The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-01-06


TO be allowed a short private converse
! ton with him. NV uncle seemed
startled at this request (and so, by the
way, did Lily but after a short pause he
led the way into an adjoining apart
ment.
The. conversation which ensued, as We
subsequently learned. was as follows:
Il am about, sir, said Mr.. Gregory,
" TO refer to your private affairs TO an ex-
( tent which viii surprise YOU, but I hope
To be able to render you a service which
Will be an ample excuse for my intrusion.
You are. l believe returning to town to-
/ morrow
Yes"
. The cause of your return is, be-
iieve, connected with the forgery of a
I certain check IN your name.
" Sir, how can you possibly know
That check was brought to you for
your inspection three days ago by one
OF the clerks from the bank, Mr. Smith,
| and 1t Is now IN your possession.
/ Ny uncle was -speeehless.
! " Hear me further. The accuracy of
my statements hitherto may claim ere
| dence for what l am about to affirm.
/ Unless l am greatly mistaken, there are
! now IN this establishment two persons
/ who have been employed 10 regain pos
| session, at all costs, of that forged paper.
| They suspect that you have it, and al
/ ready yourroom and your daughter and
niece's room have been searched, and 1t
/ only remains to search your person.
Ny uncle turned pale.
" It Is known that you are leaving to-
morrow morning, and the attempt viii
| be made between now and then. VIII
ollDuy s11a tu offar x-rrt my o,Iyip g''
1 viii not attempt to describe my re-
( spected uncle's condition OF body and
mind at this part of the interview. SUI
| flee it TO say that the profered advice
was ultimately adopted.
On that evening my uncle declined to
! accompany us when, an hour after din
ner, the house emptied on to the prom
enade Mr.. Gregory also was missing,
and had not appeared at dinner. The
/ Rev. Mr. Briggs took us under his care
| Ny uncle was already nOddlHg IN his
chair rs we went out. Twenty minutes
afterward two of the company softly re-
entered the room. This l had from an
| eyewitness. Their names were Mr.. and
! Mrs. Grice Mrs Grice stood at the
| door and her husband advanced gently
'acrOss the floor to where my uncle lay
back in his chair, snoring aRdlbly, his
handkerchief over his head, ms coat
thrown open, and a pocket-book just
/ showing in his breast-pocket.
Mr.. Grice crept up to HIM, distracted
the book with practiced hand, put 1t
into his own pocket, and turned to go.
Now. rs he re-crossed the room, he had
To pass before q large lounge, with long
haugings in front, and he was, per-
haps, somewhat surprised TO find his
z N ,f
OF hands thrust out suddenly from un-
der the lounge. As he fell, his amiable
partner turned round-into the arms of
a detective officer. At the same mo-
/ ment Mr. Gregory entered through the
window from the balcony.
This Is your pOcket-book, sir" said
one OF the detectives.
Thank you,' said my uncle. "It
has nothing in it, but [ am glad to have
it back again"
Mr.. and Mrs. Grice were removed at
once to another public establishment IN
the neighborRoOd, where the company
was very select, the hours very regular,
and maintenance very cheap -a>style of
establishment which it was subsequent
" proved they had frequented In more
than one part of the country,
Amid considerable excitement we
promenaded late that night. My uncle
SAID
Z" You have rendered me a serglce, SIR,
which laws me under the deepest obllga-
ton to YOU. / have no doubt that the
original delinquents, of whom these
creatures are only the tools, VIII be
brought to Justice. Finding that we
are on their track, they have made this
effort to destroy their guilt, and prevent
us from submitting it to experts.
Thanks to you, they have failed. 1 can
only say how welcome Will be any OPP
porJunity of making any return to you,
however slight
90 1 shall certainly take you at your
word, sir, was the answer.
=" And now, Mr. Gregory" continued
m uncle, viii you pardon our curiosity
if we beg you to- tellus the means by
which you were able to divine the IN
tentiOns of our departed friends 2"
"Oh, Mr.. Gregory cried Lily, "you
must tell US. We are on thorns to know.
and viii do anything in the world You
ike to mention if you will tell US.
"On those terms I CONSENT" said he,
with curious look at Lily, which made
her suddenly blush very much, as [
could see even in the moonlight.
You may have noticed began MIR.
Gregory, "that I am somewhat deaf,
and 1 have been much more so. In
consequence of this l have acquired the
art, which 1 believe almost any one can
acquire, of reading the movements of
the lips in the same way that tine deaf
and dumb are taught to do, so that [
can always understand what people say
If only they are within seeing distance
and my seeing is very acute. L need
hardly say that L avoid overseeing con-
versation, if you will allow the express
sion. as much as I would overwhelming
it but l frequently see people SPEAK a
few words on accidentally glancing at
them. / think that what has puzzled
you will now be plain. Perhaps ( ought
to confess that 1 have yielded a,ittle to
the temptation of mystifying the com
pany during the last week, especially in
the case of Mr.. Briggs, who has, like
many people who have lived a good deal
alone, habit of talking to himself as
he goes along, which he is scarcely aware
of. This afternoon, however, l watched
the Grices in good earnest. 1 was very
much astonished at what l saw. Your
sudden departure had disarranged their
plans. and they had full discussion of
past and future operations. 1t was not
at all a bad idea to hold their delibera-
tions before your very eyes, so as to
keep up their watch ON your movements
and disarm suspicion, but they had taken
no precautions against being overseen.
The rest you know.1s nrzaa Es
"But how about the purchase of the
hair-wash, that sad proof OF occult art p
/ said.
"Oh, that had nothing to do with it.
I was in the shop, being shaved, and L
saw the transaction in a looking glass"
Later still, when my uncle had gone
in. / heard him quietly say: so you
viii do whatever I like to mention ?"
But these words were not addressed to
me. and l judged it best to fall into the
rear. and, having no gifts of clairyoy-
nrce myself. I cannot tell You