Page:The Clue of the Twisted Candle (1916).djvu/54

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

"But, T. X.," protested the Inspector, "there was nothing to be found."

It was the outrageous practice of Mr. Meredith to insist upon his associates calling him by his initials, a practice which had earnt disapproval in the highest quarters.

"Nothing is to be found!" he repeated wrathfuUy. "Curious Mike!"

He sat up with a suddenness which caused the police officer to start back in alarm.

"Listen," said T. X,, grasping an ivory paper-knife savagely in his hand and tapping his blot ting-pad to emphasize his words, "you're a pie!"

"I'm a policeman," said the other patiently.

"A policeman!" exclaimed the exasperated T. X. "You're worse than a pie, you're a slud! I'm afraid I shall never make a detective of you," he shook his head sorrowfully at the smiling Mansus who had been in the police force when T. X. was a small boy at school, "you are neither Wise nor Wily; you combine the innocence of a Baby with the Gubbiness of a County Parson—you ought to be in the choir."

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.