Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 59: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE PASSING OF For some reason—possibly by the action of unconscious cerebration, though he set slight store on such occult workings of the mind—Winter was obviously disturbed by the doctor’s news. He reviewed the inci- dent in silence for some seconds. “That fellow has the nerve of the born crook,’ he said vexedly at last. “Of course, he will end in jail, and I am be- ginning to believe now that I should have sent him there to-night. I imagine he is not going all the way to London, but making for the nearest town where there is an all-night telephone service.” “That means Derby or Nottingham, to the south,” said Macgregor. Then Winter sent the policeman, who struck him as intelligent, to interview the local telephone operator. ‘J don’t want the embargo taken off the castle line for some hours yet,” he ex- plained, “‘so ask the Sleaford Exchange to oblige Scotland Yard by circulating a re- quest that if a call is put in for Mr. Sevas- topolo at the Park Lane Hotel from any town in the Midlands during the night, the operator who takes it -will note all par- ticulars, and listen in if possible, reporting back here without delay. It should not be difficult, because the trunk line night ser- vice is confined to so few routes. Give the number of the Park Lane Hotel. Jot it down in your notebook. ‘“‘ When that stop has been arranged, you personally must ring up Victoria 7000 and ask for Detective Inspector Sheldon. Tell him I'll call later, but meanwhile he is to get in touch with Mr. Furneaux, who ought to drop everything and come out here by the first train to-morrow. Sheldon and he will arrange about other matters in London. Yes, write the exact words of the message. Afterward you can explain in your own way just what has happened here. I make no res- ervations. Answer Mr. Sheldon’s questions fully if you can. In the unlikely event of his being out, speak to the man on duty -as though Mr. Sheldon himself were lis- tening.”’ “Am I to mention—” “Vou are free to talk yourself dry,” broke in Winter, ‘‘ so long as you don’t go one inch beyond your actual knowledge. 1 CHARLES LANSON. 849 shall look for you here in about forty min- utes.”’ The constable saluted and went out, feeling rather proud at being chosen for what he felt was an important mission. He was an excellent policeman, of the stolid British variety which crowns thirty years of good service with a sergeant’s pension, yet that night he became a quite solid prop of the British Empire. Having carried out his instructions to the letter, he found he still had nearly a quarter of an hour at his disposal, so made no scruple about knock-~ ing up the local garage proprietor. Naturally the man growled at being dis- turbed by the police over so simple a matter, but told what he knew. It was to the effect that the gentleman from the Crown Hotel offered top rates for a reliable car to take him speedily to Birmingham. He and another gentleman might return to Sleaford early in the morning. car would come back empty. “ Nothing to make a song about in that, is there?” he concluded wrathfully. “You never can tell,” said the law. “Well, the same gentleman went to Sheffield this morning. I took him there myself.” “Did he now? What was he after there?” ‘Not much. Called at a couple of big shops, a jeweler’s, and an ironmonger’s, and came home after luncheon.” ‘“ Made the round quite openly?” “Well, not exactly that. I drove him to the jeweler’s, and he asked me to wait at the King’s Head Hotel. I looked in on a friend in High Street, and happened to see Mr. Denasch coming out of the iron- monger’s.” “Oh, he told you his name?” “No. I inquired at the Crown bar this evening.” Winter heard these trivial things with marked interest and approval. In fact, when Birmingham reported an hour later that some one staying in the Queen’s Hotel had rung up Mr. Sevastopolo at 2.30 A.M., and that the latter, after a brief conversa- tion in a foreign language, had agreed in English to join the caller by the train leaving London at 6.45 A.M., Winter was so Ccomicbooks If not, the ©