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THE STORYTELLER.

W A SLIP OF THE PEN. (One of the Best of the Sextou Blake Series, from "Answers.") I. In a great inauy respects the case resembled that of Mr. Dyson, of Maida Vale, who, it may be remembered, was lured a»ay from home by a bogus message, and compelled to perform an operation on a man who had nothing wrong with him. And it was, 110 doubt, the recollection of the brilliant triumph j which Sexton Blake had achieved in Dr. Dyson's case which led Mrs. Banhani, when all the efforts of the local police had failed to solve the mystery of her husbaad'i disappearance, to wire tor Sexton Blake. The facts of the case, briefly stated, were as follows: — About half-past eleven 011 a certain Tuesday night in February, Dr. Banliam, a country doctor, practising at Birkendale, in Shropshire, received a hastilywritten note, which purported to come trom one 01 his patients, named Arkwriglit, who lived at Longstones Farm, tome three or four miles away. The note was terse and to the point. Mrs. Arkwright had been suddenly taken ill, and would the doctor please come at once?

Alter tossing the note across to his wife, and advising her not to sit up for hint, Dr. Banham donned his hat a'iiti overcoat, saddled his horse, and rode off in the direction of Longstones Farm. He was seen and spoken to by the village constable as he cantered jrnsl the church, but from that point all trace of him was lost. L When Mrs. Banham awoke next morn-

■lg and found that her husband had not Bet returned, she was mildly surprised Kut in nowise anxious. As the morning ■ore on, however, and there was still sign of him, she began to feel unKsy'. Still, »he was not really alarmed until the constable arrived, about halfpast one in the afternoon, leading the doctor's horse, which he had found grazing by the roadside on the outskirts of the "village. The natural conclusion to which everybody jumped was that the doctor had Ijeea thrown from his horse —or, at any rate, that some accident had happened. But the case assumed a more sinister aspect when, on enquiries being made at Longstones, it was ascertained that the note which Dr. Banham had received was a forgery. Nobody was ill at Longstones; nobody had seat for Dr. Banham; and, although the doctor had undoubtedly set out for the farm, he had never arrived there.

In view of these facts, the note assumed a vital importance, since the handwriting might furnish a clue to the identity of the writer. Fortunately, Sirs. Banham had preserved it; but when she produced it for the inspection of the superintendent of the local police, she discovered, to her dismay, that every scrap of writing had disappeared, and only a blank half-sheet of paper remained. To make matters worse, Dr. Banham himself had opened the door when the bearer of the note had rung the bell; so that neither Mrs. Banham nor thtf servants had seen the man, woman, or child who had brought the

not*. ~ ~ , Perhaps the local police would ha\e paid more attention to the case if it had not been for the fact that they were then engaged on what was in their eyes, at any rate—a. much more imirtant matter than the disappearance K, country doctor. Ia the small hours ■ Tuesday morning a daring robbery Kd been committed at Birkendale Hall, Be country seat of Lord and Lady EasBngton, and family jewols and plate to the value of many thousands of pounds ■jy L been stolen. their highly commendable zeal to the authors jof*tbis sensational the local police—we propound with all diffidence—did not, Bhaps, devote as much attention as |by might have done to the mystery o. Br. Banham's disappearance. Anyhow, it the end of ten days their investigations, whatever they may have been, bad yielded no result. The fate of Dr. Banham—and, incidentally, the identity of the thieves who had broken into Birkendale Hall—still remained an insoluble enigma. Aad then, as previously mentioned, Mrs. Banham wired for Sexton Blake.

n. It was half-past nine at night, and quite dark, of course, when Sexton Blake washed Birkendale. has happened admits of littli doubt," he said, when Mrs. Banham had told 'her story. "Somebody who knew that the Arkwrights were patients of vour husband's forged that note asking him to go to Longstones Farm at once. On his wav to Longstones your husband was accosted by this man, who enticod him into his house, made him a prisoner, and afterwards turned the horse adrift. "But why should anybody wish to make a prisoner of my husband'/" asked 3lrs. Banham. The detective shrugged his 6houlders. "That remains to be seen," he said. -"In the meantime, if you still have that half-sheet of paper on which the note .•was written, 1 should very much like to gee it." Mrs. Banham still had it, and produced it for the detective's inspection. "It is quite clear what has happened fcere, of course," he said, after examining (the paper with his pocket-lens. "The note was written in what is known as sympathetic ink—ink that becomes mpisible in the course of a few hours. JBave the police made any experiments with this Sheet of paper?" . Mrs. Banham looked puzzled. . "Experiments?" she said. "Xo. I showed it to them, of course; but, whc.i .jthey saw the writing had disappeared, they merely remarked, as you yourself remarked just now, that the note had jbeen written in sympathetic ink." "And that is all they said or did?"

■ "Y»s." i Again the detective? shrugged his shoulders. - <-Your husband dispensed his own medicines'." he said. : "Yes." ~ ' '-Would you mind taking me to llis dispensary i" , ' Mr" Banham conducted liiin to a small ■room at the back of the house. On the --shelves which lined oue end of the room were dozens of bottles- of drugs and .chemicals. After scanning the labels.

