Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 432 — page 10: what you’re looking at

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10 Yet the detective’s words made him more than ever anxious to recall that lost memory. ‘*T will think that over. I have nothing to say now,” he replied. ‘* But you have not been idle. Do you suspect anv one?” ‘Yes, And I have some reason to think I am on the right track. But itis possible I may be chasing the wrong fox. I must get nearer the mark before I can s There is this much sure, I am on the trail of some ugly work, which I think points to your uncle.—Well, is it set- tled, Mr. Emory? Are we to be associates in this search?” ‘* Yes,” rejoined Will earnestly. ‘‘ And to be- in with I may as well submit to your better Pidacnenth the one suspicious token I[ have found. Just now, while turning over the papers on the desk yonder, a torn slip dropped from one of them. And this slip is notin Mr. Middle- ton’s handwriting, but in a strange hand, which has no counterpart in any of those papers.” “Ha! that may be important!” exclaimed the detective. ‘* Let me see it.” Will took the slip from his pocket and handed it to the detective, whom he watched as he ex- amined it with intent interest. ‘“'The words on it tell no tale.” he muttered. ‘*Tt has been part of a letter. I knew you were a man of wit, Mr. Emory. You have beaten me at my owntrade. This little slip of paper may be of no value, and it may be the clew that will lead us to the mysterious robber. Can you manage to examine your uncle’s papers pri- vately?” ‘Yes. But 1 will do nothing of the kind.” ‘‘Only to discover some other trace of this handwriting,” yee the officer. ‘‘ We must learn, if possible, who wrote those words.” ‘That isa different matter. I will co that.” *“Good-day, then. Lam glad I met you here. I would rather have your aid than thatof a half-dozen detectives. They would only work in my own track. You may lay open a new t Mr. Logan withdrew as he spoke. Will, left alone, at once began to examine the papers in the desk and compare them with the slip. His effort proved in vain. No trace of a similar handwriting was found. CHAPTER IX. THE WORK OF AN AMATEUR DETECTIVE. WiLu Emory and his uncle were seated at the dinner-table. The meal was over, but they had not yet risen, and were toying with their after- dinner coffee. For five minutes not a word had been spok- en. Mr. Middleton was still care-worn and hag- gard, yet did not show the extreme depression of a day or two before. There was a thoughtful look in Will’s eyes as he played with his spoon. ‘“T cannot help thinking of what you told me the other day,” he said. ‘‘ Who is this Pearson Fletcher, uncle? I never saw him in your house, and did not know you had such a friend.” Mr. Middleton started slightly at this abrupt question. He shrugged his shoulders mean- ingly. R You are a young man yet, Will. It is not likely that you would know all my friends. Business men have intimate friends besides those they invite to their parties. Mr. Fletcher is not a fashionable personage.” ‘‘-Yet it is strange I never heard you speak of him.” ‘¢- You never heard me speak of Thomas Jones, Thompson Westland or Hiram Corlish. Yet they are all friends of old standing.” ‘Are they men who would press on you a loan of a half-millon dollars’ worth of diamonds without security?” ‘‘That is nonsense, Will. The diamonds are worth no such sum.” ‘“‘ At any rate, it is strange that Mr, Fletcher made you this loan. Business men don’t run risks with persons in. difficulty.” ‘‘He knowsme. He knew I would come out all right,” remarked the broker. Will smiled. He was satisfied that his uncle was parrying his questions. There was evident- ly something that he did not caré to tell. ‘*T have heard the name of Pearson Fletcher before,” he said, quietly. ‘‘ There is something unpleasant connected with it. I wish I could re- member what.” ‘‘Tt is best you should not. It is not wise to open old sores. I will tell you this much, Will. e diamonds loaned me were to some extent a ce-offering. They were a pledge that an old uble was settled and forgotten. This is why their loss affects me so deeply,” he continued in every sadtone. ‘I will not bear it, I will die re LL LT LL —_—- rrr rather than lose my honor. I havetwenty days’ grace. If I am not able, atthe endof that time to redeem my pledge, I shall not be living to tell it. ; Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. ‘ } ~ Thanking the janitor for his information, Will ag the room in question. e found Mr. Corlish to be a small-sized, old- ish man, with a wrinkled but good-natured face. He rose hastily from his seat, and turned : He was seated at a desk, busily writing. He from the table, as if to prevent further question- ing. f You shall do nothing so foolish and desperate | if I can help it,” exclaimed Will, firmly, as he, too, rose and grasped his chair with g nervous grip. ‘* As for the diamonds, I do nof despaig of their recovery. I had a talk yesterday with Mr. Logan, the detective, and—” ‘With Logan, the detective! Impossible!” ejaculated Mr, Middleton, turning back in sur- prise. ‘* What nonsense is this, Will Emory? I do not understand you, sir!” ‘* What is impossible in that?” asked Will, in yet greater surprise. ‘* There is nothing strange that Mr. Logan should talk with me, knowing my interest in the matter.” ‘It is impossible, I tell you. ‘You have been deceived, or are trying to deceive me. You could not have seen Mr. Logan, because he is— But that I am pledged not to tell. If any- body has nieeantad himself to you as John Logan, he isa liar anda cheat. Take care you don’t trust in him or reveal any secrets to him. There, that is all I am free to say.” He left the room hastily. Willstood ina flurry of astonishment. What didallthis mean? That he could not conjecture. Was it possible the man who had talked with him the previous day was a cheat, a spy, perhaps, sent to get informa- tion from him? Ho was not willing to think so. There had been too strong a flavor of honesty about the man. Yet what meant his uncle’s sur- rise and excitement? And what was the pledge e had made? Will turned petulantly away from the table. The affair was too confoundedly mixed for his liking. It was not easy to find an end to the tangled skein. But there was one thing he had in mind, and that was to learn more about Pear- son Fletcher than his uncle seemed willing to tell, He left the house at once, and sought a place where he could see a Directory. It was Will’s plan to strike while the iron was hot. Turning the pages of the Directory, he sought the name of Pearson Fletcher. He found it without difficulty. There was no house address. He evidently lived out of the city. But it gave his office number as 46 Blank street. Will’s next move was to seek the Elevated Railway, and torun down-town in search of the locality in question. He knew little about the street, and was curi- ous to learn what kind of a business Mr, Fletcher conducted, and his standing asa business man. He found it to be a short street, lined on both sides with large buildings, many of which seemed to be broken up into offices, No. 46 was one of these office buildings. There was a long signboard at the door, covered with names and directions. Willexamined this care- fully, but, to his surprise and disappointment, the name he sought was not there. . Had Mr. Fletcher changed his office since the date of the Directory? There was one way to find out. He entered the building and sought the janitor, He found the latter personage engaged in tidying up a rear office on the first floor. ‘* Mr. Fletcher?” he said, in response to Will’s ‘Yes, he had an oflice here. He question. It is occupied gave it up about a month ago. now by Mr. Corlish.” Will recognized this name, It was one of those given him by his uncle as an old business friend. ‘*Where has Mr. Fletcher gone? he has taken a new office.” “No, sir. His health was giving way. He has gone on a trip to Cuba, I am told. I don’t know as he needed an office. They say he has lots of money.” ‘Ah! Rich, is he? What was his line of business?” “Coffee, A kind of agent for Cuban planta- tions. I thought you knew him.” ‘*No. But Iam anxious to, I am interested in Mr. Fletcher just now.” ‘Happy to accommodate you, if I could,” said the talkative janitor, flourishing his brush. ‘* But Mr. Fletcher was a gentleman of very few words. I know nothing about him, except that he paid his rent regular. Maybe Mr. Corlish