Apparently no one was taking the
slightest notice of him, and, with an unsteady hand, he raised his glass
and drained its contents. There, at the bottom of the page before him,
was the cause of this sudden panic; a short paragraph conceived as
follows:--
REPORTED ARREST OF SOAMES
It is reported that a man answering to the description of Soames, the
butler wanted in connection with the Palace Mansions outrage, has been
arrested in Birmingham. He was found sleeping in an outhouse belonging
to Major Jennings, of Olton, and as he refused to give any account of
himself, was handed over, by the gentleman's gardener, to the local
police. His resemblance to the published photograph being observed, he
was closely questioned, and although he denies being Luke Soames, he is
being held for further inquiry.
Soames laid down the paper, and, walking across to the bar, ordered a
second glass of whisky. With this he returned to the table and began
more calmly to re-read the paragraph. From it he passed to the other
news. He noted that little publicity was given to the Palace Mansions
affair, from which he judged that public interest in the matter was
already growing cold. A short summary appeared on the front page, and
this he eagerly devoured.
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