Morris tribune., 1880-04-15
BURBRIDGE, THE ACTOR.
An English Detectives Story.


ever was concerned in, was young Mr..
Burbridge's case, and that did in LON
don, without any help from the London
police. He was in the theatrical protes
sion; smart young chap, greatly trust
ed by his manager made sort of con-
tidential secretary of, and allowed to
keep the accounts and all the cash. No
one checked or counted t'other. One fine
morning he went off with big sum He
had been to the bank and drawn a check
to pay the weekly wages, but he went off
instead, leaving the treasury empty, and
the whole company whlstling for their
screws" The manager was half mad.
and he come at once to the police. The
chief sent tor me.
Its bad business, thoroughly bad,
and we must get him. he said.
mo idea which way he's gomez" I
asked.
"None; that's for you to find out. So
take up the case at once. Spare no
pains-spend what money you like, only
catch him if you can"
In jobs of this sort, sir, time goes a
long way. of course. But it amt every
thing. Burbridge had got good start,
several hours or more, but it was no use
my rushing off after him in hurry. par
ticularly as did not know which way tn
rush. So I set myself to think a little
before commenced work. The ''swag''
stolen was large The thief would pro-
badly try to make tracks out of the coun-
try as soon as he could, but which wav7
To Liverpool. perhaps. and by one of the
ocean steamers to the States; or to Hull.
and so to Swt den and Norway; or Lon
don, and so to France and SPAN. l sent
one of my men to the railway station to
make inquiries and another to wire to
the police at the ports. and to Scotland
yard to watch the Continental trains.
The job I kept to myself was to find
out what I could about young Bur
bridges ways-who his friends were, and
how he spent his time. It's the only
way to get line on a man who's made
off in hurry and left no clue. So
made at once for the fellows room. He
lived in comfortable apartments ever a
tobacconist's, and was good customer
of his landlord, to Judge by the number
of pipes saw over the mantlepiece, all
of which were as we'll colored as black.
and-tan. The rooms were Just as he left
them-he might really have been coming
back in halt an hour, only he didn't quite
intend to, not of his own accord. The
chest of drawers were full OF clothes
there were boots all ready polished brush
and comb on the dressing. table. In the
sitting room the slippers were on the
hearth, actiRg plays lying on the sofa
and about the floor, writlng-desk, an6
papers?
Not single scrap; not letter, or ar
envelope or even an unreceipted bill
He'd made up his mind to bolt, and he q
removed every thing which might give
US the smallest notion of which way he'C
gone. It was just the same at the thea
tire. He'd had a sort of dressing. Ioan
there, which he used as an Office, with {
desk in it, and plgeon-holes and a nes
of drawers. 1t was all left ship shape
enough. Files of bills, of accounts
receipted and not, ledgers, and all that
but not paper of the kind I looked for
made pretty close search, too. tool
every piece of furniture bit by bit, ant
turned over every scrap of stuff will
writing on it, or without. I forced ever,
lock, and ransacked every hiding place
but got nothing anywhere for m,
pains.
The manager was with me all the time
and he didn't halt like 1t, can tell you
Nor more did. l, although wouldn't fn
worlds show that I was vexed. I trie,
to keep HIM up, saying It'd come out al
right--that patience in these things nev
er ia led in the long run; and 1 got hir
to talk about the young chap, to see if
could come upon his habits that way.
"Who were his friends now2" asked
"He had none in particular--not i
the company, at least-nor out OF
either"
"That's queer. None at all-no lad
triend9 Wasn't he sweet upon one q
the other of your stars7 There's Mis-
Plantegenet, nov; and Miss Fortescut
and Miss"
"He couldn't bear the sight of them
that's why / liked him so much. lie wa
so quiet and steady; no flirting and phil
andering; stuck close to his books an
his business F"
"Never took holiday. event.
"Well, now and again he went ava
for few days at time not far-to Lor
don only. His mother lived there, b
said, widowed mother"
| "Who wore silk tights, and dance
breakdowns, and played in burlesques,
said, quietly. as drew out of the bio
ting paper photograph of young lad
in a-well, nearly Zulu costume, thel
was so little of it; a fair.haired little b
of thing, with pretty, rather modes
face, which felt should know agail
The picture had the photographers nam
on it, and the address, that of goo
street. This was my line, of course.
/ made up my mind to follow on I
London at3once. Then one of my me
came In to say that Burbridge had bee
seen taking tickct-to London9 N,
only to Shrivelsby--a long way short
it. 1t was some game, felt certain.
might have gone to London and paid e.
cess fair-but wired to Shrlvelsby an
also to town. No one like him had bee
seen at Shrivelsby; he hadn't got the
that was clear. Only one person di
and that wasn't he; at least the perst
didn answer to his description. It W
only man in working. suit--a mecha
ic on the lookout for work. Nor had l
| haa,, oann az Eaoto,, hy1t that vroc a 4.