The Borough Treasurer

eet was only a few minutes' walk. Mallalieu was a quick walker, and he covered this distance at his top speed.

sts for an hour after supper. Without a doubt Cotherstone had lost his head and done this foolish thing! And now Cotherstone must be protected, safe-guarded; heaven and earth must be moved lest suspicion should fall

ything-anything, at whatever cost of morals and honesty to divert suspicion from that fool of a Cotherstone!-if it were not already too late. It was the desire to make sure that it was not too late, the desire to be beforehand, that made Mallalieu hasten to the po

d know exactly when and where to waylay Kitely. The filching of the piece of cord from the wall of Harborough's shed was a clever thing-infernally clever, thought Mallalieu, who had a designing man's whole-hearted admiration for any sort of cleverness in his own particular line. It would be an easy thing to do-and what a splendidly important thing! Of course Cotherstone knew all about Harborough's arrangements-he would often pass the pig-killer's house-from the hedge of the garden he would have seen the coils of greased rope hanging from their

t returned and in consultation with the superintendent, whom he ha

, bustling forward. "Mr. Bent told me. No

aper on a side-table, preparatory to being sealed up. Mallalieu crossed over and made a short

n done?" h

superintendent. "We were just consu

have made for one place or another, to get away by train. And ask 'em at Norcaster to lend you a few plain-clothes men, and to send 'em along here at once by motor-there's no train till morning. Then, get all your own men out-now!

borough, then?" sai

"It's your duty to get him, anyway, and if he can clear himself, why, let him. Get busy with

out of his office and Malla

sekeeper of Kitely's said the old fellow had been to

. "Some allowance, or something of that sort, that

e it on him when he was a

"We understood from her it was his habit. She says he always had a good bit on him

the bank manager and rouse him. Now you get your men together-this

h's-in case Harborough should come back during the night," said the serg

manded Mallalieu. "I'

which the bank manager lived. There was not a soul about in the street, and the ringing of the bell at the bank-house door, and the loud knock which Mallalieu gave in suppl

visitor in his dressing-gown and slippers, stood aghast w

d time he's been here since he came to the town. He called here a day or two after he first took that hous

he more readily because he had been fully prepared for the q

. He told me he'd had-I believe it was getting on to forty years' service in the police fo

alieu, showing surpri

ugh," said the bank-ma

Mallalieu.

ook his money," answered the bank-manager. "

in silence for a time. Then the b

another man for what he could get," he went on. "But Kitely had a nice bit of money to carry away, and

aid Mallalieu. "You say Harboro

s standing by him. The old man put it-notes and g

ring at the carpet. "Well, that's a sort of additional clue,"

ely," observed the bank-manager. "They may be useful

u shook

-just yet. It's a queer business, isn't it-but, as I say, the

s puzzled. For the doctor said to him what he had said to Cotherstone and to Bent and to the rest of the group in the wood-that whoever had strangled Kitely had had experience in that sort of grim work before-or else he

to the police-station. "Aye-aye!-that seems to show knowledge. But it's not my

d policemen when Mallalieu rejoined them. He waited until the policemen

this morning-or yesterday morning, as it now is-when Kitely drew his money. There may be n

nodded, but his m

town that he has money of his own: he's always been a bit of a mystery ever since I can remember. He could afford to give that daughter of his a good education-good as a young lady gets-and he spends plenty, and I

lalieu. "He'll have to be sought for. If he's

ell, I'm doing all I can. We've got our own men out, and there's three

aught turns up,"

it was again busy-and curious. For he and Cotherstone, both keen business men who believed in constant supervision of their workmen, were accus

re coming up to Mallalieu. In the half light of the morning he looked pretty much as usual-but Mallalieu noticed a certain worn look

ose to him as they stood in a vacan

esponded

that he had brought from his house. He eyed his partner with fu

about it?" said Cotherston

llalieu, drily. "

e was no one near him, but he

allalieu another side glance, "so long as he hadn't sai

herstone. And Cotherstone began to grow re

alieu, at last. "Ay

aimed Cotherstone, roused

treet into the yard, caught sight of the two par

he asked. "They've brought Harborough do