The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-24

vi COuIbb hDhuuOubu uOLlOn vi
going to Mudclod. i would follow the indi-
vidual whose words had taken down. / did
not know his destination, but that was imma-
terial. / would get into the same carriage
and watch him, and getting out when he did
could excuse my not having o ticket by show
ing that for Mudclod and explaining that l
had taken the wrong train. Under pretense
of waiting for down train / could contrive
to go to an inn, where could assume one of
my DISCUSSES and follow the murderer unsus-
pected. .. H.
''Having come to this determination, l
went out on the platform to compare him
with the minute description in the MudcI0d
EgpTess.'
Comparison Egtrocted from Notebook.
"Mudclod Eppress. Observations
"of middle height or ayes, thereabouts GER
"sandy OH' hair and whis- "DarE hair and no whis-
kers, the latter meet kers.
ing under the chin.
eyes brown, q slight cast "Eyes brown, and de-
in one Of them. cidedly slight CONVEX
''Nose on one side and ''Nose hooked. and with
with q tendency to the aturn to the left."
aquiline."
."Here will be seen, except on one point,
very strong coincidence in the various pecu-
liarities described. That point is the hair.
But the difference in that respect was the one
thing which made me certain of my man.
had not read my Wollins and Allen in vain,
and if the man had had sandy hair and whis-
kers with a Newgate frill, 1 should have
doubted the accuracy of my conclusion, for
felt certain that he had altered that portion
of his personal appearance. lie had dyed
his hair and ShGUed lbs 3ohiskerS. But he
could'not alter his height, the color of his
eyes, or their squint, the shape of his nose, or
its crookedness.
when the train arrived followed him
into his carriage and watched him narrowly
while affecting to read the paper He got
out at Biborough, and 1 followed him. OF
course, L had an alteration with the porters,
and, to keep up appearances, threatened to
report the guard for allowing me to get into
a wrong train. My travelling companion
seemed much amused, and waited to hear
the dispute, which ended by my paying the
fare, and going across to the Railway Hotel
to get something to eat before taking re-
turn train. 1 was glad to see that after chat
ting with the porters he came to the same
place.
81 sent for the landlord of the hotel, and
took him into my confidence. In order to
impress him the more l described myself as
detective, without feeling it necessary to
add the qualification amateur. He under
took to forward my views, and to instruct the
servants not to take any notice of the
DISCUSSES l might think fit to assume.
then sent him to learn what nv intended
prisoner was doing. After some delay, he
came back and said he was lunching in the
coffee-room.
Il determined to dress myself as Dis
senting Minister. having a costume of that
description in my portmanteau, because the
green spectacles belonging to it would allow
me to watch my man unobserved.
''Soon after came down stairs he took
his hat and went out. l followed him. He
strolled about the town with a well-assumed
appearance of Innocence and $nSOUcGUnce
calling merely at one shop, where he stayed
a few minutes only. Unfortunately it was
| impossible to follow him in such purpose
| less stroll without risk of raising his suspi-
cions, result which 1 feared was the case
as l saw him watching me as we returned
towards the hotel. 1 therefore waited behind
for time and then, slipping in unobserved,
| went upstairs and assumed a fresh disguise.
| This time 1 assumed the appearance of a
naval officer. found him in the smoking
room, and entered into conversation with
| him. / contrived very cautiously to turn
| the conversation SO as to be able to ask him
his destination. He said he was going to
start that night for Norchester. After smok-
ing cigar or two with him, took my leave,
and returning once more to my room, assumed
another disguise.
| This time L dressed myself as lady; it
necessitated my shaving off my whiskers,
but what was that compared with the object
| | had in view? AS l came downstairs OBJ
served his luggage in the hall. 1t was label
led DIR. Masters, Plaskerton, near Nor
chester. went across to the station and
learnt that dorchester was two stations further
on, and that Plaskerton was about four miles
| from Norchester.
II had not been at the station long, before
he came across. Something had evidently
made him suspicious; nothing more perhaps
than a guilty conscience, but he was Ger,
tainly about to start some hours earlier than
he had stated to me in the coffee-room.
Il had no time to lose, for the train was
| due in two minutes. / must leave my port
manteau at the hotel, and pay the bill wher
| l returned. was soon seated in the same
compartment as my man, being whirled along
to dorchester / had learned from one of the
porters that the station Cike many others)
though called dorchester, was situated some
| mile or more from the town, and as Plasker
ton lay in the opposite direction 1T was Gus
tomary for passengers who wished to go tt
the latter place to order a conveyance to NEE
them.
This was all that could wish. AS al
unprotected female l could on reaching Nor
chester throw myself on his protection, ant
obtain place in the vehicle he had doubtless
ordered to meet him. l now saw why he haC
waited at Biborough. 1t was in order tha
he might send on to have fly ready at Nor
chester, and so throw his pursuers off the
scent at Biborough, should they have traced
him to Puddledock. He was journeying il
this disjointed way, in short, in order that
they might be at fault at every turn 1t wai
some triumph to me to think how / was cir
cumventing all his clever and deeply-laid