The Red Bicycle

last, thinking that something must be done, he shouted wildly for Jervis. In his agitation it never occurred to him that the policeman might b

rouble? Is th

eart!" gasped the postman, who was cl

ntered into the circle of blurred light cast by the

e very much shaken. "I saw him lying dead. Mrs. V

e lamp nigh which we were talking on the esplanade. I come here straight when I hea

r yonder to deliver the letter you saw. He has taken my bicycle. Stop him

egraph-office, and wire Sergeant Purse at Redleigh that a murder has been committed at Maranatha, and that the criminal has escaped on a Government machine.

thought that there was somethi

k about the bar'nit. You

owly down the road into the misty darkness, clinging to the fence to aid his progress. Jervis listened for a minute or so until the

very evident that she had overheard the order. "Do you think Sergeant Purse will stop the bicy

is fog, to say nothing of the fact that this criminal mayn't go

der, he is," retorted Mrs. Vence, in a tart

ld goose chase in this fog. Don't you tell me my dooty, ma'am, for I know it; none better.

ercent as an unborn babe. Well I never," and she looked fur

antly at Jervis through horn rimmed spectacles. A stuff dress of faded blue, a dingy knitted shawl of red wool tightened over rounded shoulders, and a pair of ragged slippers formed her attire, so that she look

eried the policeman, examini

fall when I saw him bending over my poor master as he'd killed. I dropped myself and dropped the tray when I fainted, more or less, but not quite. I heard as in a d

I s'pose?" said Jervis, stoli

n one, as you might say. Why, I gathered myself together us soon as I could and tottered to the door. Then, seeing the post in

his book, still kneeling, and would have ask

was present. "Lawks!" said the old woman, wiping h

neck and a silk hat in his hand. He had large, powerful limbs, a large nose, a large face, and was large al

a truculent kind of buccaneer, and rose to confron

at the dead man aghast, then turned towards the policeman with an indignant expression, as if he suspected him of being the culprit.

n stabbed, as you see, s

ried the stranger

. "I came here to see him, and hoped that he would give

mptly; "and a murdering villain he is, sir. Clever

ing about him?" as

I never set eyes on him

ng Mrs. Vence's earlier remark, word for word. "Nons

tation. "Well, I do say as you've got a face, sir. Impudence and crime. Oh,

that the old creature started and trembled. "Let

p, rich voice. "And dash you, policeman, don't look at me as I'd got anythi

ap from

om London to Redleigh. Oh! I remember. The driver of the trap

able," said Jervis, stiffly and a trifle imperio

as aggressive as Mrs. Vence. "I sent the trap away, hoping that Sir Hector

ything likely to make you think

s fist as if about to strike. "Wyke saw me in the drawing-room when he arrived, and while we were talking there came a ring at the door. Excusing himself, and asking me to s

erved Mrs. Vence, "and

wn before. However, as Wyke did not return, I suspected, from the voices and the shr

ent. "You will have to wait, sir, until my superior officer comes alo

this house without finding who has murdered my poor friend? Why

foggy night on a bicycle, sir," said Jervis, dr

overnment bicycle be

ation for a red-painted bike, sir. The assassin m

e to escape shows that he isn't a fool by any means. I don't think that you'll nab him easily." He

abbed to the heart, as yo

ddle with corpses in charge of the l

is, quickly, and thinking that this was

ger in this place but a month. I don't know where the doctor's to be f

esn't leave this house until my ser

p. "Officer, do you

, at present. I d

ast as went off on the bike as stabbed my poor master. I saw him bending over the body when I dropped the tray an

who i

never saw

ribe

round his mouth and a soft hat pulled over his eyes. I took him to my master into this very room, and was told to bring wine and cake in 1/2 of an hour

t we ought to have a

d not intend to let the buccaneer leave the house, it was difficult to know what to do. But here Providence stepped in to extri

ing," said Mrs. Vence, hurrying towards the

ngelic in his looks. But the smile died away when he saw the body.

d cut!" commanded the old woman. "How

, as did everyone else in Hedgerton, "go to

a shilling," said L

m. He was anxious to earn the shilling, but still more anxious to gaze

after closing the door she glanced at the rosewood table on which Hall had placed the letter. It was gone. There was not a sign o