A ROMANCE tROM A DETECTIVE

blood dropped into it. And when a hittle had thus been caught, a new quill pen was dipped into ity and handed to Beechworth, who thercupon wrote his name with his own blood on the scroll. This senseless cere- mony cnded, the wound in the man’s breast was sponged, a picce of plaster placed upon it, and he was told that he was now one of the Black Brotherhood, and that his interests were bound up with thers, and that he must stand or fall with them.

1t only remains now f[or me to give you the sign,” the president added, ° b) which yvou may always know a Brother. It is changed cevery month. For the current month it is the index finger of the left hand placed m the palm of th(, right hand, thus.” Here he gave a practical 1l]ustmtl(m ()f how 1t was to l)c donc. “"T'hen we have a pass-word, also changed every month. The one m usc at present 1s C Creasus.” We meet here again in three weceks” time, when you will be expected to contribute to th(, common. fund value or money to the extent of a hundred pounds.”

The business bemg ended, all the members of this precious Brotherhood removed ther hoods, and the hand of the new member was shaken by the others. Amongst them T recog- mised the fellow called Robert, who had acted the part of the servant at inden House when I went thereo Inoa hittle while the hights were extinguished and the Brotherhood com- menced to leave the house, and as they reached the street, to their utter amazement and consternation they were arrested, for the house was surrounded by cordon of policemen.

It will, of course, e asked how 1t was 1 managed to uncarth the seercts of the strange society, whose members were handed to- cether with the sole object of enriching them- sclves by plundering therr fellow-men. The question 1s eastly answered. On the might when 1t dawned upon me that T had scen the face represented by the photograph of John Tupper somewhere before, T was enabled to detect by aid of the glass that the whiskers were not natural. lh(,rc were two or three places where the hair did not adhere to the face. T came to the conclusion at once that Tupper was nonc other than

Tamworth, disguised by false whiskers and moustachp, and a wig. The dark picercing cyes, too, 1 was pufcctly convinced were

Tamworth’s eyes. It was naturally a very startling discovery, and I immediately took steps to prove 1t right or wrong. l'or several days I shadowed Mr. Tamworth, and at last followed him to the old housc in the Borough.

WS CASE-HOOA. 303

[ater on T obtamed entrance to the house by means of a false key. Inoa drawer ma table I found a written circular summoning a meeting for a certain night ; and I resolved not only to witness that meeting, but as there could not he a shadow of a doubt that the Black Brotherhood, as they chose to call themselves, met for an unlawful purpose, 1 took means to have every man jack of them arrested.

At first when the news leaked out people were inclined to think that the Brotherhood was a hoax, but the revelations that were agradually madce of their doings caused intense cexcitement throughout the country. Not only were they bound together by oath, which cach man signed with his blood, but they had a formal sct of rules and regulations for therr guidance. Tamworth was the president, and hey with two others;) took charge of all the things that were stolen.

P this property was conveyed to the Continent by some of the members, and there disposed of o the proceeds of the sales bemg cqually divided. I the event of a man bemg arrested the Brotherhood sceretly pro- vided funds for his defence o and if it was a batlable case the bal was always forthcoming, but the aceused invariably disappeared unless he felt pretty sure he would only gt a light sentencee,

The Brotherhood owed its ul'i"'il’l and success entirely to the avelh villain 7 who had, by some strange mesmerie milue n(p he posse heen enabled to obtain entire umtml OVer tlu_, will of his unfortunite nicee, Beryl Artois. In order to ]\'(f(,‘]) up this mflucnce, he drove his own broucham disguised as a conchman, and whatever she obtained she handed to him immediately and he concealed 1t Of COUTSCe, nothing bulky was cver taken on such occasions. The plunder was cither precious stones or jewellery.

In spite of their oath, three of the gang turned Queen's evidence, and the conviction of the rest was sceured. Tamworth, as the ringleader, was sentenced for life, and the others were dealt with only a little less severelv, Tamworth was one of the most accomplished and consummate villains 1 cver had to deal with 5 while his power of acting

a part, and of concealing his true feclings, was sinply marvellous, and would have

cnabled him to have made a fortune if he had gone upon-the stage,

In the face of the eaxposure T was thus cnabled to make, and which left not the slightest doubt that poor Miss Artois had