Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 432 — page 9: what you’re looking at

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

— — — ——_— ———— —--——— — — co - of the solitary house well fixed in his mind; then he set oif at a brisk walk for the city, thrusting into his pocket the pistol which had done him such good service. All was silent in the house behind him. Its Invincible Logan, the Pinkerton Ferret. ——-+———————— oa -- — —---- --———— ae -_—- - = - eye at once detected that the writing on it was in quite a different hand from that of his uncle- e examined it closely. The writing was un- known to him. He finished by putting it in his _ pocket, with the hope that it might lead to some- occupants had not ventured to follow him to the | door. They had their wounds to nurse. An hour afterward found the Invincible in New York. He had gone through a strange ex- perience since he last trod those streets, and it | was with a feeling of renewed confidence in his | own powers that he reflected on the shrewdness of his escape. In all his varied experience he had never be- fore been in such a scrape. Another hour brought him to the head-quar- ters of the detective agency. It was about nightfall, but several persons were yet present. ‘Hello, Invincible! Where have you been?” was the question. ‘‘ We began to think you had got into trouble.” ‘‘ Been working up a little affair,” he replied, briefly. ‘‘ Look over your books and see if you have such a name as Tom Spicer on them.” The person addressed did so, and shook his head. . ‘* Not here,” he remarked. ‘‘ He’s a new bird, then, for our cage. must trail him before to-morrow night.” At this moment the door opened, and a young man, in the dress and wjth the appearance of a laborer, lounged in. ‘‘ Ha!” cried the detective, ‘‘ just the man I want to see. How goes your work? Have you anything to report?” | ‘* Very little,” was the reply, as he threw off his coat and washed his hands. him this morning to a place on Franklin street. It isn’t the sort of shanty fer a fashionable vis- it. Nor isit quite a low-down hole.” ‘Find out to-morrow whom he visited there. And keep you your guard sharper than ever. Have you left a night watch?” “ens GB”? ‘* Very well. Good-night.” Logan left the office and made his way to- ward his home, He had yet to report himself there. I CHAPTER VIII. A DETECTIVE’S EYESIGHT. In following the adventures of the disguised detective we have lost sight of our other charac- ters. We must now return to them, We left Will Emory when he had just been advised by his uncle of the desperate strait he was in, and the terrible determination he had taken to kill himself rather than lose his honor, Will made no effort to combat this desperate intention. He was completely taken aback by what he had heard, and wanted time to think before acting. The namé of Pearson Fletcher, as we have said, gave him a start. He did nct know the person, but he had heard the name before, There was a story of some kind connected with it, but he could not remember what. For a whole day he thought incessantly on the subject, trying to recall the story. He was sure it was something unpleasant, and that the names of Fletcher and Middleton had been somehow connected in the past. But think as he would he could not bring it back. It was something he had heard in his early years. Will was not satisfied. What he had heard had made him restless and uneasy. He knew well that his uncle meant what the said, and that arguments would be wasted on him. What was to be done then? The detectives had the case in hand, but there was no sign that they were doing anything. Will felt that if he wanted to do anything to save his uncle from suicide he had better turn amateur detec- tive himself. Perhaps he might hit on some- thing that had escaped the officers, Full of this resolution he sought his uncle’s office. It remixed just as it had been left on the night of the robbery. Nothing had been changed or moved, Will looked heedfully around him, examining every point with the utmost care. Yet there was not the slightest sign that anything had been disturbed. The papers in the pigeon-holes and drawers of the desk remained neatly tied up. Others were loosely scattered over the ta- ble, just as they had been left when they were last used. He searched among these, picking them up one by one. As he did so there fell from the folds of one paper a small, three-cornered scrap, of about an inch in width, lt seemed to have been torn from the corner of a ietter or other manuscript, But his quick ‘*T tracked | SSS sts SSS Ss thing of value. He continued hisresearches, but nothing came from them. Whatever the detective had traced, there was nothing suspicious to his inexperienc- ed eyes. Finally he came to the safe, as the last and most important object to be examined, {t remained unlocked. Mr. Middleton had acted on the plan that there is no use in shut- ting the stable door after the horse is stolen. Will studied this object with the utmost dili- gence, bringing all his wits to bear on the inves- tigation. There were several scratches on the paint near the lock, which seemed to have been made by some sharp-pointed instrument. Every- where else, inside and ovtside, no sign of dis- turbance appeared, Will examined the tell-tale scratches critical- ly. Itseemed evident to him that the burglars had no key to the safe, but had opened it by the aid of instruments, some of which had slipped in the process, ‘They must have been very expert hands,” he said, rising to his feet after concluding his search. ‘* They couldn’t have had much time to spare for their job, and a lock of that kind isn’t to be opened by every greenhorn. Yet it is plain that the work has been done by burglar’s tools.” ‘Sure of that?” asked a satirical voice behind him. He turned quickly, and perceived standing in the door of the room a man about thirty years of age, a stranger to him. Yet the face seemed familiar, and he immediately remembered that it was the person who had accompanied Mr, Elkins to the smoking-room, on the memorable nightof he party. “Bxcuse mo,” said Will, straightening him- self a little stiffly. ‘‘ Whom do you wish to see? Mr. Middleton is not at home.” ‘* So I was told at the door,” was the easy an- swer. ** So you think that safe was opened with