Checkmate

were placed in Mr. Lo

ts that I wore yes

nklin, "the man called this mornin

ed Mr. Longclus

agnac's

to call for it?" a

e told some one else to order hi

luse, staring at him more aghast and fierce than the possible misl

and said the shoemaker had called for the right boot of the pair you wore yesterday.

Charles has not been a week here. Call h

ething about its missing companion. His brain was already at work. What the plague was the meaning of this man?uvre about his b

t?" demanded Mr. Longcluse, p

for it this

at

he came from Mr.

Sir. What did he say?" said M

case, "he did say, Sir, he came from Mr

boot?-any

oot of the pair you wore last

gave it

was me," answ

ent, to Monsieur Armagnac, and say I should be obliged to him for a line to say whether he this morning sent for my b

it myself, when you sent me down for Charles; and

the boy comes back, and bring him here also.

w, and looked out with a vicious scowl; he turned about, and lifted up hi

By Jove! it may

already in his hand. He w

boot! What's the meaning of this

again, and flung it into

all right. The odds are ten, twenty, a thousand to one that Armagnac has got it. I should have had a warm bath last night,

pping it, went to the window and looked into the street-came

ung open his door and confronted them, in white waistcoat and shirt-s

? Where's the boot?"

er with his open hand, and undertaking the office of spokesman; "a

id, in rising fury, turning upon Charles

" said Charles, "and wanted the boot, which Mr. Frank

it all for gospel. There are men who would pitch you over the bannisters for a less thing. If I could be certa

h, in the faces of the three

he servants looked at one another without a word. But just as they were go

who saw and spoke with t

s,

ou know h

, I think

nd of ma

ommon per

r short? What

l, S

t more? Des

f straight; very flat feet, I noticed; a thin

s face," sai

ar, Sir; a shabby sort

ow

very little bit of a nose; his eyes almost shut, and a sort of smile abou

w o

be nigh fi

good. How wa

a pair of raither dirty tweed trousers. Nothing fitted him, and his hat was brown and greasy, begg

the right boot?" a

s,

e the boot without looking at it, or di

ed up the sole, and he said 'It's all right,

esterday, or last night-which d

t night he said, Si

rself. Can't you be c

s last night,

see that your memory was pretty clear on the subject. Y

it perfectl

ief; and when you see that fellow again, hold him fast till you put him in the hands of a policeman. And, Charles, you must be

," answer

u, Franklin; let s

ast night. He watched him, he said, wherever he went. I saw him. There may be other circumstances. That is the fellow-that is the very man. Here's matter to thi

face, Mr. Longcluse marched eastward with a firm tread and a cheerful countenance. Friends who nodded to him, as he walked along Piccadilly, down Saint James's Street, and by Pall Mall, citywards, thought he had just been listening to an amusing story.