There wasn't as much as an old invoice that was not well
fingered and turned over. No!--I came to the conclusion that what I'd
seen signed was some contract or something--sent off there and then by
the lad to post."
Collingwood made no further remark and asked no more questions. But he
thought long and seriously that night, and he came to certain
conclusions. First: what Cobcroft had seen signed was John Mallathorpe's
will. Second: John Mallathorpe had made it himself and had taken the
unusual course of making a duplicate copy. Third: John Mallathorpe had
probably slipped the copy into the _History of Barford_ which was in his
private office when he went out to speak to the steeple-jack. Fourth:
that copy had come into Linford Pratt's hands through Antony Bartle.
And now arose two big questions. What were the terms of that will?
And--where was the duplicate copy? He was still putting these to himself
when noon of the next day came and brought Eldrick and Byner for the
promised serious consultation.
CHAPTER XX
THE _GREEN MAN_
Byner, in taking his firm's advertisement for Parrawhite to the three
Barford newspaper offices, had done so with a special design--he wanted
Pratt to see that a serious wish to discover Parrawhite was alive in
more quarters than one. He knew that Pratt was almost certain to see
Eldrick's advertisement in his own name; now he wanted Pratt to see
another advertisement of the same nature in another name.
Pages:
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214