The Piccadilly Puzzle

died when she was young and left her to the guardianship of Sir Rupert Balscombe, who certainly fulfilled his trust admirably.

after; but when added to these gifts it was also discovered that she possessed twenty thousand a year in her own right, she be

, with nothing to recommend him but a handsome face, a clever brain and a witty tongue. In vain Lord Calliston asked her to be his wife, she coolly refused hi

or a moment suspected the truth. He wanted his ward to marry Calliston, but when that fickle young man ran off with Lady Balscombe he changed his tune altogether, and had May been clever enough to have taken advantage of his dismay, he would doubtless have consented to her union with Myles despite the disadvantages of the match. Sir Rupert was paralysed at the scandal caused by his wife's elopement. He was deeply in love with her,

ntil some definite settlement of the matter had been arrived at. She had written several times to Myles asking him to see her, but on some plea or another he had always refused to come, mu

cealed her face. Thus disguised she had no fear of being recognised, and arrived at the rendezvous about five minutes past three o'clock. There she found Myles waiting for her and they walked tog

uld by seen by Desmond, so when Flip saw May join the young Irishman he knew it wa

le--two ordinary looking figures not calculated to attract much notice, for, the day being cold,

tly engaged in spelling out a dirty bit of newspaper, b

a conversation begu

you?" said May, evident

gloomily, "and I cannot open

hy

an explanation of the events of

y n

nt, at which the

y reason--st

es

reason-

owed hi

a shade paler an

I have given up all else for your sake, because I thought

e; it simply involves the breaking of a promise given to a woman, and you

d at him

any man's honour?"

swered Myles quietly. "It is simp

t love thee

not hono

these days, I grant you, but unfortunately I inherit loyal bl

u will

the worst," he replie

took and pressed slightly. So thus,

r some cogitation, came to the conclusion it was a scene out of a play.

u to tell me all that Lady Ba

t when sh

es

ng her pretty brows, "we went

hat t

n nine

time did y

Balscombe said she had a headache and went home. You know our house is only a fe

ned when sh

waiting to see he

eated Desmond;

She saw Lady Balscombe and then left

o you

id tol

e did Lady Ba

ent to bed because of her headache, and, I suppose, depa

ir Rupert al

lscombe had quarrelled lately and occupied different rooms. Besides, he went off to

ave a lette

why do you ask al

on. Now, between the time I left the chambers and the time I met Spencer Ellersby I was wandering about the streets and, as I spoke to no one, I cannot prove an alibi. Ellersby met me coming up St. James' Street, and the scene

but what has Lady Ba

h the ten minutes past nine train from London Bridge; but did he catch it? I think not, because he would not have left town without Lady Balscombe, and from your own showing, she did not leave

hink Calliston k

ke to have all his movements on that night accounted for. As for myself, I am in a very aw

hy

ht comes back I canno

u are i

n you do

certain

lawful men will be as certain," he

th all the conversation he had heard in the Park indelibly inscribed on his brain, Flip darted away, to give his patron an accur