THE RAYNER-SLADE AMALGAMATION

CONTENTS

I THE MIDNIGHT RIDE

II THE DEAD MAN

III THE SHOE BUCKLE

IV MR. FRANKLIN FULLAWAY

V THE NASTIRSEVITCH JEWELS

VI THE PRIMA DONNA'S PORTRAIT

VII THE FRANTIC IMPRESARIO

VIII THE JEWEL BOX

IX THE LADY'S MAID'S MOTHER

X THE SECOND MURDER

XI THE RUSSIAN BANK-NOTES

XII THE THIRD MURDER

XIII AMBLER APPLEYARD

XIV FIFTY THOUSAND POUNDS REWARD

XV THE BAYSWATER BOARDING-HOUSE

XVI MR. GERALD RAYNER

XVII THE PHOTOGRAPH

XVIII DEFINITE SUSPICION

XIX THE LATE CALL

XX NUMBER FIFTY-THREE

XXI THE YOUNG MAN WHO LED PUGS

XXII THICK FOG

XXIII THE POSSIBLE DEATH WARRANT

XXIV CONCERNING CARL FEDERMAN

XXV THE CARD ON THE DOOR

XXVI PARTICIPANTS IN THE SECRET

XXVII THE MILLIONAIRE, THE STRANGER, AND THE PRINCESS

XXVIII THE FIRST PURSUIT

XXIX THE PARCEL FROM HULL

XXX THE PACKET IN THE SAFE

XXXI THE HYDE PARK TEA-HOUSE

XXXII THE CHILVERTON ANTI-CLIMAX

XXXIII THE SMART MISS SLADE

XXXIV MERRIFIELD EXPLAINS

XXXV THE ALLERDYKE WAY




CHAPTER I

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE


About eleven o'clock on the night of Monday, May 12, 1914, Marshall
Allerdyke, a bachelor of forty, a man of great mental and physical
activity, well known in Bradford as a highly successful manufacturer of
dress goods, alighted at the Central Station in that city from an
express which had just arrived from Manchester, where he had spent the
day on business. He had scarcely set foot on the platform when he was
confronted by his chauffeur, a young man in a neat dark-green livery,
who took his master's travelling rug in one hand, while with the other
he held out an envelope.

"The housekeeper said I was to give you that as soon as you got in, sir,"
he announced. "There's a telegram in it that came at four o'clock this
afternoon--she couldn't send it on, because she didn't know exactly where
it would find you in Manchester."

Allerdyke took the envelope, tore it open, drew out the telegram,
and stepped beneath the nearest lamp. He muttered the wording of
the message--