Beadle's Dime Library No. 258 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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brought to our house; T even remembered hear- ing him say, ‘ Well, youngster, this is better than a bed in the river!” ‘¢ Beyond a doubt, you were right,” said Al- len, eagerly. ‘‘ But, proceed, proceed!” ‘(My curiosity became so great that I 're- solved to see the visitor plainly. I looked and recognized him.” ‘Who was he?’ Allen eagerly asked. “At that time my brother was a clerk in the office of Reginsld Sinclair, banker. Once, in calling on an errand to Eben, I saw this man there and heard him address Mr. Sinclair as ‘Uncle Reginald,’ though I afterward learned that he was too remote a relative’ to use the | term rightfully. Well, his name was Edmund Bartlett,” ‘Edmund Bartlett.” sé Yes.” ' Allen repeated the name as though he would brand it forever on iis mind. If Edmend Bartlett knew, aught of, his parentage; he must be found and mace to talk, though’ from! the anxiety he had exhibited ‘to belieye the babe they bad mentioned as being at the bottom of ‘And this Bartlett was a relative, slightly removed from the degree of being a nephew, of one Reginald Sinclair, a banker, -Here are two pieces of evidence: it will be strange if both men have disappeared so completely that they cannot be traced and found.” : Mrs. Quuin shivered again. “Unfortunately, Mr. Sinclair is dead. He was murdered the night.before you were brought t0.Gne EE ee ee | ' ‘Murdered by whori?” “By Robert Sinclair, his. nephew, heir and confidential clerk,” said the woman, sighing. ‘“‘The papers at the time were full of the terri- ble affair.” ‘*One clew the less. But Robert Sinclair, the murderer—what of him? Was he bung?” "No. He sag Hh pursuit and vanished from af who knew him; at last, 1 never heard of his being seen.” . Allen was silent for a moment, but his mind He had thrown himself, heart and soul, into the task of solving the mystery'of bis life, and, having accepted Mrs. Quain’s view of the meaning of Edmund Bartlett’s visit, bis mind was tenaciously fixed ‘on the’ Sinelair err “ Who was the elder Sinclair’s heir, after Robert?” he resumed, after a pause. ‘*Edmund Bartlett.” ‘* Aha! And was Robert married?” “No. He lived in a house a little out of town, with a widow for a housekeeper, and it was there the elder man was murdered. It seemed that Robert had forged his uncle’s name to some checks, and that they quarreled first at the bank. Jt was supposed that the old gentle- man went to the house to settle the matter tu amicably, but ‘that another quarrel follow and Rodert killed his uncle in a moment of un- govenaae rage, Or else deliberately when threatened with unavoidable prosecution for the forgery.” | was busy. CHAPTER ‘VII: * : FOLLOWING THE CLEW. EXPLANATIONS did not serve to clear away the cloud of mystery, so far. To Allen it seemied as though there must be some connection be- tween the Sinclair tragedy and bis own appear- ance at Quain’s cottage, though he was far from being sorry to hear that Robert had been tn- married,., ea a 2€ Was not anxious to claim’ as a parent a man who was branded as a known murderer; better be the son of Thomas Quain, thief and garroter owen he was. On * Well, the tnclair trail fails,” he musing) said, ‘It looks a though Edmund Bartlett, alone, knew anything bout me, aside’ from Quain.” 5 t a The woman murmured **Yes"jn so faint a Mi tbat he sagen aroused again, ‘But such is not your opinion,” he’ said. “What then?” gti "Y ‘“*T had better tell no more,” shé said, ‘‘Limplore you to tell all you suspect,” “The papers said that the housekeeper of the unfortunate Robert shared his flight; at’ least, she, too, disappeared that night.” A Joy “ Well? he eagerly questioned. ''' “The neighbors said she had a child; & baby boy. His disappearance ranked as’ the: thir mystery of the day.” . ‘* You suspect that I am that child?” Mrs, Quain again hesitated and then answered in the affirmative. | “* And the son of Robert Sinclair,” she added. Allen suddenly contracted bis brows, but she ren the look aright and supplemented: vided Bimund Bartlett was instru- mental iu getting you out of sight, it must be he was afraid of you, and as you were a+ mere babe he conid have had no ground for fear ex- cept that you stood between bim and Reginald Sinclair’s wealth, To be such an obstacle, you me have been Robert Sinclair's lawful son.” er Way of presenting vincing, and, forgettin parentage was to admit hinself the son of an . the Mississippi, it was plain he was an‘enemy. the case was very con- that to claim such a rrr LL ee —_ eo———_ assassin, he grasped the theory eagerly and said: ‘If Robert was married ‘there must have been some record made of the ceremony. Could you not have