The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-07-09
THE GIRL DETECTIVE.
A Police Story.

ipg-room was securely closed, and tn,
| proprietor of the large, flourishing cot
ton factory talked earnestly with gen
| tlemanly-looking man of middle age
| whose face was as impressive as a wa,
mask.
"Five Thousand dollarsp' said the in
dividual. ut was a large sum to leave
exposed"
s.Exposed!'' said Mr.. Markham 81
was in my private desk, to which nj
one has access but myself and my neph-
ew, Fred Tryon.''
Would it be possible for the young
gentleman
Sir" said Mr. Markham. indignant
| y, .'my nephew is not thief. If he
needed ten times that sum, he knows
| would freely give it TO him. He win be
| my heir, and he is as dear to me as q
son. 1t is simply absurd to connect him
in any way with this robbery"
Just state this matter again as brief
ly as you can, and allow me to take
1 notes, will yoii, Mr.. Markham?''
4 81 sstCertainlys i drew five thousandsdol-
| lars out of the bank yesterday to meet q
note that was not presented for pay
| ment. Retaining it until after the bank
was closed, / concluded to lock it in my
desk until this morning, and did so. AT
nine O'Clock this morning the expected
note was presented, and L unlocked the
desk. The money was gone, and with
it a small memerandum-book that was
in the same roll.
1.-THE lock was not forced?''
mo, sir; the desk was apparently ex-
actly as / left it,
And Mr.. Tryon has the only dupli-
cate key?''
TTI,a xSfd rrar+Iav,oor f-ou,~,o1
| evidently displeased at the turn the de-
tective's suspicious seemed to be tax
ing.
Yes, my nephew certainly had the
only duplicate key"
''Humph! Yes. Have you the NUM-
bers of all the notes?''
Yes. The roll consisted of ten five
hundred dollar notes.
The list of numbers being taken, the
detective made a searching examination
of the apartment, and prepared to take
his departure. As he stood near the
door Mr. Markham suddenly said, ner-
vously, 81 think, Mr.. Vogdes, if you
make any discoveries you had better re-
port to me privately before making any
arrests
tsCertainly. sir, if you desire it. viii
you grant me one favor? Do not men
ton the robbery to Mr.. Tryon, if you
have not done so already"
mo one has heard of it but YOUR
eel.'' t..
Every GOOD, | viii call again when
I have sny report to make
- Fred Fred!'' the old gentleman
said, in troubled tone, when he was
alone. 't.Vogdes evidently thinks it is
Fred. It cannot be 1t is impossible
that my nephew would rob me. Lean
not believe il. And yet he knew the
money was there. He was here when
handed Arnold the check, and here
when he returned with the money. He
knew that Johnson's note was not pre-
scented, and Fred alone has duplicate
key. @, fit should bel Annals boy,
that promised to love as nv SON. Have
not kept my promise? Where have 1
failed? And why should he steal from
NE when zill ]. have is his? | cannot, L
viii not bell We If.
MAY | como imp asked pleasant
voice at the door, and. permission being
given, Fred Irson entered the room.
looking into his handsome young
face, bright and frank, with well-opened
browneyes and curls of nut-brown hair,
it " as lEHd TO connect it with any idea
Of roguefv, ingratitude and theft. His
filed fathers place, was the perfection
of respectful affection, and before he had
been an hour in the counting-room Mr..
Markhanl's fears were entirely gofie.
They were talking of certain dark
eyed little maiden who was soon to be
HRS. Tryon, and when Fred left his I'M
Gle it was with = promise that he would
cali in the evening upon Miss Clarkson
to arrange for the wedding-day.
The young man, u favorite of fortune.
apparently, spent the afternoon with his
bef4ofIred, received his uncle in the
evening beside her, and accompanied
the old gentleman to his boarding
house, receiving an affectienabe farewell
saxhen he took his way TO his own rooms
sirfR nptler house. For a week he heard
not III q of the robbery.
IL was iast " ben summer Wight was
fading, that. returning home from
drive with Maud Clarkson. Fred met his
untle's confidential clerk waiting for
him at Mand's house.
have y note for you, Mr.. Fred, = he
said, .tlnd as YOU were not atshome
thought would wait for you here. .
Something in the young mans face
struck asudden chill to Maud's heart.
You hare bad newsm she cried.
fA3u B4elEeT TGd0
the note, was the evasiye answer.
But Maud s terror was only increased
when Fred, after reading the note, broke
into furious exclamation Of rage.
WHO dares say that am midnight
burgsar?' he shouted.
20, Fred, what is ftp asked Maud,
turning very white.
My uncle has been robbed of five
thousand dollars, and he pays me the
'conlpliment Of surprising me to be the
thief because | have q duplicate key to
his private desk. j Great. heavensr'
be cried, with \ sudden change in his
Voice; he cannot mean it. / rob my
nnele Il -
Mr.. Fred sa.asfhe clerk. respect.
fully. II only voted to see Ilo~ You
took tie saetes8ss e;sS n few words of
adFice- MS Irsa, was with your
father when he was killed on railway
train: was with your uncle when he
brought you from your mothers funer-
81 70 his home. took you to boarding
scigool. and brought you home for the
Holidays; and We loved you, boy and
man. since YOU were fefiy years oId-and
that's twelve long years. I know you
never, never took the money; but things
look very ugly for You.
s.But," said Fred, grasping hard the
IL Il = - - ~ L II ~