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Thirty minutes later, still radiating gratification, Marr stood at the cigar stand making a discriminating choice of the best in the humidor of imported goods. Gulwing and Hartridge were over there on the sofa, cheek by jowl, and all was going well. Half aloud, to himself, he said, smiling in prime content: "Well, I guess I'm bad!"

"Under great pressure from the friends of his son's widow, the old man made a will shortly before he died; but he was then very old and rather childish, so the will was contested by Alfred, on the grounds of undue influence, and was ultimately set aside. Since then Alfred Hartridge has not paid a penny towards the support of his brother's family. If it had not been for my client, Mr.

"The question that you asked," Mr. Marchmont began, looking up curiously at the tall houses opposite, "is very simply answered. The only person immediately interested in the death of Alfred Hartridge is his executor and sole legatee, a man named Leonard Wolfe. He is no relation of the deceased, merely a friend, but he inherits the entire estate about twenty thousand pounds.

He produced a letter from his pocket, and read aloud: "'Yes: come if you like, though it is an ungodly hour. Your threatening letters have caused me great amusement. They are worthy of Sadler's Wells in its prime. "Was Mr. Hartridge ever in Italy?" asked Inspector Badger. "Oh yes," replied Mr. Curtis. "He stayed at Capri nearly the whole of last year." "Why, then, that gives us our clue.

"Yes, it has, unfortunately. But we wished to see if anything could be done for the widow and the children during Hartridge's lifetime. No doubt, my client's daughter, Miss Curtis, called last night on a similar mission very indiscreetly, since the matter was in our hands; but, you know, she is engaged to Edmund Hartridge and I expect the interview was a pretty stormy one."

"Oh, very well then, Hartridge," he said angrily, "if you haven't any confidence in me if you can't see that this is a play that naturally can't go wrong why, we'll let it drop." "Oh, I've got confidence in you " began Hartridge, but Marr, no patience left in him, cut him short. "Looks like it, doesn't it?" he snapped. "Forget it! Let's talk about the weather."

The irresistible conclusion is that these four sheets came from the same packet." The inspector started up from his chair, and faced Thorndyke. "Who is this Mr. Barlow?" he asked. "That," replied Thorndyke, "is for you to determine; but I can give you a useful hint. There is only one person who benefits by the death of Alfred Hartridge, but he benefits to the extent of twenty thousand pounds.

And if so, about how much, in round figures, would Hartridge be willing to put up? He must know this in advance because he was prepared to match Hartridge's investment dollar for dollar. And at that Hartridge, to Marr's most sincere discomfiture, shook his head. "I'll tell you how it is with me," said Hartridge. "These broker fellows downtown have been touchin' me up purty hard.

Three days from the day he reached town the Westerner, whose name was Hartridge, lunched with him as his guest at the Roychester, a small, discreetly run hotel in Forty-sixth Street. After luncheon they sat down in the lobby for a smoke. For good and sufficient reasons Marr preferred as quiet a spot and as secluded a one as the lobby of the hotel might offer.

The signal bearer had taken perhaps five steps when Hartridge spoke words which instantly filled Marr with regret that he had been so impetuously prompt to take a no for a no. "Say, hold your hosses, Markham," said Hartridge contritely. "Don't be in such a hurry!