Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-11
NO. 24l
A QUEER CLUE.
IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER l.

As an exdetective, am often asked to
relate my adventures. and at one time
was ready enough to do so; but soon
found that my tales were looked upon as
dull. prosy things, and not at all like what
detectives ought to have to say for them
selves. Every body seemed to think that
detectives ought to find things out by
sort Ot magical divination but / was reck-
oned pretty good one, and have known
some OF our greatest celebrities; and the
only way any of US ever found anything
out was by enquiring of everybody who
was likely to know a little, keeping our
eyes on any probable party. holding our
tongues, and pu ting the scraps togeth-
er. Now and then we were befriended by
Il lucky chance; and when this happens
we get a hundred times more praise than
when we puzzled out the darkest and
toughest case. The last affair | engaged
in was of this kind. was first concerned
in il two years before left the police, af-
ter, by-he-bye, had quite given up the
detective branch and | resumed it three
years alterward. that is three years after
bad left the police; and this is how It oc-
Cured. | must say, however that don't
at all regard tn as one OF the dull, prosy
eases referred to- in fact, it was the most
exciting business | was ever engaged
in.
bad left the detective work, as I said,
and indeed had left London, for when
grew little tired of the business was
recommended to the authorities at Combe-
stead, thriving makret-town in one of
the home counties; had very comfort
able situation there, having little to do,
very good pay, and being head of the
borough police. OF course there Is great
deal OF difference between life in the count
ry and lite in town. and from policeman's
view it perhaps appears greater than 1t
does to anybody else and whereas had
often wondered how any body could be de-
tected in London, ! was equally surprised
to think how anybody could hope to escape
in the country; for, except when strang-
ers came down on some carefully planned
burglary, we could nearly always tell
where to look for our men If anything
went wrong; in short. knew everybody.
As matter OF course, everybody knows
me. ffr
There was a middle-aged party living
| in quiet row of houses in Orchard
street-which ran parrellel with our High
street-a Miss Parkway, who was repu-
ted to be pretty well off. although not
extremely rich, and reputed, also, to be
rather eccentric. She lived by herself. in
the sense of haviag none of her relatives
with her; but there were other persons,
although not many, in the large house
where she lodged. had my attention
drawn to her by seeing her walking re-
peatedly in company with young man of
no very good character, who was fully
twenty years her junior, and at last heard
she was going to be married TO him. All
the town proiessed to be surprised and
shocked at this. but wasn't. Whether
detectives get hard at heart In such things
or not, can't say. but nothing in the way
of woman of fve-and-forty marrying .
man Of five-and-twenty would ever sur
prise me, nor should be surprised at the
man marrying woman if she had mon
ey, as in this case. After all, although l
have said John Lythery-that was bis
name-was of no very good character, yet
there was nothing serious against him.
He was good tempered, good looking.
easy sort of fellow, with lot of clever
ness about him that always showed itself
when it wasn't wanted and never showed
itself when it might be of service. He
now called himself photographer; but
had been a solicitors clerk, an actor, q
traveller Tor wine merchant, barman,
and once before his mother died, been
brought out OF the lancers. However. 1t
was now pretty well known that John
was going to marry Miss Parkway. and
half the young chaps in Combestead ridi-
culed aud envied him by turns.
Matters progressed so far that it was
known that the lady had given orders 10
Bunnyman & Company, our chief bankers,
to cali in Thousand pounds of her money
which was out on mortgage; and 1t was
said she intended to buy one OF the houses
in the High-street and fit it up as a photo
grapher's. 1t was also reported that old
Mr.. Buunyman said: "I hope, Miss Park
way, that whatever you do with your
money, you will do nothing that you have
not we'll considered" And it is also said
that Miss Parkway replied: "If wanted
to be preached to. MIR. Bunny should
go To your brother, the Rantern-perhaps
because Mr. Bunnyman wasn't a ranter at
all. However. as these two were by them
selves, don't see how any one could have
known what passed; and these confden-
tial conversations In books and histories
are certainly things don't believe 10.
1t was known for certain, however. that
she had not only given notice. but had ac-
tually Withdrawn the money; and among
other things it was said that she had ad-
mitted to her landlady, Mrs. Ambliss. that
the match with Lytherly would break off
all intimacy with her friends. She only
had one relative who came to see her, and
that was gentleman living some forty
miles away, but he had not been to Combe-
stead lately. Whether he was offended or
not, neither the landlady nor lodger could
say but the latter feared he was, as she
had written and told him exactly how af-
fairs stood and what steps she had taken.
but had received no reply to her letter.
Lytherlv seemed very naturally, to be
Frightening up, and took our jocular con-
gratulations-ior had my say as well -
the others-in a good-tempered although
rather conceited style. One annoyance
he felt, which was that everybody to whom
he owed money-which was TO every one
W ho would trusf hin-was AnyfOuS b0