The Strange Case of Mortimer Fenley

Yard, had just opened the morning's letters, and was virtuously resisting the placid charms of

t telephoned here, believes that a rifle was fired from a neighboring wood, but several minutes elapsed before any one realized that the banker was shot, the first impression of the servants who ran to his assistance when he staggered and fell being that he was suffering from apoplexy. By the time the cause of deat

inter, while listening,

is morning, sir

me. The affair happened

rt in fiv

way, who wil

Furne

nds, Superintendent. Let me hear the f

s departments in quick succession, gave a series of orders, sorted his letters hastily, thrusting some into a drawer and others int

certain reasons why the habit of smoking to excess was injurious, and his (Winter

to make sure that the outer leaf was burning evenly. "You and I are off for a jaunt

other place, is paved with go

of automatic pistols from a drawer

ose in your po

colleague sm

'bus driver's h

banker, name of Fenley, has been

ot Mortime

o you k

dler. Don't you remember those bonds which disappeared so mysteriously two months ago from the s

Is that th

o such a trifle as the theft of ten thousand pounds' worth of negotiable

an Emperor deigned to take

lobster sticking rubies and d

winked

at the Futurist Exhibition," he said. "But

ponsible position, though he combined with the official demeanor some of the easy-going characteristics of a country squire; but Charles Fran?ois Furneaux was so unlike the detective of r

tive intelligence; an expressive mouth bespoke clear and fluent speech; his quick, alert movements were those of the mimetic actor. Winter stood six feet in height, and weighed two hundred and ten pounds; Furneaux

n and Little 'Un of the Yard were hot on his track. Winter seldom failed to arrive at the only sound conclusion from ascertained facts, whereas Furneaux had an almost uncanny knowledge of the kinks and obl

d robbery in mind, and expected now that another "mystery" would be solved. Scotland Yard guards many secrets which shirk the glare of publicity. Some may never be explained; but by far the larger propor

g tongue joyously when laid on the scent; dangerous then, they became mute and deadly when the quarry was in sight. In private life they were firm friends; officially, Furneaux

he speed limit was off and the car was responding gayly to the accelerator. Then Winter threw away the last inch of

e said, finding Fur

think evil,"

moke so much," said

usness you'll be like a bear with a sore head before we pass Stanmore. Besides, consider

fresh Havana. "Now tell me about Fenley and the ten tho

y, I was bothered by Fenley at first. I believe he lost the bonds right enough, for he gave the numbers, and was horribly upset when it was foun

hat and caught the eight-forty to the City one morning fifty years ago. I followed him home on a Saturday afternoon. The bookstall clerk at Liverpool Street handed him The Amateur

of the

eality, he is a first-rate wastrel. In my distress I harked back to the old man, to whom the loss of the bonds represented something considerably less than a year's expenditure. He is mixed up in all sorts of enterprises-rubber, tea, pict

er n

ng in millions today; tomorrow

enty years, by the way. Before that he was unknown. He began by the amalgamation of some tea plantations in

ase it led to

new who touched the proceeds of those bonds I migh

like that," said Winter, affecting

of a Carnegie. Look at the way you bungled that affair of Lady Morris's diamonds

oked comp

on the thief within half an hour, and never los

Street

thing of the sort with r

the family; he blinked at me like an owl, said that he would give thought to the sugge

a pretty good guess in associating the bonds a

, of

her members o

nning-a ward, and worth a pile. By the way, she's twenty. Mortimer Fenley, had

!" muse

ten," snap

a figure in the Ci

tter would be stimulated

s should be a

ters of an exciting story. They will be missing. Look at the repeated failures of eminent au

ded to those bonds. Who ha

ues F

a goo

ir, for a

r lau

ere's a Roxton sign post. Now let's comp

t gate. A woman came from the lodge to inquire their business, and admitted

rneaux carelessly, "i

, s

did he

I don't

e well, and Furneaux

enue. "The lady of the lodge will be a sufficiently tough proposition if we try to drag in

lso the head keep

ates," add

been here be

kennels generally, I was deciphering a

e begun this inquiry ye

ad man's limousine is still waiting at the d

J. Ste

e Georgian house in the center of

vailable men servants having been transferred to the c

t, when last we met, that I should be compelled to seek you

e liveliness of expression or become a mask of India

nt Winter, Chief of m

ithout delay, sir," explained Winter. He glanced at his watch. "We

t was eloquent of the grim object beneath. In the dining-room were an elderly man and a slim, white-faced girl. Had Trenholme been present h

self to a degree of self-control. His sallow skin held a greenish pallor, and as if to satisfy some instinct that demanded movement he took an occasional slow stride across the

at the table, which still bore the disordered array of breakfast. "But,

ey n

ive, and we were fairly punctual today. My father and Sylvia, Miss Manning, came in together-they had been talking in the hall previously. I saw them entering the room as I came do

e that I was going to Victoria by a later train, having an appointment at eleven o'clock with Lord Ventnor, chairman of a company we are bringing out.) I stood on the stairs, saying something

very fine morning my father lighted a cigar there. In rain or high wind he would light up inside the house. By th

ere is no shooting at this season. A little later-some few seconds-I heard Sylvia scream. I did not rush out instantly to discover the cause. Young ladies sometime

n and Brodie trying to lift him. I think-in fact, I am sure now from what Dr. Stern tells me-that my father was dead before I reached him. We all thought at first that he had yielded t

is of importance in a case of t

was it, exactly? Do y

at I thought I recognized the sound of Bob's .450. Why

arful ring which became almost hysterical in t

is right hand to his eyes, while th

ompletely at a loss we all were to account for my father's wound. I helped Tomlinson and Brodie to carry him to the settee in the hall. Then we-Tomlinson, that is-opened his waistcoat and shirt. Tomlinson

if that is what you are afraid o

police. But it seems that Bates, our head keeper hurrying to investigate the cause of the shot, met some artist coming away from the other side of the wood. The Roxton police constable too, met and sp

broke in Furneaux, spea

re animated. "I wanted Farrow to wait till you came, b

d Farrow

mother knows nothing of the tragedy yet. That is why we did not carry my poor fa

"Have you the remotest reason to believe that any person harbored a grievance ag

d I can say candidly that he had no enemies. Of course, in business, one interferes occasio

sed servant, sent off becau

he youngest man on the estate has be

xtraordinary cr

nk into a chair and buri

?" said Furneaux. His thin, high-pitched voice di

ommands a view of the house," he said. "Perh

steadily enough. Winter followed with t

ut the soft-nosed

as in the Tirah campaign, and

d something to sa

ated during brea

nto the garden, with its background of timber and park. Mr. Mortimer Fenley could ha

, but you saw no one in or n

n estate order that the men do not go in that direction between eight and nine o'cl

bathe thi

on after

artist of whom

of any artist. Bates must have menti

station. Farrow was bursting with impatience to reveal the discoveries he had made, though resolved to keep locked in his own breast the secret confided by Bates. He was thoroug

e which has been mentioned-

nearly a year ago, when he was pla

I see

, who was standing with the

the gun rack in Mr. Robert's den?" he

e result of the tramp through the trees, went indoors. Soon he c

d huskily, "but the

the

poke; the others received t

, m

ite sure?"

n rack, sir, nor in

Fenley clearly fo

him. Or Mr. Robert may have taken it to the makers. I remember n

was forming in certain minds that it could not be there. Indeed, the keeper's con