San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-18

Without waiting to receive Mr.. Abra-
hams's farewell, the Inspector rang off and
returned to Mitchell, muttering to himself,
''lf it were he, and he lost his eye there,
he's had new one fitted between our
seeing him at Marks's shop and his visit
to 'Abrahams yesterday. Well, Mitchell,
go on" he said as he sat down again.
"Give me the facts"
at could scarcely be called a missing
case" said Mitchell. "The old gentleman
in question has only been missing, as his
daughter calls it, one night-last night"
Whats she uneasy for, them" asked
the Inspector.
Because it's the very first night he's
ever been away from his home," replied
Mitchell. Briefly, it's this: Miss Cath
crime Berridge, of 81, Dermiston Road,
Highbury, reported that she was uneasy
about her father, Anthony Berridge, who,
for the first time in her recollection,
failed to return home last night, and of
whose whereabouts she knows nothing.
AS he is very old man-probably over
eighty years of age-and of such regular
habits, she is afraid something may have
happened to him. She describes him as
thin and STOPPING, clean-shaven, as having
lost most of his teeth and the left eye,
in which he wears an artificial substitute,
and as wearing a somewhat worn suit of
black and an old-fashioned tall hat and
black stock"
Inspector Dwayne listened to this at
tentively. He rubbed his chin, consider
ing matters.
"a wonder if he was at Marks's shop
last night?" he said.
mo, he wasn't" answered Mitchell 81
made sure of that. And I've been there
to-day"
The Inspector thought matters over
little more. Then he started into action.
again and locked up his desk-a sure sign,
as Mitchell knew, that he meant to have
a hard evenings work outside.
"Come along, MITCHELL" said Inspector
Dwayne. "We1l go and see this Miss
Berridge. And after that-but let's get
that done with first"
During the journey to Highbury the
Inspector remained very thoughtful and
scarcely broke the silence which had fallen
upon him as soon as he left his office.
He was reflecting upon the strange events
of the past twenty-four hours and en-
deavoring to hit upon a theory which
could reconcile and piece together certain
patent facts. He was in maze, he knew,
but he also knew that all that he required
was one moments inspiration or illumina-
ton, one moments lifting up, so that he
could see from above instead of from be-
low, to make things clear to him. At
present there seemed little doubt that the
old man, whom he knew as Grandfather
Punctuality, an eccentric collector of curl
osities, and who might turn out to be
Anthony Berridge in real life, was, in
some way or other, connected with all the
mystery which surrounded Marcus Bar
tenstein's murder.
On arriving at Dermiston Road, which
lay in the district sandwiched between
Highbury Barn and Highbury Park, In
spector Dwaync was some what surprised
to find it thoroughfare of what agents
usually term highly desirable residences
that is to say, the houses were of some
pretensions, with small gardens in front,
porticoed doors reached by at least six
steps, and four stories of evidently lofty
and capacious rooms. They were, in fact,
Just the sort of mansions in miniature in
which the well-to-do tradesmen, the solc-
tor with a nice practice, the well-estab-
lished doctor, and the man retired from
business loves to dwell, and in Inspector
Dwaync's opinion they did not exactly
fit in with what he had seen of Grand
father Punctuality.
Doesn't seem very likely the old man
would live in a street like this, MITCHELL"
he said, voicing his thoughts. "These
houses'll let for not a penny less than
eighty-five to a hundred year.
Gust so, sir" agreed Mitchell. "But
them" he added, with a philosophic shake
of his head, "you never can tell in these
cases-the old man might be as rich as
what-d'ye-call him! There's no knowing.
Here's the house anyway, Inspector"
Outwardly, at any rate, No. 81 looked
just as genteel, solid and respectable as its
neighbors. The garden was ornamented
by statue of Ceres enthroncd on a ped
estal the window-blinds and curtains were
unimpeachable; the steps were stainless,
and the brasswork of the front door was
so highly polished that it shone like burn
ishcd gold. Inspector Dwayne was more
than ever convinced that they had come
on a fruitless errand, and he rang the bell
in a dOleful manner, which became more
doleful when a smart maid-servant an
swered the summons Somehow she did not
seem to fit in with Grandfather Punctu-
atty, rank tobacco, and Mr.. Marks's
spirit bottle.
The maid conducted them into a room
on the left of the hall-a solidly fur
nished, middle Victorian sort of apart
ment, which appeared to be a dning-ro
such as highly respectable people favor.
They had not been a minute in this be-
fore a lady hurriedly entered II was