Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-14
TTIEMIDDLETEMPLElNURDE
n A Detective Story by J. S. Fletcher

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little, "young gentleman, where did
you get that?"
"You know what it is then?" asked
Spargo, willing to daily little with
the matter. "You recognize it?,"
claimed Mr.. Quarterpage. "1es, and
so does every gentleman present.
"And it is Just because see you are
stranger to this town that ask you
where you got it, Not, I think, young
gentleman, in this town. -
NO" replied Spargo. Certainly
not in this town. How should l get 1t
in this town if I'm stranger
"Quite true, quite true !" murmured
Mr.. Quarterpage. II cannot conceive
how any person in the town who is in
possession Of one of those-what shall
we call them--heirlooms ?--yes. heir
looms of antiquity, could possibly be
base enough to part with it. Therefore,
| ask again-Where did you get that,
young gentleman" :,
Before l tell you that" answered
Spargo. who, in answer to silent sign
from the fat man had drawn chair
among them, perhaps you will tell me
exactly what this is? i see it to be
bit of old polished. much worn silver,
having on the diverse the arms or
heraldic bearings Of somebody or some
thing; on the reverse the figure of a
running horse. But--what is it?'
The five old men all glanced at each
other and made simultaneous grunts.
Then Mr.. Quarterpage spoke.
ut is one of the original fifty burgess
tickets of Market NIilcaster, young sir.
which gave its holder special and greatly
valued privileges in respect to attend
ance at our once famous race meeting.
now unfortunately thing of the past,
he added "Fifty-aye, forty wears
ago. to be in possession of one of those
tickets was-was---
"a grand thing" said one Of the
old gentlemen.
"Mr Lummis is right said Mr..
Quarterpage. ''It was a grand thing--a
very grand thing. Those tickets, sir,
were treasured-are treasured. And yet
you, stranger, show us one You got
it, sir"
Spargo saw that it was now necessary
to cut matters short.
II found this ticket-under mys
terious circumstances-in London he
answered. "I want to trace it. l want
to know who its original owner was.
That is why l have come to Market
Milcaster.'
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the circle of faces.
Wonderful - he said. Wonderful !.
He found this ticket-one of the fa-
nous fifty-in London. and under mys-
| terious circumstances. He wants to trace
| 1.-THE wants to know to whom it be-
/ longed That is why he has come to
Market Milcaster. Most extraordinary
Gentlemen, / appeal to you if this is
not the most extraordinary event that
has happened in Market Milcaster for
l don't know how many years"
There was a general murmur of as
sent, and Spargo found everybody look
ing at him as if he had just announced
that he had come to buy the whole
town.
"But--why?" he asked. showing
great surprise. "Why?"
"Why?' exclaimed Mr.. Quarter
page. why? He asks-why? Because,
young gentleman. it is. the greatest sur
prise to me, and to these friends of
mine, too, every man jack of 'em. to
hear that any one of our fifty tickets
ever passed out of the possession of any
of the fifty families to whom they be
longed And unless / am vastly. greatly
most uneXplainably mistaken, young sir
YOU are not member of any Market
Milcaster family"
1
And he was going to add that until
the previous evening he had never even
heard of Market Milcaster, but he
wisely refrained. mo, I'm certainly
not he added.
Mr.. Quarterpage waved his long
pipe: ~
if the evening We're not drawing to a
close-it is already within few min :
utes of our departure, young gentle
mani believe, l say, that if l had
time, l could, from memory, give the
names of the fifty families who held
those tickets when the race meeting
came to an end. l believe / could !"
I'm sure you could!" asserted the
little man in the loud suit. ''Never was
such a memory as yours, never "
Especially for anything relating to
the old racing Matters said the fat
man. "Mr. ,Quarterpage is a walking
encyclopedia.
"My memory is good" said Mr..
ing 1 have in my declining years. Yes,
I am sure l could do that, with lit
tie thought And what's more, nearly
every one of those fifty families is still
in the town, or if not in the town,
close by it, or if not close by it, I
know where they are. Therefore, l
cannot make out how this young gen
teman-from London, did you say,
sir?n
From London" answered Spargo.
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