International., 1925-08-10

high road 1t 10 quiAa unrecogNizab0
and there IL aothing on u by which
it can be identified. but the second
finger Of the left hand is missing"
CHAPTER VI @
Detective-InspectOr Wragge
TINE Right Honorable Stephen
Il Colne was a bachelor. and when
staying at his country seat he
played second addle to the austere.
middIe.aged maiden sister whom he
had installed as chateIaine.
But though he gave his sister .
free hand ia the ordering Of his
household. there was one reservation
which she did not dare to transgress.
His study was an inner shrine which
even the grim spinster was forbidden
to invade without invitation.
1t was here that Mr.. Stephen Colne
was sitting on the. day after the in.
quest on the unidentified human re-
mains found in the chalk pit on Bare
Acre Down. He was impatiently
turning over some papers that had
reached him by the morning post.
but his glance strayed frequently to
one of the windows giving on the
drive. His pale intellectual face was
set rigidly. but a gleam came into
his tired eyes as his car rushed up
the avenue and stopped under the
Georgian portico.
The man who descended and ap'
preached the front door wore the
black garments and conventional
hard felt hat Of an Anglican clerSy-
man. A moment later Mr.. Colne's
butler announced him as "The
Reverend Mr.. Branson." though Mr..
Colne had quite another name for
the visitor when the butler had gone
his W avs.
well. Inspector Wragge." he
said, shaking hands with an air of
coniescension. ''the commissioners
made no difficulty about assigning
you 20 the case. presume?"
None whatever. sir" was the re-
ply
James Wragge was one OF the
most formidable detective officers at
tached to New Scotland Yard In
what likeness his Creator had fash
ioned him probably no living being
but his wife knew. so versatile were
his assumptions Of types and char
acters. 1t was popular belief at
THE Yard" that Jena Wragge wore
some sort of q Disguise In the pri-
vacy OF his room at headquarters.
Mr.. Colne allowed the latent dry.
mess in the inspectors reply to pass
I,unheeded.
Mr.. Wragge selected convenient
chair and sat dewn opposite his host
-'You will have gathered the sail.
ent features OF the case from the
| London papers," Mr.. Colne resumed.
There is no doubt in my mind Mat
| Sir Dudley Glenister faxed the evil
dence Of his cousin Georges death in
America. after inveigling him back
to England and killing him within a
| mile or two Of his home. That is
what you have set out to prove"
The inspector had produced a
memorandum book-a dainty thing
Of russia leather with gilt-edged
| leaves.
II have already laid a train. SIR
he said, glancing at a nearly blank
page. II have cabled the American
police to look up the death of the man
buried as George Glenister at Lone
Wolf City, Montana. and accepted by
our courts as establishing the pres
ent haronet's right Of succession.
only had an hour at my disposal be-
fore catching the train, but I ascer-
tanned that Sir Dudley was not out OF
England within year OF Sir. Philip
Glenister's death. If he procured the
taking Of the American evidence he
must therefore have employed dele
gate who proceeded to the spot. In a
few days / ought to be able to Lap
my hands on his emissary.''
Mr.. Stephen Colne nodded ap.
| prevail. "A judicious start" he said.
incidentally. Sir Dudley has or
dered all his guests but Doctor Mel.
vile to leave the Grange.
Inspector Wragge looked up sharp
ly @