Lower coast gazette., 1910-12-31

v.v William street. London
within sound of Bow
Bells and a stones
throw from the Man
| sion House. The Ole
|@ 4: =: j: !: !: :: : :: 3: !: !: !: !: !: !: !: !: !: !:
M& Lady of Threadneedle
f&@A$# street" and the Roya
NyOHE Exchange, amid the roar
NK(NN and hustle of the ole
MECyD clty--this modern tale
E-4 OF queer doings on the
TS%N3H9 high seas.
EN9EN23 Upon the entire sec
EES%MW Cnd floor of a newist
building were located
~e main Offices of Bulliyants Lin,
ited-a firm or organization. evolved
'hsousn the exigencies of con.
temporary men and manners. And
JET Buiiiyants dealt with the ever.old
prlmeVal passions of human weakness
-~inisiortune, cupidity, envy, hatred,
malice and all Observation-Disclosures.
before we reach the matter in hand,
Ast US stroll through Bullivants' offices.
RAISING the plain-lettered glass door,
we enter first the outer bailey, where
. primly-coiffed young lady takes our
names and inquiries coldly If we have
an appointment. Passing this female
Cerberus, we attain by successive de-
grees, like pilgrims bound from Purga.
Tory to Paradise. the sanctum of the
registrar, the secretary, and the man.
ager, until. possessing the magic
open Sesame Of a Case" we reach
the holy of holes presided over by
Builivant himself-or some one who
represents the firm name.
Everything speaks of quiet, orderli-
ness, system and power. Somehow
you feel that these people will help
o where everyone else has failed
which is really their raison d'etre, for
Bulllyants Limited is really a haven of
Eoriorn hopes. There is no ~cOnceiy-
able mystery which they will not at.
tempt to unravel. Their integrity is
nnimpeached and unimpeachable.
Once they took hold of your case
you m1ght rest assured 1t was not
hopeless, which was the chief reason
why Philip Forster, Esq, of the Inner
Temple. had requested a consultation
on behalf Of his client, Lady Laura
Melwood, relict Of the late Sir Charles
Melwood of Barton Melwood, Suffolk,
whose only son, Arthur Melwood, heir
to the b%aronetcy, had been missing for
tie last five years, despite scores of
appealing advertisements and the best
efforts of the smartest detectives.
The only Sol of a widowed mother, |
SArthT Melwood was in great demand
II alive; II dead, satisfactory proof Of
his demise must be obtained ere the |
estates could pass to his cousin: the
law allowed but one year more of time
for proof one way or the other. hence
buliiVants was indeed a forlorn hope. |
Forster and his client speedily pene.
trated the various offices until they
game to the den Of the chief inuuis.
tor. Darrell Callister.
Yours is the case Of a missing
heir, Mr.. Forster" said Callister, con.
sulting the card index on his desk, |
after the necessary i%ntroductions. |
Eyes. Let me have the bare facts.
please, briefly and concisely."
Thus adjured, Solicitor Forster pre-.
sented his oral brief, as follows:
Five years ago Mr.. Arthur Mel.
wood sailed from the port of London
Is passenger on the trading brig CALI.
epe. bound for South American ports.
The young man was Of a rowing dispo-
sition and left home with the full per-
mission of his parents, although some.
what to their regret. He has never !
been heard Of, dead or alive.
Three years after he sailed, his
father. the late Sir Charles, died, leay.
Ing his sen heir to the barony, one of
the Oldest IN England. The estates are
"sGay entaileG In the male line, and
t~aitsesNa direct heir must descend to
o cousin. ;
Eight months after sailing, the Cal.
Hope was sighted by the steam col.
lier Seahorse abandoned in the South
Atlantic with all sail set and appar.
emily uniniured allow or aloft. A boats
crew from the whaler boarded the
brig. and found her totally deserted.
She had left port with a crew of ten
men, besides captain, mate and the
captains wife and child. Not a rome
yarn was started; there were no signs
OF struggle or bloodshed, the quarters
ann clothing of the crew and the cap-
tain's cabin were in apple-pie order;
In the latter were the ships papers,
some money, apparel and a sewing
machine, on the latter a spool of
thread, just as it had been left, prov.
ing that no rough weather had been
encountered since the abandonment.
NOT a boat was missing from the day.
ss~ hence all hands must have been
taken of by a passing ship, even If
II were conceivable that they had
abandoned a perfectly sound and sea.
worthy ship-somethilg unimaginable.
The only thing out of the way was q
line trailing over the stern which had
been severed by a knife cut.
The Calliope was)towed into Port
Stanley, in the Fsiklands, the nearest
British port, >sid there sold after the
salvage claims were satisfied. Two
years tater she foundered with all
hands OF a new crew off the Horn
But of the original crew that left Lon.
don nothing has ever been heard or