"No."
"Such information would help us, because a young man has been condemned for the murder, a man named Hall—Michael Hall."
"I never heard of him," said Baines. "I wonder I did not see the case in the paper."
"It caused little sensation," said Quarles. "At present it seems one of those crimes committed for small gain."
"Mr. Parrish must have been a man of considerable means," said the bookseller; "considerable means, although he was eccentric about money. He always sent me cash, or some check he had received, with a request that I would return him the balance in cash. Indeed, I have constantly acted as his banker. He has sent me checks and asked me to send him notes for them."
"Where did those checks come from—I mean whose were they? Were they for dividends?"
"Possibly, one or two of them, I do not remember; but I fancy he sold books sometimes, and the checks represented the purchase money."
We thanked Mr. Baines, and then, just as we were leaving, Quarles said:
"By the way, do you happen to know a Mr. Charles Eade?"
"A solicitor?" queried the bookseller.