Then he packed up his camera, replaced the tin boxes, and waited tillclosing time.
He left the office at half-past five, mounted a tram-car in the CityRoad, and with his camera in a hand bag made for the regions of theEuston Road.
For some reason the Euston Road is famous for the number of itsphotographers--the lower class of that art.
The double description is used as it is a calling full of artfulness andcraft. The this-style-in-a-frame-for-a-shilling sort seem to look on itas a happy hunting ground.
The tout outside produces samples of the photographic art--createdperhaps a dozen miles away--and lies with the freedom of a cyclometer.
Night makes but little difference to these artists. They have anarrangement of what the outside man calls "magnesia," which he willassure you "results in as good a picter as if tiken in the brorddielight."
Gerald entered one of these art studios. He found the man inside quiteas full of art as the outside one.
When Gerald stated his business and needs, the man shook his head, andspoke of terms which made Gerald put the camera back in his bag.
The art of the photographer fell before that act, and his artfulnesscame into play--it looked like money walking away.
When Gerald spoke of trying another photographer, the studio man thoughthe could manage it--became sure of it, and a bargain was struck.
Benetfink's man had told Gerald something. Told him that afterdevelopment, the negative could have a bath of spirits of wine, and bedry enough to print from in ten minutes.
He had also sold Gerald a packet of special printing paper, which couldeasily be printed on by the light from an ordinary gas jet.
Ultimately--things were a trifle tight in the neighborhood of EustonRoad; to servant girls and their military admirers photography seemed tohave lost its charm--the photographer agreed to develop the six plates,and print one copy of each for six and sixpence.
Four of the plates turned out failures in the developing dish; the othertwo were all right. When, later on, the printing paper came out of thelittle printing frames, Gerald was quite satisfied.
He cheerfully paid the six and sixpence, and walked away with twounmistakable pictures of Loide, the lawyer, in an envelope in hispocket.
The next morning he went to Eldon Street before going to his office, andwas cheered to hear that the steamboat agent was much better, and wascoming to business that morning.
Gerald asked if he would be in between two and three o'clock, and wasanswered affirmatively.
So it came about that in his dinner hour he walked round to the agent's.The agent was in.
"I have come to see you about the Europia murder case."
"Have you?" replied the agent, somewhat wearily; "and what particularline is yours--newspaper? If so, I haven't a scrap of fresh news foryou."
"No," said Gerald, with a smile; "there's nothing journalistic aboutme."
"Not the police then again, surely! I understood from Inspector Welchthat they had dropped the matter."
"Maybe the English police have," answered Gerald quietly; "but theAmerican force hasn't. I'm from the other side--come over in the Europialast week."
"Oh! Is that so? Anything fresh? I suppose so, by your coming across thepond."
"Well, I think we are striking a trail. I want you to help me a little.I see by one of the newspaper interviews that you stated to a reporterthat you would know the two men who booked the particular berth in whichthe murder took place."
"That's so. One thing, my memory's keen on, is faces. If I see a manonce, I know him again. I could locate him in a crowd."
"That will perhaps help us."
"I don't think so. They photographed one of the bodies found on theboat, and it was sent across here for identification. Inspector Welchbrought it here, but bless your soul, it wasn't a tiny scrap like eitherof the men."
"So I understand."
"Inspector Welch didn't quite believe me. Thought I placed too muchreliance on my memory. Almost said so. But I know right enough where mystrong point lies. I didn't recognize that photograph simply because itwasn't the picture of either of the men. But the moment I get aphotograph of either of the real men before me, you'll see I'll pick itout from fifty others."
"You are sure you would know it?"
"Know it! I'm dead certain--cock-sure."
"Well," said Gerald, as he quietly drew the daguerreotype of Josh Toddfrom his pocket and put it on the agent's desk, "is that like either ofthem?"
"That's one!--that one!" cried the agent excitedly, as he banged hisfist on the desk. "I'd know him from a thousand. That's the man thatspoke with a Yankee accent and came in first."
"So," said Gerald quietly, although in his excitement his blood wasracing through his veins, "and possibly this may be the portrait of theother one?"
He placed the picture he had brought away from the Euston Road studiobefore the agent.
"By God, sir, you're right! That's 'em--that's 'em both. You've got theright men, sir--you've got 'em. I always said if the American detectivestook the case up over here, they'd strike the trail. No English 'tec cantouch 'em for cuteness. If you know where to put your hands on these twomen, you're able to solve the Europia mystery."