IV .sx To the members of the newspaper reading public it seemed that there had never been so sensational a case as the " Sack Murder , " the title under which the Press persisted in referring to the affair regardless of the fact that no sack appeared anywhere in the story .sx On the morning following George Lawrence's visit to Inspector Tower a new sensation blazed on the headlines .sx For this George Lawrence was responsible .sx Since the day of his banishment from Cudderton he had been living by his wits , except for the varying periods during which he had been furnished with free board and lodging at the tax-payer's expense in one or other of His Majesty's houses of detention .sx His experience had taught him always to make hay while the sun shone .sx It did not matter to him , as a rule , whether the measures adopted were questionable or frankly illegal .sx It is true that on each occasion that the prison door opened for him he made up his mind in future to avoid any method of haymaking calculated to bring about his return to that institution , but in so doing he was actuated solely by his choice in the matter of a place of residence and not by any desire to reform .sx A few weeks of freedom were usually sufficient to cause him to forget his caution and a few months to see him once more under lock and key .sx It was a novel experience to find himself , on his release , the most-talked-of man in England and it did not take long for him to realise that the status carried with it the substantial advantage of a considerable cash value if properly worked .sx He decided that Midhampton , as the scene of the drama , offered the greatest possibilities , and within two hours of his release he was well on his way to that city .sx During the journey he occupied his mind with the consideration of the best method of securing a dividend .sx Several schemes occurred to him , varying from lecturing to blackmail , before he hit upon one which had the double advantages of being both legal and capable of being conducted on a cash-down basis .sx On his arrival at Midhampton , George Lawrence went at once to the Central Police Station .sx In all probability he would not have done so had it not been for the rather irksome formality - as a ticket-of-leave man - of reporting his arrival to the City police .sx At the same time it occurred to him that his visit to the police headquarters would serve as an opportunity to abandon his somewhat transparent alias of George Smith and at the same time put himself officially on record , as it were , as the genuine and only George Lawrence .sx At the conclusion of the familiar ritual he wished the sergeant a cheerful good-morning and , buttoning his coat , ran jauntily down the steps in search of the .sx offices of the Midhampton Guardian .sx Five minutes walk brought him to the main entrance of the imposing pile , home of the great Midland journal .sx Inside the main entrance he paused .sx The imposing architecture of the entrance hall he found a little daunting after the glazed brick and granolithic flooring of the building that had been his home for the last fourteen months .sx " Yersh ?sx " .sx George Lawrence turned quickly to see , framed in a small sash window which bore the word " Inquiries , " a face , the exact counterpart of Captain Bairnsfather's 'Ole Bill , apparently supported on a large cup , obviously containing a strong infusion of Indian tea , from which projected the handle of an enormous white metal spoon .sx Beneath the phocine moustache , to which clung drops of the tannic brew , the jaws masticated steadily .sx " Yersh ?sx " came the voice again .sx " I want to see the editor , " said George .sx The face was withdrawn , the sash marked " Inquiries " shut down with a bang , and a moment later the figure of the porter appeared at the door of his sanctum .sx " Whasat ?sx " he asked .sx " I want to see the editor , " repeated Lawrence .sx " Be 'pointment ?sx " .sx " No , but " " 'N you carn't , " interrupted the custodian .sx " .sx .. got a story for him that he won't want to miss .sx " " Nooseditor , that's 'oo you want .sx Nex' floor end ther passage .sx See it marked up .sx " The door closed abruptly and Lawrence made his way to the news department where , after certain formalities had been complied with , he was inter-viewed by a gaunt individual with untidy hair and a strong Glasgow accent .sx To him he told his story with such reservations as he thought fit to make .sx His identity having been verified to the satisfaction of his interviewer by a call to the police head-quarters and having given his undertaking not to sell his information elsewhere , George Lawrence left the building the richer by fifty pounds .sx Ten minutes later he might have been seen ascending the steps of the offices of the Midhampton Daily Comet .sx I .sx COLONEL MUSPRATT sat at tea with his lady .sx Strange to say he was in a good temper .sx Strange , that is , when one considered the adverse effect a North-East wind usually had on his " blasted leg .sx " His good humour might , possibly , have been accounted for by the way he had acquitted himself at Lord Clampton's shoot on the previous day , or by the account of the polo tournament at Poona with which he was engaged .sx Mrs. Muspratt deemed the occasion a suitable one to touch upon a subject which had been causing her considerable inquietude of late , the " Sack Murder .sx " Since the identification of the body as that of Ethel Drew and the arrest of Robert Savage , during the police court proceeding , and the trial itself , her conscience had not given her a minute's rest .sx She felt in a vague way that she was to some degree responsible for the affair .sx At times it seemed to her that her well meant interference had precipitated the tragedy , at others that by more decisive action on her part it might have been prevented .sx At times she had sought to share the burden with her husband