.jtjho detective poured a few drops out of "one of the bottles into a measure-glass, diluted them jrith water, and added a few crystals from another bottle. When jthe crvstals had dissolved, he poured the ~ solution over the half-sheet of paper, and in less time almost than it takes to .tell the original writing reappeared 'll ' brownish-purple characters. ; "Wonderful!" ejaculated Mrs. Banlam. "You're a magician!" - The detective laughed. • "Any schoolboy could have done as much," he said. "My only surprise is that the police never thought of adopt-

■mng such a simple expedient. I ' He dried the note between two sheets I of blotting-paper, and attentively perF used it. It was written in a sprawling I Jiand, and ran as follows:B ~ "Longstones, Fev. 21, 1907. * ; "Dear Mr. Banham.—My wife has been

. Suddenly taken ill. Please come at once. .►-Yours truly, J. , r fl „ i Once, twice, Sexton Blake read thnote At tile second time of reading M discovered something which brought a eleam of triumph into Ws eyes. "Here's a clue which a one-eyed man miss'" he exclaimed. "Suer said Mrs. Banham, who was his shoulder. "I dont see

a Mive read the note?" asked Sexton Blak/£. ; '"What do you notice peculiar about it?* y H a<*ain. Xotice the date." : 'TVell i I see nothing peculiar about the date. It only s "f Z td.i. "Oh ves! I see wliat you meanThe writer of the note lias wntte TP-e-v. instead of F e b- „ "What do von infer from that. . "That the writer of the note cither a Trn'd or a careless speller. The detective shook ins head. "The worst or most careless spell r -> Great Britain, would iB •niarv with av, he said. T Miis note/ is neither the result.of . , . education nor carelessnesl„ It » a F er the pen—a fatal slip of the p n .which has given us a most importan tluel to the national!tv of the write.. Ymt look surprised. Surelv the cone uis obvious! is the French for

. <jr e l>Tuarv?" I ''-Aiulliow'would al.bvevi- ■ at^ ia tould short® it, I siipp o3o - t0 «of course lie wo f|J ! Aj" 1 '/ ''rftine Hu>Mi in the habit affcis life of f rlt ' s atoevllon for Fehruar K ..w, could be morejptural tliw thai

lie iiiuultl make a -lie of the pen whoa writing iu English, ami wiite F-e-v. instead of F-e-b.? "Xow, it it is eleur. as it is, that the writer of this note i, a Frenchman,'' he continued, "it i.s ci|Liuily clear tlr.it ■he must have ken living in this neighborhood fur Mime time, olhenvi-e lie 'ivould not have known that the Aik--.vrights were patients of your husband's. 'Again, if, as 1 believe, lie waylaid your 'husband 011 his way to Longstones," and inveigled him into his house, it follows, as a matter of course, that hifc house is on the way jroin here to Longstonc". lou are .doubtless aequainted with everybody in this neighborhood; do you know of any Frenchman who lives, and has beea living for sonic time, in a house •which stands between here and Longstoniii Farm?'' • "Yes!" said Mrs. Banliam excitedly. "About three weeks ago a Frenchman named Monceau came to live at Ridge "Mouse. He's an artist—at least,Jie says he is—of rather eccentric habits, and his only servants are two iLuglisliitie.i, about the same age as himself." "And where is Kidge House?" asked Sexton Blake.

"About two miles from here, on the road to Longstones. it was formerly the residence of Lord Easington's agent, but at the beginning of this year the agent removed to Birkendale Lodge, and Kidge House was advertised to be let." "Furnished?" "Yes."

"And Monsieur Monceau took it, and came to live there, three weeks ago, with his two English servants?" "Yes." "Then I haven't the .slightest doubt," §aid Sexton Blake, "that it was Monceau who wrote this note, and that Kidge House was the house into which your husband was lured." "But with what object?" asked Mrs. Banham.

"I don't know," said the detective frankly. "Before I can answer that question I must transfer my enquiries to Ridge House. Tell me exactly where it is."

• (Mrs. Banham told him, and a few minutes later the detective was on his way to Kidge House. 111. The house had originally beea built for a private lunatic asylum, and the acre and a-half 01 grounds in which it stood were surrounded by a high stone wall, on the top of which was a chevaux-de-frise of iron spikes. From the front door of the house a broad drive led to a pair of gates which opened on to the road.

' It was eleven o'clock when Sexton [lßlake pulled up outside these gates. They were closed and padlocked, and the front of the house was in darkness. The sides and back of the house he could not see, on account of the high stone wall.

■ Having satisfied himself that the gates were he made a tour of exploration round the outside of the walls which enclosed the ground, only 'to find that the wall was as unclimbab'.e as the gates. Five minutes later he had picked the lock, and stood inside the grounds. f The north side of the house, like the front, was in total darkness. So was ltlie back of Jhe house. On the south eide, however, there was a single lighted •window on the first Door. It was uncurtained and unshuttered, and was apparently the window of one of the bedrooms. It was provided with a blind, ibut the blin'd was not drawn down.