satisfied your mind on that int? “I dared not,” she said, quickly. ‘‘ Had Thomas suspected I was making an imvestiga- tion—” A significant pause ended the sentence. “It is not too late,” said Allen, emphatically. “Tam going to press this matter, With the wealth of the elder Sinclair in his hands, Ed- mund. Bartlett cannot have drifted beyond the knowledge of every one. Ay, and uncle Eben should know where he is.” “J advise you not to seek for information there,” said Mrs. Quain, with visible embarrass- ment. ‘* Why noté” | le find bad ert ttess ** Lehould: have confidediin Eben at the time had I not suspected that he was my husband’s confidant, perhaps his ally, . Having confessed so much 1 may as well add that I believe Eben hailed the accession of Bartlett to the property. And yet,” she added, ‘! be, lost his situation through it.” Allen was quick to grasp/the thoughts in her mind. «If Even Gerland was glad of change of management which deprived him of his situa- tion, it was because’ he really lost, nothing from a financial point of view. | It was hot strange that the young man began | to be bewildered. Granted that E lett had wronged the Sineclairs: in any way, it seemed as though both Quain and Garland had been his confederates. But, what bad. they done?—what! was, that. long-vailed chapter of the past? One»moment Allen, despite a buoyant and somewhat romantic. nature, deemed himself foolish for considering the matter seriously, but he knew Mrs. Quain well. enough to read in her flushed cheeks and unusually. bright eyes that she Was glad that she had broken loose from the silence of years. He saw, too, that.she bad gradually led him along the path of suspicion to where he now s . His ideas were bers.also, and they were not the wild conjectures of a single moments, but the résult of the study of years. Seeing that she was reluctant to speak of Eben Garland, he asked if she knew of any one else to whom he could a ply, but. she did not. Despite her suspicions, ihe ad made it a rule to know nothing of the Sinclairs. At that time she was living with; Quain, and if she had be- come so interested in the case as to mutter in her sleep, she would; have feared for her life, Satisfied that.he, eould, learn no more from her, Allen went,ontj/bat not to rest in inactiv- ity. If Robett,Sinelair had..been married, there should be sotme record of the ceremony somewhere. He determined, to look for it. Not to tire the reader with his research, enough: to’ say that he found it. Nearly, two years before the. murder of the bavker, the younger man bad married Elnora Vincent. Having learned this, Allen reflected. Beyond a doubt Robert had) kept the marriage secret. He had lived in the out-of-town cottage and his wife-bad passed-for his bousekeeper,, After the murder, neither Robert, | bis wife not his child bad ‘been seen again near, St.. Louis, but, ac- cording to the papers of the day, the assassin had been traced and it wasafact that he ha gore alone, , Where, then, bad his. wife gone? ' Secondlyy what had become, of the babe? | “Allen reflected and, resolved to,apply to Eben Garland, using such artifices as would lull the suspicions of that individual...The plan. was earried:into effect that evening, at.a time when Mrs. Quain Had, absented herself from the room in anticipation of iti... 5, , aot ah Mr. Garland was one of the most plausible, smooth-spoken men'who ever. practiced at the bar. He wus not, eloquent, he never thrilled the crowd in the court-room, he arose in his might, only when examining, a.witness,, His strength as a lawyer, and he was successful, lay chiefly in what, he did, rather than what he said, and irreverent, peoy le bad given him such sobriquets ‘as ‘t Old Crafty,” ‘Tricky Eb,” and so on almost without limit, , On the evening in question the lawyer was in an’ unusually’ good-humored mood. He had made a hit in’ the financial line that day and was duly impressed by the fact, His thin, leathery face was not one to radiate joy, but he could be as bland as a spring morning when he felt happy. : Allen led him on to speak of his “successful career,” as the young man cunningly termed if, and Eben felt flattered and grew commu)ica- tive. He bad never had a suspicion that Allen was not his nephew and there seemed to be no reason Mh he should not tell as much of his life as would bear the light of dav. © | _The younger man really felt little interest un- til Eben told how he had entered the banking- house of Reginald Sinclair, Then he. | to ask) some questions, Were the banks of that — those of 18817. : r. Garland talked quite freely and dwelt— perbaps more persistently than the facts of the mund Bart- | — —— — —— Bullet Head, the Colorado Bravo. % — case would warrant—on the trust reposed in him by Sinclair. | ) ‘*He was a fine man, an excellent man, and my position would have been a pleasant one bad it not been for his nephew, Robert. The-latter was cordially disliked by all; be seemed to think us thieves and scoundrels.” » The lawyer’s voice arose a Jittle’ and«there was every evidence of anger in his manner, ‘Did you leave?” Allen carelessly atked. ‘Not while Reginald Sinclair lived,” ap- swered Eben, who then paused and only sumed after a reflective pause of some duration, ‘*Robert proved the material of ‘whieclt heiwas made in an empbatic marnnér’ He murdered 4.48! wv his uncle!” ‘*TIndeed! What was his object?” 