The Argosy — page 221: what you’re looking at

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

204 A Mystery. going ‘farther afield,” possibly to California: he would write again from thence if he arrived without mishap. No other letter ever came from him. So whether the sea swallowed him up, as, according to his report, it had swallowed his rival, none could tell. But it would take better evidence than that, to convince us Wiliam Brook had not come home in the Idalia. And that is all Ihave to tell. I know you will deem it most un- satisfactory. Was it William Brook in the gig, or was it not? We found no trace of him after that stormy night: we have found none to this day. And, whether that was he, or was not he, what became of him? Questions never, as I believe, to be solved in this life. There was a peculiar absence of proof every way, as Ellin remarked ; nothing but doubt on all sides. Going over the matter with Darby- shire the other evening, when, as I have already told you, he suggested that I should relate it, we could not, either of us, see daylight through it, any more than we saw it at the time of its occurrence. There was the certainty (yes, I say so) that Brook landed at Liver- pool the evening of the 18th of October; he would no doubt start for. home the morning of the roth, by rail, which would take him through Birmingham to Worcester; there was also what the shopwoman in Bold Street said, though hers might be called negative testimony, as well as the lady’s in the train. ‘There was Mrs. James Ashton’s positive belief that she saw him arrive that afternoon at Worcester by the Birmingham train, shake hands with St. George and talk with him : and there was our recognition of him an hour or two later in St. George’s gig in Dip Lane ‘‘ Hold there, Johnny,” cried Darbyshire, taking his long clay pipe from his mouth to interrupt me as I went over the items. ‘ You should say supposed recognition.” “Yes, of course. Well, all that points to its having been Brook : you must see that, Mr. Darbyshire. But, if it was in truth he, there’s a vast deal that seems inexplicable. Why did he set off to walk from Worcester to Timberdale—and on such a night !—-why not have gone on by rail? It is incredible.” ‘Nay, lad, we are told he—that is, the traveller—set off to walk to Evesham. St. George says he put him down in Dip Lane; and Lockett, you know, saw somebody, that seems to answer the descrip- tion, turn from the lanes into the Evesham road.” I was silent, thinking out my thoughts. Or, rather, not daring to think them out. Darbyshire put his pipe in the fender and went on. ‘Tf it was Brook and no stranger that St. George met at Worcester station, the only possible theory I can form on that point is this, | Johnny : that St. George then proposed to drive him home. He may have said to him, ‘ You walk on, and I will get my gig and overtake you directly :’ it is a lame theory, you may say, lad, but it is the only one I can discern, and I have thought of the matter more than you ECORNIE KOOKS A(EC)