The Safety Pin

Pretty, sharply. "He wouldn't go out in his pyjamas! But did no one see him go out?"

"Yes," observed Shelmore, rising from his chair, "that's it!--did no one see him go out? Because he must have gone out between last thing at night and first thing next morning. But there's only one thing to do. Belling--we shall have to consult the police. I see your telephone's in the corner. You don't mind if I ring up the City Hall? There's no time to be lost in an affair of this sort."

He crossed over to the telephone...within a couple of minutes he turned to his companions. "That's all right." he said. "Mellapont's coming over himself--Superintendent Mellapont."

CHAPTER II

- WHAT ABOUT THE BED?

There presently strode into the landlord's private parlour a man, who, had he been in plain clothes instead of in a smart, tightly-fitting, black-braided blue uniform, would have been set down by nine people out of ten as a Life-Guardsm