The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-15

mouth and tapped his note book with
his pencil.
'"Fhat looks like plan" he remarked
after moments meditation. "That
fact is the strongest point in the case.
1t seems as though it were designed that
nothing should transpire through the
clatter of servants"
"Yet surely tho real point is the con-
fession of murder which we overheard?"
urged deferentially.
*"That has to he proved" he replied.
'In the meanwhile, I must compliment
you on your shrewdness in sending for
me i'll this quiet way. I shall at once
telegraph for one Of our men to stay with
you here, and for another to be posted
| within IL convenient distance of the
house,"
Day after day passed and nothing
transpired to clear up this mystery. At
length, after sn interval of nearly q fort
night, we had, for the first time, COM
munication from Inspector Chittick III
the shape Of telegram:
81 have made an unexpected and
startling discovery IN re Maiden. I will
call this afternoon, and hope to do bust
ness. Maiden is at homo; intends leav-
ing homo tomorrow with wife and Ger
man servant"
did not show this message to Polly,
for 1 knew it would upset her. My
nerves, too, were little unstrung, and
L actually trembled when Ann ushered
Mr.. Chittick into the front room. After
greeting me, he gravely took news
paper from his pocket and passed it to
me.
'Read that" said he, pointing to n
portion marked Mt the top and bottom
with ink. In mechanical fashion 1
took the paper and began to read. It
was part of nh article on the "Iagazi1res
of the Month";" and 1ybu,miu was the
periodical, the criticism Of which he had
marked. It read;
"1Jdu'mia, as usual, is very strong
in fiction. But it scarcely sustains its
reputation by inserting tho highly mel
odramatic tale, 'The Cap of Midas. !"
The hero-villain of this story is young
Greek who is assistant to oil aged dia-
mond merchant in Syracuse.
My heart began to beat rs I read the
first few words.
"This young gentleman is fired by m
ambition to play an important part in
the political life of the coming Greek
federation. To obtain wealth, and with
1t influence, he murders his aged mas
ter for the sake of certain priceless gems
which the old fellow had concealed in n
velvet nightcap he is in the habit of
wearing. This is the oap of Midas, we
presume. Justin Corgialegno-the mur-
derer-had read "Hamlet," and drops
poison into his masters ear, and steals
the nightcap. This poison, however.
fails to do its work, so the assistant at
once stabs the old man and begins to
feel the first difficulties of his lot, name
ly, how to dispose of the body of the
murdered man."
l looked up at Inspector Chittick
sheepishly. A mocleing smile lurked in
the corners of his mouth, thought.
Well, the hero buries his master in
the garden of his house and starts off
with this cap, which contains the wealth
that is to give him political power.
Here comes the melodramatic point Of
the story. The diamonds IN this cap
are of such enormous value that the
murderer dare not attempt to sell them,
feeling sure that inquiries will be made
as to how he became possessed of such
precious gems. Tortured by fear and
desperate with hunger, he at length
commits suicide with his cap of Midas
placed mockingly upon his own head.
The story is ingenious in some of its
parts, but is really, to speak plainly un-
worthy of the reputation of that pro-
missing young novelist, Mr.. Ernest NAL
den."
"Mr. Ernest Maiden" I mnttered va
cantly, "a--a novelist!"
Tha inspector rose from his chair and
slapped mo Oh the back, and poked me
Ill the ribs, and shook me by the shoul-
ders laughing the while with such tre-
mendous boistorousness that Mrs. Frogg
and Ann burst into the room in state
OF speechless amazement which + shall
never forget. Their appearance gave
gave the finishing touch of absurdity to
the situation, and as the grotesquenoss
of the blundor which we had one and al]
made dawned upon me, 7, too, began to
laugh until tho tears rolled down nv
checks.
"Polly," 1 gasped as soon as could
speak. "Mr. Maiden is u novelist, and
oh such vile murderer-on paper (!
tia, In, ha ! oh, oh, he, no ha, ha, ha,
ha !"
We really never saw poor old Mr.. Lea
again, for he died at Brighton of soften
fng of the brain few weeks after his
nephew and niece joined him. Their
leaving town---referred to in tho inspec-