Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-01-21
A POLICEMAWs MISTAKE.
Frrm ne Cntenno I,ier.oeea,.

inner Office, looking out at the expanse
of the dull, gray wall that formed my
only prospect from the not over clean
window, and thinking. | had read
every square inch of type in the news
papers: had madeout all the necessary
papers and documents, and now with
literally nothing to do, /" Twas mus
ing about kittery Elton, and wondering
how long it would be before l should be
able TO marry her.
Dear little Kitty. She was as sweet
and as patient as il was in nature OF =
woman to be, but knew it was q hard
lifefUr her i'm that overcrowdedm illiner's
work-room, day after day and month
after month, and | lOnged to see her free
from the monOtonOuS captivity. She
was q pretty blue-eyed girl Of 20, with
dimple in her chin and the sweetest
roses or her cheek that ever inspired
the pen ola poet. was no poet, yet |
think | understood and appreciated all
her womanly grace and delicate beauty
us fully as if my hearts thoughts could
shape themselves into verse. And it
was of them / was thinking when the
door opened and Mr.. Clenner came in.
Mr. ClennCr was our chief,-a dark,
silent little man, with square, stern
mouth and clouded gray eyes, which
appeared almost eXpreSsionless when
they were turned full upon you, and
yet which seemed 10 soc at glance.
He sat down beside me.
"MCredith," he said in quiet, sub
dued tone that was natural To him,
"didn't YOU say you were getting tired
of doing nothing"
ayes, sir"
"Well, have something for you TO
do"
something that will bring you both
credit and friends, if you manage it
skillfnly. / had intended to go myself,
but circumstances happen untowardly,
and shall send you instead
Bending his head toward me and
speaking scarcely above n whisper, he
/ told me the special business on which
| waste BE- sent. There had been, it
seems, Il series of very heavy fOrgeries
/ lately committed, with bOldneSs and
/ audacity that fairly seemed TO set the
authorities at defiance. For some time
he had been in doubt rs To the exact
perpetrator Of the crime, but after much
quiet investigation and casting hither
and thither, he had detected the hidden
spring-one Perley MattesOn-whO had
skillully Guided all pursuit, and was
now somewhere hidden in the north
eastern portion of the State. His where
abOuts had been aScertained as nearly a
possible, and il was for me to go quietly
iIp and apprehend him before he should
become aware of our knowledge of all
his movements.
/ sat listening To all the various details
of our plan rs they We're sketched out
by Mr.. Clenner. The reward that had
been privately offered was high-my
heart leaped as / reflected how much
nearer it would bring me to Kittery
Elton, nor did the enterprise seem par
ticularly difficult to accomplish.
do YOU think you can do it?' Mr..
0enner asked, after the whole thing
had been laid before me.
'rYes, sir. When shall start?'
'INOw-within half an hour"
ayes, why nOt?' e.
/ could think of no sufficient reason
except one, which did not care to com
municate to my superior-the longing
wish to see Kitty once more before L
started.
"Just as you decide, Mr., Clenner, OF
course" | said, rising. LII take the
4 O'Clock express shall be there by day
light tomorrow morning"
fsYes, and that is altogether the best
plan. He will not remain long in any
one place Just at present, depend upon
il, and what you have to do must
be done at once"
All through that long night journey L
unused upon the task that lay be-
fore me. The house to which | was
directed was in the village of Drown
ville-the residence OF Mrs. Matpeson,
the mother of the audacious forger. IL
help was needed / was fully authorized
to call for il upon the constabulary
authorities OF Drownville, but excepted
TO need none,
The rosy dawn was just finishing the
eastern sky when L alghted, stu,
weary and faded, from the train at the
little way station of Drownville.
"Can YOU direct me toMrs. Matteson's
place." / asked of the sleepy station
master, who was yawning behind the
! little aperture of the ticket office.
"Matteson-NIrs. Matteson; L don't
know her, but guess likely can tell
YOU where she lives. Just you follow
the main street of the village out about
half mile, and yen come to patch o.
woods, with bars at the fence. Go
through them bars little further on,
and ven see little yaller house, just
the last place i'm the world where you'd
EXPECT to see house. That's where
Mrs. MatteSOn lives"
/ thanked my informant, and set out
ON q brisk walk, carrying my travelling
bag. Ii was quiet distance ere L
emerged from the suburbs of the "main
street, into a quiet and secluded road,
ar. rather lane. The patch o. woods"
and the "little waller house" a cream
coIored cottage, literally overgrown
with bunevsuckles-rew my search
and as L knocked at the door clock
somewhere inside struck ..
A decent-loOking, elderly woman IN
widows weeds came to the door.
as Mr.. Matteson in? Mr.. Perleyg'
ssNo,U she answered, quickly, with,
rs / imagined, rather n confused look,
did not believe her, and asking query:
"When do you expect him home"
'ISOt at present"
Apnarently She expected me to go
AWAY, but instead / stepped in.
HNother,u asked a soft voice ut the
head of the stairs, "who Is IL!
And then for the first time l became
aware that some one had been watcnlns
our eolloquy from the-head of the STAIR
"a Young girl, dressed, like the mother
| i'm deep black, with very brilliant blaes
ewes and a profusion of jet black ring
| lets.
nSome one to see your brother"
She came half way down the stars
pushing back her curls with one. hand
and looking at me with wondrous eyes
Even then her beauty struck me as
stood gazing at her.
\ ''Terry is not at home" she said hur
riedly. He has gone away. We do no
know when he win return"
Evidently the mother and daughte