books and
engravings. There were some cuttings from newspapers: they, too, related
to collecting. And Neale suddenly got an idea.

"I say!" he exclaimed. "Mr. Horbury was a bit of a collector of that
sort of thing, as you probably saw from his house. This man may have
run down to see him about some affair of that sort."

But at that moment Starmidge unfolded a slip of paper which he had drawn
from an inner pocket of the letter-case. He gave one glance at it, and
laid it flat on the table before his companions.

"No!" he said. "That's probably what brought Hollis down to Scarnham! A
cheque for ten thousand pounds! And--incomplete!"

The three men bent wonderingly over the bit of pink paper. Neale's quick
eyes took in its contents at a glance.

LONDON: _May 12th, 1912_.
VANDERKISTE, MULLINEAU & COMPANY,
563 LOMBARD STREET, E.C.

Pay .............................. or Order
the sum of Ten Thousand Pounds
L10,000.00.
...................

"That's extraordinary!" exclaimed Neale. "Date and amount filled in--and
the names of payee and drawer omitted! What does it mean?"

"Ah!" said Starmidge, "when we know that, Mr. Neale, we shall know a
lot! But I'm pretty sure of one thing. Mr. Hollis came down here
intending to pay somebody ten thousand pounds. And--he wasn't exactly
certain who that somebody was!"

"Good!" muttered Polke. "Good! That looks like it."

"So," said Starmidge, "he didn't fill in either the name of the payee or
his own name until he was--sure! See, Mr. Neale!"

"Why did he fill in the amount?" remarked Neale, sceptically.

Starmidge winked at Polke.

"Very likely to dangle before somebody's eyes," he answered slyly.
"Can't you reconstruct the scene, Mr. Neale? 'Here you are!' says
Hollis, showing this cheque. 'Ten thousand of the very best, lying to be
picked up at my bankers. Say the word, and I'll fill in your name and
mine!' Lay you a pound to a penny that's been it, gentlemen!"

"Good!" repeated Polke. "Good, sergeant! I believe you're right. Now,
what'll you do about it?"

The detective carefully folded up the cheque and replaced it in the slit
from which he had taken it. He also replaced all the other papers, put
the letter-case in a stout envelope and handed it to the superintendent.

"Seal it up and put it away in your safe till the inquest tomorrow," he
said. "What shall I do? Oh, well--you needn't mention it, either of you,
except to M