The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-30

upon the premises in the hope that
the ebbing tide might afford some
fresh cleW.
and it did, though they hardly
found upon the mud-bank what they
had feared to find. 1t was Neville
st. Clair's coat, ana not Neville st.
Clair, which lay uncovered as the tide
receded. And what do you think they
found in the pockets -
II cannot imagine
mo, 1 don't think you would guess.
Every pocket stuffed with pennies
and half-penn. es-421 pennies and
270 half pennies. 1t was no wonder
that it had not been swept away by
the tide. But a human body is a dit
ferent matter There is a fierce eddy
between the wharf and the house. 1T
seemed likely enough that the weight
ed coat had remained when the strip
ped body had been sucked away m
to the river
But / understand that all the other
clothes were found in the room Woul1
the body be dressed in coat alone?
mo, sir, but the facts n st br'
met speciously enough. SUPPOSE that
this man Boone had thrust Neville st.
Ciair through the window, there is no
human eye which could have seen the
deed. What would he do then? 1t
that he must get rid of the tell-tale
garments He would seize the coat,
then, and be in the act of throwing
it out. when it would occur to him
that it would swim and not sink. He
has little time, for he has heard the
scuff1e down stairs when the wife tried
to force her way up, and perhaps ne
has already heard from his Lascaf
confederate that the police are hur-
rying up the street. There is not an
instant to be lost. He rushes'to some
secret hoard, where he has accumu-
lated the fruits of his begger'y, and
he stuffs all the coins upon which
he can lay his hands into the pockets
70 make sure of the coats sinking. He
throws it out and would have done
| the same with the other garments had
| not he heard the rush of steps be-
| low, and only just had time to close
| the window when the police appear
| ed
| ''It certainly sounds feasible"
"Well, we will take it as working
hypothesis for want Of a better
| Boone, as / have told you, was arrest
| ed and taken to the station, put II
could not be shown that there had
ever been anything against him. he
| had for years been known as a pro-
fessional beggar. but his life appeared
| to have been a very quiet and lnnoceh'
one There the matter stands at pres
ent and the questions which, have tt
be solved-what Neville st. Clair was
doing in the opium den, what happen
ed to him when there, where IT, are
now, and what Hugh Boone had to do
with his disappearance-are all as
| far from a solution as ever. L con-
| fess that | cannot recall any case with
F.! in my experience which looked at the
first glance so simple, and yet which
| presented such difficulties
While Sherlock Holmes had beer
detailing this singular series OF events
we had been whirling through the out
skirts of the great town until the last
struggling houses had been left be-
| hind, and we ratified along with q
country hedge upon either side OF us
Just as he finished however, we drove
through two scattered villages, where
a few lights still glimmered in the
windows.
| eve are on the outskirts or Lee,
said my companion. "Wc have touch
ed on three English counties in oul
short drive, starting in MiddleseX
passing over an angle of Surrey, and
| ending i'm Kent. See that light among
| the trees? That is The Cedars, and
| beside that lamp sits woman whose