The Mystery of M. Felix

MRS. MIDDLEMORE S

r informed her that he was satisfied th

Mrs. Middlemore. 'Once she's

ittle thing,' obs

hat's going to be the end of h

she a

No

ath

. Drunk half his time, in

ophy has to look

he wouldn't let me 'ave nobody in the house but 'im, and wouldn't let nobody sleep in it a single night, so I 'ad to disappoint the child. I did take 'er in once or twice when she came round to me almost black and bloo with the way 'e

ly friend the gi

't got ma

ndest intentions, 'there's capital stuff in Sophy. Now that M. Felix is

ether she'd like to live with me, and she said she would, she's got into ways that I don't think I could ab

ys do you

en her selling paper

posed our reporter; 'especia

th considerable dignity, 'I consider it low; but that's not

he does

hink she goes a

r st

'she'll take anything that's give to her, but

s. Middlemore, is in her favor, and I

more, misconstruing the sentiment,

Hawking papers and matches is not the loftiest occupation, but it is a fo

Sophy's welfare. By one of those processes of intuition which come to observant men by inspiration, as it were, he was impressed with the idea that Sophy might be useful to him and to us in the elucidation of the mystery concerning M. Felix. W

a little while at all events, and if she'll only kee

frequent

'Doesn't she? Why she saves every copper she can get to go to the galleries, and when she ain't got no money she hangs round

Mrs. Middlemore, greater than ever it was before, and is courted--yes, my dear madam, courted--by the highest as well as the lowest in the land, from the Prince of Wales at the top to poor little Sophy

ept that he wanted to k

expostulat

I what

uld feel lonely without a

way of speaking, when he was giving orders you couldn't mistake. His word was l

t. His orders, then, were to

en people don't do as I tell 'em, M

ictatorial

"That is to be." At other times he was as smoo

ors occasional

ever sor them. Nearly always

peaking, then, he

entlemen living in chamber

,' said our re

tion 'em. We've got our living to make, an

at I can gather, Mrs. Middle

t I know

now, were they mostl

y ladie

hem been here t

one,

ght almost as well have

e've been all at sea what to do. Th

perience. Should you happen to meet any of the persons who were

think I sh

s not favor that conclusion--but supposing that this evidence was misleading, and was proved to be so, there i

ody,

the p

r, only t

ded in doing is to make th

e. I said to Mr. Nightingale, "A nice friend you've been," I

Nightingale you

s, i

old frien

e beat 'ere be

is how you go

Ye

M. Felix,

being always friendly with

n. Tipped the

theirselves. He never gi

ghtingale say when you

Mrs. Middlemore, w

, to the effect that he was your frien

n't say

nt; it was his cue to keep Mr

ore look in the b

hand over the pillows on the bed, he felt something hard beneath them, and

ried Mrs. Middlemo

not know i

rst time I ever saw it. I

e polic

n't mentio

re it is. Don't touch it, Mr

ble-action revolver, nickel plated, six shots, No. 819.' And, unseen by Mrs. Middlemore, he s

s that you go and give the alarm to the pol

o along wi

inutes to get away, and then go for the police at once. I w

r reporter, accompanied by Mrs. Middlemore, went to the s