THE MIDDLE TEMPLE MURDER

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I THE SCRAP OF GREY PAPER

II HIS FIRST BRIEF

III THE CLUE OF THE CAP

IV THE ANGLO-ORIENT HOTEL

V SPARGO WISHES TO SPECIALIZE

VI WITNESS TO A MEETING

VII MR. AYLMORE

VIII THE MAN FROM THE SAFE DEPOSIT

IX THE DEALER IN RARE STAMPS

X THE LEATHER BOX

XI MR. AYLMORE IS QUESTIONED

XII THE NEW WITNESS

XIII UNDER SUSPICION

XIV THE SILVER TICKET

XV MARKET MILCASTER

XVI THE "YELLOW DRAGON"

XVII MR. QUARTERPAGE HARKS BACK

XVIII AN OLD NEWSPAPER

XIX THE CHAMBERLAYNE STORY

XX MAITLAND _alias_ MARBURY

XXI ARRESTED

XXII THE BLANK PAST

XXIII MISS BAYLIS

XXIV MOTHER GUTCH

XXV REVELATIONS

XXVI STILL SILENT

XXVII MR. ELPHICK'S CHAMBERS

XXVIII OF PROVED IDENTITY

XXIX THE CLOSED DOORS

XXX REVELATION

XXXI THE PENITENT WINDOW-CLEANER

XXXII THE CONTENTS OF THE COFFIN

XXXIII FORESTALLED

XXXIV THE WHIP HAND

XXXV MYERST EXPLAINS

XXXVI THE FINAL TELEGRAM




CHAPTER ONE

THE SCRAP OF GREY PAPER


As a rule, Spargo left the _Watchman_ office at two o'clock. The paper
had then gone to press. There was nothing for him, recently promoted to
a sub-editorship, to do after he had passed the column for which he was
responsible; as a matter of fact he could have gone home before the
machines began their clatter. But he generally hung about, trifling,
until two o'clock came. On this occasion, the morning of the 22nd of
June, 1912, he stopped longer than usual, chatting with Hacket, who had
charge of the foreign news, and who began telling him about a telegram
which had just come through from Durazzo. What Hacket had to tell was
interesting: Spargo lingered to hear all about it, and to discuss it.
Altogether it was well beyond half-past two when he went out of the
office, unconsciously puffing away from him as he reached the threshold
the last breath of the atmosphere in which he had spent his midnight.
In Fleet Street the air was fresh, almost to sweetness, and the first
grey of the coming dawn was breaking faintly around the high silence of
St. Paul's.

Spargo lived in Bloomsbury, on the west side of Russell Square. Every
night and every morning he walked to and from the _Watchman_ office by
the same route--Southampton Row, Kingsway, the Strand, Fleet Street.