The Piccadilly Puzzle

he prevailing fashion of the day. His sitting-room was hung with dark red curtains and carpet to match, and the furniture being of a kind designed to pr

sideboard a spirit stand, which was much in favour with Calliston's friends A small book-case contained an assortment of French novels, principally of the Zola and Mendes school, and, judging from the shabby appearance of the books, must have been pretty well read. The whole ap

ware of this, so Mrs. Povy was generally known by the name of Totty. She was elderly, very stout, with a round red face the tint of which was due to health and not drink, as she seldom imbibed anything stronger than tea. Totty was addicted to a kind of regulation uniform, consisting of a black dress, a

otty comfortably off, so that lady occupied her present position more from choice than necessity. She had a gruff voi

ady Balscombe, and expressed her disapproval of his action in the most emphatic man

tea-pot, "it ain't no good being a reformatory. The way I've t

d Mrs. Swizzle, who was tall and thin,

thfully. "Not as he's always bin after married pussons, for

Mrs. Swizzle, c

decent woman 'ud speak to her--silks and satings and wasting of money--oh, I

ng away to attend to it, Mrs. Swizzle made the best use of her

ank figure in grey, which was none other than Dowker, co

fly, annoyed at being distu

substantial figure b

u about Lord Callist

shook wi

find out, this ain't the shop--so walk out," and she prepared to shut

. "I don't mean any harm to Lord Calliston, and

a time she consented to speak to Dowker privately, a

. "I can't ask you into my own room, as a pert

m. "And now, as my curiosity may appear rude and you may refuse

Mrs. Povy uneasily, "a

r--det

turally red fa

. "Has Lord Calliston b

ly. "I only want to obtain some i

ngrily. "Never mind if you know her or not," ret

ere was something in the detective's eye which q

lliston leave tow

ek ago--on

s his yac

tion to catch the ten minutes past nine tr

e go a

ady Balscombe went with him you can see i

Miss Sarschine

ternoon, to see

he see

she said she'd call

did

ht o'clock to catch his train. I suppose sh

s going to elope wi

at I kn

ne when she came

smond, my lo

ime was

between eleve

iston just before she was murdered, and saw Desmond. Now

here on that even

to give Miss Sarschine a m

verhear their

"I never listen--out when she was

what

ten minutes

e go ou

nd followed sho

say an

not a

it possible that he had killed Miss Sarschine and was then coming away from the scene of his crime? Impossible, because the doctor said the woman must have been dead some hours. And yet he might have killed her and gone down St. James' Street to avert suspicion, and then come up again when he thought the coast would be clear. Unfortunately, he had m

passing through his mind, Totty ha

questions," she said, "perhaps y

rde

excited, for she had a

dead--not Lor

ss Sars

Sars

ter she left these rooms and afte

agerly. "What on earth should he want to kill he

stand, was going to m

said Tottie disbelievingly; "she's that fond of

ied Dowker, "and by the way,

rrest him for this mu

nce," retorted Dowker lig

Mrs. Povy. The detective took the address

mond did it, sir?" began

owker, putting on his hat. "You'

and returned to her room, where she implore

Oh, it's a blessing Povy died afore he saw his wi