14 - Malcolm Sage, Detective by Herbert George Jenkins

Delve into the intriguing world of Malcolm Sage as this collection of short stories unravels his first year at the helm of his own Detective Bureau. This captivating series serves as a sequel or companion piece to the gripping tale of John Dene of Toronto.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter fourteen of Malcolm Sage Detective by Herbert George Jenkins.
This LibriVox recording is in the public domain recording by Onossimum,
Chapter fourteen, Malcolm Sage Place, Patience one. Malcolm Sage was
seated at a small, green covered table playing solitaire. A

(00:22):
velvet smoking jacket and a pair of wine colored Morocco
slippers suggested that the day's work was done patience, chess,
and the cinema, where his unfailing sources of inspiration. When
engaged upon a more than usually difficult case. He at
once told Sir James Walton that they clarified his brain
and co ordinated his thoughts. The cinema, in particular, the

(00:45):
fact that in his surrounding darkness were hundreds of other
brains vital and active, appeared to stimulate his own imagination.
Puffing steadily at a gigantic meercham, he moved the cards
with the deliberation which the said that his attention, rather
than his thoughts, was absorbed in the game. Nearly a

(01:05):
month had elapsed since he had agreed to take up
the inquiry into the authorship of the series of anonymous
letters with which Gilston and the neighborhood had been flooded,
yet still the matter remained a mystery. A celebrated writer
of detective stories had interested himself in the affair, with
the result that the press throughout the country had stunted
Gilston as if it had been a heavyweight championship or

(01:28):
a train murder for a fortnight. Malcolm Sage had been
on the continent in connection to the theft of the
Adaired Diamonds two days previously. After having restored the famous
jewels to Lady Adair, he had returned to London to
find that the Gilston affair had developed a new and
dramatic phase. The curate had been arrested for an attempt

(01:48):
at assault upon Miss Crane, and, pleading not guilty, had
been committed for trial. The incident that led up to
this had taken place on the day that Malcolm Sage
left London. Late that afternoon, Miss Crain had arrived at
the Vicarage in a state bordering on collapse. On becoming
more collected, she stated that on returning from paying a call,

(02:09):
and when half way through a copse known locally as
gipsies would blade had sprung out upon her and violently
protested his passion. He had gripped hold of her wrists,
the mark of his fingers was to be seen on
the delicate skin, and threatened to kill her and himself.
She had been terrified, thinking he meant to kill her.
The approach of a farm laborer had saved her, and

(02:30):
the Curate had disappeared through the copse. This story was
borne out by Joseph Higgins, the farm laborer in question.
He had arrived to find Miss Vrain in a state
of great alarm and agitation, and he had walked with
her as far as the vigared gait. He did, not, however,
actually see the curate. On the strength of this statement,
the police had applied for a warrant and had subsequently

(02:52):
arrested the Curate. Later, he appeared before the magistrates, had
been remanded and finally committed for trial, bail being allowed.
Blade protested his innocence, alike of the assault and the
writing of the letters, but two handwriting experts had testified
to the similarity of the handwriting of the anonymous letters
with that of the curate. Furthermore, they were all written

(03:14):
upon Olympic script, the paper that Blade used for his sermons.
Malcolm Sage had just started a new deal when the
door opened and Roger's showed in. Robert Fraynes with a nod,
Malcolm Sage indicated the chair opposite his visitor, dropped into it,
and taking a pipe from his pocket, proceeded to fill
and lighted. Placing his mersham on the mantelpiece, Malcolm Sage

(03:38):
produced a well worn briar from his pocket, which, having
got into commission, he proceeded once more with the game
heads looking pretty ugly for blade, remarked Frienz, recognizing by
the substitution of the briar for the meerscham that Malcolm
Sage was ready for conversation. Tell me it's those damned

(03:58):
handwriting experts, growled Ney, the greatest anomaly of our legal system.
But judge always warns the jury of the danger of
accepting their evidence, yet each side continues to produce them.
It's an insult to intelligence and justice to hang a
man because his s resembles that of an implicating document,
remarked Malcolm Sage, as he placed the red queen on

(04:20):
a black knave. Is about as sensible as to imprison
him because he has the same accent as a footpad.
Then there's blades astonishing apathy, continued, Friends, he seems quite
indifferent to the gravity of his position, refuses to say
a word. Anyone might think he knew the real culprit
and was trying to shield him. And he sucked moodily

(04:41):
at his pipe. The handwriting expert continued, Malcolm Sage imperturbably
is too concerned with the crossing of a T, the
dotting of an I, or the tale of a G
to give time and thought to the way in which
the writer uses, for instance, the compound tenses of verbs.

