Murders in, Volume 2 Read Online Free PDF

discreet.”
    â€œWe can’t risk it.”
    â€œOur last hope, then—the Byron.”
    â€œAnd that’s where you come in, Mr. Gamadge! If you could just show Uncle that it doesn’t belong to his set!”
    â€œIf I only could. I suppose you don’t know the edition, or anything?”
    â€œI got a minute to myself on Sunday, and copied the card in his file.”
    â€œMiss Vauregard, you are worth working with, and for.”
    She took a slip of paper from her handbag, and gave it to him. He read:
    Byron (Lord).
    THE POETICAL WORKS OF LORD BYRON ,
    complete in 10 Volumes.
    Published by R. W. Pomeroy, No. 3 Minor Street,
    Philadelphia, 1830.
    Small octavo, brown cloth gilt.
    Engraved frontispieces, and notes.
    Fair condition, engravings foxed, bindings faded.
    (Volume II missing).
    â€œVolume II missing,” repeated Gamadge, looking up at Miss Vauregard. “Gives one quite a chill.”
    â€œI had a chill when I saw it back on the shelf!”
    â€œI suppose he hasn’t remembered to erase that phrase from the card. You say Volume II is much fresher than the Vauregard set?”
    â€œMuch. It’s a kind of purplish brown.”
    â€œWhat they called puce, I suppose. It must have been in a dry, dark place all these years.”
    Miss Vauregard shuddered.
    â€œI imagine that your uncle wouldn’t allow me to borrow it?”
    â€œHe’d almost sooner lend you Miss Smith, I should say.”
    â€œI never heard of this little Byron, but I’m sure it can’t have much, if any, market value.”
    â€œThey picked it up somewhere.”
    â€œYes. I’m pretty well convinced that this whole remarkable scheme was hatched on the day when someone found Volume II somewhere, and remembered the Vauregard legend.”
    â€œI have thought all along that Uncle must have told the arbor story to the Chandors or some of their clients. They’d all talk about psychic experiences, and so on, I suppose.”
    â€œI really must meet the Chandors, and find out exactly what they do go in for.”
    â€œAngie will introduce you, perhaps. You’ll have to have an introduction, you know—they’re very particular.”
    â€œWell, have you any other suggestion, Miss Vauregard?”
    â€œI wondered why you didn’t think it queer that she was able to get to the house without being noticed. She was in costume.”
    Gamadge looked at her ironically. “I’ll show you something,” he said. He got up, went to a bookcase, opened it, and after a minute’s search took out a couple of books bound in tree calf. He brought them to a table beside her, opened them, and turned the pages of one and then the other.
    â€œHere we are,” he said. “ Old Curiosity Shop , published in 1841, and Oliver Twist , published in 1838. Fashions didn’t change as often then as they do now, so we may take those pictures as representing styles in 1840. Look at Miss Rose Maylie, Nancy, Barbara, even Little Nell. Discount the scoop bonnets and let Little Nell’s dress down an inch or so, and what do we find? We find tight bodices, with a ruffle or a wide collar at the neck; long, full skirts, without any crinoline; short sleeves; rather low-heeled slippers, with or without straps. The hair is parted in the middle, and worn high, or loose on the neck.”
    Miss Vauregard studied the illustrations with surprise.
    â€œNow, tell me,” said Gamadge. “If you saw a young woman dressed like that on a New York street, late in the afternoon of May the third, would you stop and stare?”
    â€œNo, I shouldn’t. If she wore a long skirt, she wouldn’t be wearing a hat, either.”
    â€œThe puffs on those sleeves seem inclined to bloom at the elbow; that doesn’t look right to me,” and Gamadge frowned. “Would the scarf hide them?”
    â€œOf course it would. Mr. Gamadge, she could have walked blocks to