The Argosy — page 213: what you’re looking at

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

196 A Mystery. the whole of the voyage and in first-rate spirits—a very nice young fellow altogether. ‘The Idalia brought him home, all taut and safe, take our word for that, sir; and he went ashore with the rest, and his luggage also: of which he had but little; just a big case and the small one that was in his cabin.” All this was certain. But from the hour Brook stepped ashore, we were unable to trace anything certain about him. The hotels could not single him out in memory from other temporary sojourners. I think it was by no means a usual occurrence in those days for passing guests to give in their names. Anyway, we found no record of Brook’s. ‘The railway porters remembered no more of him than the hotels—and it was hardly likely they would. Captain Tanerton—to give Jack his title—was indefatigable; winding himself in and out of all kinds of places like a detective eel. In some marvellous way he got to learn that a gentleman whose appearance tallied with Brook’s had bought some tan-coloured kid gloves and also a white comforter in a shop in Bold Street on the morning of the r9th of October. Jack took us there that we might question the people, especially the young woman who served him. She said that, while choosing the gloves, he observed that he had just come off a sea voyage and found the weather here very chilly. He wore a lightish great-coat, a sort of slate or grey. She was setting out the window when he came in, and had to leave it to serve him ; it was barely eight o’clock, and she remarked to him that he was shopping betimes; he replied yes, for he was going off directly by train. He bought two pair of the gloves, putting one pair of them on in the shop; he next bought a warm knitted woollen scarf, white, and put on that. She was quite certain it was the rgth of October, and told us why she could not be mistaken. And that was the last trace we could get of Brook in Liverpool. Well, well; it is of no use to linger. We went away from Liver- pool, the Squire and I, no better off than we were when we entered it. That William Brook had arrived safely by the Idalia, and that he had landed safely, appeared to be a fact indisputable: but after that time he seemed to have vanished into air. Unless, mark you, it was he who had come on to Worcester. The most concerned of all at our ill-luck was Mr. St. George. He had treated the matter lightly when thinking Brook was but lingering over the seas; now that it was proved he returned by the Idalia, the case was different. | ‘‘T don’t like it at all,” he said to the Squire frankly. ‘ People may begin to think it was really Brook I had with me that night, and ask me what I did with him.” ‘What could you have done with him ?” dissented the Squire. ‘Not much—that I see. I couldn’t pack him up in a parcel to be sent back over seas, and I couldn’t bury him here. I wish with all my heart it had been Brook! Tl not leave a stone unturned Eomichookssco