Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1883-01-10

up that night with SICK friend, ana dld
not return until six, when he found
matters as you know"
"He did not give me all these partic'
ulars."
81 rather think he must have been on
the path of discovery for himself"
laughed. "And it never does for de.
tective to give away his points"
"And where is his sick friendg'
"Dead he says"
"Bosh - suddenly interrupted the
son, throwing down his pen; "that is
too thin !"
"What is ?" I innocently asked, not
altogether liking this reflection on my
loo great credulity.
"a trumped up story fike that!'
"Whore would you begin your attack
upon it?' 1 good humoredly asked for
we detectives are always open to con
viction.
"Right at the beginning OF the ro.
NANCE" confidently asserted the youth,
moving his chair over to the table. SIN
the first place, father, the idea OF The
man dying!
"Alas my son, they do it every day y
humorously replied the self satisfied
head of the firm.
"Well, Mr.. Peakes, have you not gone
further in the matter than this p and
young Meekins cast glance of mingled
disappointment and contempt toward
me.
ga step Or two further" I dryly an.
swered.
81 have learnt that Alfred Black was
that friend, and that he did die this
morning. Also that George Strong
came to the house at eleven, and left al
six"
"And does any one know if he staid
there during all those seven hours 2
young Meekins asked, with a growing
interest.
"No one on earth," answered, with O
little more of solemn sentiment than ]
am usually guilty of assuming.
$50 L thought !" broke in the anna
tour detective, with q little laugh.
"How do you suppose he worked it ?
askeu, patronlzlnBIy.
"Plain enough - he assured me, light
ing a cigarette cat any time, wher
that sick friend was sleeping, he left
walked rapidly to the store, opened the
door with the keys he always had, ther
opened the safe with the keys he also
had for that, blasted little powder il
the keyhole to put the detectives off the
scent, and c.lme back"
"Some boldness in that scheme" !"
suggested, in careless way, to young
Meekins.
"But three hundred dollars in il also,
he laughed.
"Was that not larger amount Mr.
Meekins, than you usually leave there p
"Yes, sir !" answered the father "bu
l thought it SAFE"
"Did any one know you were leaving
a larger sum than you ordinarily did p
"Only George Strong and l."
"And have you no more than two sets
of keys?'
"Only two; one in the possession o
George Strong, and the other keel
myself"
"You are right as to the bungling de
ception practiced about the SAFE" l con
tinued, turning to the son. ut was
never blown open. 1t was very decently
and quietly opened, and by one who un
derstood perfectly well the combination
But there is one mystery yet to iathon
before | feel authorized in arlesting
George Strong"
"Pray, what can that be, Mr., Peake p
And the cigarette was removed by
nervous fingers, as ii the ambitious
brain was eager to win fresh laurels.
at showed briskly until eleven, and
40 tracks were found on the cas- side o
the store, from which direction George
Strong must have approached it, if he
had walked directly from Blacks to the
store"
"Well, well, l don't suppose he
walked directly there, then"
"He certainly did not" answered.
"What tracks were found q
"Only one line of march, leading from
the store west to the creek"
"Plain as day!" came from the young
man.
Meekins, senior, looked up with more
than his wonted enthusiasm.
"He plundered the safe before he saw
that poor sick friend"
"You forget one element already en-.
tered in this problem" l answered. "It
showed briskly until after eleven"
"Well, have 1t so" pulling little
more strongly at the frail cigarette, and
looking at his father.
"The proofs have it exactly so,"
insisted but, Mr.. Meekins, 1 am in.
terested in the skill you display in the
matter, and confess that you have now
gone over all the ground that have
travelled, and we are both brought to
face the same problem-as to how those
tracks could have been made |"
For I was feeling rather hopeful that
I would be assisted still further by
young Meekins in unraveling the
mystery.
cit was shrewd game the young
scoundrel Played" he muttered, attel
a pause, slowly raising his eyes to mine
1 nodded atlirmatively.
"But l do believe 1 could make @
detective myself. Now, have you nc
theory, Mr.. Peake?"
"None in the world" I answered,
blankly staring at him.
"Suppose Strong should have gotten
around to the west side, and come down
the creek on the ice Until he reached
the point nearest the store.door."
"Exactly.'
"And then have walked backward"
"Walked Backward p l exclaimed,
in the most amazed manner.
cit could be DONE"
"How?"
81 know just how Strong worked it.
I'll bet |" and young Meekins looked
at me in very positive manner
"But how could he walk backward in
direct line from the creeks bank tt
the store.doorY
easy enough, Mr.. Peake. Suppose
he sights the door, and then two objects
in the other direction. WITH his back
turned on the door, those other two
objects would fix the line, just as q mar
keeps boat straight in rowing it. HI
might then have returned over the SAME
tracks. Bradley would never notice
they were used twice."
"I see-I see, providing there wert
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