(05:01):
Blade was no more capable of writing those letters than
our friend Murdy is of transliterating the Rosetta stone. Yes,
but can we prove it? Asked Prinz gloomily. As with
the blade of a penknife, he'll loosened the tobacco in
the bowl of his pipe. Can we prove it? He repeated,
and snapping the knife too, he replaced it in his pocket.

(05:25):
Blade's sermons, Malcolm Sage continued, And such letters of his
as you have been able to collect, show that he
adopted a very definite and precise system of punctuation. He
frequently uses the colon in the semi colon, and always
in the right place in a parathetical clause preceded by
the conjunction. And he uses a comma after the end,

(05:48):
not before it, as most people do before such words
as yet and. But he without exception uses a semi
colon the word only he always puts in its correct place.
In short, he is so academic as to savor somewhat
of the pomposity of the eighteenth century go on, said Fritz,

(06:11):
as Malcolm Sage paused, as if to give the other
a chance of questioning his reasoning. Turning to the Anonymous letters,
continued Malcolm Sage. It must be admitted that the handwriting
is very similar, but there all likeness to Blades, sermons
and correspondence ends. Maridy has shown me nearly all the
anonymous letters, and in the whole series there is not

(06:34):
one instance of the column or the semicolum being used.
The punctuation is of the vaguest, consisting largely of the dash,
which after all is a literary evasion. In these letters,
the word but frequently appears without any punctuation marked before it.
At other times it has a comma, a dash, or

(06:55):
a full stop. He paused, and for the next two
minutes the devoted himself to the game before him. Then
he continued such phrases as if only you knew, I
should have loved to have been different then, which appear
in these letters would have been absolutely impossible to a

(07:15):
man of Blade's meticulous literary temperament. As Malcolm Sage spoke,
Robert Frey's brain had been working rapidly. Presently he brought
his hand down with his smack upon his knee. By
Heaven's Sage, he cried, this is a new pill for
the handwriting expert. I'll put you in the box. We've
got a fighting chance after all. The most curious factor

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in the whole case, continued Malcolm Sage, is the way
in which the letters were delivered. One was thrown into
a fly on to Miss Crane's lap, she tells us,
when she and her father were driving home after dining
at the hall. Another was discovered in the vicarage garden.
A third was thrown through Miss Crane's bedroom window. A

(07:59):
few of the earth earlier group were posted in the
neighboring town of Whitchurch, some on days that Blade was
certainly not there. That was going to be one of
my strongest points, remarked Frienz. The letters always imply that
there is some obstacle existing between the writer and the
girl he desires. What possible object could Blade have in

(08:22):
writing letters to various people suggesting an intrigue between his
vicar's daughter and himself. Yet these letters were clearly written
by the same hand that addressed those to the girl,
her father, and her mother. Frienes nodded his head comprehendingly.
If Blade were in love with that girl, continued Malcolm Sage,

(08:43):
what was there to prevent him from pressing his suit
along legitimate and accepted lines. Murdy frankly acknowledges that there
has been nothing in Blade's outward demeanor to suggests that
Miss Craine was to him anything more than the daughter
of his vicar. What do you make of the story
of the assault as evidence? It is worthless, replied Malcolm's Age,

(09:06):
being without corroboration, the farm hand did not actually see Blade.
Freen's not a disagreement. Having convinced myself that Blade had
nothing to do with the writing with the letters, I
next tried to discover if there anything throwing suspicion on
others in the neighborhood who are known to use Olympic
script as notepaper. The schoolmaster John Gray was one. He

(09:31):
is an admirer of Miss Crane, according to local gossip,
but it was obvious from the first that he had
nothing to do with the affair. One by one, I
eliminated all the others until I came back once more
to Blade. It was clear that the letters were written
with a fountain pen, and Blade always uses one. That, however,

(09:52):
is not evidence, as millions of people use fountain pens.
By the way, what is your line of defense? He
smashing the handwriting experts, was the reply. I was calling
for myself on the principle that God is on the
side of the big battalions. But now I shall depend
entirely on your evidence the assault, queried Malcolm Sage. There

