Good Evans by Edgar Wallace

Author:Edgar Wallace
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Good Evans
ISBN: 9780755122516
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 2012-12-20T00:00:00+00:00

The SubConscious Mind

The eternal quest for education led Mr Evans into many strange experiences. There was a Cult that had meetings in a tiny hall in Stibbington Street and the educated man was for some time a regular attendant.

“What is this I hear about your going to the meetings of The Children of the Sun?” asked The Miller.

Mr Evans smiled.

“It’s learnin’,” he said simply. “I gotta subconscience.”

“A what?” asked the startled officer.

“A subconscience – it’s workin’ all the time. It’s due to the sun.”

“But you never see the sun in Camden Town.”

“I go racin’,” said Evans. “When a man gets a subconscience he gets Revelations. Things come into his mind. It’s in a book. Sometimes when I’m walkin’ about I get a subconscience of what I’m going to have for dinner; sometimes I get a subconscience that I’m goin’ to meet you. It’s astral.”

“Whatal?”

“Astral – somethin’ to do with flyin’,” said Mr Evans.

“Kite-flying?”

Evans smiled again indulgently.

The life of a prophet, even a world’s champion prophet, is not all jam. He is at the mercy of temperament – temperamental horses, temperamental jockeys, and last, but by no means least, temperamental clients. No clients of Educated Evans better fitted this description that Moses Smike, the owner of Smike’s Renowned Fish and Chip Restaurant, whose establishment was off Great College Street, Camden Town.

And yet Evans had undoubtedly been the salvation of the man. As long ago as Braxted – what a beauty! – and Eton Boy – given from the weights some clients got 33-1 – he had encouraged Mr Smike in the pursuit of easy wealth. Only the other day, when Mr Smike had some difficulty with the wholesaler who supplied him with plaice and skate, it was the Educated Marvel who found him Obscotch (8-1) and Bunions (11-2), and thus rescued him from an appearance in the Bankruptcy Court.

“I wouldn’t mind,” complained Mr Evans, “if the man would say a thing an’ stick to it. But when he says ‘There’s a tenner for you, Evans,’ an’ when I call for it there’s only a middle piece and eight and threepence in coppers, I consider he’s not acting honourable. And coppers is low – with all due respect to you, Mr Challoner, an’ meanin’ nothing against rozzers.”

Detective-Inspector Challoner took no umbrage. He was in his most cheerful mood that morning, and the straw he chewed was whiter and more imposing than usual.

“Smike’s going to be married,” he said, and Evans uttered a tut-tut of surprise and disapproval.

“Why, he’s an old man! It’ll be like the celebrated Mr May marryin’ the well-known Miss December!”

“To be exact, he is about your age,” said The Miller. “Anyway, I shouldn’t be surprised if he made amends by asking you to the wedding.”

Evans brightened visibly.

“Perhaps he’ll give me a weddin’ present?” he said.

The Miller explained that the giving of wedding presents was the privilege rather of the guest than the host.

“That’s a silly idea,” said Educated Evans. “Anyway, the most he’ll ever get from me is my Sealed Ten Pound Guarantee Coop wire – that’s worth a dollar of anybody’s money.

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