The Bowbells tribune., 1900-01-26

him back very happy, with yet anoth-
or half fSovcreign in his pocket.
CHAPTER XIII.
A Missing Link.
had ample food for reflection dur
ing my drive back to the Strand. Blogg
was. almost to certainty. implicated
in the decoying of Arnewocd. if not.
also. in his murder. So was the myste-
rious stranger" and so. too. was the
other unknown. referred to by Blo2g
as the strangers master or boss. Mr.
Spratt seemed to nave merely played
jackall. but was probably the engin-
eer'S adviser and instigatOr through
cut.
The description given by Billy of the
stranger tailed with no one that
knew. Moreover. if lie had a master.
he must necessarily himself he ser
want of some sort. and could by no pos
sibility be either member or men,
ber's guest Of the tirst-class service
club. Either he was conceallng ms
real rank, to deceive Blogg, or he had
merely called at the club to leave 4
message for his employer. and had
Slipped out unseen by Billy. 1t was
! strange, though. that the club should
be, also, Captain ArneWood' s-verv
strange. when one came to think OF II.
I almost wished was still working
with Inspector Trail when l thought
out the full strength Of the Rodney AV-
enue incident. Blogg and the stranger
had. indeed, arranged to meet there
again in weeks time-the one TO re-
ceive, the other to pay ESQ; but might
not something occur meanWMle TO
scare one OF both from keeping the ap-
poirtment? With such evidence as
had to work upon Trail would Ger
tainly have the engineer rigidly shad-
owed during the interval, if he did not
resort to the expedient OF having nm
arrested upon some more or less trlV-
ial. trumEed-up charge. to make sure
of him. But was l morally bound. on
that account. to invoke Scotland YARD
aid once more? This question l an
swered in the negative, to my own sat
sfaction, at all events. If (as Mr. Cray
believed) the police had ceased to slls-
pect Spratt and Blogg. despite Brad
shaw's instructive suspicion of them at
first. so much the worse for the ohclal
intelligence 1t did not occur to me to
remember that it was the bathmah
whom T'raill had singled out, ana
whose every movement was being qul-
city watched, while stolid-looking, GIN
drinking Blogg was ignored. was
Spratt himself aware of it? Most prob
ably ht. was. and played his game ac-
cordingly. He was a clever as well us
an audacious scoundrel, quite capable
of drawing suspicion upon himself in
order to leave his less astute accom-
plice free hand.
More as a matter of detail than with
any expectation of news, called at the
Beresford Hotel. in Convent Garden.
A reference to the books showed that
no room had been engaged for any Mr..
Arnewood-at all events during the
past six months covered by the en-
tries But it appeared that, during the
| latter part Of November, the hotel had
been exceptionally crowded, and in
tending que SITS had been refused daily
Possibly the gentleman 1 inquired for
had been in this latter category. AS
usual, vague and utterly unsatisfact-
DRY. If Luke Arnewood had gone to
any other ilotel l must trust to the re-
ward to bring me notice Of the fact.
Meanwhile. Mr.. Burton's we'll meant
! suggestions came to naught, like so
| many others.
| l next visited the Junior Naval and
Military Club, in Picadilly, and in
| quired for Capt. Arnewood, although
| was. of course, we'll aware that he was
in ireland.
"Out Of town. SIR" replied the janitor.
| present address, Shelborne Hotter.
Dublin. Good many inquiries for him
| since he left"
"IDdeed!' remarked. seizing my op-
portunity. "Do you remember short,
stout gentleman inquiring for him last
night at about o'clock?"
''Yes. sir. The party seemed so as
ton;shed to hear of Captain Arnewood's
departure that l think he hardly be-
lieved it at first"
1t was clear. then, that the mystcri-
GUS stranger had gone straight from
his interview with Blogg to see Cap
tain Arnewood. whom he fully expect
ed to find at his club. Moreover. if ap-
pearcnces could be trusted, the captain
must be the ''master" who was to sup
ply the $3.50. The least ineligible part
Of the affair was that he should nave
been represented to Blogg as unable to
find this sum without borrowing it; but
that. after all. might be quite polite
stroke to keep down Blogg's claim. or a
mere trick of the strangers to avoid
paving away money already intrusted
TO him. Upon the whole, could not
blink my eyes to the fact that things
were beginning to look very black in
deed against my client. and that l
might yet find myself in the dilemma
of having to choose between my duty
towards society and my desire to serve
him
don't think ever felt more worried
and perplexed than did after quitting
the club, and proceeded to Exeter
street more than half-inclinad to COM
muricete my suspicious to Mr.. Hawk
ms. and ask to be relieved of any fur
ther connection with the Arnewood
case. Mr.. Hawkins, however, had not
Ia I, saaolyo