(10:15):
I'm done, said Frienz, For although Miss Crane's evidence did
not prove not will be sufficient for a jury. Besides,
she's a very pretty and charming girl, I suppose, he added,
Blade must have made some sort of declaration which she
in the lightedly unanimous letters, entirely misunderstood. What does he
say denies it absolutely, although he admits being in the

(10:37):
neighborhood of the Gypsies would and actually catching sight of
miss Crane in the distance, but he says he did
not speak to her. Is he going into the witness box? Certainly? Then,
after a pause, he added, Chelton is prosecuting, and he's
as moral as a swan. He will appeal to the
jury as fathers of daughters and brothers of sisters. Malcolm's

(10:59):
Age made no comment, but continued smoking mechanically, his attention
apparently absorbed in the cards before him. If you can
smash the handwriting experts, continued the k C. I may
be able to manage the girl's testimony. It will not
be necessary, said Malcolm Sage, carefully placing a nine of
clubs upon an aid of diamonds. Not necessary. I have

(11:23):
asked Murdie to come round, continued Malcolm Sage, still an
intent upon his game. I think that was his ring.
A minute later, the door opened to admit the burly inspector,
more blue eyed and genial than ever, and obviously in
the best of spirits. Good evening, mister Sage, he cried, cheerfully.
Congratulations on the a their business. Good evening, sir, he added,

(11:46):
as he shook hands. With Frienz. He dropped heavily into
his seat, and taking his cigar from the box on
the table, which Malcolm Sage had indicated with a nod,
he proceeded to light it. No man enjoyed a good
cigar more than Inspector Murdery. Well, what do you think
of it? He inquired, looking for Malcolm Sage to friends.
It's a clear case now, I think he slightly stressed

(12:09):
the word. Now you mean it's blade, inquired Malcolm Sage.
As you proceeded to gather up the cards. Who else,
inquired the inspector through a cloud of smoke. That is
the question which involves your being here now, Murdy, said
Malcolm Sage dryly. We've got three handwriting experts behind us,

(12:29):
said the inspector complacently. That is precisely where they should be,
retorted Malcolm Sage quietly, in the biblical sense, he added.
Frains laughed, whilst Inspector Murdy looked from one to the other.
He did not quite catch the illusion. You have done
as I suggested, inquired Malcolm Sage, when he had placed

(12:50):
the cards in their box and removed the card table.
Here are all the letters received up to a fortnight ago,
said the inspector, holding out a bulky packet. Those received
sins have each been sealed up separately by the Vicar,
who is keeping half of them, whilst I have the
other half. But really, Missus Sage, I don't understand. Thank

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you Murdy, said Malcolm Sage as he took the packet.
It is always a pleasure to work with Scotland Yard.
It is so thorough. The inspector beamed, for he knew
the compliment was sincere. Without a word, Malcolm Sage left
the room, taking the packet with him. A bit quaint
at times, ain't he, Sir, remarked Inspector Murdy to friends,

(13:32):
But one of the best. I trust him with anything.
Friins nodded encouragingly. There are some of them down at
the yard that don't like him, he continued. They call
him sage and onions, but most of us who have
worked with him swear by Missus Sage. He's never out
for the limelight himself, and he's always willing to give
another fellow a leg up. After all, it's our living,

(13:53):
he added a little Inconsequently, friends appreciated the inspector's delicacy
in refraining from any mention of the Gilston case during
Malcolm Sage's absence. After all, they represented, respectively, the prosecution
and the defense. For nearly half an hour, the two
talked together upon unprofessional subjects. When Malkham Sage returned, he

(14:13):
found them discussing the prospects of Demsey against Carpenter. Handing
back the packet of letters to Inspector Murdy, Malcolm Sage
resumed his seat and proceeded to relight his pipe spot
the culprit missus Age inquired the inspector with something that
was very much like a wink in the direction of friends.
I think so, was the quiet reply. You might meet

(14:36):
me at Gilstone Vicarage tomorrow at three. I'll telegraph to
Blade to be there too. You had better bring this
schoolmaster also, you mean, began the inspector, rising exactly, said
Malkholm Sage. It's past eleven and we all require sleep. Two.

