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THE ORDINARY INDIVIDUAL

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THE ORDINARY INDIVIDUAL They had been talking of the trarramigra- tiea of souls; the probability of it after— the possibility of it before death, and the Ordinary Individual was tired. He bad been wading through the list of undiscovered I criminals, and had fallen asleep. He snored peacefully for some time and then awoke with a start, He started again « he looked round the room-it was not his own. It was plainly furnished and lacked the little refinements of his Clapham home. He looked down. He had on someone else's clothes! How in the world had he got into them? Trying to think he pulled at his moustache, or tried to, and discovered—it was gone! The hand, too, that he had lifted was not his. It was a capable one, certainly, bat it was not the thing of beauty. He sprang to his feet and rushed over to a Ittle glaa that hung on the wall. It was act his own face! It was a stolid-lcoking countenance he was staring at—clean-shaven with tight lipe-his own face was very different. Who on earth was he? He looked at the face —be could not call it his—again. A faint mark showed down his ruddy cheeks—such as a strap of a helmet would make; and—er— what was the matter with his right, hand ? It seemed to have an irrisiatible desire to retire behind him, palm upwards. Great goodness Was he a policeman? No, he was not in the msift yet, he went over to the table and picked up some papers, "Gaelic-square Detec- tive Department." A light burst upon him. He was a detective! He looked down at his boots—the good old regulation type—end was convinced of it. That was it; his soul had passed into the body of a detective officer, his own body at the same time probably perambulating about with the soul of the detective! Horror I No, on second thoughts, it was not horror. Here was an opportunity to do the "Square" a good torn. He had always landed himself an embryo Lecoq. and he would astonish London. All he wanted was a good healthy murder, with a flair amount of mystery He looked through the i:otes and papers, and found there was an appcirfcrent with thi Superintendent at ten on Thursday morning He looked at the movable calendar; it was Thursday. He looked at tin wa'ch in thfc pocket-4 solid piece of heavy machinery- 9.30. He would start at cnce. He took down the hat and went. On his way he had several remarkable meetings pokcemen in acd out of imiforin, shabby men, well-dressed, red-faced men, Bonifaces without a doubt—racy-look- ing man, cabbies, all had a word or a nod for him. Ushered at last into the Superintendent's office, he took off his hat and sat down. "You're late, Thompson, quoth the chief, "five minutes. Now, attend. You know aotmng of the Stratton-street murder, of eovne, so I will "Ohi yes," interrupted the Ordinary Indi- vidual, "yes, I do. It happened a week ago— oh, y a, young man murdered in the street going to the bank with 270. I read it in the papers." The Superintendent stared. "How's this?" he inquired. "You are not required to know anything until I have told. you. You will have to go back to your beat if you disobey orders. This indiscriminate reading does a lot of harm; I will prove it. As you have Had the case, you have probably formed a theory of your own as to the motive?" and the u14" IfMH back, with an expectant Slwe; and the tips of his fingers together. uYea, he had R70. It was not taken, nor his watch; consequently the motive was not robbery, more likely to have been revenge." "That's where it is!" exclaimed the ch.ef. That's what I complain of—you form your own theory, quite an incorrect one, and it will necessarily colour all your thoughts on the sub-1 jack Now, the motive, was robbery. "But, if so, the 270 would have been taken," persisted the Ordinary Individual "The criminal was probably interrupted, and eoeld not take it," said the chief. -But it waa foggy,' objected the other, "and the body was not found for some hours after dath; the criminal could not have been inter- rupted, or, if 80 would have returned, being a desperate man, determined to get the money he had dared so much to gain. The motive could not have been robbery but revenge. "Absurd. The man had £70 on his person •_ —therefore, the motive waa robbery. Now, what would be your p:a.n f' I IN you will argue from the standpoint of 11 tofebery," aaid the Ordinary Individual, "I c abeuld suggest that we find out who were likely | fa know the unfortunate man had the money f trfth him; and then their whereabouts &t the I Hme of the murder." The superintendent smiled pitingly. ■ "You talk like an ordinary individual," he 1 add, with some scorn. "No one would imag- ¡ iDe you were a Gaelic-square detective officer Ba& a plan is too Wnpltoo reasonable— ] Jar too likely to hit on the right maa." 1 Somehow the Ordinary Individual felt that < the superintendent's plan would not have any j of these objection*. "Now, see barer" eootthoed the chief, •Thk man who waa killed waa known to have -!h. man who waa killed waa known to have teen seen in Margate three years ago, and was geea by several witnesses to be talking bo a loan in a straw bat.. This was a man of colour. He was well known in Margate, had somehow acquired a popularity which hid the doubtless natural depravity of his character. We must trace that man's antecedents, Thomp- mn, and his subsequent actions down to yester- day. He was an itinerant singer-" -Grwiom," exclaimed the Ordinary Indi- vidual, "one of the niggen?" "I believe they are at times known by that gnme," said the chief, "but- "But how ridiculous!" exclaimed the Ordin- ary Individual. "What on earth has the jigger got to do with it?" "That is what you're paid to find out," aid fee chief, suavely. -It was probably only a chance word he said tID the man, who was possibly collecting money." "That's it! He probably refused, the man determined to get even, and commits this mur- der. Now I want yoc to go down to Msr- yrte, and out the addresa of the coloured man's tailor, and how muoh. he pays for his boots." "Whatever for?" "Never mind. It will be useful," said the 4UeC with a dark air of mystery. "Read that." The Ordinary Individual read the paper, a I agwfpaper report of the affair, concluding with ifce usual: "The police are Tery reticent, but p believed to have a strong clue." bat is the clue?" he asked. "The nigger?" IOT-a.actly You are beginning to be reason- Jpts. You will yet nee in your profesaim-- I "Wake up, John," said his wife's Toioe; get a headache with sleeping in that -V"Iti,,n. Wake up, and hold baby while I bat Johnny's crying for." #■. And tiie Ordinary Individual was himself 483-:e more.

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