The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1871-02-01
ALEXANDRIA, La WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY !, 1871.

in said area, and shortly disappeared
inside. !"
The detective again emerged from 81
place of concealment, and silently GIL o.
ded to the front of the Office where the e.
mnffied stranger had so suddenly dis
appeared. Creeping close to the plate q
glass window, he read:
T.. V. SMITH, SON g. CO.,
LAWYERS AND REAL ESTATE AGENTS. r
Whatever may have been his mental q
comments upon the perusal OF same we
are unable to state, but placing his
hand in his pocket, he drew forth
small brass key, and glided noiselcssly
away.
Meanwhile, the person who had gone !
in the Office had thrown off his cloak
and entered the private office OF the
firm, q small room partitioned Off from
the main Office.
In most basement offices i'll New
York city there are no shutters put up
when the establishment closes for the
=? night, but the doors are locked and
Iiet of gas lit BY this means the office
is illumined inside, and exposed to the
view of policemen and private watch
men, who are employed in the vicinity.
Should the Office be dark inside, sus-
picions are Immediately awakened.
and inquiry is instantly instituted
Thus it is that a single gaslight is
more elfectual safeguard than iron
bolts and bars might be.
The walls of the private Office were
of solid, paneled wood, and with the
exception of the door, which contained
ly two large panes of frosted glass, showed
elk no light from within.
at The stranger used his heavy cloal,
al as blind for the door. By dint of a
nd number of pins the cloak was effec
tually fastened to the door in man
rps ner that precluded the possibility OF
al single ray of light escaping from TIN
the inside.
Having done so, he lighted the ga
the inside. The Office was handsomel
lire furnished, with a sofa and armchair
cen it. The occupant must now be de'
no. cribed. He is man OF about ny
al feet ten or eleven inches high, with
the figure admirably proportioned. IL
AIRY glitteri,g black eyes are overhung /
,ber dark. heavy brows. But that is Il
ONE only feature that indicates the villa
nen. The general expression of his face
tive by no means sinister or hardene
and Iight brown whiskers are the on
hair on his otherwise clean shaw
also face.
long Drawing a safe key from his We
with pocket, he advances toward the lar
fled iron safe, and proceeds tosmanipula
lick the various combinations until t
rect. bolts fly back, and with a slight eff
AIRED the massive iron door swings back
&c its hinges, and he is ramsacking
lie of contents. -
turp The detective in the meanwhile T
mo- at the top of his speed around II
Pine street, where he stopped Def
HELD a narrow alley. Opening the gate,
the CROPPED his way along the alley until
ken found himself in a small, square y
aa paved with Aagstones, on the four
him. of which toward lofty buildings, lie
me:.f ing only small patch of daylight V
ranp- bic on the brightest day; but III
stone inky blacl1ness of that stormy nis
imple the buildings themselves were Ii,
duty. bic above the sec"n" s'o's -
and Taking from his pocket small
GLOON, of oil, he. smeared the key all o
and applied it to Il small door on
: mis- ground floor of one of the lofty b'
ings, which proved to be the real
=, +be trance to the Office he had just lie
: have Wall street. The door opened n
With lessly, which showed that he ha
90 on ranged his plans beforehand by G
When the hinges and removing the bolt
o indi- Gliding silently across the ofhc'
= nro- removed small block of wood,
stran- had been carefully oiled, from a
ID from in the partition wall of the pr
,lment Office. He then commanded full
he iron of the inside and its occupant.
A mo- Edgar Smith, for that was the
, of the gers name, had on his knee
collar, of documents tied with red tape,
he was busily engaged in exam
after a A disappointed look crept oyt
pack the face, as the paper for which |
tied the searching did not seem to be
G Force. bundle.
wed con- A low cry of exultation Sill
+ of the escaped him, as he drew fortl
a brown paper envelope legal
nized as ment. The detective pushed his
,ctives in in his anxiety to read the indors
.rtv and The wished-for chance occur
Sc of his last. There, in the large old
letters, he caught the word g
+. Turn smith, nv" op0"s
he walk paper.
e until lie Course it," he muttercd, sly
building, supposed, the governor has lief