The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-10


The courage to know the truth
This mysterious sentence affected
Helen considerably. But her faith in
Robert was to great to be shaken. She
would not wait for the canonical hour
at which young ladies go out, but put on
her bonnet directly after breakfast.
Early as she was, visitor came before
she could start,-Mr. Burt, the Detec.
tive. She received him in the library.
Mr.. Burt looked at her dress and her
little bag, and said, Pm very glad I
made bold to call so early
You have got information of i'm
portance to communicate to me?'
Il think so, MISS and he took out his
notebook. The person you are watch
ed by is Mr.. Arthur Wardlaw.' The
| girl started at him. Both spies report
to him twice day at his house in Rus.
sell Square,
BE careful, Mr.. Burt; this is seri-
consequence
We'll, miss, you told me you wanted
| to know the truth
'Of course I want to know the
truth
Then the truth Is that you are
watched by order of Mr.. Wardlaw.'
Burt continued his report.
"A shabby-like man called on you
yesterday
Yes; it was Mr.. Hand, Mr.. Ward
laws clerk. And o Mr.. Burt, that
wretched creature came and confessed
the truth. 1t was he who forged the
note, out of sport, and for bet. and
then was too cowardly to own it, She
then detailed Hands confession.
His penitence comes too late said
she, with deep sigh.
1T hasn't come yet said Burt, dry
| ly. 'Of course my lambs followed the
man. He went first to his employer,
| Il no n
not Hand. He is not clerk at all, but
little actor at the Corinthian Saloon.
Hand is in America; went three months
ago. l ascertained that from another
quarter
%. goodness! y cried Helen, what a
wretched world! 1 can't see my way n
yard for stories.'
How should you, miss? 1t Is clear
enough, for all that. Mr.. Wardlaw
hired this actor to pass for Hand, and
tell you 81 lie that he thought would
please you.'
thought; but her candid soul got sadly
in the way of her brain. MIR. Burt,
said she, you will go with me 10 Mr..
Undercliff. the Expert2'
with pleasure, ma'am; but let me
finish my report. Last night there was
something new Your house was watch
ed by six persons. Two were Ward
laws, three were B3rt's; but the odd
man was there on his own hook and
my men could not make him out at all;
but they think one of Wardlaw's men
knew him for he went off to Russell
Square like the wind, and brought Mr..
War1law here in disguise. Now, miss,
that Is all; and shall L call a cab, and
we'll hear Underclitl's tale?'
/ The cab was called, and they went to
Undercliff. Onthe way Helen brOoded;
but the Detective eyed every man and
everything on the road with the utmOs
keenness.
Edward Underclif was at work at
lithographing. He received Helen cor
daily, nodded to Burt, and said she
could not have a better assistant.
He then laid his fac simile OF the
forged note on the table, with John
WardlRw's genuine writing and Pen
Burt
Burt inspected the papers keenly.
you know, Burt, l swOre ut Robert
Penfold's trial that he never wrote that
forged note
4 remember said Burt.
The other day this lady instructed
me to discover, If I could, who did
write the forged note. But. unfortu-
nately, the materials she gave me were
not sufficient. But, last night, a young
man dropped from the clouds. that
made sure was an agent of yours, Miss
Rollestou. Under that impression l
was rather unguarded, and let him
know how far we had got, and could
get no farther. Il think 1 can help you,
says this young man. and puts u letter
on the table. well, Mr.. Burt, glance
at that letter was enough for me. 1t
was written by the man who forged the
note.'
"A letter!' said Helen.
Yes. PHI put the letter by the side
of the forged note; and, II you have any
eye for writing at all, you'll see at once
that one hand wrote the forged note
and this letter. 1 am also prepared to
swear that the letters signed Hand are
coolly put upon the table the letter
from Arthur Wardlaw that Helen had
received on board the Proserpine, and
was proceeding to point out the many
points of resem blance between the let
ter and the document. when he was
Interrupted by scream from Helen.
'Ahn she cried. she is here. Only one
man in the world could have brought
that letter. left it on the island. Ro.
bert is here: he gave you that letter.
You are right said the Expert, and
what fool must be! have no eye
except for handwriting. BE had a beard:
and such a beard =
1t is RobertH cried Helen, in rap.
lures. he is come just in time.'
In time to be arrested said Burt
why. his time is not out. He'll get
into trouble again.
%, Heaven forbid = cried Helen, and
turned so faint she had to be laid back
on chair, and salts applied to her nos
trils.
She soon came to and cried and trem.
bled, but prepared to defend her Robert
with all woman's wit. Burt and Un'
dercliff were conversing in a low voice,
and Burt was saying he felt sure Ward
laws spies had detected Robert Pen
fold, and that Robert would be arrested
and put into prison as runaway con-
vict. go to Scotland Yard this min
ute. Mr.. Burt, said Helen, eagerly.
what for?'
why, you must take the commission
to arrest him. You are our FRIEND
Burt slapped his thigh with delight.
That Is first rate, miss said he: '1'll
take the real felon first. you may de-
pend. Now, Mr.. Underclitf, write your
report, and hand it to Miss Helen with
IA simi lies. 1t will do no harm If yoC
make declaration to the same effec
before magistrate. You, Miss ROLES
ton, keep yourself disengaged, anC
please don't go out. You will very
likely hear from me again to-day
He drove of, and Helen, though still
greatly agitated by Roberts danger
and the sense Of his presence, now sa
down, trembling little, and compared
Arthnr's letter with the forged docu
was irresistible. The Expert, however
asked her for some letter of Arthur
that had never passed through Rober
Pento1d's hands. She gave him tn
( short note in which he used the very