Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-10-21

me, at the time, most praiseworthy
self-control, the next week woulC
not do, giving partial explanation
of the circumstances. But the clerk
although perfectly willing to he'll
me, professed himself quite unable
to do so.
"You see, SIR" he said, "if you
wanted to know what book any sub
scriber had out at a given time /
could probably tell you, but as for
ascertaining the whereabouts of a
special book-it's an impossibility.
If you like to look over our entries
for yourself, you are welcome to do
SC"
l accepted this offer, and spent a
good part of the day turning over
the blotted pages wherein were in
scribed the names and course of
reading of the subscribers to Morri-
sons. And an Improbable morn
ing's work it was. The record was,
to all appearances, imperfectly kept,
and | failed 10 trace the second vol
ume of the "Stones of Venicen
through a period longer than three
weeks, during which it had twice
changed hands.
Some hours more were spent in
hunting up the persons in whose
possession ithad been for that length
of time, neither of whom could give
any information concerning the
sketch. An application to Bernini
himself was equally fruitless. He
remembered that lady and gentle
man whom he had met during his
wanderings had asked him to sit to
them, but he did not know who they
were, nor could he even make it
clear where the incident had occur
red.
I returned home at dinner time,
tired and baflled, TO report my failure
to Alice and her husband, from
whom / received much sympathy
but no suggestion of any practical
value. 1 had given up hope, and
was endeavoring to dismiss the sub
ject from my thoughts, when late in
the evening the hall door bell sound
ed, and a message came up that a
person wanted to speak to Mr.. Lee
strange. Going down, / found wait
ing for me bright looking boy, one
of the shop assistants at Morrison's,
who had been for a short time aiding
in my investigation of the entries.
81 think l have what you want,
sir" he said, as l entered the room.
''It was in my mind all that day that
| had given out that book to some
one, I couldn't think who, and a
chance word that / heard this even
ing brought it all back to me like a
flash. 1t was to Mrs. Ffrench Of
Redcourt, that l gave it,and it must
have been on the Sd or 4th of May
Here is the lady's name and address,
sir" and be handed me a slip of pa
per, on which vas written, "Mrs.
Redcourt, Kilcaman.p IT.
was in Kilcarran or the neighbor-
mood that, according to Bernini's
own statement, he had spent the day
of the robbery,
Thanking and dismissing the lad,
| returned to the drawing room with
my prize. The next step was to COM
municate with Mrs. French. Kill
oarran was fully fifteen miles from
Carrigarvan, and the trial was to be-
gin the following morning
"Hand me over that railway guide,
Dick" said Alice's husband. 81
thought so-no train before ten.
There's nothing for it but for me to
drive to Kilcarran the first thing in
the morning-the mare can easily do
it in two hours-and if | find that
any one there can give evidence
worth having, III bring them back
with me, and have them in court be-
fore the case for the defence opens"
The trial began next morning pro
ceeding at an unusually rapid rate.
1t seemed to me that the learned
counsel for the prosecution had