During the last fortnight four very curious and brutal murders had
been committed in London and within a comparatively small area.

The first had aroused no special interest--even the second had only
been awarded, in the paper Bunting was still then taking in, quite a
small paragraph.

Then had come the third--and with that a wave of keen excitement,
for pinned to the dress of the victim--a drunken woman--had been
found a three-cornered piece of paper, on which was written, in red
ink, and in printed characters, the words,

"THE AVENGER"

It was then realised, not only by those whose business it is to
investigate such terrible happenings, but also by the vast world
of men and women who take an intelligent interest in such sinister
mysteries, that the same miscreant had committed all three crimes;
and before that extraordinary fact had had time to soak well into
the public mind there took place yet another murder, and again the
murderer had been to special pains to make it clear that some
obscure and terrible lust for vengeance possessed him.

Now everyone was talking of The Avenger and his crimes! Even the
man who left their ha'porth of milk at the door each morning had
spoken to Bunting about them that very day.

******