The Rayner-Slade Amalgamation

d, he said, to stay at the hotel until the inquest was over and arrangements had been made for his cousin's funeral. The manager at once took him to a suite of three rooms at the en

r lot of people come i

ia boat?"

r twenty," answ

sin in conversation with any

ut that; he had a notion that he had seen Mr. James Allerdyke talk

talking to that doctor who's in there now with Dr. Orwin-the man with the big beard-and to a lady who came at the same time. There were several ladies

course-probably are. Still I want to know all I can, and, naturally, I'd like to know who the people were that my cou

is room, I hope?" asked the man

possession of everything-all that he had on him is in that bag, and I'm going to examin

o send for the police?"

ctors say something more definite-they'll know more presently, no doub

sir, many of them will be going this morning-most of them are only bre

ke. "In the meantime, I'

ee as soon as your p

his cousin was dead-the object of his destroyer had not been robbery. James had always been accustomed to carrying a considerable sum of money on him; Gaffney's search had brought a considerable sum to light. James also wore a very valuable watch and chain and two fine diamond rings; there they all were. Not robbery-no; at least, not robbery of the ordinary sort. But-had there been robbery of another, a bigger, a subtle, and deep-designed sort? James was a man of many affairs a

of illness or indisposition; he had certainly never had any serious sickness in his life. As to heart trouble, Allerdyke knew that a few years previous to his death, James had taken out a life-policy with a first-rate office, and had been passed as a first-class life: he remembered, as he sat there thinking over these things, the self-satisfied grin with which James had come and told him that the examining doctor had declared him to be as sound as a bell. It was true, of course, that disease might have s

to account for James's sudden death, except on the hypothesis suggested by the two doctors. All sorts of vague, half-formed thoughts were

ng how shapeless and futile it all was. "It just comes to this-I'm asking mysel

ry which he always carried, and in which, to Allerdyke's knowledge, he always jotted down a brief note of each day's pro

n his journey. From St. Petersburg he had gone on to Moscow, where he had spent the better part of a week. All his movements were clearly set out in the brief pencilled entries in the journal. From Moscow he had returned to St. Petersburg; there he had stayed a fortnight; t

St. Petersburg, in Moscow, in Revel, and in Stockholm, in all of which places he had irons of one sort or another in the fire. He recognized the names of various firms upon which James had called-these names were as familiar to him as those of the big manufacturing concerns in his own town. James had been to see this man, this ma

to understand, or which excited any wonder or speculation in him: with one exception. That exception was in three ent

8: Met

Lunched wi

rincess din

ome on such friendly terms that they had lunched and dined together? James had twice written to him during his absence-he had both letters in his pocket then, and one of them was dated from St. Petersburg on April 24th, but there was no mention of any Princess in either.

er with a band of india-rubber, were all business documents, with one exception-a letter from Allerdyke himself addressed to Stockholm, to wait James's arrival. There were some specifications relating to building property; there was a schedule of the timber then standing in a certain pine forest in Sweden in which James had a valuable share; there was a balance-sheet of

, Hotel Grand Monar

have no doubt matter can be speedily and satisfactorily arranged. Have important client now in

AWAY, Waldorf

s-presumably, nay, evidently, the Princess to whom reference was made in the diary. And there was mention, too, of goods-probably valuable goods-to be confided to James's care for conveyance to England, to London, for sale to some prospective purchaser. If James had brought them, whe

itting-room prefaced the e

y. Now, if you approve it, I will arrange at once for communicating with the Coroner, removing the body, and having an autopsy performed. As Dr. Lydenberg has business in the town which will kee

tlemen. You understand what I'm anxious about?-I want to be certain-certain, mind you!-of the cause of my

ead. Most folks who knew Marshall Allerdyke considered him a hard, unsentimental man, but there were tears in his eyes as

wrong, lad," he said. "

thee!-by Go

at moment that his eyes, slightly blurred as they were, caught sight of an object which lay half-concealed by a corner of the hearth-rug-a glittering, shining object, which