The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-16

same which obscured the bottom panes of every little window all down the long street. The good wives, however, were more voluble.
 "A decent foreign lad?" they asked magnanimously Certainly, he had been there, but had not stayed"
 A saturnine woman, landlady of a hotel in a neighboring Fleet village, inter- posed that she knew nothing about It, having just come over for a days pleas uring. But that, in her opinion, no for eigners whatever were decent. As for her, she was glad to be able to explain that she knew nothing about it.
 Then hold your tongue till you get to Gatehouse!" said the Inspector. whose mood by this time was by no means 'un- ruffled.
 He had a bonny big muckle coat over his airm," called out a little woman, who had come down some steps, carrying a broom, in case there should be further violence; "he was talkin' terrible care so't wadna wonder if it were woht the maist pairt O five pound!'
 "Hoots ava, Mistressl" cried the Jeal- ous crowd; Eye are aye I the mune, Mistress Elfiie!''
 But the Inspector had taken to Mistress Ellie at first sight. Here was a woman of restrained statement, who haa act ually seen-the murdere, and could tell about him with details.
 Yes, he had gone on in a hurry-she thought towards the granite quarries There had been a tugboat hanging off and on for several days. Her man work ed at Sir James's-Cassencarie, she meant and a grand maister he was. MT. Ellie had seen it from the pier, and was of opinion that 1t was waiting to pick up a mucl1le copper ore brig. But this young man had got off the Spanish boat-had been at the hotel a couple of days-a very decent young lad-before the dark foreigner had gone on board the tug-l
 But already the Inspector had had enough of Mrs. Ellie.
 Can you run me a1ong?" he demand ed of Vic Morris "I want to see the place where they must have taken him up"
 Then as Vic was getting ready to obey this second call of the law in the person of the man he had lately assaulted, Mis- tress Ellie cried out, 'Yonders cor Wheelum-ye had better talk him wi ye in your fuff-machine.' He kens a aboot it. For he handed in the bonny fur coatie after the young gentleman Aye, an he gied him a the coppers he had-sayin' that he wad hae nae farther use for them aye, kimmers, and there was a sovereign amang them! Ma, ma, Mistress NcNae- Wheelums nane gaun to gie it back. Geein's geein'i And gettin's keepin'!"
 The Inspector intimated that if Wheelum would only guide them to the spot, nothing would be said about so small a matter as an English sovereign.
 Wheelum being pushed by his wife into one big Mercedes, without rightly under standing the why and the wherefore of the business-repeated over and over- 'tAs decent and saft-spoken a young man"
 Hold your tongue" said the Inspector: {: show us the spot where they took him on boardl'
 Stop noo, them" cried Wheelum to Vic on the driving seat. They slowed and stopped before long, rough stone pier. about which the muddy water of an estu- ary was bubbling and swirling. Across the road and under the brow of a hill, comfortable among thick trees, stood a large white house with a corner tower.
 That's the exact spot where the boat was waitin, there to the left" said Welllum; three men in her, and aye and angry they were at being keepit sac lang. But he had that in his pooch that wad quiet them, I'll wager. l saw the man at the bow oat bite on something before ever he wet his blade r the water. Aye, I bit on mine, too. It was good. He was a fine young man, though furreneer."
 Let me see the coin. said the In- spector unguardedly.
 I'm rale vexed, but it's spent" said Weelum Ellie (whose full name in bap- tism was Elphinstone). But dinna mind in what shop! I got 19 and Il hcange. Here's the changer'
 The search for the slayer of the slain was ended.
 That same afternoon Vic Morris, hay ing, as he said, ''tinkered her to rights put them through all the long way to Kirktown, hearing from Phil. as he sat beside him, the astonishing news of the overturn in the fortunes of the greatest men in that village.
 Vic Morris listened, his eyes on the va rious ''bags of tricks with which the Mercedes was abundantly supplied. These interested intensely one part of his brain. But he was quite wideawake ot every work Phil was saying. He made com ments too.
 'eTook him down to her room, did she7 And has tended him good ever sincel I call that-well, don't know what to call It. I hope I shall think of word be- fore I see herb
 Again this was what Vic Morris said, | when dle was told of the present position of mining affairs at Portogarten Cove. | Your hole paying its way already!- l Old Carron seam-Well, I'll favor you l with a call and look over. I may put
 
 l 'opening-up' experience lately. Spain is l the country for thatl But first and fore- most I must call and pay my respects to 1 Vida"
 l He took the Christian name on his tongue much too trippingly to please l Phil. So much so that the kindness of 1 the previous offer was lost upon him. He l growled out rejoinder, which was l equally thrown away on the forceful en- ] gineer-used to living his own life and thinking his own thoughts. 1 "She is much occupied with her father with MI. Romer" said Phil If you come up to the mine first, shall be happy to 1 go down with youl"
 | Gently old lady, (vic was speaking tc ! the Mercedes. booming too closely round l a curse). 'No, Phil, will drop in or Vida all by my little self. And don't you say word. Itrust you. I'm going to take this round to Kahn's old place and find shed to sleep In somewhere Pve only bag along want my sur l prise party to begin tomorrow. Not be- | fore"
 1 All this alarmed Phil-needlessly, oi course. But, then., of all Kirktown, only | certain minister's daughter, with a cer
 tain quite unusual color of eyes. was T the secret of MT. Lldovic Morris recen
 private correspondence. But Phil was no
 going to let Vic give himself cold if h, could help 1t. After all he was his olt
 chief. the first man who had given hin
 start. And if he went to see Vids
 alone-well, 1t would be a poor love pros
 pect if he could not trust Vida. Stil
 he felt distinctly uncomfortable-till h.
 had arranged with Grinding that tn,
 Mercedes should be stalled at his plac, l, for tI7a aiar