THE MAN WHO HATED EARTHWORMS
Edgar Wallace
“The death has occurred at Staines of Mr. Falmouth, late Superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Department. Mr. Falmouth will best be remembered as the Officer who arrested George Manfred, the leader of the Four Just Men gang. The sensational escape of this notorious man is perhaps the most remarkable chapter in criminal history. The ‘Four Just Men’ was an organisation which set itself to right acts of injustice which the law left unpunished. It is believed that the members were exceedingly rich men who devoted their lives and fortunes to this quixotic but wholly unlawful purpose. The gang has not been heard of for many years.”
Manfred read the paragraph from the
Morning Telegram and Leon Gonsalez frowned.
“I have an absurd objection to being called a ‘gang,’” he said, and Manfred smiled quietly.
“Poor old Falmouth,” he reflected, “well, he knows! He was a nice fellow.”
“I liked Falmouth,” agreed Gonsalez. “He was a perfectly normal man except for a slight progenism—”
Manfred laughed.
“Forgive me if I appear dense, but I have never been able to keep up with you in this particular branch of science,” he said, “what is a ‘progenism’?”
. . .
