Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-11-17

was the fact that In the somewhat pc
culiar features Of the latter recognized
those OF my client, Luigi Bornini.
"What an odd colncidencer said
Alice, when | had explained. al won
der who could have taken tho sketch
some one who knows how to handle
brush" she added, looking critically at
it. "Soe, here are initials and date,
but they are so faint that cannot make
them out"
Let me try" said Dora; al have
good sight" She took the sketch over
to the lamp and scrutinized IL closely.
''W. M. d., but cannot make out the
date. Stay, have It, May 10th, 49,"
May 10th-why. that was the very
day of the robbery" ! said. Then the
full significance OF this d lte flashed sud-
denly upon me, and absolutely turned
giddy. "The alibir' / gasped--"if il
we could lind the man who did that
sketch, we might succeed in proving tho
nlibi." Dora Lyme grasped my meaning
with ready quickness.
Morrisons Library that book came
from, was 1t not, Alice. They ought to
be able to tell you there who had 1t on,
or Immediately after. the 10th OF May"
And the person. whoever she or he
is, will have to be hunted up" said,
"and there's so little time. This Is
Monday, and the tra is fixed for
Wednesday. / oppose Morrison's is
closed by this, AliceF'
" Indeed, il is" she answered. "You
would find no one there now but care
taker. You must Just wait patiently
until tomorrow Richard"
had pcrforce to wait; as to the pa
tience with which did SO, the less said
the better.
The following morning found me at
Morrison $ Library. On explaining my
business. was referred to the clerk in
charge of the library department., from
whom totally failed 10 obtain the re-
qured information. The young man
who usually attended to that part of the
business was away; if could call next
week"
intimated with what appeared to me,
at the time, most praseworthy self-con-
troll, that next week would not do, Civ
ing n partial explanation of the circum-
stances. But the clerk, although appar-
entity willing to help me, professed him
self quite unable to do so,
"You see, SIR" he said, "if you want
ed to know what book any subscriber
had out ut n given time l ccula proba-
bly, tell you, but rs for ascer aiming the
whereabouts OF special book-it's an
imposslbility. If you like to look over
our entries for yourself, you are well
pcome to do So"
l accepted this offer, and spent a good
part of the day turning over the blotted
pages wherein were inscribed the names
and course of reading of the subscr bers
to Morrison's. And an Improbable
mornings work it was. The record
was to all appearance imperfectly kept,
and failed to trace the second volume
OF the "Stones of Venice through a
period longer than three weeks, during
which it had twice changed hands.
Some hours more were spent in hunt
ing up The persons in whose possession
it had been for that length of time,
neither of whom could give any infor-
nation concerning the sketch. An ap-
plcation to Bernini himself was equally
fruitless. He remembered that q lady
and gentleman whom he had met dur
ing 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 occurred.
| / returned home at dinner time, tired
and batfled, to report my failure to AL
ice and her husband, from whom l re-
ceived much sympathy but no sugges-
tion OF any practical value. | had Civ
en- up hope, and was endeavoring to dis
miss the subject from my thoughts,
when late in the evening the hall door
bell sounded and a message came up
that person wanted to speak to Mr..
Lestrange. Going down, / found wait
ing for me bright looking boy, one OF
the shop as istants at Morrison's, who
had been for short time aiding in my
investigation of the entries.
II think have what you want, sir, T"
he said, as l entered the room. "It
was in my mind all that day that had
given out that book to some one, |
couldn't think who, and chance word
that / heard this evening brought it all
back to me like flash. Itwas to Mrs.
French, of Redcourt, that gave it, and
it must have been on the Sd or 4th of
May. Here is the lafy's name and ad-
dress, sir;'' and he handed me a slip OF
paper on which was written "Mrs.
French, Redcourt, Kilcarran." 1t was
in Kilcarran or the neighborhood 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 commune
cate with Mrs. French. Kilcarran was
fully fifteen miles from Carrigarvan,
and the trial was to begin the following
morning.
"Hand me over that railway guide,
Dick" said Alice husband. II thought
so--.no train before ten. There's moth
! ing for it but for me to drive to Kilcar-
ran the first thing in the morning-the
mare can easily do it in two hours--and
if l find that any one there can give evi.
dence worth having. I'll bring them
back with me, and have them in court
before the case for the defense opens"
The trial began next morning, pro.
ceeding at an unusually rapid rate. II
seemed to me that the learned counsel
for the prosecution had never before
put forth his wisdom and legal knowl-
edge in so condensed form. The cross.
examination of the witnesses was oil
course in my hands, and l did my best
TO make it as tedious as possible, totally
failing, however, in my attempts to con
fuse them or cause them to contradict
themselves. My only hope lay now in
the unknown witness. and of him there
were no tidings. The case for the
prosecution closed and the court ad
iourned for lunch; was standing in the
bar-room. thinking over my speech fol
the defense, and mentally re-arranging
my sentences after the manner of the
most prosy member of the circuit, wher
n note was handed to me: "Al right
the witness is in the Sheriff S room.'
Going into the Sheriff 5 room, found
my cousin, accompanied by strange
lady and gentleman.
"This is the prisoners counsel. " said
the former. as i entered. "Allow mt
to introduce Mr.. Lestrange-Miss
Darcy, Mr.. French" / turned TO the
lady as her name was pronounced, and
/ am afraid, forgot to bow. in my sur.
prise and delight at recognizing in the
tall. fair-haired girl before me my dream
of the last six months; my unknown
r n