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Updated: May 17, 2025
He repaired to this retreat now, and ate and drank in quiet, and smoked a peaceful pipe afterwards, and was glad of a period of rest. But as he took his ease, he thought and pondered, and by the time that evening had fairly settled over the little town, he went out into the streets and sought the ancient corner of Scarnham which was called Cornmarket.
One of the London morning journals had been making a great feature of the Scarnham affair from the moment Parkinson, on Starmidge's inspiration, had supplied the Press with its details, and it had that day printed an exhaustive résumé of the entire history of the case, brought up to the discovery of Frederick Hollis's body.
"Don't let's lose any chance of finding anything out, however small it may be." The tinker finished mending a kettle and set it aside amongst other renovated articles. He lifted the pan of solder off the fire, set it aside, too, and got up. "Come this way, then," he said. "I was going in to Scarnham this noon to tell Mr Polke about it, but as long as you're here "
"From Scarnham Bridge corner to Ellersdeane Tower yonder is in Scarnham parish: this side the Hollow is in Ellersdeane; everything beyond the Tower is in Middlethorpe." "Then we're in Scarnham," said Polke. "He'll have to be taken down to the town mortuary. We'd better see to it at once. What are you going to do, Starmidge?" he asked, as the detective turned away with Neale.
"I looked through all the letters on his desk and in his drawers yesterday afternoon. I didn't find anything that explained his absence. And when I was at his rooms this evening I looked at some letters on his mantelpiece nothing there. I tell you, I haven't the least notion as to what could bring him to Scarnham." "And I suppose none of your fellow-clerks have, either?" asked Polke.
Godwin Markham, money-lender, of Conduit Street, is the same person as Gabriel Chestermarke, banker, of Scarnham. That's flat! And now that we've got to know that much, how much nearer am I to finding out the real thing that I'm after?" "Which is exactly what?" asked Easleby. "I was called in," answered Starmidge, "to find out the secret of John Horbury's disappearance.
He never mentioned Scarnham to me." Easleby laid a finger on the marked newspaper. "You see some names of Scarnham people there, Mr. Stipp?" he observed. "Those names Horbury Chestermarke. You don't happen to know 'em?" "I don't know them," replied the manager, with obvious sincerity. "Banking people, all of them, aren't they?
They found nothing of the nature desired. And just as half-past one came, and Polke was wondering what Starmidge would do next, Jones came back and called him into the inner hall. "I've got some news of her," he whispered. "She's off from Scarnham, anyway, sir! I couldn't get any word of her in the town, nor at the cab-places: in fact, it's only within this last five minutes that I've got it."
But, I say! you'll excuse me, now what is it you're trying to get at? Do you think Hollis went to Scarnham on this business of young Lester's? And if you do, why?" Easleby rose, and Starmidge followed his example. "We don't know yet exactly why Hollis went to Scarnham," said the elder detective. "We hoped you could help us. But, as you can't well, we're much obliged, Mr. Stipp.
Of course, your missing bank manager is the John Horbury my brother and I were at school with! And I take it that the reason my brother came down to Scarnham last Saturday was to see John Horbury." Starmidge had been listening to all this with close attention. He was now more than ever convinced that he was at last on some track but so far he could not see many steps ahead.
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