My Strangest Case

be considered so. All things and all men do not run in grooves. A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense. I have met murderers who did not

odd in the cruellest fashion possible, and by so doing had condemned them to the most fiendish torture the mind of man could conceive

ore I found it, but at last I was successful. To my astonishment the stone was plainly a new one, and the grave was tastefully decorated with flowers. As a matter of fact it was one of the prettiest in its neighbourhood, and to me this told its own tale. I went in search of the necessary official and put the case to

tleman, who must be a relative of the d

nd of his sister. The way he stood and looked at that stone the last time he was here was touching to see. He'd been in forei

d, and I pricked up

ld not be very difficult to obtain his address. But I knew from experience that when things seemed to be running most smoothly, they are as much liable to a breakdown as at any other time - sometimes even more so. I accordingly hailed a cab and drove back to my office. Once there I ent

articular occasion, the night being fine, though rather close, I lit my cigar in the hall and stepped out into the street exactly as the clock was striking eight. I had a lot to think of, and felt just in the humour for a walk. London at all hours is a fascinating study to me, and however much I see of her, I never tire of watching her moods. After I left my hotel I strolled along the Embankment so far as the Houses of Parliament, passed the Abbey, made my way down Victoria Street, and then by way of Grosvenor Place to Hyde Park Corner. Opposite Apsley House I paused to look about me. I had my reasons for so doing, for ever since I had left the river-side, I had entertained the notion that I was being followed. When I had crossed the road at the Houses of Parliament, two men, apparently of the loafer class, had crossed too. They had followed me up Victoria Street, and now, as I stood outside the Duke of Wellington's residence, I could see them moving about on the other side of the way. What their intentions were I could not say, but that their object was to spy upon my movements, I was quite convinced. In order to assure myself of this fact I resolved t

e had disposed of his stones, had seen more of him than Messrs. Jacob and Bulenthall. Two had dined with him at a certain popular restaurant in Regent Street, and had visited a theatre with him afterwards. In neither case, however, had they discovered his name or where he lived. This secret he guarded most religiously, and the fact that he did so, afforded additional food for reflection. If he imagined his old companions to be dead, why should he be so anxious that his own identity, and his place of residence, should remain a secret? If they were safely out of the way, no one could possibly know of his

was ordered to be at the corner of my street at half-past eight. He was to wait there until I emerged from my hotel, himself remaining as far as possible out of sight. On this occasion I had planned my route deliberately. I made my way

n this point. I had plenty of enemies, I knew, as a man of my profession must of necessity have, but I could not think of one who would pry upon my movements like this. At last the time came for action. Turning into a side street, I slackened my pace in order to give my pursuers time to come up. Apart from ourse

eep your distance. It's no use thinking of violence, for I've got

man replied. "I'll ta

ILL,' SAID THE TALL

e taller of the two men, and as

at it is not lawful to carry firearms in the streets of London, but when one ha

t demur. Then turning to the taller

pleases. If he does not, let me assure him that he will get into trouble. Your intention to 'out me,' as you call it, has failed, as you can see, a

and the man I addressed seemed to think too. After a whispered conversation

eft behind, "you will come along with me to my

while Wilson followed close behind and lit the gas. He then passed into the outer office, leaving me alone with my prisoner. On closer inspection he proved to be a burly ruffian, and wou

you know where you are a

on yer afore last night, and I don't know yer bl

t your strong point," I com

per from the rack upon my

steal over his face. He looked from it

ec, the same as got poor old Bil

, look here, my man, there's some one else at the back of this business, and what I want to know is, who put you up to try your hand upon me? Tell me that, and I will let you go

a moment bef

ed the gentleman at Rickford's Hotel laid by for a time. He told us 'ow yer were in the habit of going about the streets at night for walks, and said as 'ow he would be down near the hotel that evenin' and when yer came out, he would strike a match and light a smoke just ter give us the tip like. We wos to foller yer, and to do the job wherever we

rst attempt, you followed me again to-night

agoin' to see any money this trip. If I'd ha' knowed who yo

quiries before you commence business. And I understand you to say that the gentl

said the fellow. "He'

continued. "It's a pity he should not see some one

lar toff - he was - free with his rhino as could be, and dressed up to th

t of your wealth. As it is you have had all your trouble for nothing. Now, that's all I want to say to you, so you can go and join your amiable companions as soon as you like. Just one word of a

bell and told Wilson to

iscover who my mysterious enemy can be. It might be Grobellar, but I fancy he is still in Berlin. There's Tremasty, but I don't

ulted it. It was just half-past eleven, therefore I had exactly half-an-hour to get to the rendezvous

"They were a nasty pair of chaps, and would have thought as

goes, 'a miss has never killed a man yet.' And now, Wilson, you'd b

wered, and then I put on

the sky, and a few drops of rain were falling. At first I felt inclined to take a cab, but on second tho

noisy altercation with a policeman, who was threatening to take him to Bow Street if he did not go quietly home, and at last approached the spot for which I was making. I t

loak, and wore a deer-stalker hat upon his head. That he was the man I wanted I felt sure, for what would any one else be doing there at such an hour? That he was surprised at not finding his bravoes awaiting him was very certain, for he looked up the street, down the street, peered into Holywell Street, where, thank goodness, he did not see me, then along the Strand in a westerly direction, and afterwards came and took up his position within half-a-dozen paces of where I was hidden. Presentl

ed! What on earth did it