Detective Fiction Weekly. Vol. 36, No. 4, October 20, 1928

He also mentioned incidentally that he might stay in town for a day or two, as he was anxious to see one or two experiments which were just then being carried on in some of the medical schools. Stephen Barr thought his traveling companion a very pleasant old gentleman.

In the privacy of No. 46 Archer Dawe sized up Stephen Barr as a man who at that moment was brooding over some big scheme and would probably lie awake all night thinking about it. As for himself, he meant to sleep, but he had first of all some work to do, and he set to work to do it as soon as the corridor was quiet.

Had any of the hotel officials seen what it was that Archer Dawe did they would have jumped to the conclusion that a burglar was in the house. He produced from his bag a curiously ingenious instrument with which he swiftly and noiselessly cut out of the door of his room a solid plug of wood about one-third of an inch in diameter — cut it out cleanly, so that it could be fitted in and withdrawn at will. Withdrawn, the orifice which it left commanded a full view of the door of 45 opposite; fitted in again, nobody could have told that it had ever been cut out.

This done, Archer Dawe went to bed. But early in the morning he was up and at his peephole, waiting there patiently until Stephen Barr emerged for breakfast. Archer Dawe seized his chance at once. He darted across the corridor, secured the key of 45, and in a moment had got an excellent impression of it in wax.

The specialist from New York, more talkative and urbane than ever, begged permission to seat himself at Stephen Barr’s table when he entered the coffee room and found that gentleman breakfasting alone. They got on very well, but Archer Dawe decided that his traveling companion of the previous evening was still deep in thought and had spent most of the night awake. He noticed also that Stephen Barr had a poor appetite.

Going into the smoking room an hour later Archer Dawe found Stephen Barr in conversation with a man about thirty years of age — a man who seemed to have a strong family resemblance to him. They were in the quietest corner of the room, and their conversation was being carried on in whispers. Presently they left the room and Archer Dawe saw them go upstairs together.

After a time Archer Dawe walked out of the hotel, went across to the station, and wrote out two telegrams. The first was addressed to Robert Holland, Normancaster, and ran as follows:

I have him here and under observation. He is in conversation with man of apparently thirty, medium height, light complexion, sandy hair and mustache, blue eyes, wears eyeglasses; has strong resemblance to Stephen and John. Say if you know anything of this man.

The other was addressed to a certain private detective agency:

Send Mason here in character of clergyman, to lunch with me at half-past one. Tell him to ask for Dr. Archer, and to meet me in the smoking room.

This done, Archer Dawe. carrying his wax impression with great care, took a cab and set off to a certain establishment which he knew of, where, before noon, a quick workman turned out a brand new key. Getting back to the hotel a little before one he found a telegram awaiting him. He carried it into the smoking room and opened the envelope.

The man you describe is undoubtedly their nephew, James. He was at one time a solicitor, but was struck off the rolls three years ago, after conviction for misappropriation. Watch them both and spare no expense. — Holland.

Under the very eyes of Stephen Barr and his nephew, who were again conversing in a quiet corner, Archer Dawe tore this communication into minute shreds. He affected to take no notice of the Barrs, but he saw that they had a companion with them — a man, who, from his general appearance, he set down as a medical practitioner. Glancing at this person from time to time, Archer Dawe formed the conclusion that he was much of a muchness with the younger Barr — there was something furtive and shifty, if not absolutely sinister in his face. And Archer Dawe was a past master in the art of reading character in faces.

Whatever the conference was about among these three it broke up just before Archer Dawe was expecting Mason. The two Barrs rose, shook hands with the third man, and walked with him towards the door.