THE STORYTELLER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 104, 29 May 1909, Page 4

THE STORYTELLER.

THE EMPTY TIN. gEXTOX BLAKE SHOWS THAT WHERE THERE'S A WILL THERE'S A WAY.

The good ship Darley Dale, homeward bound from Valparaiso to Hull, came ashore on a wild and stormy October afternoon in Clewden Bay, on the Sussex coast. Thanks to the gallantry of the local lifeboat meat, every soul aboard was saved; but, in- jumping from the wreck to the lifeboat, one ot the crew, named William Sheen, slipped and fell. He struck his head -with so much force that he became unconscious. The rescued men were taken to the village inn —the Golden Lion —where 6been, after -being examined by the local doctor, was undres*d and put to bed. The rest were provided- with dry clothes I and dosed with hot beef-tea and coffee. J Then Mrs. Brewster, the landlord's wife,; ■who was extremely short-sighted, set to | work to dry the twenty-four dripping! suits of clothes belonging to the ship-1 wrecked mariners. I When shaking the water out of | Sheen's eoat something fell from one of I the pockets. Sirs. Brewster picked it j up, and found it was a fiat, oval tin canister, such as tobacco is often sold In. The tin was empty, the outside label had -been removed, and the lid was missing. Thinking it was of no value, she tossed it abide. Later in the day—to be precise, about one o'clock on Friday afternoon—Jimmy Brewster, the landlord'* five-year-old son, searching round for something to play with, found the tin which had fallen out of Sheen's coat-pocket. Unseen by

anybody, he picked it up, and left the / house for the beach, to make sand-pies. About a quarter of aa hour later Sheen recovered consciousness. As soon as' he was able to speak he asked for his eoat. Mrs. Brewster and Captain Smith were in the bedroom at the time. The captain' handed Sheen his coat, and Sheen, with a strained- and anxious look on his face, thrust his hand into one. of the pockets. A look of dismay crossed his face when he found that the pocket was empty. "There was a terbaccer-tin in one of these 'ere pockets when I came ashore," he said, striving with a visible effort to s'peak calmly. "It isn't 'ere now. Where is itl" "A hempty tin without a lid?" asked Mrs. Brewster. ' "Yes," said Sheen eagerly. "I -threw it away," said Mrs. Brewster. "Threw it away?" screamed Sheen, his eyes ablaze with fury, and every fibre of his being quivering with excitement. "Yes," said iMr». Brewster. "It fell out of yer pocket while I was dryin' yer coat. I didn't think you'd ever want it, so I threw it away. But I dare say I can find it." "Find it at once," commanded Sheen. "It's worth 'undreds of pounds to me!" Convinced that the man was raving, Mrs. Brewster went downstairs and sought for tiie missing tin. Of course, she did not find it. j "I can't find it anywhere," she said to Sheen, returning to the bedroom"lt's been swept up with the rest of the rubbish, I expect, an/ thrown into the Bea. I'm sorry—" The sentence was never completed, for at that moment, with a wild, despairing try, Sheen sank back, and became again ' unconscious. I "An apoplectic fit," said the doctor, who' was hastily summoned to the inn. "Brought on by too much excitement."

Sexton Blake happened to be Staying at the Golden Lion at thie time, having gone down to.Oleveden to search the parish registers in connection with a case he had on hand. 'Terhaps Mr. Blake will be able to explain what it all means," said the cap* tain. . "Explain what!" asked Sexton Blake. The captain told him what had happened. "It all sounds very improbable," said Sexton Blake. "An empty tobacco-tin worth hundreds of pounds! Surely th< man must have been raving!" "He wasn't," said the captain. "He was an sane as you or L" "Had you ever heard of him speak of the tin before?" "Never.". ' "Who is the man? Where does he come from, and what do you know of his previous history!" •'I know very little of his previous history. He ■isn't' one of my regular crew. <}.'. As a matter of fact, I found him on an uninhabited island off the west coast of South America." "That sounds interesting. In what , . circumstances did you find him on this uninhabited island Off the west coast of y South America!" .•'We had been driven somewhnt out ' of Our course by a storm, and as we .- were passing the island we saw a man making signals to us. I sent a boat ashore, of course, and the man was brought aboard." "He had been shipwrecked on the v island!" "Yes. You remember, no doubt, the WTeck of the Ocean Queen?" The detective .pondered for a moment. "The Ocean Queen," he repeated. "Was that the name of Sir Everard Milson's yadht wfoich was lost in the South Pacific with all hands about nine or ten months ago!" "Yes," said Captain Smith. "At least, the vessel was supposed to have foundered iwith all hands, but it appears

