THE PERFECT CRIME
(Continued from Page: 1)
on the table by the phial, replac- ed the fountain pen, put the box and other articles back in the case, and left the room, taking care, not to switch off the light. Actor to the last, he called out as he went out of the front door, "Good-night, old man. See you in the morning."
Back in his flat, Lewis care- fully washed the one phial he had brought back, burnt the wooden box together with the specimen of Horsfield's handwrit- ing, and then reviewed the posi- tion.
He had been certain of the suc- cess of the scheme before. He was equally certain now, There, could be no loophole, no "'one mistake" which criminals were always supposed to make. Hors- field was hard up, the missing securities, the approach of the an- nual audit, Horsfield's last note, the glass of whisky, his finger prints on that and on the empty. phial. All these facts pointed to only one conclusion. Yes, he felt more sure than ever that detec- tion was impossible.
Two hours later. there was a knock at his door. Opening it Lewis found a police inspector there.
"Mr. Lewis?" "Yes."
"Can I have a few words with you, sir?"
"Certainly, inspector. Will you come in?"
The inspector did so and, seat- ed on the edge of the armchair which Lewis had assigned to him, began his questions.
"Are you in partnership with a gentleman named Horsfield, sir?"
"Yes, I'am."
"Aged about forty, living at
"Yes, that's right."
"Well, sir, he died suddenly this evening."
"Dead! Why, I saw him myself to-night. I called on him to dis- cuss some business."
"I was going to ask you that, sir. Mr. Horsfield was found by his housekeeper at about 10 p.m. in his lounge poisoned. An empty whisky glass was found on the floor by his side and on the table was a note: The doctor fixes the time of death as be- tween 8.30 and 9 p.m.".
"Good heavens
that must have been just after I left him." "Did he give you a drink, sir?” "No, funnily enough I almost asked him for one, but thought perhaps he was short. Poor old Stanley. Suicide I suppose? Fancy him taking it to heart like that."
"Taking what to heart, sir?"! "Well, on the theory of suicide, I can only suppose the business has been worrying him. You may - as well know, inspector, we have not been doing very well for some time and I went to see my part- ner to-night with particulars of a new scheme for our next finan-
cial year. I have the papers in that box over there. Still, there
is nothing desperate about the
situation." I can't think why my partner should want to do a thing like this."
"Has your firm any valuable secur??!!!!!
"Тев, y are locked in the office safe. Only Horsfield and
have keys."
"Can we go to your office and see them now?”
"Certainly."
The two went and on the way
CABBAGES
AND KINGS
Fatal
HE temperance lecturer Tell under
was
way. "My friends", he said ponder-: ously, "if all the public houses were at the bottom of the sen, what would be the result?"
Like a flash came the reply from the back of the hall: "Lots of people would get drowned.”
*
**
Mutual
A very large, stout woman walk- ed into the blouse department of a big store the other day and spoke to the girl behind the coun- ter. Now this girl had just got the sack, but how was the custo- mer to know that?
"I'd like to see a blouse that would fit me," said the woman. "So will 1!" said the assistant.
* * *
Shortage
The bride and bridegroom were just departing from the bride's house to drive away. for their honeymoon. As the groom prepar- ed to leave the house, amid- shower of confetti, he snatched his hat from a peg and seized an um- brella from the hall-stand.
ก
Just as the car was about to drive off, the bride's father dashed
up.
"Here," he yelled, "you've taken my umbrella! Bring it back at once. I've got five daughters, but only one good umbrella!"
the inspector explained the pur- port of the note left by Horsfield.. None of the securities-which Lewis explained hail been mainly for foreign bearer bonds and practical purposes untraceable- were there and the inspector re turned to the police station. Lewis. explained that, for the sake Horsfield's relations, it would better not to make too much of the lost securities.
The inspector did not call later with a warrant for Lewis's rest. Nothing Intervened to present the coroner (sitting with- out a jury) delivering at the in- quest a verdict of "Suicide whilst of Unsound Mind." No suspicion of marder ever fell on Lewis you see, this really was an exam-, ple of "The Perfect Crime."
A scene of desolation at Shumchun after the recent fire.
Second Order
When on leave recently, a re- cruit took his spurs to his brother, who worked in a large motor fac- tory in the Midlands, and had them chromium-plated, thus saving a good deal of time over the inevi- table polishing.
On his refurn, at the weekly inspection, his Commanding Officer picked up the spurs and examined them critically.
"You have just returned from leave?" he asked the recruit.
"Yes, sir."
"Birmingham, I believe?”
"I suppose
I'm fussy
...but I don't see
why, at my age,
I should put up
with
second-best... For
instance, I'm fond of the theatre; but, believe me, I'd rather stay away than see an indifferent play.
"That's right, sir." "H'm, well-er-next time you go, take the eighteen pounder along."
*
*
Refused
L
A little girl was taken by her nurse to a church service, the first to which she had been. When she returned home, her mother asked: "Mary were you a good little girl at church to-day?"
"Oh, yes, mummy." replied the child. “A man offered me a big plate of money, and I said, "No, thank you.''
So that's why, when you offered me whisky, I asked you
to make mine. “ a
White
Horse. I daresay some men hold that one Scotch whisky is as good as another. Well, when they know as much it as I do, they will
think differently.”
WHITE HORSE
Whisky
You can tell it blindfold!
Chime : Jørdine Matheson & Co, Ltd.
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