Night-Hawk, The Mounted Detective — page 11: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘THE MOUNTED DETECTIVE. —w oe -_—<-— —_——- —_~eoeae aw eee seform of that two-faced villain, and I do not jook to bring happiness to you fron: that quar- ter! Nc, no, but remember 1 am a man who does not speak unadvisedly, apd 1 hope tc come to you some day and ask, ‘ Are you not happy?’ and L expect to hear you answer, ‘ The world contains not a happiness greater than mine!’ ”’ ‘ You talk in enigmas to me,’ ‘“Some day my words will be plain enough, but, come, now, when you are assured of “all il know, and no one Knows as much of your affairs as 1, will you not confide in me?’’ ‘* Yes, | will confide in you. I am con- vinced that you are a true and kindly man, and although I do not expect that it is within the ' Tange of possibilities for you to make good your dream picture, to make it a living reality, still -l will trust you.’ **And you will answer my questions?”’ ‘*So far as I can, yes.’ ‘How long ago was il that you parted with Charles Pladwell?’’ The girl Jooked at the detective in a puzzled manner, and said: 0 Certainly you know that it is not more than ten minutes since.’ ‘* No, no; you do not understand. 1 mean before Charles became a burglar. I mean when he first went away after the quarrel] with his father.’’ ‘‘It is a little over three months.”’ ‘‘ Up to that time you believed him to be an honorable young man?’’ ‘* Yes, one of the most henorable young men I had ever met; brave, true, refined, and gen- erous.’ ‘* He was not given to coarse expressions?’’ ‘* His language was always pure and refined; but why do you ask?’’ ‘‘] have a reason for askiag; and now you let me do the questioning; your turn will come. Up to the time that you parted with your lover, he had always appeared the same?’’ 66 Yes. : ‘* Gentle, considerate, and delicate?” ws Always.” ‘‘ His manners were enlirely different from what they are now?’’ 44 8g ‘* Did he speak French?’’ ‘* Not to my. knowledge.’’ “Yon do?’’ 46 Yes. >? | ** You never heard him speak French?’’ *- Never; but he may.’”’ ‘* When he parted with you, what was the wnderstanding?’’ The girl blushed, but answered promptly: ‘* There was but one understanding between us,’’ ‘* And that was—’”’ ‘We were to remain faithftl to each other ander all circumstances. ”’ ‘* Have you ever heard from him since he “went away ?”’ Again a puzzled look came into the girl’s face. ‘* I] do not understand you,’’ she said. ‘* Ah, yes, 1 remember! 1 mean did he ever write to you?” ‘* Never. ”’ ~** You never received a letter indicating his intentions?’’ 6é No.’”’ ‘* You never heard of him directly or indi- rectly?’ ‘*] received on my birthday a bouquet of flowers; they came from New York by express, put the donor never inclosed his card, and i was only permitted to suspect that it was a del- icaie remembrance from him.”’ A~bright look came over the detective’s face when he received the information concerning the flowers. ** How long ago was it that the flowers came?’*> ss, * About two months ago.” ** And he Knew of your birthday?’ 46 Yes. >? ‘* Did he ever allude to the flowers since you have seen him lafely?’’ She turned deadiy pale, and in a gasping ‘one, replied: * W irat are you seeking to establish?’ “Never mind what I am seeking to estab- lish. You are to answer my questions, not ask questions. ”’ ** He never alluded to, the flowers.”’ “There were naturally many little confi- ilences between you and him?”’ * Yes, certainly.”’ "Did he ever, since you made these terrible -~ ee Pe --o~;, Se — discoveries concerning him, ailude to any oi these little confidences?”’ The gil was ghastly pale, and her voice trembled as she answered: ‘‘On the contrary, when I alluded to certain little confidences and incidents to be lemem- bered, he appeared to have forgotten them.’ Again the bright, pleased look shot across the detective’s face. ‘“Am 1 to understand that in becoming a villain his whole demeanor has changed?”’ ‘ Yes, assuredly; in the most strange and remarkable manner.”’ ‘* Even the tones of his voice have changed?’’ ‘* Most singularly, yes; and that is a fact l can never expiain.’’ ‘‘ We. may, explain it all some of these days; you know men have a talent sometimes for dis- guising the natural tones of their voice.’ “Yes: but you would think that there would come moments when they would forget their disguised tones, and speak naturally.’’ ‘* That would depend upon the game they were playing ”’ ‘* Sir, 1 would be dull if 1 did not discover the purport and design of your question. ‘* Well, what do you imagine is the design of my yuestions?”” ‘“You wish to establish that this is not the man to whom | pledged my trcth.”’ CHAPTER XY. A FAR-AWAY look came into the detective’s eyts, and for a moment he remained silent. She broke the silence by asking: ‘Is it not true?’’ **IT can only answer that there is a possibil- ity that there may be some mistake?’’ | The girl’s face was deadly pale as she said: ‘* The suspicion is not new to me, but alas! despite all the singular facts there is no ques- tion as to his identity.”’ ‘* You are assured?’’ ‘* Yes, 1 am assured.”’ ‘“ And why are you so sure?” ‘* There is one little fact that puts aside the suspicion of a fatal resemblance.’’ ‘* What is the fact?’’ ‘*] can not relate it to you; but, sir, as much as | would desire to hope otherwise, 1 can not. I know that the man who just left me is Charles \Fladwell, the man whom I. once thought noble and good, the man whom I once loved but whom I now despise.”’ ‘* Will you tell me under what circumstances you met him ?”’ ** Do you mean when I first met him?’’ ‘No; since he has adopted the profession of a common burglar.’’ ‘*] met him one afternoon when I was re- turning from a sail on the creek.’’ ‘You had no intimation of hiscoming to meet you?”’ €é¢ No. >? ‘‘ And he came right forward and addressed ou?’’ ‘* Yes, certainly.’’ ‘* Can you minutely describe to me just what occurred at that meeting?” ‘“It was just at twilight. from the river. I met him face to face. was advancing toward me and | exclaimed: ‘**Why, Charles, where did you come from?’ ‘He put his fingers to his lips and motioned me to be silent, and at onve offered me his arm and said: ‘** Come, we will take a walk.’ ‘I was delighted to see him, and I took his arm and we walked up the road together.’’ ‘*And what did he say??’ ‘‘He let me do the most of the talking.’’ i La asked bim a great many questions?”’ 7! a. Mads ‘‘ Did he answer your questions?”’ ‘* No; he said, ‘ Never mind questioning me, tell me all the news.’ ”’ ‘** Did you at once notice something strange ackcut him?’’ Not at once, no; 1 was too excited, but later on I did, and said to him, *‘ Charles, how you have changed!’ f , ‘* And what did he say?” ‘* He merely laughed.”’ ** Proceed. ”’ **] spent an hour with him, and I will ad- mit that at that moment even a strange, weird suspicion flashed across my mind, and J] stud- ied his face closely, and I will confess that l looked for a certain scar, and I found it just under the forelock; there could not be two such 1 was returning He tinely. _——~—— =, ——-. scars, and I was convinced that indeed it was Charlie.’’ ‘' You spoke of some other evidence. ’ ‘*Yes: ] can not tell you now, but one tact is certain: there is no mistake; it is not a fatal resemblance—Charles Pladwell is a viliain!’ ‘* When did you discover that he was a,burg~ lar?”’ ‘‘ He made me understand that he did not desire the fact of his presence to be known; and he arranged for me fo meet him clandes- } went to meet him the night of the robbery,” ‘ The night 1 found you on the road?’’ 6 Yes. i) i ‘* Proceed.”’ % ‘Qh! when shall I ever forget that night of horror?’’ The girl ceased speaking. ‘* Proceed, Miss North.’’ | ~ On; that I could forever remain silent!” ‘You must not remain silent. . And now let me say one word: despite all you have told me, [ still indulge my suspicion. “T can swear to his identity. That hope is & Vain one.’ ‘* Proceed, and tell me what occurred.’ ‘‘T was waiting fcr him when 1 heard voices and, after a moment, 1 recognized his. I stole forward to see with whom he was talking +-”’ She stopped short, Her face becume even more ghastly in its expression, and her voice became husky as she uttered the last words. ‘* Proceed,’’ said the detective. ‘Oh, 1 can not!’’ “You must.” ‘Spare me,’’ “It is for your own sake tbat I insist upon an answer.’ ‘‘ Charles was holding a consultation with his * pals.’ ’’ ‘“ Did you make your presence known?’’ ‘sé No.. 9) ‘“‘And what did you overhear?’’ ‘* The plan for the robbery of his father’s house fully discussed.’ ‘* Did Charles take part in the discussion ?”’ sé Yes. 2 ‘* Did he speak of the owner as his father?”’ ‘* No; but he did say that, if they were ar- rested, when worst came to worst, pats would not be prosecuted.”’ The detective’s own face turned pale. ** He said that, eh?”’ éé Yes.’ ‘* And what did the men say?’’ “** Every word is burned in on my memory.”’ ‘That is fortunate; repeat every word that was said.’’ ‘“One of the men asked: ‘** What ‘*‘ pull’’ have you got there?’ and Charlie answered, ‘ Never mind; it’s all right. There will be a surprise in that house if we are > captured.’ ”’ A dead silence followed the girl’s last decla- ration, and the detective was thinking intense- ly. ** You see,”’ said the young lady, after a mo- ment, ‘‘ he relied upon escaping prosecution when his father should recognize in the robber his own son.”’ ‘‘It would appear so, but I still adhere to my suspicion. ”’ ** You still think it is not his son?’’ ‘‘ 1 do; bul go on, tell me all that passed.”’ ‘‘The men urged Charlie to explaim just what he meant, but he would not.”’ ‘* And you overheard all their plans?’’ ac Yes. 2? ‘** Did you afterward meet Charlie that night?”’ ** Not at that time.”’ ‘* You did not disclose your presence there rT éé No. >? ‘* How was it 1 found you insensible beside the road ?”’ ‘* Charlie expected to meet me, and after the robbery conference he looked for me.’ ‘* And you ccneealed yourself from him?’’ sé Yes, >? ‘*And you succeeded in hiding?’’ ‘* He would have discovered me but for your sudden appearance, and the excitement and agitation caused me to fall insensible to the ground.”’ ‘And there I found you?” sé Yes. >? ‘‘Then Gharlie was not far oft at that mo- ment?”’ 4} ‘** 1 de not know how long | remained uncon. — scious, but he could not have been far off.’’ ‘* And when did you next meet him?’’ ‘* You know.”’