v that Sir Everard and this' man Sheen—- '/ who was'one of the crew of the yacht—- * were washed ashore on one of the numerous uninhabited islands in the vicinity of the disaster. Both men had been badly knocked about, and Sir Everard snceninbed to his injuries shortly after landing on the island. Sheen, however, pulled through, and had been living alone on the island for over six months when we found him and took him off. As the captain uttered these last words' a weedy-looking but fashionably-dressed young fellow walked into the bar-parlor of the inn, where the above-recorded discussion had taken place. "Are you Captain Smith?" he asked, addressing the captain, and either not seeing et ignoring Sexton Blake. "Yes, sir?' T "My name is Baldwin," said the new arrival- "I'm the w;phew of the late Sir Kverard Milscm. I received a letter from Kio de Janeiro a little time ago from a man named Sheen, who stated

that he was' one of the crew of my late ancle'* yacht; that he and Sir Everard had n«t been drowned when the yacht .had gone dawn, but had been washed ashore on a desert island; that Sir Everard had died on the island, but that he —Sheen—had recovered (ram his injuries and had subsequently been reamed by

your ship. Is that true!" true, sir," said Captain Smith. "Sheen told me that Sir Everard had given hint your name and address, and had told him you were his only living 1 relative; so when we put into Bio to coal he said he'd like to write to you, and I gave .him a sheet of paper and an envelope and money to buy g stamp." ■"When J opened my newspß|«if at Irre*Wa«t><iflif this morning." said Mr. Baldwin, ''l saw that your ship had been -wrecked here .wslwd'ay afternoon, and that this man Sfcee* luui been carried to this inn in an unconscious condition. As | ini naturally anxious to qaestjon him ptait nvy uncle's last moments a|L the earßest possible opportunity. I took tfce first available train down here. Is he ftmseious mnrV \"o, sir," said Captain Smith. "He

wo rered contfelousitess about threequarters of an hour ago, but a few mlnubie later he became to excited that lie took «i apoplectic fit, aad again b3eame unconscious." "What cr.-<t'as the cause of his excwitement?" asJswi Mr. Baldwin nervottslv. "You'll hardly believe «« when I tell , '«. sir," said the captain! "but the * V ig that threw him into a fit «*« the mews that Mrs. Brewster, the landlord's' 1 wife, had thrown away an empty to--s>acco-tin which she had found in one of liia pockets." Mr, Baldwin started as if he had been gtunned. , An exultant look leaped into • , btt face, arid before lie could repress ,',« them, two word? burst from his lips: *'*/ , "Thank Heafen!" 'Ji ' .He regained his composure with an f£ *ffdrt. and ebvioiiisly ivgretted iia inj§f ' Tolnatary outburst.' h.y . "I—l, mean." he faltered, "how very BL' etrangel And cannot the tin l>e found?"

fe , _ -"No, sir," «uid Mrs. Brewster. "It ftl* "m«t W been »w*pt up by ttic servant I , mid thrown Into the uen. But can yer & liimagine why *e made «n* a fuss about mc " rtr

"''whose face was now wreathed in Hrrrles. | f»c He turned to Caiptnin .Smith. ( I'j "Altlioiiirli Sheen !•>' unconscious." lie ' ''"wtid, "T should like to hnve a look at |liiin. if-1 may. Will you take, me up to aciCajitain Smith assented, and he and apt, Baldwin left the room. Scarcely disappeared ere Jimmy Brew9mg|M<U«d into the bar-parlor, weeping

I "Daddy," lie aifbocd, addressing his father, "Bob Walker pushed me down and took my tin, and he won't give it I back to me!" "What tin?" said lu's father. "1 found it under the kitchen cup- , board," said Jimmy. "1 was playing j with it on the sands, when Bob " Before he could say more his mother caught him by the arm. "Wa» it an empty tobaceo-lin without la lid?'' she asked excitedly. | "Yes," said Jimmy, through his tears. Mrs. Brewster turned to her husband.

