The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-12-25

I I6 CIAC4l4n G4bCA LlAAoO4A GHE6SGS~0 G14
! Molecat.
The Tomtit shook his head cOntemptu-
ously.
| " Now, then, what would you get for tne
! pains-taking and risk Why, just carpet
bag, and maybe a few trifes people amt
/ such fools as you take them, to 60 Juggling
money round the eountry-there would be
1 plenty of questions asked abut the carpet
| bag, and likely enough the horse might take
/ it into his head to come back-horses amt
fools either, observed the Tomtit sarcastic
ally.
! Mr.. Molecat scratched his head, as an ex-
pressive indication that the argument was
unanswerable, and short pause ensued.
Veil, remarked Dick Hatton, breaking
the silence, 81 Their Tomtit right, s'pose
out it does look sorter hard arter the birds
cotched to perwent the picking of i'm. Its
mean, that's vot it is =
The limit vouchsafed no reply to this
| sullen speech, but lighting a fresh cigar, he
rose, shook himself, and called Mr.. Beg into
an adjoining apartment.
Where is the man p said he.
" In the back room, eating his supper"
was that worthy's reply "you can peep
| at him easy enough, for I left the door on
the swing"
into the passage, and getting on his hazds
and knees, obtained a very excellent view
of the stranger, who was quietly proceeding
with his meal. Scarcely, however, had the
TOmtits restless eye peered within, than he
gave start of surprise, and retreated imme-
diately.
Here, Beg" he whispered, in An excit-
ed tone, as that individual followed him
back again to the private room "here's
COMPOUNDED go. Who do you suppose that
man is ?"
Mr. Beg, of course, intirnated that be
didn't know, whereupon the Tomtit, look
ing around to satisfy himself they were
alone, brought his hand in the form of
trumpet close to Mr.. Beg's ear, and whis-
pered:
'Its Duffy r
Mr.. Beg's face turned deathly pale.
What" he whispered, the Detective ~
The same" rejoined the Tomtit with
an expression plainly denoting his agitation.
Who or what brought him here alone, |
neither know nor can guess-Beg keep this
from the boys, they are savage enough now,
but if they should find out the truth, /
couldn't control EN-. They would tear this
man to pieces, but, Beg, that mustn't be
they must be led off for it would be the
worst thing yet to kill him he would be
missed as sure as preaching"
Is this the one who has been trying so
long to fnd our Nest p inquired Beg
"The very same replied Tomtit.-
You know the STATE government has Of
fered a reward OF over five thousand dollars
for the discovery of our whereabouts, and
this Duffy has been sneaking around trying
to find us, not so much for the possession of
the reward as some private aim lie amt a
regular Detective, or be might be led off
years ago he was on our track. ! have
been watching him all along, designing to
finish him when good opportunity offer
ed but the wiry scoundrel managed to es-
cape rae he may disguise himself rs much
as he likes, he can't cheat me-
He's disguised, then ?" said Mr.. Beg,
amazed afresh.
OF course he is; that fairness isn't real
He thinks he's unknown to me, but I'll pay
him off yet" rejoined the Tomtit with
silent imprecation. "IH get rid of him,
but it mustn't be done here. Now then
listen: Fetch me lantern and the key of
the You understand me-"
Beg noddedshis head, and few off with
alacrity. No one entertained greater ad-
miration of theSTomtIt than that gentleman;
he regarded him with the same Difference
dog would show to his master, and was
contented as long as be could testify his
servile affection he quickly returned with
the lantern and key, and to his great sur
prise found the burglar chief absorbed in
the contemplation of the miniature of a
young girl, seemingly some seventeen
years of age, and of surprising loneliness
and heard him mutter, " lie certaiREy las
good cause 10 hate me, bat 7 aoould haze
spared HIM had he kept alcay from the Nest
AO7r hO2royer he IIs Rushed qy,,or, Jie ,Ioor,yF
Then becoming aware OF Beg's presence,
the Tomtit hastily thrust the picture in his
bosom, and turning to the inn-kecper,
whispered
Let me out by the back door, Beg.
All right" was the quiet response.
Not a word to the boys, mind if they
miss me, tell EN- I've gone to bed.
The Tomtit, with this parting caution,
made his exit from the door, which Mr.. Beg
held open, and walked rapidly off,
The faithful custodian of the Burglars
Nest stood for few minutes listening. till
the retreating footsteps of the burglar chief
had died away in the distance; then he
carefully closed and relocked the door. and
returned to the bar, there to muse over the
surprising and startling disclosures which
the Tomtit had made to him.
1t was one of those remarkable circum-
stances LuaI sometimes happen IN real lie,
that Mr.. Detective Duffy should have I'M
consciously blundered in the very place he
had been searching for vanly the past two
years. As he sat quietly eating his supper
he little dreamt that few yards off stood
figure which, the mere sight of, would have
moved him to an absolute frenzy; and well
it might,-for there was story connected
with that figure, tale so heart-rending,
SO terrible, so revolting,-of faith broken,
of hospitality abused, of wrongs perpetrat-
ed, of an idolized daughter consigned to
wretchedness,-th it could not have been
passed over. 1t had left its impress on the
careworn features of that man, discernible
in every liueament; his gray eyes seemed
to flash with the same spirit,-of deep, abb
sorbing revenge.
And now those two men were about to
meet-the Detective known to the Burglar,
the Burglar unknown to the Detective-to
engage in a desperate game, the issue of
which was to be death to one or both. In
to11i nd hC1 l.