a tell you something. He seems to know “Ah!” said Will. ‘“IsMr. Corlish in? What is the number of his dffice?” **-You will find him in room 10, second floor.” I presume i ” JA ° » | ioe | | | | . ae Ke ei Gy wy a oat es « a . > ¢ ' ie ‘ = ‘ ee : _* , wheeled round on his chair, and faced Will with a look of inquiry. Excusing himself for his intrusion, Will at once opened the subject of his errand. ‘¢ Pearson Fletcher? Certainly. I know him well. He was my predecessor in this office.” ‘¢ And Mr. Silas Middleton?” “One of my old friends. Mr. Middleton and I have known each other well—let me see— thirty years, at least. What can I do for you, young man?” ‘*T am Mr. Middleton’s nephew.” ‘‘Ha! Glad to know you, I’m sure.” ‘¢ You know about the diamond robbery?” “Who don’t? It’s an odd business.” ‘‘ And of course you know that the diamonds belonged to Pearson Fletcher, and were merely loaned to my uncle.” A change passed over the face of Mr. Corlish. It was not surprise alone. There was some- thing more than surprise in it. A = rapa exclamation came from his lips. ‘He loaned them to Mr. Middleton without security, to be kept in trust until his return from Cuba,” ‘*T see,” remarked Mr. Corlish. ‘‘ Mr, Mid- dleton’s integrity is well known. I would trust him with my whole fortune without security. But I had not heard of this before.” ‘* But that is not what I want,” responded Will. ‘* Excuse me for troubling you, Mr. Cor- lish, but I hope you will have time to answer me a question or two?” “Fire away. Tll tell you when I hear the questions.” ‘‘There is something about Mr. Fletcher I would like to know. [I heard it long ago, but have forgotten. He has had relations of old with my uncle—unpleasant relations, I fancy. Can you tell me what they were?” ‘“You are mistaken, young man; there has been nothing of the kind. r. Fletcher is a young mean, not ten years oleer than yourself. never heard that there was any intimacy be- tween him and your uncle.” ** Ah!” exclaimed Will, sadly disappointed; ‘*then I am mistaken, that’s all. Iam sorry to have troubled you.” ‘¢ There was some {rouble between the fathers of these two persons,” continued Mr. Corlish, with an air o reflection ; ‘*but that was fort years ago, when I was a mere boy. Old Mid- dleton was not the man his sonis. He was an overreaching old rascal, if youll excuse me for plain speaking. -Fletcher’s father was then 4 osling, green in business. He trusted his cash in old fox Middleton’s hands, and got fleeced for his pains. That was a bit of the old time roguery. It is said he swore revenge, but he never got it. The old coon was too wide-awake to be caught napping.” “Thank you. I remember now. That was the story I had forgotten. I must have heardit spoken of when I was a child.” ‘‘There were some queer things said after Fletcher died,” continued Mr. Corlish, like a man that was wound up, and was bound to fin- ish his tune. ‘‘Old Middleton died before him, but his son stepped into his business. They say that Fletcher swore his son to revenge on the Middletons, Whether it is true or not, I won’t affirm. All I know is that Silas Middleton did the honorable thing. He paid to young Fletcher his father’s losses, with interest. That buried the hatchet. The thing has been dead and for- gotten these ten years. Mr. Middleton won’t bear to hear it mentioned. It isa sore point to a man with his sense of honor.” ‘Dead, but not forgotten,” quoted Will, ‘‘' What do you mean?” ‘““T mean that I believe that Pearson Fletcher has not forgotten his oath of revenge, and that he is insome way at the bottom of this diamond robbery.” ‘‘Good heavens!” cried Mr. Corlish, spring- ing from his chair as suddenly as if he had been flung up by a spring. ‘‘ That is an extraordi- nary suggestion! Extraordinary! And it is utterly impossible! How could he have done it? The man is in Havana. He sailed from this port two weeks before the night of the rob- bery. Isaw him off myself.” ‘*He may have returned.” ‘“‘Tmpossible.” ‘‘Why impossible? There has been time enough to go to Havana and return.” ‘‘Your theory is a very neat one, but it will not hold water, young man,” answered Mr. Corlish, with severity. ‘‘ It is not safe nor law- «< a ———— aN | : Ms . > \ . .~ ¢ s. vor sy Peg ee -