The Van Buren press., 1870-01-11
Il VAN BUREN,, ARK, JANUARY IL, 1870

ner IOr lew miuutes III my AoonA' "'
he knew It was against rules, and has not
seen her again"
But what are we to do p said my
uncle. Il think l will speak to the First
Lord"
SO he spoke to the First Lord, who
thought the affair serious enough.
Vt must be in the letters" said he.
i" 1t cannot be in the letters said my
uncle.
"As you please said the chief; [" but
although you cannot find it there, per-
haps another can. l would try an ex-
pert"
My uncle had no faith in experts, OF
Bow street runners, and mistrusted them.
But he could not refuse to try the expert
ment suggested SO the most cxpericnc
ed decipherer in London was summoned
into council, and to him the letters OF the
day were secretly submitted.
lie read them all very carefully looked
at them in the light, and looked at the
lghsthrough them. At last he put them
all aside excepting one from Elinor Beau
mont.
"W!io is the lady who writes this p
said the taciturn man of skill at last.
"A very sweet yeung womxn,' said
Parker, smartly; "sister Of my private
Secretary"
"Does she write often p
"Yes she is his only correspondent,
and writes about twice week.
"W here does she live2"
"She lives in Jersey, Beaumont told
me. Their father was in business there
"And does she always write about the
same kind of things-aunt's rheumatism,
picnics, squire tea parties, and the like y
"Much the same, excepting when she
speaks of Beaumont himself
"Hum ~ said the expert. no
swell, sir,' said my uncle who was
rather impatient of the man Of skill $
pomposity, "and what may "Hum y
meanP Have the young woman and her
aunt's rheumatism done the mischief p
"Hum! She dates from Fleet street p
"And why should she not date from
Fleet street, sir"
:" ! should be sorry to prevent her,
said the unmoved philosopher. Has
this correspondence continued long? 2"
"Oh, yes "a couple of years or 50, but
not nearly SO regularly as lately"
" For how long regularly y
"Abeut two months.
"That is, about the time when you
first suspected the betrayal of confidence ?
Really, my friend if you can't see
farther into a milestone than that, you
may give up the profession" said my
uncle. 80 Take my wvid for it, tho Ree".
monts have nothing to do with it. Rub
bish p ..
"Hum" !" And with that the man OF
skill took his hat and departed, saying
ho would return in two days. The two
days, however, were five before he came
back, and was again closeted with my un.
Gle and Parker, with whom he had fallen
into great disfavor.
Wants to make job" said the latter
-" q regular humbug.'
7" has Beaumont a locked desk in his
room?'
"Yes, sir said Parker. "he has"
/" Have you key which will open it p
81 have--and what Of that?'
81 wish to have that desk opened
without his knowledge, and the contents
brought TO me-
And on what pretense,' said my un.
Gle, q" do YOU propose to put this insult on
a man against whom there is nc reasona-
bic ground Of suspicion, and who has not
been allowed to speak for himselfy'
There need be no insult, for he will
know nothing of it; neither will any one
else"
81 will not permit it, sir"
"Hum! Then l can do no more in
the business
But" said Parker, whose official no.
tons made him unwilling to break of
the negotiations in this matter, "what
prctensc have you for doing this to Beau
mont, and not to the other clerks 7"
"Shall tell you? There is no such
person as Elinor Beaumont, and the ad-
dress in Fleet street is a notorious haunt
of suspected foreigners.
"Good gracious" !" said my uncle,
changing cslor, "you don't say that 7"
g 1t is the fact; but you will see the
necessity of being cautious and silent in
the matter Detection hangs on = thread
as it stands, and whisper will break it.
"What do you mean" said Parker,
+" about Elinor Beaumont? have seen
her
There Is no Elnor Beaumont in Jer.
scy sent and have asccrtaincd the
fact"
~ am sure there is some mistake
about all this, which Beaumont can clear
up. Let us send for him."
"lf you do the game is up. trust,
in fact, he does not know Of my visits.
We cannot be too cautious in these mat
tcrs."
Pcdantic ass" muttered my uncle ;
" but suppose we had better give him
his own way If you meet Parker and
me here at seven to night, we shall have
this wonderful desk opened, and your
great discoveries shall he made"
They met again that evening. The
desk was opened by Parker, and a bun.
die of letters, carefully packed up, all
from Elinor Beaumont, and quantity
of circulars, playbills and shop receipts
were handed to the expert
That gentleman read through the let
ters, and seemed much struck by the last.
"Kead that" said he, handing it to my
uncle. A the letter 10 important, ! give