The Big Bow Mystery

l genius on tomatoes. He was tolerant enough to allow his family to follow their Fads; but no savory smells ever tempted him to be false to his vegetab

enzil knew a great deal about the breeding and slaughtering of pigs, smoke-lofts and drying processes, having for years dictated the policy of the "New Pork Herald" in these momentous matters. Denzil also knew a great deal about many other esoteric matters, including weaving machines, the manufacture of cabbage leaves and snuff, and the inner economy of drain-pipes. He had written for the trade papers since boyhood. But there is

en. He paused before the window of a little tobaccon

S FOR

premises-embracing sensational plots, humorous plots, love plots, religious plots, and

d 1s. 9d. The others ran from 6d. to 1s. 3d., and were mostly representations of Scotch scenery-a loch with mountains in the background, with solid reflections in the water and a tree in the foreground. Sometimes the tree would be in the background. Then the loch would be in the foreground. Sky and water were intensely blue in all. The name of the collection was "Original oil pain

aid, rubbing his hands, half from cold, h

if you will lend me a sover

is eyes full of pawky cunning. "If you

ht them, Cantercot never knew nor cared to know. Brains are

n me long enough to

id the operatic vil

took a dangerous hunted look. Money he must have. But t

. Temporarily he turned on his heel again and stared de

S FOR

ant girl in the 'bus. The rhythm of the vehicle shaped itself into rhymes in his brain. He forgot all about his situation and his object. He had never really written an epic-except "Paradise Lost"-but he composed lyrics about wine and women and often wept to think how miserable he w

logic and evidence. Books about these formed his sole reading; for belles lettres he cared not a straw. Wimp, with his flexible intellect, had a great contempt for Grodman and his slow, laborious, ponderous, almost Teutonic methods. Worse, he almost threatened to eclipse the radiant tradition of Grodman by some wonderfully ingenious bits of workmanship. Wimp was at his greatest in collecting circum

l obtained the great detective's private address. It was near King's Cross. By a miracle Wimp was at home in the afternoon. He was writing

tercot, I belie

ent up his name, merely desc

y name," h

the late Arthur Constant. I have your evidence there." He p

addition this time. "I want mone

Denzil sat

o at home in a secluded study at the top of the house. Outside his chamber of horrors he was the ordinary husband of commerce. He adored his wife, who thought poorly of his intellect, but highly of his heart. In domestic difficulties Wimp was helpless. He could no

ey do you wan

me. "I came to tender you a suggestion. It struck me that you might off

refuse it-if

point at once. My suggesti

me as if it were a torp

looking disappointed, "had a swe

said

that sweet

e, in

bout her di

ust informe

ace. She went about a fortnigh

o you know it

so," said Denzil

r a proof that it was

ie Dymond disappeared. So they tell me in S

was

ladies got to know of it. One of her dresses was presented at Court

e live

ts, but the house

oking, I

poet's

s, for i

poet;

oet. Well, well! She w

nd Hockes', who print the 'New Pork Herald.' I used to take my 'copy' into the comps' room, and one day the Father of the Chapel told me all about 'Mortlake and his young wo

's," murmured

d angrily. He rose with excitement. "They say he always was a jabberer in the composing-room, and he has jabbered himself right out of it and into a pre

Wimp genially. "I shouldn't blame a man f

te, unchanging, immovable by fortune. Anyhow, when better times came for Mortlake the engageme

o you

house of an evening. Sometimes there was no light in her roo

have been o

where or other. He was working up to all hour

on for relaxing h

ent to Stepney Gree

u alway

every

idn't

She was a girl of strong character. She

y of your ac

d, too, was of the race of heroines. Her eyes were clear blue, two wells with Truth at the bottom of each. When I looked into those eyes my own were d

new he

I first met him with Jessie hanging on his arm he was quite proud t

e repaid him wh

y a trifle," s

turns on trifles,"

id the pensive poet. "The Beautifu

iping with her landlady, did she gos

in her room reading

our l

n the

s one

Once or tw

had been

have sworn off the t

poets. It makes their feet shak

man

Mortlake's

was still striki

? You didn't leave i

till the subst

Arthur C

! You-you terrify m

or twice,

keep watch

u only passed casually. I

eel comfortable

go there for?

d stake my soul o

ble your stake

would! You see

ones available. When was the las

middle of

nothing of th

I knew she was one of the attendants at the big children's tea in the Great Assembly Hall early in

d the cups on thei

ite a bushel of brats below stairs. It's almost as bad as at friend Crowl's. Jessie was a real brick. But perhaps Tom didn't know her value. Perhaps he didn't like Constant to call on her, and it led to a quarrel. Anyhow, she's disappeared, like the snowfall

inquiries on your ow

tunately, I wasn't there to do it, for I should certainly have knocked her down for not keeping her eyes open better. She says if she had only had the least suspicion beforehand that the minx

racter," murmur

d walked out. The landlady ran upstairs. None of Jessie's things were there. She must have quietly sold them off, or transferred them to the new plac

d when did

19th of

course knows

the end of November-he hadn't been seen there for six weeks. He

and said, "You mean, of course, to accuse

ll Mell.' The more we know about Mr. Constant's life the more we shall know about the ma

t you take it

ht it wouldn't b

Criminals I

?" Wimp was startling him

Mr. Cantercot. The

s a mean curmudgeon. What does he want with all that money and those houses-a man with no sense of the

l. I don't see anything valuable

"Not when Mortlake was already jealous of Mr. Constant, who was a sort of rival

s?" said Wimp, a shade of sarcastic

schief. I don't like your kid-glove philanthrop

re his ve

sissima

address in my files. Her

gn! It's not the

great use to me. I h

ile, "so perhaps I can manage on it after

ng in some tea to her master. He nearly upset her tray at s

ishly. "You might let me have that sover

ady busy on his evening's report to headquarters. The next day Denzil had a body-guard wherever he went. It might have gratified his vanity had he known it. But to-night he was yet unattended, so no one noted that he wen

over the Bow murderer?" he

on him now," Grodma

ctives as lively as playing at skittles with bombshells. They got on his ner

give him up to ju

ved yet. But it is o

"and shall I write

l not live l

nsense! I am years young

dman, "but you