CHAPTER XV
ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHER
Although Stoner hailed from Darlington, he had no folk of his own leftthere--they were all dead and gone. Accordingly he put himself up at acheap hotel, and when he had taken what its proprietors called a meattea, he strolled out and made for that part of the town in which hisfriend Myler had set up housekeeping in a small establishment whereinthere was just room for a couple of people to turn round. Itsaccommodation, indeed, was severely taxed just then, for Myler's fatherand mother-in-law had come to visit him and their daughter, and whenStoner walked in on the scene and added a fifth the tiny parlour wasfilled to its full extent.
"Who'd ha' thought of seeing you, Stoner!" exclaimed Myler joyously,when he had welcomed his old chum, and had introduced him to the familycircle. "And what brings you here, anyway? Business?"
"Just a bit of business," answered Stoner. "Nothing much, though--only acall to make, later on. I'm stopping the night, though."
"Wish we could ha' put you up here, old sport!" said Myler, ruefully."But we don't live in a castle, yet. All full here!--unless you'd like ashakedown on the kitchen table, or in the wood-shed. Or you can try thebath, if you like."
Amidst the laughter which succeeded this pleasantry, Stoner said that hewouldn't trouble the domestic peace so far--he'd already booked hisroom. And while Myler--who, commercial-traveller like, cultivated areputation for wit--indulged in further jokes, Stoner stealthilyinspected the father-in-law. What a fortunate coincidence! he said tohimself; what a lucky stroke! There he was, wanting badly to find outsomething about Wilchester--and here, elbow to elbow with him, was aWilchester man! And an elderly Wilchester man, too--one who doubtlessremembered all about Wilchester for many a long year. That was anotherpiece of luck, for Stoner was quite certain that if Cotherstone had everhad any connexion with Wilchester it must have been a long, long timeago: he knew, from information acquired, that Cotherstone had been afixture in Highmarket for thirty years.
He glanced at Myler's father-in-law again as Myler, remarking that whenold friends meet, the flowing bowl must flow, produced a bottle ofwhisky from a brand-new chiffonier, and entreated his bride to fetchwhat he poetically described as the crystal goblets and the sparklingstream. The father-in-law was a little apple-faced old gentleman withbright eyes and a ready smile, who evidently considered his son-in-law aborn wit, and was ready to laugh at all his sallies. A man of goodmemory, that, decided Stoner, and wondered how he could diplomaticalylead Mr. Pursey to talk about the town he came from. But Mr. Pursey wasshortly to talk about Wilchester to some purpose--and with nodrawing-out from Stoner or anybody.
"Well," remarked Myler, having supplied his guests with spirituousrefreshment, and taken a pull at his own glass. "I'm glad to see you,Stoner, and so's the missis, and here's hoping you'll come again asoften as the frog went to the water. You've been having high old timesin that back-of-beyond town of yours, haven't you? Battles, murders,sudden deaths!--who'd ha' thought a slow old hill-country town likeHighmarket could have produced so much excitement! What's happened tothat chap they collared?--I haven't had time to look at the papers thislast day or two--been too busy."
"Committed for trial," answered Stoner. "He'll come up at NorcasterAssizes next month."
"Do they think he did it?" asked Myler. "Is it a sure thing?"
Before Stoner could reply Mr. Pursey entered the arena. His facedisplayed the pleased expression of the man who has special information.
"It's an odd thing, now, David," he said in a high, piping voice, "avery odd thing, that this should happen when I come up into theseparts--almost as foreign to me as the Fiji Islands might be. Yes, sir,"he went on, turning to Stoner, "it's very odd! I knew that man Kitely."
Stoner could have jumped from his seat, but he restrained himself, andcontrived to show no more than a polite interest.
"Oh, indeed, sir?" he said. "The poor man that was murdered? You knewhim?"
"I remember him very well indeed," assented Mr. Pursey. "Yes, although Ionly met him once, I've a very complete recollection of the man. I spenta very pleasant evening with him and one or two more of hisprofession--better sort of police and detectives, you know--at afriend's of mine, who was one of our Wilchester police officials--oh,it's--yes--it must be thirty years since. They'd come from London, ofcourse, on some criminal business. Deary me!--the tales them fellowscould tell!"
"Thirty years is a long time, sir," observed Stoner politely.
"Aye, but I remember it quite well," said Mr. Pursey, with a confidentnod. "I know it was thirty years ago, 'cause it was the WilchesterAssizes at which the Mallows & Chidforth case was tried. Yes--thirtyyears. Eighteen hundred and eighty-one was the year. Mallows &Chidforth--aye!"
"Famous case that, sir?" asked Stoner. He was almost bursting withexcitement by that time, and he took a big gulp of whisky and water tocalm himself. "Something special, sir? Murder, eh?"
"No--fraud, embezzlement, defalcation--I forget what the proper legalterm 'ud be," replied Mr. Pursey. "But it was a bad case--a real bad'un. We'd a working men's building society in Wilchester in thosedays--it's there now for that matter, but under another name--and therewere two better-class young workmen, smart fellows, that acted one assecretary and t'other as treasurer to it. They'd full control, thosetwo had, and they were trusted, aye, as if they'd been the Bank ofEngland! And all of a sudden, something came out, and it was found thatthese two, Mallows, treasurer, Chidforth, secretary, had made away withtwo thousand pounds of the society's money. Two thousand pounds!"
