E-text prepared by Alan Winterrowd
by
I Sir John Dene Receives His Orders
II The Strange Case of Mr. Challoner
III Malcolm Sage's Mysterious Movements
IV The Surrey Cattle-Maiming Mystery
V Inspector Wensdale Is Surprised
VI The Stolen Admiralty Memorandum
VII The Outrage at the Garage
VIII Gladys Norman Dines with Thompson
IX The Holding Up of Lady Glanedale
X A Lesson in Deduction
XI The McMurray Mystery
XII The Marmalade Clue
XIII The Gylston Slander
XIV Malcolm Sage Plays Patience
XV The Missing Heavyweight
XVI The Great Fight at the Olympia
XVII Lady Dene Calls on Malcolm Sage
"John!"
"Yeh!"
"Don't say 'yeh,' say 'yes,' Dorothy dear."
"Yes, Dorothy de——"
Sir John Dene was interrupted in his apology by a napkin-ringwhizzing past his left ear.
"What's wrong?" he enquired, laying aside his paper and picking upthe napkin-ring.
"I'm trying to attract your attention," replied Lady Dene, slippingfrom her place at the breakfast-table and perching herself upon thearm of her husband's chair. She ran her fingers lightly through hishair. "Are you listening?"
"Sure!"
"Well, what are you going to do for Mr. Sage?"
In his surprise at the question, Sir John Dene jerked up his head tolook at her, and Dorothy's forefinger managed to find the corner ofhis eye.
He blinked vigorously, whilst she, crooning apologies into his ear,dabbed his eye with her handkerchief.
"Now," she said, when the damage had been repaired, "I'll go and sitdown like a proper, respectable wife of a D.S.O.," and she returnedto her seat. "Well?" she demanded, as he did not speak. "Yes, dear."
"What are you going to do for Mr. Sage, now that Department Z isbeing demobbed? You know you like him, because you didn't want toginger him up, and you mustn't forget that he saved your life," sheadded.
"Sure!"
"Don't say 'sure,' John," she cried. "You're a British baronet, andBritish baronets don't say 'sure,' 'shucks' or vamoose.' Do youunderstand?"
He nodded thoughtfully;
"I like Mr. Sage," announced Dorothy. Then a moment later she added,"He always reminds me of the superintendent of a Sunday-school, withhis conical bald head and gold spectacles. He's not a bit like adetective, is he?"
"Sure!"
"If you say it again, John, I shall scream," she cried.
For some seconds there was silence, broken at length by Dorothy.
"I like his wonderful hands, too," she continued. "I'm sure he'sproud of them, because he can never keep them still. If you say'sure,' I'll divorce you," she added hastily.
He smiled, that sudden, sunny smile she had learned to look for andlove.
"Then again I like him because he's always courteous and kind. AtDepartment Z they'd have had their appendixes out if Mr. Sage wantedthem. Now have you made up your mind?"
"Made it up to w