The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-15
A QUEER CLEW.
CHAPTER |.

As an eX-detective | am often asked to re-
late 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 themselves. Every
body seemed to think that detectives ought
to find things out by a sort of magical divina
ton; but | was reckoned pretty good one,
and have known some of our greatest cele-
brltles; and the only way any of us ever found
anything out was by inquiring of everybody
who was likely to know a little, keeping our
eyes on any probable party, holding our
tongues and putting all the scraps together.
Now and then we are befriended by a lucky
chance; and when this happens we get a hun
dred times more praise than when we puzzle
out the darkest and toughest case. The last
affair was ever engaged in was of this kind
was first concerned in it two years before
left the police, after, by the by, had quite
given up the detective branch; and resumed
three years afterward, that is, three years
after had left the police, an d this is how it
occurred. | must first say, however, that
don't at all regard this as one of the dull
prosy cases | referred to; in fact it was the
most exciting business | was ever engaged in
had left the detective work, as l said, and
indeed, had left London, for when | grew
little tired of the business | was recommended
TO the authorities at Combestead, a thriving
market town in one of the home counties;
anu ldu Il very tnere,
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 country and life in the town, and from a
policeman's view it perhaps appears greater
than it does to anybody else; and whereas |
had often wondered how anybody could be
detected in London, | was equally surprised
to think how anybody could hope to escape in
the country; for, excepting when strangers
came down on some carefully-planned burg
llr nnltr lKU-,tr coll ttrIa
look for our men if anything went wrong; in
short, l knew everybody. As a matter of
course everybody knew me.
There was a middle-aged party lived in
quiet row of houses in Orchard street-which
ran parallel with our High street-a Miss
Parkway, who was reputed to be pretty well
off, although not extremely rich, and reputed
also to be rather eccentric. She lived by her
self, in the sense of having none of her rela-
tives 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 repeatedly in company
with young man of no very good character,
who was full twenty years her junior, and at
last l heard she was going to be married to
him. All the town professed to be surprised
and shocked at this, but wasn't. Whether
detectives get hard of heart in such things or
not | can't say, bat nothing in the way of
woman of five-and-forty marrying a man of
should be surprised at the man marrying the
woman if she had money, as in this case.
After ALL although have said John Lytherly
that was his 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 a lot of
cleverness about him, too, 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 solicitors clerk, an actor, a traveller for
a wine merchant, barman, and had once, be-
fore his mother died, been bought out of the
Lancers. However, it was now pretty well
known that john was going to marry Miss
Parkway, and half the young chaps in Combe-
stead ridiculed and envied him by turns.
Matters progressed so far that it was known
the lady had given orders to Bunnyman Il Co.,
our chief bankers, to call in Thousand pounds
of her money which was out on mortgage;
and it was said she intended to buy one Of the
houses in the High street, and fit IL up as a
photographers. 1t was also reported that old
Mr.. Bunnyman said: g hope, Miss Park
way, that, whatever YOU do with your money
you will do nothing that you have not well
considered" And it is also said that Miss
Parkway replied: "IfI wanted to be preached
to, Mr.. Bunnyman, should go to your broth
er, the Ranter'-perhaps because Mr. Bunny
man had brother who preached, though he
wasn't a ranter at all However, as these two
were by themselves, don't see how anyone
could have known what passed; and these
confidential conversations in books and histo-
ries are certainly things | don't believe in
1t was known for certain, however that she
had not only given notice, but had actually
withdrawn the money; and among other
things IL was said that she had admitted to
her landlady Mrs. Ambiss, 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 a gentle
man living some forty miles away, but he had
not been to Combstead 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
affairs stood and what steps she had taken,
but had received no reply to her letter. Lyth-
erly seemed, very naturally, to be frightening
up, and took our iocular congratulations-for
| had my say as well as the others-in good
tempered, although rather a conceited. style
One annoyance he felt which was that every
body to whom he owed mOney-which was
everyone who would trust him-was anxious
to be the first paid; and thinking that a little
gentle pressure might help them, two or three
of the tradesmen took out County Court sum
monses against him, and this, as he said, was
very hard on him and very selfish. However,
there seemed little chance that they would
defeat themselves, for, harassed and worried
by these dOings, he was forced to ask Miss
Parkway for an advance of money, being the
first time he had ever done so. He had re-
ceiycd money from her, but she had always