The Weekly Journal. — 1903-11-27 (Hartlepool, Cleveland, England)

CHAPTER VI. MR GORDY MAKES FURTHER DISCOVERIES.  When Mr Gorby left Possum Villa no doubt remained in his mind as to who bad committed the murder. The gentleman in the light coat bad threatened to murder Whyte, even in the open street—these last words being especially sigbilicant—and there was no doubt that he had carried out his threat. The committal of the crime was merely the fulfillment of the words uttered in anger. What the detective had now to do was to hull out who the gentleman in the light coat was, where he lived, and, that done, to ascertain his doings on the night of the murder. Mrs liableton had described him, but was ignorant ot his name, and her very vague desiziption might apply to dozens of young msn in Melbourne. There was only one person who, in Mr Gurby's opinion, could tell the name of the gentleman in the light coat, and that waa Moreland, the intimate friend of the dead man. They appeared from the landlady's description to have been so friendly that it was more than likely that Whyte would have told Moreland all about his angry visitor. Besides, Moreland's knowledge of his dead friend's life and habits might be able to supply information on two points, namely, who was the most likely to gain by Whyte'a death, and who the heiress was that the deceaaed boasted he would marry. But the fact that Moreland should be ignorant of his friend's tragic death, notwithstanding that the papers were full of it, and that the reward gave an excellent deo. cription of his personal appearance, greatly puzzled Corby. The only way in which to account for Moreland's extraordinary silence was that be was out of town, and had neither wen the papers nor heard anyone talking about the murder. If this were the ease be might either stay away for an indefinite time or return after a few days. At all events it was worth while going down to St. Hilda in the evening on the chance that Moreland might have returned to town, and would call to see his friend. So, after his tea, Mr Gorby put on his hat and went down to Possum Villa, on what he could not help acknowledging to himself was a very s lcnde r possibility. Mrs Hableton opened the door for him, and in silence led the way, not into her own sittieg-room. but into a much more luxuriously lurnished apartment, which Gorby guessed at ('Be was that of Whyte. Ile looked keenly round the room, and hia estimate of the dead man's character was formed at once. l'a,t," he said to himself, "and • spend'lulu. .1 man who would have his friends. and ia.,sibly his enemies, among a very shady lot of people." What led Mr Clorby to this belief was the evulence which surrounded him of Whyte's n:ode of life. The room was well furnished, 1• • iiirniture being covered with dark red velTT while the curtains at the windows and ti,•• ...arpet were all of the same somewhat  • 50..) I.re hue. did the thing properly," observed Mrs llahicton, with a satisfactory smile on her hard t.,.c. " When you wants young men to stop sit!, yon, the rooms must be well furnished. an Mr Whyte paid well, tho' e was rather pertickler about is food, which I'm only a plain cook, an' can't make them French things Inch spile the stomach." The globes of the gas lamps were of a pale pink colour, and Mrs Hableton having lit the gas in expectation of Mr Gorby'a arrival there was a soft, roseate hue through the room. Mr Gorby put his hands in his capacious pockets and strolled leisurely through the room, examining everything with a curious eye. The *4llB ware wonted with radius, a iwlebratait  Sy