The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-07-12

hAOWfuk WHdt might happen
With this last EAalevolent shaft for
Lady Tressilian and, incidentally.
for the force to which / am proud to
belong, Mr.. Radford Shone bowed
himself out, alleging that the case
would absorb every minute Of the
day. After his departure / fingered
behind at a gesture from Lord Tres
silian.
you heard what Shone's view is"
said the old peer, cycling me askance.
Your meddling in this matter may
cost my 0 his life. Humanity de-
mands that you make no move until
shone has finished his task"
I had both of the parents againstme
Low; for Lady Trsssilian, frightened
by what Ehone had said about the
boys safety, Joined forces with her
\ husband, and besought me with tears
in her eyes to do nothing, that day,
atany rate. In way, the picture
which Shone had conjured up, had
good results, inasmuch as 1t effect
ually reconciled the elderly couple.
The old peer put his arm round his
wife. and together they faced me.
pleading as they believed, with a
! ruthless policeman. who wouldn't
: mind how many children were sac
riiced II he could only run Ralph
Weyland In.
So far was this from being the
case that | was touched by their
distress.
See here. my lord" / said, I'VE
OF the police do not accept outside
dictation. and there Is nothing but
: Shone's word for it that your neph-
ew has stolen your son. I shall take
up the case on such assumption and
shall 0 go neal Mr.. Ralph Wey-
land unless my clew leads to him and
then only after due precaution for
your sons safety. At present my
clew is as likely to lead me TO His
Majesty the King as to your nephew,
for all l know
You have found a clew already"
they both exclaimed to me.
What may be a clew." I replied.
And with your permission / should
wish to go and get to work upon 1t"
Lord Tressilian was as anxious
now as he had been reluctant that /
should take up the case. and CON
panied me to the door with an exag-
gerated courtesy, Intended to atone
for his initial rudeness. Cutting
short his protestations I asked him
rather cureiy how long Nurse Mel
vim had been In hts employ.
Two months or Whereabouts, was
the reply. But surely you don't
think that She"
Il don't think, and / never speak
till I know, my lord" I said, as /
nodded and ran down the steps into
the street.
Making my way to a public house
at the corner of the nearest news
| borrowed { directory and looked
Up the house opposite Lord Tressii-
ian's-the one from the window sill
If which the little girl Ella had 30
missed what she called "the thirsty
cat" There being no name opposite
the number In the directory ] con-
Guided that the horse was of the
class that are let furnished to tenn
porary tenants. which was so far in
favor Of the notion that had first pos
sessed me since my first visit to the
nursery. In less than half an hour
| had confirmed my surmise by call
Ing on several neighboring house
agents, the last of whom informed
me that he had recently let the house
No. 800 B, to a Captain Masterman.
The captain had taken the house for
two months. paying one months rent
In advance.
From the agents l went back TO
the police station, and selecting q
young constable Of guileless appear
ance, ordered him to put on plain
clothes and call at No. 800 B. Upper
Brook street, in the character of a
book canvasser. My instructions to
him were to get into conversation
with one or more of the servants
and learn what he could of the house
hold and antecedants of Captain Mas
but was back to the station in next
to no time. He had rung and knock
ed both ut the front and real doors
Of No. 500 B without meeting with
any response. So far as he could
Judge the house was ~unoceupied.
On receiving this report / changed
into plain cothes myself, and bidding
the young constable 10 accompany
me, set out for the house. Having
sought admission by the ordinary
methods / descended to the basement
and effected an entrance by slipping
back the catch of the kitchen win
dow. A glance told. me that
the house had been evacuated
hastily and that possession had not
been given up In the ordinary way to
the agent. No tenant would have
been so shameless as to leave the
place In such a chaos of unwashed
crockery, dirty saucepans and lit
tered floors.
Making our way upstairs we found
the reception room In scarcely bet
- MI A.-~.-1 - 49,