The Crime and the Criminal

  CHAPTER XIV.

  SELLING BOOMJOPFS.

  The newspapers on the Wednesday and Thursday were beyond myunderstanding. I had never before so clearly realised how great a stira little thing might make. The little incident at Three Bridges hadassumed the dimensions of an event of national importance. Had one ofthe great decisive battles of the world just been fought it couldscarcely have seemed to occupy a greater space in the public mind.Everywhere the words stared you in the face, everywhere you heard thewords slipping from somebody's tongue--Three Bridges Tragedy! At leastthe thing received a magnificent advertisement. What a heap of moneywould have been required to procure a similar advertisement forPickemup's Pills.

  They appeared to have got the business into an elegant muddle. Eitherthe luck was on my side, or some one had blundered. People seemed tohave leaped to the conclusion that Louise had been thrown from apassing train--my pitching the body over the hedge on to the railwayembankment, read by the light of after events, amounted to a stroke ofinspiration. The papers were full of observations on the dangers ofEnglish railway travelling. Why were not our carriages all thrown opento the world? Our present system of horse-boxes rendered it possiblefor the innocent A. to be cooped up with the dangerous B. through sixtymiles of country. The means provided for inter-communication, thealarm-bell, and all the rest of it, were fatally insufficient, aswitness this most horrid instance. As I read I stared.

  From my point of view the most extraordinary part of the affair wasthat there actually seemed some excuse for the public blundering.Immediately after the arrival at Victoria of the 8.40 from Brighton, ithad been discovered that the window of one of the first-class carriageswas smashed to shivers, the compartment was stained with blood, andbore every appearance of having been the scene of a recent struggle.That was the very train which had passed while Louise and I had beenarguing at the gate--had another little argument been taking place onboard the train? But what capped the record was a statement which hadbeen volunteered by a Brighton porter. He declared--or was stated tohave declared--that he had shown a lady into the identical compartmentin which the window was smashed, just as the train was starting; thatthe only other passenger the compartment contained was a gentleman,whom, if he saw him again, he thought he should recognise;and--_mirabile dictum!_ he had seen the body which had been found onthe line, and in the dead woman had instantly recognised the lady hehad shown into the carriage. The question now was--all the world wasasking it--where was the gentleman?

  Yes--where was he?

  On the Thursday I received another line from Groeden--"Sell Boomjopfs."This recalled to my mind the fact that, by the Monday morning's post,he had counselled me to buy them. I had started Citywards to act on hisadvice. The curious coincidence of finding Mr. Tennant scribblingLouise's name all over a sheet of paper had prevented my putting myintention into execution.

  Groeden's latest advice sent me to the money article. Since MondayBoomjopfs had gone up fourteen. What an ass I had truly been! A prettypile I had thrown away! What little game Mr. Groeden and his friends atJohannesburg were up to, I was not sufficiently in the know to be ableto say. I took it that, the bulls having had an innings, the bears wereto have their turn. The top price having been reached, the word was"Knock 'em." So off I went to sell what I had been fool enough to justmiss buying.

  I thought that I would give Tennant another try. When I reached AustinFriars I was informed that he was ill--had been away from the officesince Monday. While I was hesitating what I should do--whether, thatis, I should give a commission to his managing man, or go elsewhere--Iheard a voice in the inner office which rather made me cock my ears.

  The voice was my rascally brother's. He was not speaking in a whisper.His words struck me as queer ones.

  "If Mr. Tennant takes my advice, he'll see me though he's dying."

  "I shall see Mr. Tennant at his private address to-night. I will tellhim what you say. What name shall I give?"

  "Name? Tell him the gentleman who came up with him on Sunday night fromBrighton."

  I went out into the street, still not clear in my mind as to what Ishould do. Presently, along came Alexander. But what a change had comeover him since Monday! Then he was a faded ruin; now he was a vision ofsplendour. He was arrayed in new garments from top to toe--and notgarments which had been procured at a slop-shop either. Alexander musthave come into a fortune. The glory of him made one blink one's eyes.

  Again, at sight of me he did not seem glad.

  "Still out?" I began.

  "Sir!" He pulled his hat more over to the side of his head. "Allow meto point out to you that the fact of your being my brother does notentitle you to insult me. May I ask what you mean by saying 'Stillout'?"

  "My dear Alexander, is it possible that you can think me capable ofinsulting you? I am only too glad to see that you still are out. And insuch gorgeous apparel! What universal provider have you been inspiringwith confidence?"

  He drew his imitation astrachan cuffs further down over his wrists.

  "I believe, my dear Reginald, that I informed you on Monday that I am aprivate detective on a considerable scale. As such, it is part of mybusiness to wear disguises. You saw me in one of them on Monday. Atthis moment I am in my usual attire."

  "Indeed! and excellently it becomes you. Almost anybody might mistakeyou for a respectable person. Alexander, by the way, what was that youwere saying about your having come up with Mr. Tennant on Sunday nightfrom Brighton?"

  Alexander looked at me for a moment as if my question had knocked thesense right out of him. Then, without a word, turning into a narrowpassage which was on our right, he walked off down it at the rate of agood five miles an hour. I let him go, though what had sent him off insuch a style at such a pace was hidden from me.

  I did sell Boomjopfs, but not through Mr. Tennant's managing man.

  That night was to be the second meeting of the club. I dressed when Igot home: then I put my proofs into my pocket. After a solitary dinnerI started off to give back to the Club its Honour.