(14:58):
The next afternoon, the the Study of the Vicar of
Gilston presented a strange appearance. Seated at mister Crane's writing
table was Malcolm Sage, a small ather shay case at
its side, whilst before him were several piles of sealed
packets grouped about the room, where Inspector Murdy, Robert Freynes,
Mister Gray, and the Vicar all had their eyes fixed

(15:19):
upon Malcolm's sage, but with varying expressions. Those of the
schoolmaster were frankly cynical. The Inspector and friends looked as
if they expected to see produced from the other shay
case a guinea pig or a white rabbit, pink eyed
and kicking, whilst the Vicar had obviously not yet recovered
from his surprise at discovering that the stranger who had
shown such a remarkable knowledge of monumental brasses and Norman

(15:43):
architecture was none other than the famous investigator about whom
he had read so much in the newspapers. With quiet deliberation,
Malcolm's Sage opened the other shay case and produced a
spirit lamp, which he lighted. He then placed a metal
plate upon the rest above the flame. On this he
imposed a thicker plate of a similar metal that looked

(16:05):
like steel, but it had a handle across the middle,
rather resembling that of a tool used by plasterers. He
then glanced up, apparently unconscious of the almost feverish interest
with which his every movement was being watched. I should
like miss Crane to be present, he said. As he spoke.
The door opened and the curate entered, his dark, handsome

(16:27):
face lined and care worn. It was obvious that he
had suffered. He bowed and then looked about him without
any suggestion of embarrassment. Malcolm Sage rose and held out
his hand. Frienz followed suit. Ask miss Muriel to come here,
said the vicar to the maid. As she was closing
the door. A curate took the seat that Malham Sage

(16:49):
indicated beside him. Silently, the six men waited. A few
minutes later, Miss Crane entered, pale but self possessed. She
closed the door behind her. Suddenly she caught sight of
the curate. Her eyes widened and her illness seemed to
become accentuated. A moment later, it was followed by a
crimson flush. She hesitated, her hands clenched at her side, Then,

(17:12):
with a manifest effort, she appeared to control herself and
with a slight smile and inclination of her head, took
the chair. The schoolmaster moved towards her. Instinctively, she turned
her eyes towards Malcolm's age. In Spector Murdy, he said,
without raising his eyes, will you please open two of
those packets? He indicated a pile upon his left I

(17:36):
should explain, He continued, that each of these contains one
of the most recent of the series of letters with
which we are concerned. Each was sealed up by mister
Crane immediately it reached him, in accordance with Inspector Murdy's request. Therefore,
only the writer, the recipient, and the Vicar have had

(17:56):
access to these letters. Malcolm say, each turned his eyes
interrogatingly upon mister Crane, who bowed. Meanwhile, the Inspector had
cut open the two top envelopes, unfolded the sheets of
paper they contained, and handed them to Malcolm's age. All
eyes were fixed upon his long, shapely fingers as he
smoothed out one of the sheets of paper upon the

(18:18):
Vicar's blotting pad. Then, lifting the steel plate by the handle,
he placed it upon the upturned sheet of paper. The
tension was almost unendurable. The heavy breathing of Inspector Murdy
seemed like the blowing of a grampus. Mister Gray glanced
across at him irritably. The Vicar coughed slightly, then looked,

(18:38):
startled that he made so much noise. Everyone bent forward, eagerly,
expecting something, yet without quite knowing what. Malcolm's Age lifted
the metal plate from the letter. There in the center
of the page, in bluish colored letters, which had not
been there when the paper was smoothed out. Upon the
blotting pad appeared the words Malcolm Sage August twelve, nineteen nineteen,

(19:01):
number one hundred and thirty eight. For some moments, they
all gazed at the paper, as if the mysterious blue
letters exercised upon them some hypnotic influence, secret ink. It
was Robert Freen's who spoke. Accustomed as he was to
dramatic moments, he was conscious of a strange dryness at
the back of his throat and a consequent huskiness of voice.

(19:24):
His remark seemed to break the spell. Instinctively, every one
turned to him. The significance of the bluish colored characters
was slowly dawning upon the inspector, but the others still
seemed puzzled to account for their presence. Immediately had lifted
the plate from the letter, Malcolm's Sage had drawn a
sheet of plain sermon paper from the wreck before him.

