But Turner, although he was young and inexperienced, was no fool.
Otherwise he would not have been upon the staff of the "Searchlight."
"Charitable organizations sometimes employ accommodation addresses," he
said, regarding Uncle Joseph keenly; "especially when they are not
quite--you see?"
Uncle Joseph nodded comprehendingly.
"Yes," he answered, "I see. Well, Mr.--I don't think I caught your
name."
"Turner."
"Thank you. Well, Mr. Turner, accommodation address or not, I am afraid
your birds are flown. You will have to seek them in some other eyrie.
You see, I have been in possession of this flat for some few days now.
In fact, several letters have already been addressed to me here."
He held out the little bundle of envelopes, in such a way that Mr.
Turner found it quite impossible to read the addresses, and then put
them back into his pocket.
"I must have the name on that door painted out," continued Uncle Joseph
briskly, "or I may have more investigators descending upon me. Not that
I am anything but delighted to make your acquaintance, Mr.--"
"Are you quite sure," said Turner steadily, "that you are not the
Secretary of the organization whose name is painted on that door?"
Uncle Joseph laughed easily.
"Under this impressive cross-examination," he said, "I know I shall
presently feel quite certain that I am! Mr. Turner, you fill me with
guilty apprehensions. It is a great gift of yours. May I ask if you are
a representative of the law? Or are you the emissary of some newspaper?
Or are you merely taking up detection as a hobby?"
Turner flushed. He felt certain that he was being bluffed, but Uncle
Joseph would give him no opening.
"I represent the 'Searchlight,'" he said.
"In that case," said Uncle Joseph cheerfully, "I shall be delighted to
offer you a lift back to the office. I am going to call on Mr. Dill at
twelve o'clock. Come downstairs, and let us see if we can get a cab
anywhere."
He locked the door of the flat, and proceeded cheerfully down the
staircase, followed by the dazed and defeated Mr. Turner.
Ten minutes later Uncle Joseph was shaking hands with Dill.
"I have just had a narrow escape of being haled to justice by one of
your bright young men," he said; and recounted his adventure.
Dill, lying back in his chair and smoking a cigarette,--it was said that
he got through a box a day,--heard the story and chuckled.
"An unlucky coincidence for Turner," he said. "Still, he is all right.
He is young, and wants a bit more savvy, but he is a glutton for work
and as plucky as they make them. I always send him where I think there
is a likelihood of any chucking-out being attempted. I am quite at sea
about this Kind Heart business. It is evidently a biggish affair, with a
big man behind it. I can't make out whether he is an old friend, or a
new candidate for the Rogues' Catalogue altogether. But I'll nab him
yet. Have another cigarette?"
"How are your Christmas charities going?" enquired Uncle Joseph, helping
himself.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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