0 oom ‘To hide his rascalities,” said ‘Mr) Garland, in an éven voice, and then he gave the same ac- count of the affair that bis listener had) héards from Mrs. Quain, but in all ways showing tha he hated Robert. bse Yilost never been cleared up?” questioned Allenfce min “ He was traced to near New Orleansy where the trail ended. ( a South American craft, ‘thougl novbing defi- reb syedio edi : nite was known.” ‘= ‘His housekeeper accompanied “him; I sup+! bib dad WW” se?” iseqei osllA A considerable silence followed the’ moto-r syllable, and then the lawyer added: —s—."¥ 8g “She died sooh after théa-wffeir “and was buried here in St, Louis: Few people kt this fact: fewer still suspect, when tley'see the” plain stone in the cemetery which’ is‘timply! marked ‘Mrs. Smith,’ that theré lies althat: remains of the housekeeper of Robert Siiclair.” The old man spoke musingly, as though for- etful of the fact ‘that-he bad an: atiditor, and llen felt that he was speaking’ the truth; even! while it occurted to him that’ this’ was another’ proof that Garland had beer '¢oticerned’ in’ the affair. If few knew that’ the’ Woman’ was* buried there, he must bave been well-informed’ to be among the few. ' 30 SC eng th Allen yawned. Cnet) # aew-—waneale ‘Did you know hér?”’ he carelessly asked, 9 © “T hope not; F-would notubé’ proud “to ace" knowledge acquaintance with the’ wretched | creature.” Nein beep 603 tol dysoxt ‘Then she wasn’t an angel”? = 6 oto rom Garland seemed’ 6n‘ the point’ of making’ a hasty reply, and then checked himself and cyni-: cally observed: A. £OGH Biged “Few people are.”*"” +> 4 itt 7 Desens “The. chief result of the tragedy, then, was’ that i phi id Bartlett tate eed succeeded to the property, suppose" Eben’s eyes atid enly aroce and his’ gaze be-’ came fixed on his putative nephew's face, but’ Allen looked so lazily indifferent. that he -utire-: servedly answered affirmatively! og Vis “Ts Bartlett :still ‘in’ bisivéss’ here? the’ ounger man continued, a8 be began winding is watch lstlessiy, °° oA Oot mate ‘No, He is now in Colorado, in a town ealled! Red Bullet Bar, where ‘he if a Se t. He. owns a mine there’ and, I suppose, Sete two, millions. ‘He has property re, which’ T look after, and he said in a late letter that ‘he would probably settle up his affairs in and return here within a year.” ‘Toco This was about all the old laWyer had to'tell, but Allen had learned something of importance; The housekeeper of Robert Sinclair, who ha® really been his wife also, was dead, while Bart- lett, was living in the West. MIT AS4O TIED ) With bis suepieto x yi Posw tA man wove a theory to suit’ binicelf. ‘Bartl had. known of the secret martie ace a Sinclair a ‘when ‘the ‘latter’ murdering the old bankér.’ Bai ‘Saw only the infant bet ween bim and # torte _eobton ae . Asa result, being ‘unseruputou he weeorvee eper,” or M Temoye them.” The ‘house inclair, as she should be ‘called, wee sp away and afterward kept out of sight imprisoned—until, she died and was buried’ the cemetery as “Gee Smith:” whil® Thomas Quain, according to Allen’s theory) ‘bad hired to throw the young héir'in the river, but instead, he brought*bini to the house, «ow |” Bartlett’s connection ‘with thé, affair was proved by his visit to Quain, and the conversa- tion overbeard by Mrs, Quain; while Garland had just confessed that he knew how Mrs. Sin- ar sy cae alg — Sm re ) = ‘* Bartlett, cheated the ch 0 ortu aided by Quain and’ Garland,” thoug t the young man, when alone in bis room? ° Te Tam not mistaken, Tam thet child, tut Téan’s say T am proud of the fact. “As well be the son of Thomas Quain, who is nearly forgotten, as of Robert Sinclair, who will Pn Bee em are for his crime. T bad hoped by éstablishing a new parentage to e myself worthy of Rose Jackson, but I only go fron bad to Ae sual} not seek to prove that Tama Sincl , and He paused, arose and b to pace the onl yee ro Pe tie bis seat. What Rose He felt sure she would follow for- et es, let them be what they would, bat he ew that a marriage against the wishes of S) CORMIE AOC — oiAti eH “And the mystery of his disappéatancehas® It was helieved he escape@on® (E(@) A _ eee ee