"Two thousand pounds?" exclaimed Stoner, whose thoughts went likelightning to the half-sheet of foolscap. "You don't say!"
"Yes--well, it might ha' been a pound or two more or less," said the oldman, "but two thousand was what they called it. And of course Mallowsand Chidforth were prosecuted--and they got two years. Oh, yes, weremember that case very well indeed in Wilchester, don't we, Maria?"
"And good reason!" agreed Mrs. Pursey warmly. "There were a lot of poorpeople nearly ruined by them bad young men."
"There were!" affirmed Mr. Pursey. "Yes--oh, yes! Aye--I've oftenwondered what became of 'em--Mallows and Chidforth, I mean. For from thetime they got out of prison they've never been heard of in our parts.Not a word!--they disappeared completely. Some say, of course, that theyhad that money safely planted, and went to it. I don't know. But--offthey went."
"Pooh!" said Myler. "That's an easy one. Went off to some colony orother, of course. Common occurrence, father-in-law. Bert, old sport,what say if we rise on our pins and have a hundred at billiards at theStag and Hunter--good table there."
Stoner followed his friend out of the little house, and once outsidetook him by the arm.
"Confound the billards, Dave, old man!" he said, almost trembling withsuppressed excitement. "Look here!--d'you know a real quiet corner inthe Stag where we can have an hour's serious consultation. You do?--thencome on, and I'll tell you the most wonderful story you ever heard sinceyour ears were opened!"
Myler, immediately impressed, led the way into a small and vacantparlour in the rear of a neighbouring hostelry, ordered refreshments,bade the girl who brought them to leave him and his friend alone, andtook the liberty of locking the door on their privacy. And that done heshowed himself such a perfect listener that he never opened his lipsuntil Stoner had set forth everything before him in detail. Now and thenhe nodded, now and then his sharp eyes dilated, now and then he clappedhis hands. And in the end he smote Stoner on the shoulder.
"Stoner, old sport!" he exclaimed. "It's a sure thing! Gad, I neverheard a clearer. That five hundred is yours--aye, as dead certain asthat my nose is mine! It's--it's--what they call inductive reasoning.The initials M. and C.--Mallows and Chidforth--Mallalieu andCotherstone--the two thousand pounds--the fact that Kitely was atWilchester Assizes in 1881--that he became Cotherstone's tenant thirtyyears after--oh, I see it all, and so will a judge and jury! Stoner,one, or both of 'em killed that old chap to silence him!"
"That's my notion," assented Stoner, who was highly pleased withhimself, and by that time convinced that his own powers, rather than acombination of lucky circumstances, had brought the desired resultabout. "Of course, I've worked it out to that. And the thing nowis--what's the best line to take? What would you suggest, Dave?"
Myler brought all his business acumen to bear on the problem presentedto him.
"What sort of chap is this Tallington?" he asked at last, pointing tothe name at the foot of the reward handbill.
"Most respectable solicitor in Highmarket," answered Stoner, promptly.
"Word good?" asked Myler.
"Good as--gold," affirmed Stoner.
"Then if it was me," said Myler, "I should make a summary of what Iknew, on paper--carefully--and I should get a private interview withthis Tallington and tell him--all. Man!--you're safe of that fivehundred! For there's no doubt, Stoner, on the evidence, no doubtwhatever!"
Stoner sat silently reflecting things for a while. Then he gave hisfriend a sly, somewhat nervous look. Although he and Myler had beenbosom friends since they were breeched, Stoner was not quite certain asto what Myler would say to what he, Stoner, was just then thinking of.
"Look here," he said suddenly. "There's this about it. It's all jollywell, but a fellow's got to think for himself, Dave, old man. Now itdoesn't matter a twopenny cuss to me about old Kitely--I don't care ifhe was scragged twice over--I've no doubt he deserved it. But it'llmatter a lot to M. & C. if they're found out. I can touch that fivehundred easy as winking--but--you take my meaning?--I daresay M. & C.'ud run to five thousand if I kept my tongue still. What?"
But Stoner knew at once that Myler disapproved. The commercialtraveller's homely face grew grave, and he shook his head with anunmistakable gesture.
"No, Stoner," he said. "None o' that! Play straight, my lad! Nohush-money transactions. Keep to the law, Stoner, keep to the law!Besides, there's others than you can find all this out. What you want todo is to get in first. See Tallington as soon as you get back."
"I daresay you're right," admitted Stoner. "But--I know M. & C, and Iknow they'd give--aye, half of what they're worth--and that's a lot!--tohave this kept dark."
That thought was with him whenever he woke in the night, and as hestrolled round Darlington next morning, it was still with him when,after an early dinner, he set off homeward by an early afternoon trainwhich carried him to High Gill junction; whence he had to walk fivemiles across the moors and hills to Highmarket. And he was stillpondering it weightily when, in one of the loneliest parts of thesolitudes which he was crossing, he turning the corner of a little pinewood, and came face to face with Mallalieu.