New Britain herald., 1925-03-31

Now, what does this mean?" he stood up and faced the detective. T had your message in Downing street and hastened here at once. You have found the letter written by Sir Dudley Glenister to his cousin?"
 Not the original, sir" replied Wragge. "As I told you, that was hopeless from the first. But I have got a man who took a press copy of it, which he will produce, and in the meanwhile he has informed me of the contents"
 (Which were?" snapped the cabi- net minister.
 sir Dudley made an appoint ment with MT. George to meet him at Beechwood on the 7th of June two years ago, the inducement be- ing that Dudley would put up the money to run a gold mine which George had discovered near Lone Wolf City in Montana
 MT. Colne looked hard at the in- spector.
 This is genuine, Wragge?" he said after a pause. You didn't have to write the letter yourself to save your bacon"
 "Sir!" reioined the Scotland Yard officer, and there was a world of virtuous protest in his tone.
 Then I fail to sec the urgency which caused you to drag me from my public duties in London" said Mir. Colne haughtily. Why don't you go and arrest your man? The case is complete"
 Wragge dropped his eyes under the rebuke and raised them again at the grudging compliment.
 T am sorry to have disturbed you, sir, but in the chief commits sioner's opinion the case is not quite ripe for an arrest" he replied suavely. I have been in communi- cation with Sir Donald at the Yard this afternoon. It is a question of the date the 7th of June two years ago. We shall have to prove that Sir Dudley Glenister was at the Grange on that day and was therefore in a position to have killed his cousin if the latter kept the appointment made in the letter. AS a neighbor and friend of the Glenister family we thought that you might be able to help us - if you were spending the weekend covering that date at the Towers. It was Sir Donald who made the suggestion"
 The Right Honorable stephen Colne was very angry now.
 sir Donald is an idiot" he blus- tered. And you, too, Wragge, for acting on such folly. How can re- member where l was on a certain day more than two years ago?"
 "Of course you couldn't sir" re- piled Wragge humbly. But your secretaries or someone might have a record"
 MT. Colnes wrath was blazing to white heat, for nearly a minute rem dering him speeches..
 What would that avail?" he hectored. Tt IS Sir DudleJ' filenister you have to pin down TOT that date - not me. Supposing I was at the Towers on the 7th of June that year it wouldn't be evidence against him unless I had seen him, and l cannot recall that, The chances are that I was not here that weekend"
 Quite so, sir" said Wragge soothingly. "I expect the chief com missioner only suggested asking you as a sort of forlorn hope"
 Mir. Colne spluttered and mutter- ed, but seemed to be partly paci- i fled by the reply.
 1 II can see that I shall have to teach you your business, he laugh ed. Why don't you ask Miss kath- Ieen Glenister? She was living at the Grange then. She didn't clear out till over a year later, when the present upstart took possession"
 It was Wragge's turn to laugh but there was no good humor in his effort. It rasped like a rusty