burglars’ tools, eh? I fancy you are mistaken in that idea.” Will stared at this intrusive stranger. He must be known to his uncle, or he would not have been admitted to the party. Yet he seem- ed to have plenty of assurance. ‘*T have seen you before, but I do not know you,” remarked Will coldly, ‘‘My name is Will Emory. Will you be kind enough to give me yours?” ‘‘Hereis my card,” answered the intruder. Will took it, and read the inscription with an opening of the eyes, ; ‘* John Logan, Detective.” ** What? You the Invincible?” he cried hastily. “That changes the aspect of the case, I begin to see through things now. Have you discover- ed any trace of the robbers, Mr. Logan?” No,” was the answer. ‘Tt is highly important they should be found. My uncle is in a desperate strait.” ** L know it.” ** Have you no hopes of success?” ‘* Hopes, yes. Assurance, no. So you think those scratches were made by the slipping of the tools of the burglars?” __ ‘** Yes. Were they not?” ‘There are no scratches around the keyhole. Yet it was there the work was done. Does it not seem strange that a workman who was so skillful at this point was so awkward at that?” ‘* That seems reasonable,” said Will thought- fully. ‘* And the number of these scratches seems overdone,” I see. But why were they made?” ‘* As a mere tric <, to throw men of my stamp off the scent. Unluckily for the rascal he over- reached himself. His scratches have put us on the scent instead of throwing us off.” ‘I declare I den’t see how,” acknowledged Wi ‘They don’t tell me anything of that sor ‘*T suppose not” laughed the detective. ‘You are no fool, Mr. Emory, but you are not trained to the best use of your eyes and your brains in this work, I know that you are Mr. Middle- ton’s nephew, and that you are interested in the success Of this search. Therefore I do not mind telling you what I make of those marks. It may be possible that you may aid me in my work,” ‘I am eager to do all I can,” replied Will, earnestly. ‘‘I will do anything to save my un- cle from his desperate resolution of suicide.” Ul. t.” ess sss LL rrr ee ee = — —_ 2 = 9 —_> a a ee ee — ‘* Of what?” cried the detective, in surprise. “Why, you told me you knew of his desperate determination.” ‘I didn’t know of that. business. ness?” ‘*His honor is bound up in the loss of those diamonds. You should know what honor means to men of his reputation.” ‘I see. I see,” rejoined Mr. Logan. ‘The diamonds must be found, or he must be watched until he comes to his senses. I am glad you told me that. It is important I should know. It will go no further. Now shall I tell you what I make of those scratches?” ‘** Yes. Iam eager to know.” ‘In the first place they have been made as a lure. They are intended to give the idea that the safe was opened by tools. As itis they give the opposite idea, that it was opened with a key. No tool could have been used without leaving some mark on the keyhole,” ‘* Go on,” demanded Will. ‘*In the next place it was not done by a skill- edhand. Itis overdone, you see. An old bur- glar would have made the marks in the right lace, and nctso meny cf them. And he would ave made them with lock-picking tools.” ‘** And what were thcse made with?” “A pocket knife,’ was the quiet answer. ‘* And they have kecn cone hastily, as if the fellow was in a hurry. Now, I will tell you what I deduce from this. The man that opened that safe was no professional picklock, but a green hand at the business. Some friend or ac- quaintance of Mr, Middleton, I take it, who knew of the contents of that safe, and who had the means of getting at the key in Mr. Middle- ton’s pocket, The work was done hastilv, on the night of the party, perhaps by one of the guests, but that is not certain. And these marks were left to lead search into a wrong track.” ‘* That sounds plausible,” admitted Will. “Rut the key was in my uncle’s pocketbock, and was found there, in his pocket, immediately after the discovery.” ‘** The work was not done with that key,” said the detective, quietly. ‘‘The key has been stolen, a duplicate made, and the original re- turned. It is a very neatly concocted trick. But it has weak spots through which sharp eyes can see,” Will looked thoughtfully at the safe, and then into the knowing face of the detective. His eyes had been considerably opened in the past ten minutes. ‘Safe locks are not so easily opened as that,” he remarked, ‘There is nothing difficult about this one,” answered the officer. ‘‘ The question is, who is In a position to be able to get that key from your uncle’s pocket and return it without dis- covery? Are there any doubtful persens about the house who could be used for this work?” Will shook his head. ‘The servants are all old and tried hands,” he atlirmed, ‘1 have had them watched,” admitted the de- tective. “‘I ean discover nothing suspicious about them. None of them has held ccmmuni- cation with doubtful parties. However, they are still under watch. It is cur business to neglect nothing. I have also been locking after another person whom I coubted at first, Put T have given that up. I am eatisfied on that point.” ‘Who is that person?” “One Will Emory. He is a gentleman who That is a serious What has driven him to such mad- would have kad easy access to bis uncle’s pock- ets. But I accept him now as an aid instead of a suspect,” Will whistled. He had had no idea of this, The keen cyes of the detective were fixed with their most peretrating gaze cn his face. But he saw there cnly surprise, and not a trace of guilty confusion. ‘*T am ready to do my kest to help you,” de. clared Will, with great earnestness. ‘IT would almost. lay down my life to save my uncle's honor. But I am afraid I will not be able to do much. I have had my eyes opened considerably in the last half-hour, and see that I am as green as a gosling in this work.” ‘You have your wits,” replied the detective. “And you know many things that I don't, such as your uncle’s habits, his associates, the events of his past life, dozens of things which I have not come at, but which may have a mean- ing in this business. You may be able toset me on the right track by a mere hint, Iam used to the work of expanding hints.” Will reflected. There recurred to him his late effort to remember the story about Pearson Fletcher. But that was too vague to speak of, co