Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1879-01-23
funds. He WA free to tell me that his

funds. He was free to tell me that hi
name was Ross, and particular to hin
on every occasion how fortune hae
favored HIM with wealth: The ladJ
spoken of had attracted my attention
and / confess to feeling at the time {
little tender partiality toward her. Thu
reader, therefore, will not be surprised
that was conversant of Ross gallantriel
to her, and that was somewhat annoyed
when l saw that she seemed to regard
him with favor. Perhaps it was the
stimulus of rival, perhaps the woman'i
charms alone, that aroused me to regard
her; but at any rate fell to gazing
upon and thinking of her, and that, too
after only two or three short and rather
cool interviews wherein l utterly failed
to exchange a single tender look. Mean
time, Ross, to my utter discontinue, wa
admitted by her to the most confidential
tete a-tetes.
1t was about this time that began te
scrutinize Ross more closely, with the
view of detecting his completely in the
crime l was employed to discover. The
more reflected the more became con.
WINGED of the reasonableness Of my sus'
picions He was in my opinion, persan
not likely to accumulate wealth. His
habits were too extravagant for that, and
besides, the vulgar inclination he had of
abiding to his abundant means denied
the probability of his inheriting money.
If such person had much money, it was
quite likely to have boon uHlawfuuy OBJ
tanned. 1t appeared significant fact
to me that this man evaded all my hints
to discover his source of wealth. His
business, whatever it might have been,
was never once alluded to by him, and
, any method by which I could obtain q
clue was to be sought for: Did he un-
derstand the art of photographing? IT
he did one good point was made. I had
failed in every attempt to find his occu-
patton until the following opportunity
occurred, in availing myself Of which I
claim some sagacity.
Ross came limping to me one evening,
bearing an expression OF pain. Iinquir'
ed what the matter was, at which he
dropped into seat beside me, and in q
coarse manner began cursing his corns,
which appeared to be the cause of his
lameness. While he was lamenting his
misfortune an idea had occurred to me.
l had been troubled with corns myself,
and had eradicated them with nitrate of
silver, a chemical much used in photo
graphing. "Mr. Ross" said I, "you can
be efectually relieved by an article you
have probably used, and quite likely you
have with you."
"What is it," inquired he, anxiously.
"That is chemical that stains the skin
and hair black" saidI.
Indeed" said Ross, with forced sur
prise, and apparently very uneasy.
at is IN article quite indispensable in
the art Of taking pictures by the solar
light" said I, gazing directly into his
eyes.
"Yes?" said Ross, with inquiry.
Nitrate of silver; did you ever use
it," inquired.
"No!" he said, CURLY, and dropping
his eyes before my gaze, he arose and
left me, Enthusiastically embarrassed and
annoyed.
This interview nearly settled the ques-
ton in my mind in regard to his crimi.
nality, and the prospect of bringing him
to Justice pleased me. observed him
closer than ever. Heappeared less lame
the morning after I had suggested the
remedy, and on the second day his lame
ness had entirely disappeared. I ven
tured to ask, after congratulating him
on his improvement, whether he had OBJ
tanned the chemical aboard, and although
he denied it, l had but little doubt he
had awaited himself of my remedy. For
tunately, to discover whether he had,
was completely within my power. If
Ross had applied thhe chemical to his
corns, a blackened indelhble stain re-
NAMED, which important fact I was de-
to find out. SLOUGH and met
to compare notes, and our in
terviews were generally late at ight.
he always came to me upon the quarter
deck, and as ill-luck would have it, had
been observed by Ross trespassing upon
the quarter forbidden to the occupants of
the steerage.
The extent of my perplexity can be
imagined when, while waiting anxiously
to have an interview with my partner
for the purpose of divising method to
have peep at Ross toe, Ross himself
came to me to me in a confidential way,
and whispered that he was keeping a
close watch upon that thievish- looking
fellow describing my partner), that his
scarf-pin had been stolen, and that he
was suspicious it had been taken by
SLOUGH. managed with some difficulty
and risk to whisper few words to my
parter shortly requesting him to keep
away from me until the next day. Mean
while set my wits to work to get look
at Ross foot. We were then sailing in
low latitude. The nights were su1try
and warm, and all the windows and doors
that decency would allow open during
sleeping hours, were left co.: Ross
apartment being near mine, I arose late
in the night, and taking lamp, I held
it concealed beneath my hat, and stole
noiselessly within his chamber. Moth
ing but sheet covered him, and I gently
raised its corner, and thus exposing his
foot, set the rays of my lamp upon it.
A pretty large spot, as black as ink, dis
figured one of his: toes. His deep and
measured respiration emboldened me to
remain longer, and gave good look at
his face In q state of repose.- = The con-
viction again, and with more force, pre-
sented itself that I had known him be-
fore. I returned to my berth, puzzling
my brain to replace him in my recollec-
tions, but without success.
Having proceeded thus far, I contrived
on the following morning to see my
partner, when laid the whole matter
before him. I had no doubt of his
approval of my stratagem to implicate
Ross; but he surprised and mortified me
by shaking his. head in a dubious way.
My nitrate ofsilver test evidently went
for nothing with him. The physiognomy
of Ross had already been submitted to
his wonderfully serutinizing examina-
ton, and his judgment had pronounced
him innocent of the crime. I argued
and endeavored to reason::with him upon
the suspicious manner of Ross when I
had monti0no6 tho ro,oodv fop his oo~,,