Mr. Sleuth ate his nice piece of steamed sole upstairs with far heartier an

sir," Mrs. Bunting had forced herself

I am tired-very tired. And as I lay in bed I seemed to hear so many sounds-so much crying and s

that. We're generally reck

I was you, I shouldn't go out this afternoon; I'd just stay quietly indoors. There's a lot of rough people about-" Perhaps there was an undercurrent of warning, of painful pl

vice. That is, I will stay quietly at home, I am never at a loss to

ed her to be up here, talking to Mr. Sleuth, instead of thinking about him downstairs. It seemed to banish the terror which fill

e a human being. Eccentric-so much must be admitted. But Mrs. Bunting had seen a good deal of

in things she had learnt as to the aberrations of which human nature is capable-even well-born, well-nurtured, gentle human nature-as

t she exclaimed, "Well, sir, I'll be up again to clear away in about half an hour. And if you'll forgive me for saying so, I hope you will stay

**

ur o'clock when there came

really was saving her stepmother a good bit of trouble-and the girl was

nting, looking up. "It's too e

wife, hurriedly jump

n't want no str

the short bit of passa

e? Wha

lief broke from her. "Why, Joe? We never thought 'tw

her sheepish look on his go

ud, cheerful voice, and Mrs. Bunting hurriedly checked him. She didn't w

not very well to-day. He's had a cold," she added hastily, "and

life. It was the first time she had told a bold and deliberate lie. She was one of those women-there are many, many

r remarks. "Has Miss Daisy arri

rough into the room where the f

tell us all about that mysterious clue. I suppose it'd be

news as that yet awh

ly, "well, I don't su

Yard are circulating

ey've found

don't say so! Whatever sort of a thi

ure, but it seem

r back against the door, looking at the group in front of her. None of them were thinking of her -she t

out yet-not for the public, that is-but we was all given it by

AN

omplexion dark. No beard or whiskers. Wearing a black diagonal coat, hard felt hat,

She gave a long, fluttering

was a funny little tremor in his frank, cheerful-sounding voice-"if you knows of any nice, likely young fellow

" cried Daisy and her

thing official about it. But we of the Yard is barred from taking that re

r, will you?" said Bunting. "I'd

ew over the

up and handed it back. "Well

id Chandler sarcastically. "As a pal of mine said this morning, 'There isn't a chap will like

pealing laughter. She greatly app

le who saw him try and catch

in a lower voice, "Yes, Joe

t two o'clock this last time. Two o'clock- that's the idea. Well, at such a time as that not many people are about, especially on a foggy night. Yes, one woman declares she saw a young chap walking away from the spot where 'twas done; and another one-but that was a good bi

y be quite a differe

owly, disa

hat description fits him all right," said Chan

they found a weapon?" obs

hat she even seemed to take an intelligent interest in it. She ha

very peculiar kind o' knife-'keen as a razor, pointed as a dagger'- that's the exact words the boss used when he was describing it to a lot of us. He seemed to think a lot more of that clue than of the other-I mean than of the description people ga

for?" as

esslike, official-"they're not going to say anything about that-not in newspapers-till to-morrow, so don't you go and tell anybody. You see, we don't want to frighten the fellow off. If he knew they'd g

en?" said Mrs. Bun

it would be if nothink was found-I mean if the search of the shops, and so on, was no good. Then, of course, we must try and find out someone

that knife!" exclaimed Daisy

ty, girl!" cried her s

ed round at h

len!" said Bunt

is wife sullenly. "To go and sell a f

ed defiantly. "I never said nothing about the reward. That was

y. "Well, the day may come when

had come in

makes you

inly see the knife, Miss Daisy. They keeps all them kind of things there. So if, as I say, this weapon

museum in your place for?" asked Daisy wondering

g, as well as Bunting and

eums in London; the town's thick with 'em. Ask Ellen there. She and me used

one that would interes

"It's a regular Ch

. "D'you really mean that there's a museum where they keeps all sorts of thin

blue eyes on him, and even Mrs. Bunting looked at him expectantly. "Much more than knives, Mr. Bunti

ad not realised before what extraordinary and agreeable privileges are a

certainly get leave to take a friend there." He looke

ndler? Ellen was so prim, so-so irritatingly proper. But wh

f cours

ng smiled broadly. "I'd be quite content as it is with what there is in that museum o' yours. Ellen, there,"-he looked across at his wife-"don't agree with me about such things.

ch a place? But still, I can't help it if he does want to go, so we must put up with his company, though it would have been much nicer for us to go just by our two selves." And then Daisy's look answered qui

st take you and Miss Daisy down to the Yard. 'Twouldn't take very long; we could go all the way by bus, right down to Westmin

me sick," she exclaimed, "to see the bottle of poison

of real horror, of startled f

what I always say. Ellen ain't on in this turn. She can just sta

uth laughed at," said

t's very kind of you,

h a rare treat"-she s

e who heard her