but without very much success .sx He had , as he pointed out , warned her not to interfere in the matter ; she had done so and she must abide by the consequences .sx At the same time he advised her not to take the matter too seriously to heart .sx A murderer in his view was a murderer .sx It was only a question of time , he would sooner or later find a victim .sx There was nothing of the " there but for the grace of God " attitude in the Colonel's outlook on murder .sx He believed in calling a spade a blasted shovel .sx Latterly he had refused to enter into any discussion on the matter whatever .sx He had dismissed the sensational Lawrence telegram as " a put up .sx job " and the subsequent appearance of its putative author as " damned fishy .sx " The news of the commutation of the sentence had come , at first , as a relief to Mrs. Muspratt's mind .sx She felt almost happy , but when she thought matters over she came to see that in reality the position was but little altered .sx She thought of the angry , weeping little figure she had left in the parlour at No .sx 2 Manor Cottages on the occasion of her unsuccessful diplomatic visit .sx She pictured Jane Savage's misery in her present position left with her two children to face life alone , a task for which she was obviously ill-equipped .sx She wondered if something could not be done to help her ; was there not some fund or could .sx not a subscription be raised .sx She hesitated to broach the matter to the rector ; his methods were almost too enthusiastic .sx Before she knew what was happening the children would be whipped off to some institution and matters would be worse than ever .sx No , it would be best to get a subscription well under way before Mr. Wilmot took a hand .sx She had been waiting for a suitable opportunity to broach the subject to her husband .sx She wished , in the first place , to avoid any risk of a repetition of the censure which had followed her previous precipitate action in the affair , and , in the second , to persuade him to head the list himself with a suitable donation .sx That opportunity she felt had now arrived .sx " Gordon , " she said .sx The Colonel finished his chukkah before looking up .sx " Yes , Clara , " he answered .sx " I've been thinking about Mrs. Savage , " said the good lady somewhat nervously .sx Her nervousness was justified .sx " Savage , Savage !sx Good God , haven't we finished with that business yet ?sx I... " .sx Mrs. Muspratt broke in hurriedly .sx " It's not the business as you call it , Gordon .sx It's Mrs. Savage and the children I'm thinking about .sx " " Well , what about them ?sx " asked the Colonel grudgingly .sx " I was wondering if something couldn't be done for them .sx I thought that we might raise a subscription to help her .sx I'm sure people would .sx .. " " How do you know she's in need of help ?sx " asked Colonel Muspratt .sx " She must be .sx They were in great difficulties when they lived here , before he went to Midhampton .sx Since then she's had a baby and there are all the legal expenses .sx " " Yes , but his brother is a wealthy man so they tell me .sx Savage's Stores .sx He'll see .sx .. " A knock at the door interrupted the Colonel's remarks .sx Neither cared to continue the discussion until the parlour-maid , having drawn the curtains and placed the evening paper on the little table at her master's elbow , had retired with the tea-tray .sx Colonel Muspratt evidently considered that the subject had been disposed of .sx He picked up the paper and spread it before him , prepared to disagree with any views that might be expressed .sx II .sx It was Mr. Hoit who made the discovery .sx Arriving at his usual hour , nine o'clock , he had hurried at once down the passage leading to the kitchen .sx At the door he stopped , feeling in his hip pocket for his key .sx Since Robert Savage's arrest the cook had made a habit of locking the door .sx He did not believe that Robert was guilty or , as the evidence for the prosecution seemed to suggest , that a body or parts of it had been boiled in his copper .sx Yet he felt more comfortable in his mind knowing that , as he put it , nobody would be " mucking about " in his kitchen during his absence .sx He put the key in the lock .sx Then he sniffed .sx " Gas ?sx " He sniffed again , there was no doubt of it , it was certainly gas he smelt .sx It occurred to him to wonder whether he had left one of the gas burners of the cooking apparatus turned on when he left the place two days before .sx He shook his head .sx No , he couldn't imagine himself doing that .sx He tried to unlock the door , but found that the key would not turn .sx " 'Ello !sx " said Mr. Hoit aloud .sx " Funny business .sx " He considered the matter for some time before he realised that the reason that the key would not turn was that the door was already unlocked .sx He tried the handle , opening the door a few inches .sx Awave of gas met him .sx He closed it again quickly .sx " It's gas all right , " he told himself , " A n'ell of a lot of it .sx And what are we going to do with it ?sx " He turned the matter carefully over in his mind .sx Then he drew his voluminous handkerchief from his coat pocket and pressed it over his mouth and nose , then flinging open the door , he dashed across the kitchen to the windows .sx One after another he pushed up the sashes , leaning gasping on the sill of the third with his head projecting as far outside as he could manage to get it .sx He remained in that position for fully five minutes before he tentatively withdrew his head into the room .sx " 'At's better , " he commented , " but it still niffs .sx " He remembered the extract fan in the hood over the cooking apparatus and turned towards it with the intention of switching it on .sx He passed round the end of the table and stopped short .sx On the floor at full length , with his head and shoulders in the gas oven , lay the figure of a man .sx