Half A Chance

exercised a subtle fascination for pedant, pedagogue or itinerant litterateur. At one end of the way was rush and bustle; at the other,

elessly about, rare Horaces or Ovids, Greek tragedies, ponderous volumes of the golden age of the English poets and philo

ibliomaniacs or antiquarians! Higher, above the little shops, small rooms, reached by rickety stairways, of

ndow. He did not seem to be very busy, was engaged at the moment in drawing meaningless cabalistic signs on a piece of paper, when a step in the hallway and a low tapping at the door caused him to throw down his pen and

n expression of restlessness; his face, alth

sir, at your service; I--but I beg your

," said the caller in a hard matter-of-fact to

ce! But won't you," with that deference for rank and position those of h

ett regarded the one he himself had been occupying; then, in an apologetic manner ventured to take it. "Your lordship is well? You

at the table, the window, anywhere save at the proprietor of the establishment, then said: "I saw by an advertisement in

d up--They undertook to criticize me, after all my faithful service--" He broke off. "Besides, the time comes when a man realizes

his voice was low, but it did not caress

"That I do, your Lordsh

the floor lightly with his cane, and

brightness. His next question was irrelevant.

p," was the answer. "And if I do say it, her passengers were of the kind

eemed to leap from his gaze, but not before he had dropped it.

lbirds that I was acting a

reached Austr

complacency. "Not that I fancy the country they were going to mourned much about that

to his weight. "Were they all drowned, by the way?" he observed as if seek

il the second boat got off, and then there

ble figure below; one of the species helluo librorum standing before a book-stall opposite. "Re

titled gentry had a leisurely method, peculiar to themselves, of broaching a subject; but if they paid him well for his time he could afford to appear an amiable and interested listener. In this case, the thought

wn as--let me see"--the elastic stick described a sharper c

ith death as a penalty for returning." A slight sound came from the nobleman's throat. "A needles

is voice rising somewhat. "Truth is, sight of you brought back old rec

t him then; that came after; except that the gentlemen foun

ly brute; with muscles like steel. But ignorant--" He lingered on the word; then his gla

pression rose, took a volume

ou may appreciate my system; the method I have of gathering and tabulating data. You will find an en

an's eyes fastened t

isco Pet, who had been drinking, come in; go up-stairs, as they supposed, to his own room; shortly after, loud voices; pistol shot. Landlady and Joe found woman, Amy Gerard, dead in shabby little sitting-

ght in the ring was with him. Later Tom took to the road; was wanted by the police at the time of the crime for some brutal highway work--' But," breaking off, "I am weary

or's lips; then he gave a metallic laugh. "I am

arring attitude, done in sailor's tattooing; about the waist a flag, the stars and stripes in their accustomed colors; c

. "And a very good description, and yet--" His voice died away; for a moment he sat motionless. "But my p

ut thought better of the impulse. "What is your lordship's b

ed his lips--"I believe I mentio

lordsh

oncern

was keen, energetic; if he felt surprise he suppressed i

work you undertake. The terms for your services can be arranged later. It is unnecessary to say you will be well

ordship would give me some ide

s opened, then

nd; how he got there; what he did. Naturally, if he has lived in a far-away port you wo

en, our investigation may

voice was sharp, querulous. "Th

e other quickly. "I shall embark in the matte

nobleman looked

d anything that would--ahem!--cast any reflection on the high stand

, vaguely questioning, was fastened on the wall; then slowly, without answering, he got up.

hard to get at the bottom of!" An odd expression shone from the v

onsdale wheeled abr

ould imagine; heard of it because he got

is back to the other, lifted

t ni

rday morning I was

n't mention

and looked back. "You might begin your inquiry by learning all you can about this little trip," he suggested. "And by the by, whatever you may find ou

ed for such admonition. "In my profession absolute integrity to

hear from you from time to ti

the sound of shuffling feet alone broke the stillness; before the book-stand