Miser Hoadley's Secret
(Grosset & Dunlap, 1902)
Simeon Hoadley, a dirty old miser, has accumulated a fabulous fortune in precious stones and gems. His business methods are less than reputable, but according to his philosophy the end justifies the means. Hoadley runs a seedy pawn shop in Clergy Street, a disreputable quarter of London. But he also leads a double life as "Simeon Jannaway," an impoverished silversmith who can never make ends meet. He has a daughter, Marion, who is completely unaware of her father's sordid alter-ego. Matters take a change when James Linnegan, an old enemy of Hoadley, is released from prison. Prior to his conviction he vowed to murder the pawnbroker if it was the last thing he did. And now Hoadley, in anticipation of possible retribution, writes down a will, and encloses a document in cipher revealing the whereabouts of his hidden stash. This is for his security.
When Hoadley-- or Jannaway, that is-- fails to return home one evening, his daughter gets worried. After waiting a reasonable length of time, she opens, in accordance with her father's instructions, a sealed packet of correspondence addressed to her. The letter enclosed reveals Hoadley's double life, and gives her instructions of what to do in case of his failure to return. After finding Hoadley's house in Clergy Street locked, she summons the police, who break down the doors and enter-- only to find the old miser dead. Marion Jannaway becomes drawn into a net of intrigue and crime when several crooks become aware that the house has entered her possession. Wishing to get in the place to look for the hidden gems, they follow her back to her apartments, later trying to force themselves inside while she's gone. Not only that, but she finds herself often followed. Attempts are even made to abduct her.
Incidentally, Marion is engaged to Ralph Gething, a young lawyer who seems to know more of her father's secret life than he lets on. When he begins acting flaky, and later disappears 'on urgent business,' she starts having her suspicions: especially when she finds him attempting to break in Hoadley's house. Meanwhile, she takes it upon herself to decipher the secret message enclosed with her father's will. Using the keyboard of a Hammond typewriter, she slowly unriddles the document. When the mystery of Hoadley's wealth is revealed to her, she enters the house in Clergy Street and unearths thirty thousand pounds of jewels and gems. The criminals, however, have been watching her all the time, and don't intend to let her have all the goodies to herself. Headed by James Linnegan, they form a strong underground syndicate composed of thieves, slinkers, drunkards, and the lowest forms of night-life. They will do anything they can to get Marion's wealth-- even kill her if necessary.
Here is quite an interesting detective novel that gave me some hours of keen enjoyment. It is a marked improvement to Marchmont's previous novel in the genre, Sir Jaffray's Wife (1898), and evinces a tighter, more succinct style which rolls along quite nicely. The plot is executed professionally, and although some of the material is not the most original, it cannot be said that the book lacks any of the ingredients which make for literary permanence. Don't confuse this with a novel of the "rogue" school, however. Marchmont doesn't write about high society at all. His heroine is a working-girl, and the villains we meet are the lowest dregs of London. Nevertheless, the tale sparkles with a quaint charm of its own, and when it's over one longs for something else from the author's pen. Marchmont employs the old cryptogram motif used so successfully by Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne. His solution, while clearly not of the caliber of those former masters, is somewhat original, and deserves at least a passing nod from students of criminal detection.
Those who wish to find this book would do well to track down the American edition, offered by Grosset & Dunlap. This was issued in 1902, although internal evidence implies that the tale itself may have been written sometime earlier. There are some illustrations (five, I think) by Clare Angell. Used editions of this book typically run $10-20. I have also been told that Miser Hoadley's Secret was re-published sometime during the 1970's, but have not been able to confirm this fact. At any rate, the Grosset & Dunlap copies are not quite obsolete yet, and there are still enough to go around-- for real enthusiasts, of course. We'll be back later with more reviews of Arthur Marcmont's books. Until then, we wish you a pleasant shamble through this one. If you see Miser Hoadley, tell him he still owes me fifty.
--B.A.S.
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