Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1905-01-07 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

TLIMANT T. MIL  "You are •forsaking your role of apigrammatiat," said 1, ,our the lower one of the ill-informed cynic." Drexel laughed. "If the editor of the San Fran. Examiner '—from which my knowledge a your upper Hundred and Twenty Thousand is drawn—were here. I daresay hed be able to give you a few points. What he doesn't know about your blue blood isn't worth knowing." ".And what he does know," said I, "is very likely of the same value." "Now, Sir Nigel," said Drexel, "you reustn't allow your failure to locate the thief to interfere with your notions of justice." "How do you know I have failed to 'locate the thief'?" said I, with as much pleasantness as I could get into my voice under such circumstances.  " Well, you've not arrested anybody, have you " Not yet," said I. "Do you bet, Sir Nigel" " Well, I generally have a sovereign or so on the Derby; beyond that, never." "Will you fix up a wager with me'?" "What sort of wager?'" " Well, now, I'll lay you " Don't be rash," said the Due. "You evidently don't know anytling about Fir Nigel Laeaita's reputation. Didn't your 'San Fran. Examiner ' tell you the story of—" 'Oh! I know all about that, and that's just why I want to fix up a wavr with him. I lay you all the jewels in the Drexel Dream that you don't find the thief inside a year." But I have nothing worthy to bet against such a—"  " That doesn't matter. I'll lay thosa jewels against nothing." . _  " Oh!-but I couldn't do that," said I, more than a little einbarraesed.  " Then you show you have no faith in yourself or your men." „ . . . _  "-Now that's'not fair," said I. My position was a curious one. I could hardly take such a ridiculous bet --one, moreover, which I felt morally certain I should win; and to refuse would look like having no confidence in niv own department. . _  "Fair" she answered. "Why, it's enite fair: Its a ease of hwde I don't win, tails I lone. Score up .one on my tally of epigrams, Sir Nigel." "Very well," said I. " Only—l hope to have my hand on the thief inside a week."  "Shake," said he. "You're a bold man to erly so much. Shake." In Trauslantic phraseology, we shook. "•Yon're a witness, Due," said Drexel. " a witness, sir," said the Dun.  We entered into some remeral converl-ation for a few minutes, and then, wiken I surmised that the men I had ordered from the Yard were in attendance, I took my leave, Willingale remaining behind to continue what I thought fruitless investigations. As a matter of fact I was right—his search was fruitless. I had better luck—for hick one must call events that happen opportunely. And for the purposes of tile discovery of the Drexel Dream, nothing could have happened more opportunely (I must use that word, & C ).minabl y callous tbOUßth it may sound) than the murder, the seemingly senseless murder of ffoulkes-Abney, the poor old Beau.  The Beau was emch an inoffensive old fellow, SO inoffensive, so retiring—" he is as apologetic as a little white rabbit." said Drake once, not unkindly—that all the London that knew him was moved With horror when the news spread. What had such a gy..ist. peaceful man done to deserve o terrible an end? And who had done the ghastly deefl? Being the head of a great detective force, 1 was naturally almost the last to hear of the tragedy. It was not until I got back to the Yard that I had the facts from Lascelles, the clever young uispector whom you MUT reme,r_ber BA having taken part in the case of "the Majesty's Peacock." Here are the facta. ffoulkes-Ahney had been met at Victoria by his man, Parkinson, and togather they had driven straight to tin Albany where the Bean had hia modest Chambers, Lie breakfasted, net very heartily, as soon as he arrived, and Una Is Ilaring he would rest for an hour sr tra, Iny ()owe in his dresng-r:own on sofa swung to the front el the bra.