The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-01-04
nation Of surprise. which brought my
cousin ., once 10 my aide

mbiioh oi tufPfAtf. sHtNs 'N"h' ~
cousin st once 10 my aide.
II II wss q spirited, water color sketch Of |
mans bead dark, foreign locking face
surmounied by red cap. II Was howesel
neither the skill OF the artist nor the pic
turesque beauty OF the model that attract
ed my attention; ii was 10 fact that 10 tbs
lsomesbs, peculiar features OF The latter
recognized those Of my client, Luigi Ber'
lini
What an odd coincidence, said AliSe
when explained; "who could have taken
the sketch---some one who knows how "a
handle brush, F" she added. looking crit
ically at it. See. here are initials and q
date, but they are so faint ] cannot make
them out.
.'Let me try" said Dora; II have good
nght." She took the sketch over to the
lamp and scrutiuised ii closely. Nv NJ.
D., but l cannot make out the date. Stay,
have IT, May 10. lS--"
MAY l0-why that was the very day OF
the robbery. said. Then the full sig
nificance OF this date flashed suddenly
upon me and / absolutely turned giddy.
THE alibir' l gasped. III we could find
the mau who did that sketch We could
succeed in proving tho slibi." Dora Lyme
grasped my meaning with ready quick
ness.
s'Morrison's library that book came
from, was it not, Alice? They ought to be
able to tell you there who had the book
on or Immediately following the tenth OF
May"
"And the person. whoever he or she is,
will have to be hunted up, said, "and
there's so little time. This is Monday, and
the trial is fixed for Wednesday. ! sup.
pose Morrison's is closed by this time, Al
ice?"
Indeed il is," she answered. You
will find no one there now but care-taker.
You must wait patiently until tomorrow.
Richard"
/ had. perforce TO wait; as to the pa
tience with which did SO, the less said
the better.
The following morning found me at
Morrison's library. On explaining my
business was referred TO the clerk in
charge OF the library department, from
whom totally failed to obtain the re-
CURED information. The young man who
usually attended that part of the business
was away. II / could call next week.
/ intimated with what appeared to me at
the time most praiseworthy self-control,
that next week would not do, giving a
partial explanation OF the circumstances.
But the clerk, though apparently willing
to help me, professed himself quite unable
to do so.
You see, sir" he said, "if you wanted
to know what book any subscriber had out
at given time / could probably tell you.
but as for ascertaining the whereabouts OF
q special book an impossibilityy II
you would like to look over our entrics
for yourself. yon are welcome to do 50.
! accepted his offer aud spent a good
part Of tie day in turning over the blotted
pages wherein were inscribed the names
aud course OF reading of the subscribers
to Morrison's. And an Improbable NOR
nings 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 longer period than
three weeks, during which it had twice
changed hands.
Some hours moro were spent in hunting
up the persons in whose possession it had
been for that length Of time, neither Of
whom could give any information con-
cerning the sketch. An application to
Berini himself was equally frnitless. He
remembered that lady and gentleman
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 ev-
en make it clear where the Incident had
occurred
returned home ut dinner time. tired
and baified to report my failure to Alice
and her husband. from whom / received
much sympathy, but no suggestion of any
practical value. ! had given up hope and
was endeavoring to dismiss the subject
from my thoughts. when late in the even
ing the hall door bell sounded aud mes
sage came up that person wanted to
speak to Mr.. Lestrange. Going down l
found waiting for me bright.looking boy,
one Of the shop assistants at Morrison s.,
who had been for short time aiding me
in my investigation Of the entries.
II think have what you want, sir, he
said as / entered the room. 1T was in
my mind all day that had given ont that
book to some one, couldn't think whom
and chance word that heard this even
ing brought it all back to me like fash.
II was TO Mrs. French OF Redcourt that
gave it, and it must have been on the Sd
o. 4th OF May. Here is the ladys name
md address sir, and he handed me a
sip oi paper on shich va written, 'Ars.
French. kedcourt, kiicarran. 1t was in
Kicarran or the neighborhood. according
to Berini's own story. that he had spent
the day of the robbery.
Thanking and dismissing the lad, re.
turned to the drawing room with my
prize. The next step was TO communicate
with Mrs. French. Kilcarran was fully 10
miles from Carrigarvan and the trial was TO
begin the following morning
Hand me over that railway guide,
Dick. " said Alice's husband. II thought
= Al