Bones in London

e staggering buck, possess qualities which are shared by certain favoured human beings. No newspaper announced the

ich called the kite to his quarry and the carrion to the kill brought many strangers-who were equally strange to Bones

house. He came like a gale of wind, almost before Bones had digest

e a handkerchief to mop his brow and neck at interval

r, and was unrolling, with that professional tremblement of hand peculiar to all who unroll large stiff sheets of

ck, he read "Thames." He therefore gathered that this w

ught this property, and if it doesn't interest you I'll eat my hat! My motto is small profit

be so kind as to explain why and where-why you came in in this perfectly informal manner? Against all the rules

he intruder. "Honest John, I am-Jo

d the visitor was so sur

d, not without a h

ly. "Yes, I have just

ny relation to

e visitor lo

Saturday, and I bought it on Saturday. The only river frontage which is vacant between Greenwich and Gravesend. Stivvins, precious metal refiner, went broke in the War, as you may

speak, he stopped

re isn't a vacant wharfage between Greenwich and Gravesend, and here you have a warehouse with thirty thousand feet of floor-space, derricks-derrick, named after the hangman

arted vi

inking of something else. Do you

llowed something and re

k his head

he said. "Wharv

the kind that accepts

ly, "is this: I'll leave the matter

ones. "I never go up the river under any possi

fist down upon the unof

tched h

yes, it's

d his long-feathered q

n shillings a night-- How many is four hundred times ten shillings multiplied by thre

aid Honest

reenhithe-that's somewher

John

y, "it's in the other di

and pinched his lip

inking about? I know-Maiden

irection from London,"

ai

O

nterest e

my old speculato

olently, and Mr. Sta

I'll leave the plans with you. I'm going down into the countr

ll shook

'. Finish this palav

e any harm done? You have the option for twenty-four hours. I'll

nes could as much as deliver the preamb

a card bearing the name of a very important Woking firm of land

, and they tiptoed into the presence of Bones wi

er important matter," s

ave this day purchas

ely. "A dirty mean trick, after all that he promised us! It is jus

d not without reason. We offered fifty thousand pounds for Stivvins', and Staines, in sheer malice, has sold the property-which is virtually ne

" bega

," said the explosive man. "Take

bought the property-really and truly I haven't. Jolly old

h glazed eyes, pulled himself t

y it-at his price-an

o with me, my old esta

Good afternoon.

t in a cloud of ge

oked at one another,

aiting on the othe

Broad Street or he's a babe in arm

l?" asked the

ur scheme, Jack, and if I've dropped four thousa

s looked v

. "I'll try him to-morrow-I h

made an entry in

it with him along comes another Felow and pretends its a Stadivarious Stradivarious a valuable Fiddel. 2nd Felow offers to pay fablous sum pawnbro

himself Honest John!!

away his ledger, and crossed the fl

fully, and a voice

the outer office, but then it is not usual for an outer office to house a secretary of such transc

door and flashed a smile whi

ed, "do not knock at my door. Don

eg of you"-he leant his bony knuckles on the ornate desk which he had provided for her, and looked down upon her soberly-"may I again ask you, dear old miss, to let me change offices? It's a little thing, dear old miss. I'm never, never goin'

ed to sleep in the office,

she sat down without further protest, because she had come to know that his attentions, his extravagant polit

ravely, "that an attempt was made this

" said the s

genuity of the intended victim. I don't want to boast, dear old miss. Nothing is fart

ped and

es

refiner's-- That's

the girl hazil

y, only this morning I was reading in Twiddly Bits, a ripping little paper, dear old miss-

e girl curiously. "B

led 'Fortunes Made in

ughty old refiner-- B

eir alluring banners upon the pleasant scene he conjured. Suddenly he pulled himself together, shot out his cuffs, opened and closed all the drawers of his des

ur note-book. It is not necessary to bring a typewriter. I wi

u going?" asked t

at certain things have been overlooked. Never lose an opportunity, dear ol

ed no more alluring mental picture than a cold and draughty drive, a colder and draughtier an

amt-of journey for a man who, by his own admission, had only sufficient petrol to get his taxi home, and when the girl came down she found Bones, with

thoughtful young man. He almost tiptoed into his office, closed and locked the door behin

t played him false. Happily it had not. On the bottom right-hand corn

rm from his stationery rack

certain opinions which were being expressed by his two companions in arms and partners in misfortune, the same opinions relating in a most dis

ure of what would happen to Honest John if he came into co

asped. He stood up and walked to the light, and read it again

you?" he asked. "You

at

o was the tall, thin, and non-explosive partner, and he in

to say he's go

doesn't it?" said the

aid the explosive

Staines. "Where does the catch come in? W

for you at the office until nine. Well, Jack, nip up and fix that deal. Take the transfers with you. Close it and take hi

the bar, and the suspicious glances of the barman were, for once,

esk, a very silent, taciturn Bo

. "I'll take that prop

e who scoured the office corridors to discover two agitated char-la

put it into his pocket, and was back again at the Stamford Ho

the explosive man profoundly. "You don't think he expe

shook

act, he as good as told me that that busin

n man w

id! Then what m

rty," said Staines. And then, as an idea occurred to

pulled a big watc

, isn't there?" he said. "Let's g

ted entrance gates involved an adventurous march through a number of miniature shell craters. Night, however, was merciful in that it hid the desolation wh

g on the gate aroused the attention of the night-watchman-who was also the day-watchman-who occupi

aid huskily.

e, and led the way to

ho had appointed the man, "did a

hey gave Mr. Staines's name, and asked to be sh

happened?" a

in the big building, and then this young fellow

three voices at on

sfaction. "I told 'em Stivvins dealt with all kin

ed Mr. Staines thoughtful

ow this place, living in the neighbourhood, and I used to work

r. Staines. "I didn't

Tester. "There's a big steel door with a key in it-at least, th

arest companion in sin

d anything in

ng very short of the faith which at that moment, and only at that moment, had b

ood outside

!" said the exp

attempt to go in, and see what they were looking at?"

ten m

n they c

er n

ng anything o

id Mr. Tester

look surprised or upset?" persiste

ted like, yes," said Tester, reviewing the circumstanc

ey, you say. And what are you supposed to be here for?" asked Mr. Staines violentl

would undoubtedly occur the next day, and where they could go to, so far as he was concerned, and so, unlocking one rusty lock after another, passed through

I

earlier than Mr. Staines, who literally followed him into his office

es irritably. "What the dooce is

firmly. "And I'll trouble you

oom?" repeated Bones. "Di

. Tibbetts, I have decided not to sell-in fact, I find

sibly his views had undergone a change. What he would have done is problematical, because at that mom

id gruffly, "one mo

ng distances from the door, and in his last position it would have required the most delicate of scientific instruments to measure the dist

ight be found standing in an attitude of indifference and thought near the desk. The lips of Bones were

chucking it down

heque and tore it

es, and Mr. Staines be

ho was sitting at her table before her typewriter.

s voice was hoarser than ever, "never, ne

n't I told you that I have forgiven you? And I am sure you had no

t once a sign of agreem

what made me do it," he gulped, "but I did it. Believe me, young miss, that spot was sacred. I wanted to buy the building

Tibbe

. But, believe me, Stivvins' Wharf is hallowed ground, and I deeply regret that you would not let me b

, and then Bones laughed,