Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan

and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

THE HUNT BALL MYSTERY

BY SIR WILLIAM MAGNAY, Bt.

Author of "A Prince of Lovers," "The Mystery of the Unicorn," etc., etc.

1918

Contents

Chap

I THE INTRUDER

II THE STAINED FLOWERS

III THE STREAK ON THE CUFF

IV THE MISSING GUEST

V THE LOCKED ROOM

VI THE MYSTERY OF CLEMENT HENSHAW

VII THE INCREDULITY OF GERVASE HENSHAW

VIII KELSON'S PERPLEXITY

IX THE CLOAK OF NIGHT

X AN ALARMING DISCOVERY

XI GIFFORD'S COMMISSION

XII HAD HENSHAW A CLUE?

XIII WHAT GIFFORD SAW IN THE WOOD

XIV GIFFORD'S PERPLEXITY

XV ANOTHER DISCOVERY

XVI AN EXPLANATION

XVII WHAT A GIRL SAW

XVIII THE LOST BROOCH

XIX IN THE CHURCHYARD

XX AN INVOLUNTARY EAVESDROPPER

XXI GIFFORD CONTINUES HIS STORY

XXII HOW GIFFORD ESCAPED

XXIII EDITH MORRISTON'S STORY

XXIV HOW THE STORY ENDED

XXV DEFIANCE

XXVI ISSUE JOINED

XXVII GIFFORD'S REWARD

CHAPTER I

THE INTRUDER

"I'm afraid it must have gone on in the van, sir."

"Gone on!" Hugh Gifford exclaimed angrily. "But you had no business tosend the train on till all the luggage was put out."

"The guard told me that all the luggage for Branchester was out," theporter protested deprecatingly. "You see, sir, the train was nearlytwenty minutes late, and in his hurry to get off he must have overlookedyour suit-case."

"The very thing I wanted most," the owner returned. "I say, Kelson," hewent on, addressing a tall, soldierly man who strolled up, "a nice thinghas happened; the train has gone off with my evening clothes."

Kelson whistled. "Are you sure?"

"Quite." Gifford appealed to the porter, who regretfully confirmed thestatement.

"That's awkward to-night," Kelson commented with a short laugh ofannoyance. "Look here, we'd better interview the station-master, and haveyour case wired for to the next stop. I am sorry, old fellow, I kept youtalking instead of letting you look after your rattle-traps, but I was soglad to see you again after all this long time."

"Thanks, my dear Harry, you've nothing to blame yourself about. It was myown fault being so casual. The nuisance is that if I don't get thesuit-case back in time I shan't be able to go with you to-night."

"No," his friend responded; "that would be a blow. And it's going tobe a ripping dance. Dick Morriston, who hunts the hounds, is doing thething top-hole. Now let's see what the worthy and obliging Prior cando for us."

The station-master was prepared to do everything in his power, butthat did not extend to altering the times of the trains or shorteningt

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