Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1879-01-29

abundant iewele indicated no lack Of
funds. He was free to tell me that his
name was Ross, and particular to hint
on every occasion how fortune had
favored hin with wealth. The lady
spoken Of had attracted my attention,
and ! confess to feeling at the time a
little tender Partially toward her. The
reader, therefore, will not be surprised
that / was conversant0f Rose gallantries
TO her, and that I was somewhat annoyed
when / saw that she seemed to regard
him with favor. Perhaps it was the
stimulus of a rival, perhaps the woman's
charms alone, that aroused me TO regard
her; but at any rate l fell to gazing
upon and thinking Of her, and that, too,
after only two or three short and rather
cool Interviews, wherein l utter y failed
to exchange a single tender look. Mean.
time, Ross, to my utter discontinue, was
admitted by her to the most confidential
tete a.tetes.
1t was about this time that l began to
scrutinize Roes more closely, with the
view of detecting his completely in the
crime I wa employed to discover. The
more ] reflected the more l became con-
WINGED of the reasonableness of my sus-
picions. He wa in my opinion, a person
not likely to accumulate wealth. His
habits were too e~xtravagant for that, and
besides, the vulgar inclination he had of
abiding to his abundant means denied
the probability of his inheriting money.
II such . person had much money, it was
quite likely to have boon unlawfully OBJ
tanned. 1t appeared a significant fact
to mi that this man evaded all my hints
to discover his source of wealth. His
business, whatever it might have been,
wal never once alluded to by him, and
any method by which / could obtain a
clue was. to be sought for. Did he un-
derstand the art OF phOtographing? If
he did good point was made. had
failed in every attempt to find his occu-
patton until the following opportunity
occurred, in availing myself of which /
claim some sagacity.
Ross came limping to M M evening,
bearing an expression of pain. inquir-
ed what the matter was, at which he
dropped into a seat beside me, and in q
coarse names 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.
I 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 efiectuslly relieved by an article you
have probably used, and quite likely you
have with you."
What is it," inquired he, ~anxiously.
"That 10 q chemical that stainst the skin
and hair black" said l.
Indeed! " said Ross, with forced sur
prise, and apparently very uneasy.
at is an article quite indispensable in
the art of taking pictures by the solar
light" said /, gazing directly into his
eyes.
"Yes7" said Ross, with inquiry.
"Nitrate of silver; did you ever use
it," l inquired.
"Nol" 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. He appeared less lame
the morning after | had suggested the
remedy, and on the second day his lame,
ness had entirely disappeared. l ven,
tured to ask, after congratulsting him
on his improvement, whether he had Oh
tanned the chemical aboard, and although
he denied it, l had but little doubt he
had availed himself Of my remedy. For.
tunately, to discover whether he had,
was completely within my power. II
Ross had applied thhe chemical to hit
corns, a blackened indellible stain re-
NAMED, which important fact l was de-
termined to find out. SLOUGH and / met
frequently to compare notes, and our in
terviews were generally late at night
He always came to me upon the quarter
deck, and as ill-luck would have it, hac
been observed by Ross trespassing upor
the quarter forbidden to the occupants O.
the steerage.
The extent of my perplexity can b,
imagined when, while waiting anxiously
to have an interview with my partner
for the purpose of divising q method t.
have q peep at Ross toe, Ross himsel
came to me to me in a confidential way
and whispered that he was keeping .
close watch upon that thievish-lookin,
fellow describing my partner), that hi
scarf.pin had been stolen, and that h,
was suspicious it had been taken by
SLOUGH. l managed with some difficulty
and risk to whisper a few words to mi
parter shortly requesting him to keel
away from me until the next day. Mean
while l set my wits to work to get a lool
at Ross foot. We were then sailing il
low latitude. The nights were suItry
and warm, and all the windows and door
that decency would allow open durin,
sleeping hours, were left 30. Ross
apartment being near mine, / arose lat
in the night, and taking a lamp, l hell
it concealed beneath my hat, and stol
nOiselessly within his chamber. Moth
ing but q sheet covered him, and / gentl,
raised its corner, and thus exposing hi
foot, l set the rays of my lamp upon it
A pretty large spot, as black a. ink, dis
figured n of his toes. His deep ant
measured respiration emboldened me t.
remain longer, and l gave a good look a
his face in q state of repOse. The con
viction again, and with more force, pre-
sented itself that l had known him be
fore. l returned to my berth, puzzlin,
my brain to replace him in my recollec
tions, but without success.
Having proceeded thus far, l contrivet
on the following morning to see NJ,
partner, when l laid the whole matte
before him. I had no doubt of hi
approval of my stratagem to implicat
Ross; but he surprised and mortified m,
by shaking his head in a dubious way
My nitrate-of-silver test evidently wen
for nothing with him. The physiognom,
Of Ross had already been submitted tt
his wonderfully scrutinizing examine
ton, and his judgment had pronouncet
him innocent of the crime. l argue
and e~ndeavOred to ~reason:with him upol
the suspicious manner OF Ross when
had mentioned the remedy for his corns
and his inexplicable concealment of tn,
chemical which there could be no doub
he carried with him, to all of which
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