The Illustrious Prince

from their appearance, were on the spot to interview certain of the passengers. A young fellow from the office of the Evening Comet was, perhaps, the most successful, as, from the

n, addressing a somewhat stout, gray-headed American, with white mo

nterlocutor with some surpris

You have the advantage of me, though. You are no

the young man rep

know they wanted to see me directly I arrived, and

, and assumed at the same ti

taff of an evening paper. A friend of mine in Liverpool-a mutual friend, I believe I may say," he e

his suitcase for a mo

t see that's any reason why I should talk about him to you newspaper f

n't any idea where they are to be found, and in the mean

Mr. Coulson remarked with a smile. "We've g

porter

tted in a most dastardly fashion by a person who appears to have vanished from the face of the earth. Not a single thing is known about the victim except his name. We do not know whether he came to England on business or pleasure. H

d the exit from the station, puff

on't seem to me that there's much worth repeating about poor Fynes,-much that I knew, at any rate.

young man declared. "Haven

and take pot luck amongst a pile of other people's baggage. We'll just take one of these two-wheeled sardine tins that you people call hansoms, and get ro

leaned forward and, folding his arms upon the

rner of his mouth in order to facilitate convers

reporter agreed. "We've some fine ne

ulson

ton Fynes. I was just acquainted with him, and that's a fact, but I reckon you'll have to find s

re of interest to us just no

ulson

Europe now and then, and though he was a good, steady chap enough, he liked his fling when he was over here, and between you and me, he was the greatest crank I ever struck. I met him in London a matter of three years ago

that for?" the

stateroom or, when he came up on deck, he avoided me and everybody else. When he did talk, his talk was foolish. He was a good chap at his work, I believe, but he was a crank. Seemed to me sometimes as though that humdrum life of his had about turned his brain. The last day out he was

, to the captain of the steamer and to the station-master of the London and North Western

't. He did his work, year in and year out, and asked no favors. The consequence was that when he ask

o you, Mr. Coulson. Now can you tell me of anything in the man's life or way of living li

newspapers this morning. My own opinion is that he was murdered for what he'd got. A smart thief would say that a fellow who takes a special tug off the steamer and a spec

a man of common sense. His words were clearly pronounced, and his reasoning sound. They h

. Coulson said, as he handed his sui

red quickly. "I owe you a good de

?"-turning to the man who stood by his side, bag in hand. "I am Mr. James B. Coulson o

onversation drifted back to the subject of Hamilton Fynes. There was nothing else to be learned, however, in the way of facts. Mr. Coulson

ess,-all got our weak spot, I mean. It was secretiveness with our unfortunate friend. He liked to play at

ll, something of a scoop, for not one of the other passengers had been found who was in a position to say anything at all about him. The immediate effect of the interview, however, was to procure for Mr. Coulson a somewhat bewildering succession of callers. The first to ar

otland Yard. We understand that you had some acquaintance with Mr. Ha

pon a trunk with his h

ou detectives do get to

n," Inspector Jacks remarked pleasantly. "

ulson

ead his account of my interview, and he's got it pat, word by word. Now, Mr. Jacks, if you'll just invest a halfpenny in that ne

e time nothing that you told him throws any light at all up

, "is not my fault. What I d

years ago?" the Inspector asked. "Can y

Coulson answered. "He was a clerk in one

tor Jacks repeated. "Have yo

son was

e remarked thoughtfully. "I did hear, b

as to the nature of his wo

head to ask him, and I never heard him mention it. I only know that he was a quiet-living, d

nted. He began to feel tha

f the object of his jour

hy, I tell you, sir," Mr. Coulson continued, "if he saw me coming along on the promenade, he'd turn round and go the other

d. "By the bye," he continued, "you said something, I believe, about

appened to be standing by when he received it back. I noticed that he had three or four thous

or made a n

said, closing his pocketbook, "that the murd

ial train to London from the docks of a city like Liverpool-a city filled with the scu

pector

cknowledged. "You never heard, I suppose,

"He wasn't the sort to make enemies, any m

ger inquisitorial. With the closing of his notebook a ne

ong stay here, Mr.

en goods mostly-and I have a few appointments in London. Afterwards I am going on to Paris. You can hear of me at any tim

ill sitting on his trunk and clasping his hairbrushes. Then he moved over to the table on which stood the

afternoon from the Lusitania," Mr. Coulson said. "I am

rief silence-

oom at seven o'clock. If nothing happen

eceiver and rang off. A pa

rs wishes to see you

ok up the card

self. "Seems to me I'm rather popular this e

. "There's a gentleman with her, si

ntleman's visiting card informed him that his

. "I'm not quite catching on to that, but

gether, sir," th

ted his toilet and