Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"Wood, Henry, Mrs.
General
Roland Yorke: A Sequel to "The Channings"
Wood, Henry, Mrs.
Detective and mystery stories; English fiction -- 19th century
"Yes, sir, killed him. He had looked upon his nephew up to that time
as one of the saints of this here middle world; and the shock of
finding him more like an angel of the lower one touched old Teague's
heart in some vital spot, and killed him. He had a sort of fit, and
died that same night. The next day, Sunday, young Winter was missing.
It was universally said that he had made his way to Liverpool, in
the track of Samuel Teague--for that's where folks thought he had
gone--with a view of getting away to America. Both were advertised
for; both looked upon as alike criminal. It was for such a paltry sum
they had perilled themselves--only a little over one hundred pounds!
Time went on, and neither of 'em was ever traced; perhaps Mr. Johnson,
when he had cooled down from his first anger, was willing to let Sam
Teague be, for the old man's sake, and so did not press the search.
Anyway Samuel Teague is now in open business in New York, and doing
well."
"And the other--Winter?"
"Ah, it's him I'm coming to," significantly resumed Mr. Butterby. "It
seems that Winter never went after him at all. In the panic of finding
old Teague had died, and that no quarter was to be expected from
Johnson (as it wasn't _then_) he took a false name, put on false hair
and whiskers, and stole quietly off by the train on Sunday afternoon,
carrying a shirt or two in a blue bag. It was to Helstonleigh he went,
Mr. Bede Greatorex, and he called himself Godfrey Pitman."
Bede Greatorex started from his seat. Up to that period he had been
perfectly calm; interested of course, but as if in something that did
not concern him.
"Yes, sir, Godfrey Pitman. The same that was in Mrs. Jones's house at
the time of Mr. Ollivera's death; the man that Helstonleigh made so
much mystery of; who was, so to say, accused of the murder. And
Godfrey Pitman, sir, or George Winter, whichever you may please to
call him, is one and the same with your managing clerk Mr. Brown!"
"No!" shouted Bede Greatorex.
"I say YES, sir. The very selfsame man."
Bede Greatorex, looking forward in a kind of wild manner, over Mr.
Butterby's head against the opposite wall, seemed to be revolving
within him various speculations connected with the disclosure.
"Why Brown has always--" He brought the words to a sudden standstill.
"Brown has always unpleasantly puzzled me," had been on the tip of his
tongue. But he let the words die away unspoken, and a sickly hue
overspread his features. Taking his eyes from the wall and turning
them on the fire, he sat as before, his brow pressed on his fingers,
quite silent, after the manner of a man who is dreaming.
"I see the disagreeable doubt that is working within you, Mr. Bede
Greatorex," remarked the observant detective, upon whom not a sign was
lost. "You are ready to say now it was Pitman did that there deed at
Helstonleigh.
"How did you find out all this about him?" asked Bede Greatorex.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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