The Childerbridge Mystery

e him, the cabman had whipped up his horse once more, and was half across the Circus. Springing to his feet, he pushed up the shutter,

at fellow went we so near

answered the cabman. "He had a narrow shave an

ack to the policeman he had noticed standing b

ked down by a cab a few minutes ago?" he enq

answered laconicall

rest him at once," said Jim. "There is not a mome

has," said the policeman. "Neve

him at once. Every second we waste is

y: what's he done that you should

y beside himself with rage

" he replied. "I am as certain of it as I

was plainly a kindly intent, "but you go along home and get to bed quietly; you'

hout another wor

ed Jim, "that fellow should come first. But I am not

to the quiet of the back streets. To attempt to find him, therefore, under cover of darkness, and at such an hour, would be well-nigh an impossibility. Then another idea occurred to him. Hailing a cab, he set off for Scotland Yard. On arriv

ial. "I suppose you are quite certain of the identity o

itted a full view of his face, and I am quite sure that I am not making a mistake. If only

ils of his present personal appearance, which would af

at, and a brown overcoat, the

el. In spite of the work he had done that day he was not destined to obtain a wink of sleep all night, but tumbled and tossed in his bed, brooding continually over the chance he had missed of securing his father's murderer. If only he h

breakfast next morning whe

e had made a few commonplace remarks, "I mean your seeing Murbridge last night; I do

n board the mail boat as you supposed," Jim replied. "You must have got upon

ay make a discovery before long. When you think of the description we have of him-a man wearing a brown coat and a felt hat-it is not very much to

ed the fact that his father had told him that he had been on intimate terms with Murbridge many years before. Was it not possible, therefore, that among his collections there might be some portrait of that individual. He felt inclined to run down

rain, and if I discover anything, I will wire you an

estimable help to us in our search," the other answered;

village. As they were drawing near the park gates, an exclamation from Alice roused Jim from the reverie into which he had fallen, and caused him to glance up the lane that le

ed upon having the happiness of seeing

"From your letter I gathered that I should not see yo

and as she did so it occurred to Jim tha

try and find some photographs that would help us in our search. B

bout my grandfather, and that probably accounts for my appearance, bu

s being, for more reasons than one, impossible, it was arranged that Jim should see her home across the park, a suggestion which, you may be sure, he was not slow to take advantage of. They accordingl

"you have not told me what it is that is worrying you about

head but di

with me. I wonder whether I should be right if I hazarded a guess that Mr. Bursfi

iffidence. "You may be quite sure, however, that whatever he m

ontent to trust you. I know that nothing Mr. Bursf

so determined in his opposition to our marriage. Sometimes I feel

, and you may be sure all will come right in the end. In the future we shall

her had packed them. Little had he imagined then that those boxes would next be opened in order to discover a portrait of the same kind father's murderer. When the first box had been overhauled it was found to contain unimportant papers connected with the dead man's various properties in Australia. In the second was a miscellaneous collection; which consisted of a variety of account books, with specimens of ore, wool, and other products of the Island Continent. It w

What memories it recalls of long-forgotten friends; as one look

Dundreary" whiskers decorated his manly face. With a sigh Jim turned the page, to discover a portrait of his mother, which had been taken on her wedding day. Then followed a long succession of relatives

his box. "I am disappointed, though I cannot say that I hoped to be very succe

ell for dinner had already sounded. They accordingly separated, and went to their respective rooms. If t

value," he said to himself, "to hav

orming the same operation with the other, when he stopped

I've hit it. I think I know whe

y went to bed, their father had promised a prize to whichever one of the pair should recognise and describe by name the greater number of the portraits in the very album he had been lo

d for he was not able to recognise th

arsh was it. Then, drawing the portrait from the page, he placed it in the pocket at the end

I'll go up and endeavour to find it. It was there for many years, for I can recall how I used to creep into the drawing-room and peep at it on the sly, wondering what

and to turn to the pocket in question was the work of a moment. It had been placed there for the purpose of holding loose photographs, and it extended the whole width of the cover. With a half fear that it might not be contained therein, Jim thrust his hand into the receptacle. He was not to be disappointed this time, however, for a card was certainly there, and he withdrew it and held it up to the light with a feeling of triumph. Yes, it was the picture he remembered, and, better still, it was the portrait of Richard Murbridge.

eps from the bottom when a curious noise, which seemed to come from the gallery above, attracted his attention. It resembled the creaking of a rusty hinge, more than anything else. He had just time to wonder what had occasioned it, when, to his amazement, he became aware of a little black figure passing swiftly a

f," he muttered to himself. "

et off in