'
'France,' snorted Hale in derision, 'why, they call a man guilty there
until he's proven innocent.'
'Yes, Mr. Hale, and the same seems to be the case in Imperial Flats.
You have quite made up your mind that Mr. Summertrees is guilty, and
will not be content until he proves his innocence. I venture to
predict that you will hear from him before long in a manner that may
astonish you.'
Hale grunted and looked at his watch. The minutes passed very slowly
as we sat there smoking, and at last even I began to get uneasy.
Macpherson, seeing our anxiety, said that when he came in the fog was
almost as thick as it had been the week before, and that there might
be some difficulty in getting a cab. Just as he was speaking the door
was unlocked from the outside, and Podgers entered, bearing a thick
volume in his hand. This he gave to his superior, who turned over its
pages in amazement, and then looked at the back, crying,--
'_Encyclopaedia of Sport_, 1893! What sort of a joke is this,
Mr. Macpherson?'
There was a pained look on Mr. Macpherson's face as he reached forward
and took the book. He said with a sigh,--
'If you had allowed me to telephone, Mr. Hale, I should have made it
perfectly plain to Summertrees what was wanted.
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