He strode hurriedly into the lounge, with a look of excitement on his good-humoured boyish face, and accosted the golfers, who happened to be nearest the door.
"I say, you fellows, what do you think has happened?
You remember that chap who fainted yesterday morning?
Well, he's wanted for committing a murder!" The piece of news created the sensation that its imparter had counted upon.

"A murder!" was echoed from different parts of the lounge in varying degrees of horror, amazement and dread, and the majority of the guests came eagerly crowding round to hear the details.
"Yes, a murder!" repeated the young officer, with relish.

"And, what's more, he committed it after he left here yesterday.

He walked across to some inn a few miles from here along the coast, put up there for the night, and in the middle of the night stabbed some old chap who was staying there." There was a lengthy pause while the hotel guests digested this startling information, and endeavoured to register anew their previous faint impressions of the young man of the alcove table in the new light of his personality as an alleged murderer.

The pause was followed by an excited hum of conversation and eager questions, the ladies all talking at once.
"What a providential escape we have all had!" exclaimed the clergyman's wife, her fresh comely face turning pale.
"That's just what I said myself, madam, when I heard the news," replied the young officer.
"I presume this murderous young ruffian has been secured ?" asked the clergyman, who had turned even paler than his wife.