The Herapath Property

pe take

ion; the second that, allowing for differences of age, he was singularly like the dead man who lay in their midst. Both were tall, well-made men; both were clean-shaven; both were much alike as to feature and appearance. Apart from the fact that Jacob Herapath was a man of sixt

ace was impassive, almost stern as he turned to the others. He nodded slight

with a certain tone of command. "

ssession of the facts already known. He made no comment, asked no questions, until the i

tman Square, Mr. Selwood?" he

tive and peculiar dislike to him, for which he could not account, accepted the invitation

ere, then?" exc

er waiting-room down the c

ur people must give immediate notice to the coroner. Then-the body-that must be properly attended to-that, too, you will see about. Before you go away yourse

desk which occupied the centre of the room,

much-watch and chain, pocket articles, a purse, some loose money, a pocket-book, a

" asked Barth

ey. Yet he must have let himself in here, and I understand from the caretak

ediate answer beyond

elf-you and I will examine the contents later. Now for these immediate inquiries. Mr. Selwood, will you please telephone at once to Portman Square and tell Kitteridge to send Mountain, the coachman,

liking the notion that Barthorpe Herapath was Peggie Wynne's cousin-and now, probably, her guardian protector. For during those three weeks in which he had been Jacob Herapath's secretary, Selwood had seen a good deal of his employer's niece, and he was already well over the verge of falling in love with her, and was furi

came after them, summoned by the police who were busy at the telephone as soon as Selwood had finished with it. Selwood himself, having summoned Kitteridge and Mountain, hung about, waiting. He heard the police talking in undertones of clues a

butler and the coachman at the d

of you," he said curtly. "I suppo

et out an an

sir?" he excl

wood. "I-of course, you don'

Herapath suddenly emerged from the waiting-room and looked round the hall. He beckoned

r come in? And the caretaker-and you, Kitteridge, an

t. And as he stood there, and Selwood wound up the little procession, Mr. Tertius rose and also m

of my own, Mr. Tertius," he

istakable, saw a faint tinge of colour mount to the elder man's usually pale c

to enter-to be pre

ressive plainness. "There will be a public i

t door. And Barthorpe Herapath laughed-a low, sneering laugh-and following the other men into the waiting-room, locked the door upon those assembled there. As if he and they wer

nderstand that the police-surgeon is of opinion that my uncle committed suicide. With all respect to him-I'm sorry he's gone before I could talk to him-that theory cannot be held for an instant! My cousin, Miss Wynne, and I knew our uncle far too well to believe that theory for a single moment, and we shall combat it by ever

set by the affairs of the mornin

sir," he

ime was

r-that's my usual time

y how you found

l up the blinds and open the window. When I walked in I saw hi

you a turn. What did yo

elephone and rang up the police-station. Then I waited

ened as usual when you w

ath's particular orders that it never should be fastened any other wa

, inspector! There's no way out of them into the building, nor any way out of the building into

so, sir-only t

ntrance or

r-nothing

e-these offices-at night are

s all,

re are yo

iving-room and kitchen-and two rooms on

or. How many fl

ere's this-then there's two floors that'

wo floors between your bed

sir-

t night. What time did you

sir-half an hour

sly looked rou

ok into every room in the place

your wife sou

th of us. Go

sound after yo

sir-neit

a revolver shot?-not even as

rd anything-nothing u

ening or being shut, nor of any

, nothin

rst catching sight of the body? Just so-but you'd notice things, even in a hurr

that he always sat in at his desk, was pushed back a b

he electric ligh

, s

heard anything, and had no notion of what was happening

was going on, or had gone on, I

ed and turned

story. Be careful about your facts-what you ca

of C