The Mystery of a Hansom Cab

rkness and thinking of Whyte. Towards dawn, when the first faint glimmer of morning came through the venetian blinds, he fell into a sort of uneasy doze, haunted by horri

perspiration were standing on his brow. It was no use trying to sleep any longer, so, with a weary sigh, he arose and went to his tub, feeling jaded and worn out by worry and want of sleep. His bath did him some goo

rt of thing goes on," he said, bitterly, "I

s a small, dried-up little woman, with a wrinkled yellowish face. She seemed parched up and brittle. Whenever she moved she crackled, and one went in constant dread of seeing a wizen-looking limb break off short like the branch of some dead

oom with the Argus and his coffee, a look of dismay at his

r shrill voice, as she placed her bur

hook hi

l, Mrs. Sampson," he answ

aid Mrs. Sampson, wisely, for she had her own ideas on the su

med such an obvious want of blood in her veins that

pouring out a cup of coffee for Brian, "an' the blood 'e 'ad was somethin' astoundin', which

ace, and under its friendly cove

rich stores of her imagination, "and the doctor was struck dumb with astonishment

d of being treated as were Ananias and Sapphira. However, he said nothing, but

o the door, "you knows your way to the bell as easily as I do to th

ady, with her Arabian Nightlike romances, was a source of great amusement to him, and he felt considerably cheered by the odd turn her humour had taken this morning. After a time, however, his laughter ceased, and his troubles came crowding on him

the crime, so I need not be afraid of my shadow. I've a good mind to leave town for a time, but if I am suspected that would excite suspicion. Oh, Madge! my darling," he cried passionately, "if you only knew what I suffer, I know that you would pity me - but you must never know the truth - Never! Never!" and sinking into a chair by the window, he covered

rs. Sampson," he said, "and prob

miraculous for makin' you take to your victuals. My mother's brother, bein' a sailor, an' wonderful

Fitzgerald, butt

n 'Oly Writ, as 'ow John the Baptist was partial to 'em, not that I think they'd

usts," said Brian

ks English, I 'opes, my mother's second cousin 'avin' 'ad first prize at a spellin' bee, tho

listening to Mrs. Sampson's remarks. He suddenly remembered an arrangem

m going to bring Mr. Frettlby and his daughter to have a

o some of my own perticler cakes, bein' a special kind I 'ave, which my mother showed me. 'ow to make, 'avin' been taught by a lady as she nussed t

ppreciation of them, Mrs. Sampson should

ened one of her patients into convulsions during the night by narrating to her the history of all the co

dow and watched him as he walked slowly down the street

'ave a nice airy vault, which 'ud be far more comfortable than a close, stuffy grave, even tho' it 'as a tombstone an' vi'lets over it. Ah, now! Who are you, i

not hear her, he of course did not reply, so she hurried down the s

eeming it a good opportunity for enqui

Sampson, as she presented her thin body an

wered Gorby, meekly.

nd a-scratchin' the paint off the door, which it ain't been done over six months by my sister-

d live here?" asked

n' won't be back till the arternoon, which any messi

Gorby. "Would you allow me to h

the landlady, her cu

n we get inside,"

ut him, led the way upstairs, crackling loudly the whole time. This so astonished

n, "but I never heard anything like it, and she l

oom, and having closed the door, sat down and

e, your bill might come down on him unbeknown, 'e not 'avin' kept it in mind, which it ain't everybody as 'ave sich a good memory as my aunt on my

the shrill torrent of words, had given in, and waited mildly until she had

its, my late 'usband 'avin' bin a printer on a paper which bust up, not 'avin' the money to pay wages, thro' which, there was doo to him the sum of one pound seven and

the horns, he would never be able to get what he

gerald desires to insure his life in our company. I, therefore, want to find out if he is a g

ance is to a family, should the 'ead of it be taken off unexpected, leavin' a widder, which, as I know, Mr. Fitzgerald is a-goin' to

an?" said Mr. Gorby, fe

or drink, 'e being allays able to use his latch-key, and take 'is boots off afore going to bed,

keeps go

o be sure, I uses it as a figger of speech, none of the clocks in the 'ouse

ve?" asked Mr. Gorby, keenly

shly, and a smile crept ove

should be made for ornament instead of use, and Mr. Fitzgerald bein' one of the 'andsomest men in Melbourne, it ain't t

m awake when he comes in rea

leeper, and much disposed for bed, but I 'ave 'eard 'im

, for Thursday week was the night

eed poultice to put at the back of my 'ead, it being calculated to remove pain, as was told to me, when a nuss, by a doctor in the horspital, 'e now bein' in business for hisself, at Geelong, with a large family, 'avin' married

s?" asked Mr. Go

," replied Mrs. Sampson. Mr.

to cabman, making it half-past - say, he waited ten minutes for other cab to turn up, makes it twenty minutes to two - it would take another twenty minutes to get to East

tle slow sometimes, not 'avin' been cleaned for some time, wh

w on that night," sai

t five minutes past two

lady, sharply. "And 'ow do you kno

as it?" asked

s to be relied on more than men an' women - but it won't be anythi

e detective, delighted with the information he

s good, tho' far be it from me to deny I 'elped 'im to select; but 'avin' another room of the same to let, any friends as y

ownstairs. Left to himself, Mr. Gorby arose and looked round the room. It was excellently furnished, and th

tters, "as I don't know what they are, and I couldn't tell them if I saw them; but I'd like to find that missing glove and the bottle th

off the sitting-room. The first thing that caught the detective's eye was a large photograph, in a plush frame, of Madge Frettlby.

tograph to two young men, both in love with you, and both hot-tempered. The result

room, caught sight of a light covert coat

o them in turn. There were an old theatre programme and a pair of brown gloves in one, but in the second pocket Mr. Gorby made a discovery - none other than that of the missing g

corresponds to all his movements after one o'clock on Thursday night, and this is the missing glove,

most carefully for it. At last, hearing Mrs. Sampson coming upstai

an form a chain of evidence, from what I have discovered, which will be sufficient to convict him. Besides

Sampson entered the room

n' about a shillin' in his gibberish, as if 'e 'adn't been brought up in a place where they don't know what a shillin' is. But I never could abide furreigners

Mrs. Sampson's by stating that, now she had given him

for him, "as I'll 'ave the pleasure of seein' you again s

t like, as you'll be called as a witness," he added, mentally. "Did I understand you to

s young lady, who is Miss Frettlby, and 'as got no end of money, not bu

here," said Gorby, closing the gate; "I'll pro

who was allays fleshy, bein' a great eater, and fond of 'is glass, but I took arter my mother's family, they bein' th

e Gorby was being driven along at a good pace to the police office, to obtai