Evening star., 1918-02-17
THE CASE OF PAUL. BECK RULE OF Thumb DETECTIVE

ure leap. sheer from the drawing room
window of tho doctors house. light in
the street. good eighteen feet below.
and whisk like cat round the corner.
limped q little as he ran.
The officer followed In quick pursuit.
but as he passed under the open draw
ing room window he almost fell over a
from above. When he looked again the
figure had vanished. and pursuit in the
dead darkness OF the night was i'm
possible.
A mop1ent later fse heard the doctors
voice call him from the open window.
burglary. constable" said the doctor,
"or rather, I should say. attempted bur
g1ary. was just in time to spoil the
game
May have a look round, sir?"
The doctor led the way to his study
on the drawing room floor. The flick
ering candle in his hand showed a scene
Of the widest confusion.
The heavy door which led from the
study to the doctors bedroom had been
burst sheer from its strong hinges on
one side and its strong lock on the
down tables and chairs as it fell. The
window was open, and the night air
came in coldly. making the lights
flicker. Through the central pane Of
the upper panel were three round holes
close together like the leaves of a
shamrock, clean drilled by revolver bull
let's
In the corner of the room farthest
from the window a neat set Of burgfars'
Instruments scattered beside small,
which very satisfactory progress had
been made. sufficiently indicated the
trade and calling Of the midnight WIS.,
itor
Would you mind telling me briefy what
happened?- said the constable. his ready
notebook out.
MOT in the least. though there is really
very little to tell beyond what you see. L
and was fast asleep, when l was awak-
ened by the faintest scraping sound. like
the scratches of a mouse in the next room
No other man would have minded it in
the least. but hate mice: j cannot sleep
if hear the sound OF one; 50 1 got up
quietly. pulled on my trousers. lighted my
candle at the gas jet I always keep
burning and turned the handle of the door
softly in the hope of catching and killing
the thing. The door was locked on the
outside This startled me. never lock
the door inside or outside. j listened
again The same scTtchy sound went on
steshly-too steadily, as thought for a
mouse. picked up my revo}verI al
WSays have one handy-put my shoulder
see-and sent the whole thing flying into
the other room Unlucdly, the rush Of
air blew out my candle. and the other
chap had the gunption to blow out his
just saw-or thought l saw-a patch Of
blackness making for the window, and I
let drive three shots at it, and missed all
three, it seems
enoed officer. was hot on the scent, he
thought, and before an hour was over
had arrested Bill Pluck in his squalid
retreat in Heavenly lane on charge of
attempted burglary
He took the thing quite coolly.
The constable had his prize down in
court early the next morning and was
hah way through his evidence when DIR.
Coleman appeared
The magistrate seemed much impressed
by the evidence. 1t appeared inevitable
that the prisoner would be either re-
manded or forthwith committed for trial.
constable He told the story much as the
constable told it But there seemed q
curious, almost imperceptible, leaning in
favor of the prisoner in his evidence
He was sure he did not hit the bur-
glar with any of the three revolver
shots, or even Craze him.
But 1 saw him jump from the win
dow" broke in the constable. and he
man is lame. How do you account for
that doctor?
Il have been lame myself for some
time" .retorted the doctor sharply.
not quite recovered. But that is no
proof, I trust, that I am burglar.
Besides. the doctor went on. Il
think this man was always lame
rs that SO, Constable Brunkerc"
This from the magistrate.
The constable was puzzled. 1t came
to him suddenly that the man did al
ways walk with slouch and some
thing of a limp. He had quite a new
he did not know how he could explain
that to the court.
That will do. constabIe,~ interrupt
ed his worship. "I think you have been
a little hasty in this business. The
prisoner is discharged. Thank you, DR..
Coleman. and good day
Once again things quieted down to a
dull routine. when there was a third
sensation-the last.
ity. If his own handhills were to be
trusted. everybody must have heard of
Signor Montifero. Still it may be
worth while to quote briefly from that
interesting document by way of intro
duction of it's author. described in big
type therein.
.'Sisnor Prof. Montifero. it appeared.
was the famous disciple of Mesmer.
the professor of hypnotism, who had
explored the borderlands of life and
penetrated their most mysterious
arcana-"
Bfn Pluck attached himself to Sig
nor Mnndfero from the moment OF his
arrival This was surprising, as the
signor was not particularly free with
drink or money. But the mesmerist
seemed to have strange fascination
for the 1oafer. and the 1oafer. with his
local knowledge, made himself useful
to the mesmerist Bill Pluck posted