The Argosy, Volume XLIV — page 155: what you’re looking at

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

DEALT IN THE DARK. It was most unfortunate that Weeks was not on hand, for I had been follow- ing Spurzheim so closely that 1 was afraid he might have noticed me in spite of my precautions in keeping out of sight. For it is only in suly romances that a detective ever attempts to disguise his features beyond the changes which a razor may effect. In all my experience, I never knew a real detective so foolish as to make use of a false beard, or any of the other rigging which abounds in novels. So, sooner than arouse his suspicion, I let him go, pretty confident that he was bound for the dwelling occupied by the Queen of the Reds, and that I would run across him there later. It was taking chances, I will admit, but I wanted a look at that list, since he was so interested in it and had set off posthaste for a conference with his ac- complice after getting the information it contained. Finally Weeks turned up. .And the first. name in the roster of the known dead was J. Fielding! Under other circumstances, I would have questioned the identity of the dead man with the John Fielding I had been ordered to find, but the collusion of Spurzheim and Amelia Hoff, to- gether with the latter’s exclamation upon the departure of the reporter from his apartments, left no doubt on that head. CHAPTER XXII. THE DETECTIVE CONTINUES HIS REPORT. Mr. FIELDING had been trepanned to the House of Lazarus and murdered there, either actually or in effect, since at best he must have lost his life while a prisoner in the institution. Now, the only way to bring the crime home to Spurzheim was to prove that he employed Amelia Hoff to assist in the kidnapping of Fielding. How the kidnapping was managed I did not then know. But unless the Hoff woman was a party to it, my whole case fell to the ground. For it is one thing to be morally cer- tain of the guilt of a suspected person, and quite another to convict him. 151 A premature arrest would probably spoil everything. There is, on the other hand, a great deal of truth in the old saying that if you give a man rope enough he will hang himeelf. Well, we went to Oakland and kept watch of the Hoff premises until Spurzheim came out. I told Weeks to stay there, and I hung to Spurzheim’s trail. Iie went back to the city and spent the rest of the night in a Turkish bath establishment. It was nearly seven o'clock when he came out again. Then he proceeded to the Ransome, where he was joined by Amelia Hoff. I had a glimpse of Weeks, and knew that he was still following. They sent a message up to Miss Fan- shaw, and after a’ time Amelia Hoff was shown up. Spurzheim stayed outside. Presently the Hoff woman and the young lady whom I had seen in Judge Chittenden’s company the night before came out together. Miss Fanshaw seemed very weak, but refused the woman’s proffer of assist- ance with a gesture which had in it something of repulsion. She barely glanced at Spurzheim, and I saw her hands clench as she did so. While she was not under restraint, it was plain that she regarded the others with a dislike which amounted to loath- ing. The three took a cab and were driven to the Oakland ferry. Having crossed, they proceeded to the Hoff dwelling in another cab. Here a significant scene took place. We were too far away to hear the words that were spoken, but Miss Fanshaw hesitated at the gate, seemingly re- fusing to go farther. . By the gestures of the other two, earnest persuasion first and then expos- tulation were employed. Finally, as if a compromise had been effected, Miss Fanshaw entered the house with the Hoff woman, while Spurzheim, shrugging his shoulders, walked away. Leaving Weeks posted in view of the house, I shadowed Spurzheim, never dreaming of his next move. Instead of lingering about the neigh- borhood, as I fully expected, he made (COL ElOOO YY \ SS COL