"That's the tin that Sheen is making all this fuss about!" she said. "1 threw it into the corner under the cupboard, an' Jimmy must 'ave found it." She moved towards the door, but Sexton Blake blocked the way. "Where arc you going!" asked the detective. "To tell Mr. Baldwin that the tin is' fouud," said Mrs. Brewster. "Don't!" said Sexton Blake. "There is more in this, 1 fancy, than appears on the surface. 11l interview Bob Walker and get the tin; but, until I come back, don't mention a iword of this I to anvbodv."

He turned to Jimmy and held out his hand.

I "Don't cry, old mail!" he said. "Take I me to Bob Walker, and 111 jolly soon imake him give up vour tin!" j. 111. ! Bob Walker, a desperado of six and ahalf, dropped the tin at sight of Sexton Blake, and took to his heels. The de- | tcctive picked it up and carefully ex- ' amined it. On the outside several words' [had been scratched, apparently with a nail or some similar implement. '•l'm afraid I shall -have to keep this [tin, Jimmy," he said. "As Mr. Sheen. 6aid, it's worth hundreds of pounds— of pounds, in fact! Here's a penny for you. That's better than a rotten old tin, isn't it?" Jimmy evidently thought so, for he' grabbed the penny and dashed off to the nearest sweet-shop, without so much as a "Thank you."

"And now for a word or two with Mr. Baldwin," muttered Sexton Blake. He retraced his steps to the inn, where he fouud that Mr. Baldwin and Captain Smith had just come downstairs, and were chatting to Mr. and Mrs. Brewster in the bar-parlor. "Can anybody tell me who Digby White is, and where he lives ?" asked the detective.

Mr. Baldwin spun round with ,a startled gasp. Before he could reply the doctor walked in.

"Did I hear somebody mention the name of Digby White?" he asked. "Yes," said Sexton Blake; "I was just asking if anybody could tell me who he is ana where he "lives."

"Do you mean the Digby White who was adopted by Sir Everard Mil6on, of Birmingham, many years ago?" enquired the doctor.'

"That's the man, without a doubt/' said Sexton Blake triumphantly. "Yes," said the doctor. "He's the son of an old friend of mine, who was also a very dear friend of Sir Evcrard's. His parents died when he was twelve years old, and left him absolutely penniless. Sir Everard, who had quarrelled witJt his only relative—a nephew, I believe—on account of his dissolute habits, adopted Digby, and announced that he would make him his heir.

"As you probably know," he continued, "Sir Everard way drowned last year, and after his death it was found that he had never made, a will. The result was that his scoundrel of a nephew -nßoldwin, I fancy, -was his nameclaimed, and obtained, possession of all Sir Everard's money, and Digby White was turned adrift without a pennv." 'Thank you," said Sexton *B!akc. "That's all I want to know. And now permit me to introduce you to Sir Everard's nephew, Mr. Baldwin." The doctor reddened with confusion. "I beg your pardon," he said to Mr. Baldwin. "Needles* to say, I had no idea mho you were, or I would not have said what I did."

"You have said nothing you need regret," said Sexton Blake. "At the same time, however, you have said something which is not correct. It is not true to say that Sir Everard never made a will. He did make a will"

'"lt's a lie!" shouted Mr. Baldwin. "My uncle never made a will!" "Unfortunately fur you, he did!" said Sexton Blake. "And you know it! And here it is."

Saying which, he drew the empty to-bacco-tin from his pocket, and pointed to the words which lmd been scratched on the outside.

"All to Digby White. Everard Milson. Dec. 10th, 1907. Witness William Sheen."

"It doesn't require any special acumen to what has happened in this case,' 1 said Sexton Blake. "When Sir Everard and Sheen were cast ashore on that island in the Pacific. Sir Everard. finding In- was dying, knowing Ik- had made no will, scratched this on the outside of this tin, probably with a nail, and got Sheen to scratch his name as witness.

"Probably nay, certainly —he told Sheen why he was making this strange will, and gave him Digbv White's address. •

"Sheen was a scoundrel, and a blackmailer to boot. He wrote to Mr. Baldwin, telling him all the circumstances of the case, and offering to sell hirn the box. That was why It was worth hundredi) of pounds to him. J shall of course, take this will to Digby White—" lie paused, for Mr. Baldwin had suddenly leaped to his feet, and was standing before him with clenched fists. "Look out!" shouted Captain Smith. "He's going to strike vou!"

The detective smiled, and looked the baffled scoundrel full in the face. "I wouldn't ,rv it on if I v-"ro vou " he said.

And Mr. Baldwin didn't.—Answers.