The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-25

"I've heard that, but I wanted u .e for myself"
 'It would take one man a week to dig over the garden. No one knows that better than you.''
 q was going to try just near the pea. tree. I count that's a likely place."
 "And did you dig there?"
 "No. Didn't I tell you there was lights in the house when I got there?"
 "A likely story" sneered the detective. "You went there to dig in the garden, al- though you knew it had been turned over you, and you didn't turn over as much as a single clod. But you came away with a bullet wound in your arm from 3 house in which the murdered body of the owner was subsequently, found."
 Dull as Tom was, he seemed to realize that the detective had the gift of making things as appear as black as they could be-
 "I've told you the truth" he said ob. stinately.
 "And I don't believe a word of your story" said Detective Gillett.
 
 CHAPTER 8.
 Crewe spent two days in making investi- gations at Cliff Farm and at Ashlingsea He went over the farm very carefully in search of any trace of disturbed ground which might indicate where old James Lums den had buried the money he had obtained from the sale of his investments. But he found nothing to support the theory that the money had been buried in the fields.
 There were, of course, innumerable places where few bags of money might be hid den, especially along the brook which rar through the farm, but though Crewe searched along both banks of the brook as we'll as in the open fields, he found nc trace of disturbed ground. The garden he ascertained, had been thoroughly searched under the direction of Frank Lumsden.
 Crewe realized that searching for the money without the assistance of the mys terious plan which Marsland had seen or the staircase was almost hopeless, and he was, not affected by his failure.
 His inquiries at Aslingsea concerned the character and habits of the grandfathe, and the murdered ma:; In the course of his inquiries abo-t the grandson he went up to London and called on the former em. ployers of Frank Lumsden, and the firm of Messrs. Tittering & Hemmings, wholesale leather merchants, gave Frank an excellent character. He had been a sober, industri. ous and conscientious clerk, and they were greatly shocked Ut the fate that had befal- len him. They could throw no light on the murder, for they knew of no one who had any enmity against Frank. Inquiries were also made by Crewe at the headquar- ters of the London Eifle Brigade, in which the young man had enlisted. His military record was good, anu threw no light on his tragic death.
 Crewe returned to Staveley to continue his work on the case. Sir George Granville in his anxiety to be helpful in solving the mystery, put forward many suggestions to his guest, but they were not of practical sort On points where Crewe did ask fol his hosts assistance, Sir George was unable to respond, in spite of his eagerness to play part in the detectives investigation. Flo, instance, Sir George was not able to give any information about the old boatmar whom Crewe and Marsland had seen at the landing place, at the foot of the cliffs, neal the scene of the tragedy.
 Sir George had often seen the man 1T scarlet cloak, and knew that he piled fol hire on the front, but he had never beer in the old mans boat, and did not know where he lived or anything about him be- yond the fact that he was called Pedro by the Staveley boatmen and was believed to be an Italian.