The Shrieking Pit

s night's events, without equivocation or reserve. He took a chair at the table, his bright bird's glance wandering from one to the other of t

ll I begin

your house yesterday afternoon, and then give us an account of the s

en I came in, Charles-that's the waiter-told me there was a young gentleman in the bar parlour waiting to see me. I went into the parl

Superintendent Galloway, l

t, with knickerbockers

ver seen h

gh place, with no accommodation for gentlefolk at the best of times, let alone war-time. The young gentleman said he was very tired and would

had come from?" asked

in his hearty way: 'Good evening, sir; it is not often that we have any society in these parts.' The young gentleman told him what he had told me-how he had wandered away from Durrington and got lost, and had come to the inn in the hopes of getting a bed for the night. 'Glad to see a civilised human being in these parts,' said Mr. Glenthorpe. 'I hope you'll give me the pleasure of your company at dinner. Benson, tell Ann to cook another partridge.' 'I don't know whether the innkeeper will all

n a registration form?" as

him, sir," repl

ness on your part, Benson," said Gallow

r," replied the innkeeper apologetically. "It is

out. What's the use of devising regulations for the security of the country if they are not carri

nner to be taken up there as usual, and the table to be laid for two. Charles waited at table, but I was up there twice-first time with some sherry, and the second time was about an hour afterwards, when the gentlemen had finished dinner. I took up a bottle of some old brandy that the inn used to be famous for-it's

before ten, after first telling Ann, the servant, who was doing some ironing in the kitchen, to turn off the gas at the meter if the gentlemen retired before she finished, but not to bother if they were still sitting up. It had been decided that the young gentlem

tea at seven o'clock, and he opened the door to her knock, and took it from her. He was fully dressed, except for his boots, which he had in his hand, and he asked her to clean them, as he wanted to leave at once. She was walking aw

is room. That would be about eight o'clock. She thought it strange to see the key in the door, and as she could get no answer to her knock she tried the door, found it unlocked and the room empty. She came downstairs and told me. I thought at first that Mr. Glenthorpe might have got up early to go and look at his excavations, but I went up to his room and saw the signs of a s

asury ￡1 note. "This is the note the young gentleman left behind with Ann to p

," remarked Superintendent Galloway to his superior officer. "Constable Queensmead has ascertained that the ￡300 which Mr. Glent

es, and then passed it to Colwyn, who examined it closely, and took a

y weapon in Mr. Glenthorpe's ro

, s

hough, have you not?" aske

s,

ort of

ble-k

ves sent up to the sit

arles says so. He has

the chief constable. "You say you went to bed before te

mediately. My room is a good dist

ve any more questions

it be possible to ask the innkeeper whether he noticed anything peculiar about Mr. Rona

ble. "Did you notice anything strange about Mr. Ronald'

ry tired when he first came into the inn, and hi

uite sane an

te,

disturbance or irritability about him a

st when I said I couldn't take him in, but

note in a small note-book which he took from his waistcoat pocket. Mr. Cromering intimated to th

ng the bell-rope behind you

-rope, the stout country servant, who had been

es, Ann?" asked

hen," replied the

he is wanted he

is loud voice, as the woman went away on her errand. "Why couldn't Charles have answered

deaf, sir," repl