Exactly opposite this window, and a ■few yards only from the side of the ■house, grew a sturdy elm, one of whose -leafless branches, projecting towards the house, almost touched the top of the •window.

• "If I were to get up this tree," mused •Sexton Blake, "I could see into that ■room, and I might sec something worth .while. Shall I? Yes; here goes!" . Suiting the action to the word, he climbed up the tree, and the moment his Head came on a level with the window he saw that which converted his previous suspicions into certainties. There were two beds in the room, in the larger of the two lay a man who was apparently unconscious. He had an ice-bag on his head, and on the table beside the bed were several bottles of medicine.

On the smaller bed—not iu it, but on it—lay a fully-dressed man, whose hands j were tied behind his back. From Mrs. I Banham's description, the detective recognised him instantly as Dr. Banham. There were two other men in the room, one of whom was obviously a foreigner. -They were seated at another little table, at the foot of the larger ■ bed, playing cards. < Scarcely had the detective taken ill I these facts, when a crackling of the I bushes fell on his ears, and the next instant, to his horror and dismay, a dog dashed to the foot of the tree, barking furiously. It was evidently a dog which had been turned loose in the grounds to guard against the intrusion of strangers, and it had only just discovered the presence of Sexton Blake. ' At the first bark of the dog the two men who were playing cards sprang to their feet. The foreigner said something to Ills companion, which, of course, Sexton Blake could not hear: then the two men darted to the bedroom door and rushed downstairs For an instant, but only for an instant, the detective hesitated how to act. Then, swiftly -crawling to the end of the projecting branch, which drooped beneath his weight, he swung himself off on to the window-sill, forced back the catch with the blade of his knife, threw up the sash, and leaped into the room. By that time Dr. Banham had scrambled off "the bed, and was staring at Sexton Blake in stupefied bewilderment. By that time, too, the foreigner and his companion had heard the detective open the window and leap into the room; and even as Sexton Blake, with one slash of his knife, severed the cords by which the doctor's wrists were fettered, he heard the two men running upstairs.

(Juick as thought, the detective whipped out two revolvers, one of which he thrust into the bewildered doctor's hand. '•l'm Sexton Blake!" he said hurriedly. "TU explain things later, ("over them the instant they appear." The words had scarcely crossed his lips ere the two men dashed into the room. "Both were armed, but betore they hail time to grasp the situation they found themselves covered bv the revolvers of Sexton Blake and Dr. Banham, whilst at the same moment the stern command rang in their ears:

"Hands up!" Xever was a surprise more dramatic or more complete. Up went the two men's hands, and in little more time than it takes to tell they were botli disarmed and bound Then Sexton Blake turned to Dr. Banham. , "\*ow, tell me all about it,' he said quietly.

There is no need to give Dr. Banham's statement in detail. "Monsieur Monceau' and his two ]'n"li=h servants" were the burglars who had committed the robbery at Birkendale Hall. All three were we.lknown criminals—well-known, tnat to the London police—and their rca names were Lerouge. Smithson, and Cd Havin" decided to "burgle" Birkendale Hall, tliev had taken Ridge House, partly in order to 'be on the spot whilst maturing their plans, and parti) to S,ve a convenient place to which to rather, unfortun-atcly-a few hours after the burglaij. Calvert had taken an apoplectic it. an.l bad thereby iH'set bis confederate Ins for leaving-next morning, with their booty, for London li. niake m.a ters worse. Calvert bail bi ( n » • the time of the robbery by one of < iSrwnU at the Hall, and a -; «r to; 1 accurate description of 1»'» hands of the local police. Tn thosf rircnmstaiK-e*. ;; jL^and in a. doctor in the oi«nwr> w . J lest bo should 0. yil

erocU the note, Ba)l i, iX m, dragged h'im 'off horse, and carried

will befall voh $ T^tS^Xul^tasifyou! t - write a" 'orescriotion. which I'll and take to HißhftoM and get

dl 'iTt£ MM i..tl.nc-' lie Mill, W| ,i iii 1»p kor>t !t dose priaonor, " ,,,t y " U i SJeWe rnrv coUl«*divert is woll.'vou ™U ™"d an 'ad«quate fee, and -within a", hour Of our ?eael,ing London your wife „ [ receive a telegram informing lev

I that von are lying, bound and gauged, j but otherwise unharmed, at tudge I House." I How Dr. Banliam accepted these | terms, and how tile plot was brought ' to iu tight by Sextou Blake, is now" a 1 matter of history For the rest) it only i "•mams to add that the whole 01' the | proceeds of the robbery at Birkendale I Jiall were found at Kidge House, and I thai Lerougc, SniKlison, and Calvert—- ! who eventually recovered—are at piei »<••»"' wijo.viug His .Majesty's hospitality I at Dartmoor.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19090220.2.24

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,817

THE STORYTELLER. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 3

THE STORYTELLER. Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 23, 20 February 1909, Page 3

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