(19:44):
This he subjected to the same treatment as the letter,
when a few seconds later he exposed it. There in
the center appeared the same words Malcolm Sage, August twelfth,
nineteen nineteen. But on this sheet the number was two
hundred three. Then the true significance of the two sheets

(20:05):
of paper seemed to dawn upon the onlookers. Suddenly there
was a scream, and Muriel Crane fell forward on to
the floor. Oh, father, Father, forgive me, she cried, And
the next moment she was beating the floor with her
hands in violent hysterics. Three from the first I suspected

(20:25):
the truth, remarked Malcolm Sage, as he, Robert Frien's and
Inspector Murdy sat smoking in the car that Tims was
taking back to London at its best pace. Eighty five
years ago, a somewhat similar case occurred in France, that
of Marie de Morrel, when an innocent man was sentenced
to ten years imprisonment and actually served eight Before the

(20:47):
truth was discovered, the inspector whistled under his breath. This
suspicion was strengthened by the lengthy account of the affair
written by Miss crane, which Murdy obtained from her. The punctuation,
the phrasing, the inaccurate use of auxiliary verbs were identical
with that of the anonymous letters. Another point was that

(21:10):
the similarity of the handwriting of the anonymous letters to
blades became more pronounced as the letters themselves multiplied. The
writer was becoming more expert as an imitator. Phreenes nodded
his head several times. The difficulty, however, was to prove it,
continued Malcolm Sage. There was only one way to substitute

(21:30):
secretly marked paper for that in use at the Vicarage.
I accordingly went down to Gilston, and the vicar found
me keenly interested in monumental brasses, his pet subject, and
Norman architecture. He invited me to the Vicarage in his
absence from his study. I substituted a supply of marked
Olympic script and plays of that in his letter rack

(21:53):
and also in the drawer of his writing table. As
a further precaution, I arranged for my fountain pen to
run out of ink. He kindly supplied me with a
bottle obviously belonging to his daughter. I replenished my pen
which was full of a chemical that would enable me,
if necessary, to identify any letter in the writing of
which it had been used. When I placed my pen,

(22:15):
which is a self filler, in the ink, I forced
this liquid into the bottle. The inspector merely stared, words
had forsaken him for the moment. It was then necessary
to wait until the ink in miss Crane's pen had
become exhausted and she had to replenish her supply of
paper from her father's study. After that, discovery was inevitable.

(22:39):
I suppose she had denied it, questioned the inspector. There
was the ink, which she alone used, in which I
could identify, was the reply. Why did you ask Gray
to be present? Inquired Phrienz, As his name had been
associated with the scandal. It seemed only fair, remarked Malcolm Sage. Then,

(22:59):
turning to inspect to Murdy, he said, I shall leave
it to you, Murdy, to see that a proper confession
is obtained. The case has had such publicity that mister
Blade's innocence must be made equally public. You may trust me,
missus Sage, said the inspector. But why did the curate
refuse to say anything? Because he is a high minded

(23:21):
and chivalrous gentleman, was the quiet reply. He knew cried
Frains obviously, said Malcolm Sage. It is the only explanation
of his silence. I text him with it after the
girl had been taken away, and he acknowledged that his
suspicions amounted almost to certainty. Yet he stayed behind, murmured

(23:43):
the inspector with the air of a man who does
not understand. I wonder why to minister to the afflicted?
Murdy said Malcolm Sage. That is the mission of the church.
I suppose you meant that French case when you referred
to the master key from marked the inspector, as if
they changed the subject. Malcolm Sage nodded. But how do

(24:05):
you account for miss Crane writing such letters about herself,
inquired the Inspector, with a puzzled expression in his eyes.
Pretty funny letters, some of them for a parson's daughter.
I'm not a pathologist, Mardie remarked Malcolm Sage dryly, but
when you try to suppress hysteria in a young girl
by sternness, it's about as effectual as putting ointment on

(24:27):
a plague. Spot Sex repression quied Frains. Malcolm Sage shrugged
his shoulders. Then, after a pause during which he lighted
the pipe he had just refilled, he added, when you
are next in Great Russell Street, drop in at the
British Museum and look at the bust of Faustina. You'll
see that her chin is similar in modeling to that

(24:49):
of miss Crane. The girl was apparently very much attracted
to Blade and proceeded to weave what was no doubt
to her a romance. Later it became an obsession. It
all goes to show the necessity for pathological consideration of
certain crimes. But who was Faustina inquired the inspector. Unable

(25:10):
to follow the drift of the conversation, Faustina remarked, Malcolm
Sage was the domestic fly in the philosophical ointment of
an emperor. And Inspector Murdy laughed for knowing nothing of
the marriage or the meditations of Marcus Aurelius. It seemed
to him the only thing to do. End of Chapter fourteen,