The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-02-01

by ItC. NtSCLUIE. G1-zksa 4&AS 4
mother was entirely Frustrated therefore
she could not mt present leave her. This,
I, when shown to Amber, caused him to
purse his lips and raise his shoulders with
that gesture OF suspicion which was d
popularity Of his. Was It possible that
he actually suspected her7
The nhmo OF Slade seemed over In
Jevons' mind. Indeed, most Of his In
cuIrles were regarding some person OF
TINT nn1no.
One evening after dining together. ne
took me In a cab acrosD tho city to this
Three Nuns Hotel, ut Aid gate--where. In
the saloon bar. we sat drinking. Before
setting out he had urged me to put on
q shabby suit OF clothes and 3 roft hat,
80 that in tho East End we should not at
tract attention ns swclls. AS for his
own personal appearance It was certainly
not that OF tho spruce city man. He
was an adept at uisguises, and on this
occasion wore a REFER Jacket, peaked
cap and dark violet scarf in lieu Of
collar. thus presenting the aspect OF q
seafarer ashore. He smoked a pipe Of
the most approved sailors type. and as
we sat together in the saloon ne told mo
sea stories, In order that a group OF
men sitting near might overhear.
That no had some object in all this YVES
quito certain, but what It was I could
not gather.
Suddenly, after an hour, however, a
little understood old man. OF dirty and
| neglected appearance, who had been
drinking at the bar, shuffled UP to US,
| and whispered something to Amber that
did not catch. The words. neverthc-
| less. caused my companion to start. and
| disregarding the fresh whisky and soda
| he had Just ordered. he rose and walked
out-an example which followed.
| "Lanky sent me. sir the old man
said, addressing Amber. when we were
out in the street HE couldn't come
hlsself. E said you'd like to know the
news
''Of course. I was waiting for It," re-
piled my companion, alert and eager
WELL" ne said, IT suppose ia better
ten yer tho truth at once, sr."
"Certainly. What is it?"
Well. IAnky's dead"
Dead" cried Amber. Impossible.
was waiting for him"
II know. This morning In the Bor-
ough Market he told mo to come ERE
and find you, because he wasn't able
,nent IAnky's engagements were al
ways interestin'." he added, with grim
smile.
well. 20 on" said Amber, eagerly.
What followed?"
"'E told me to 20 down to TAFT Street
and see i'm at S o'clock. as . had mes
sage for you. ] went and when Got
there / found I'm lying on the floor Of
his room stone dead"
.-You went to the police Of course7'
mo, I didn't: came hero to SEQ you
Instead. believe the poor bloke's been
| murdered. Il was a good un. too-poor
| Lanky Lane!''
WHAT exclaimed. ''1s that man
Lane dead7"
TT seems So Jevons responded. 'If
| he Is, then there We have further mys-
! terry
III you doubt II, sir, como with me
| his Cockney drawl. Nobody knows
about 1t yet. ought to have told the
perlice, blu. know you're better at mys-
terious affairs than the silly coppers in
Leman Street,
Jevons' fnme as an Investigator Of
crime had spread even to that class
| known as the submerged tenth. How
fashions change! A year or two ago 1t
| was the mode of society to go "slum-
ming To-day only social reformers
and missionaries make excursions to the
| homes OF the lower class In East Lon
| don. A society woman would not dare
admit to-day that she had been further
east than Leadenhall Street.
Let's go and see what has really hap
pened." Amber said to me- If Lane is
dead. then 1t proves that his enemy is
yours
II can't SEQ that. Howr' I asked
You will see later. For the moment
we must occupy ourselves with his death
and see whether it Is owing to natural
causes or to foul play. He was Il heavy
drinker, and 1t may have been that"
NO" declared the little old man.
"Lanky wasn't drunk to-day-that I'll
swear. ! saw i'm in Commercial Road
at seven, talkin' to Teller wot's in love
wiz IS sister,
Then how do you account for this
panion-
IT can't account for It, guy nor. I
simply found i'm lying on the floor, and
It give mo O shock, can tell you. e
was as cold as Ice"
Lets go and see ourselves" Amber
said; SO together we hurried along the
Whltechapel High Street. at that hour
busy with It's costermonger market and
along Commercial Road East, arriving
at last in the dirty insalubrlous thor
oughfare, verltabe hive OF the lowest
class OF humanity-Tait Street Shadwe!l.
Up the dark stairs OF one Of the
| dlrtlest OF the dwellings our conductor
guided US, lighting our steps with wax
vestas struck upon the wall, and on
gaining the third floor OF the evll-smell-
Ing place he pushed open door and we
found ourselves In an unlit room.
Don't move. gentlemen" the old man
urged. You may fall over i'm. Es
/ right there, Just where you're standin'.
l I'll light the lamp"
Then he struck another match ana
by its tickle light we saw the body OF
Lane, the street-hawker. lying full length
only a yard from US, Just as our conduc-
tor had described.
The cheap and smelling parafIln lamp
being lit, took hasty glance around
CT 11fegln