The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-09-21
THE FIN GER.EN D.
CHAPTER |.

MUCH DOMESTIC UNHAPPINEss AvERIED.
"Send for the police"
THE police? Pardon me, sir, but do you
think it advisable to make the matter pub.
lic?'
And why not, pray? WhatreasOn should
there be for concealment? Explain what
you mean"
The last speaker was tall slightly-built
man, with blanched hair clOsely-cut, thin
cheeks clearly shayen, and long dropping
moustaehe, silvery-white. His small green
grey eyes cleaned angrily, like the eyes OF
an irritated cat, as he fixed them upon his
companion from beneath bushy white eye
brows, meeting over them in frown that
wrinkled the colorless skin of his high mar
row forehead.
He had himself much of the look of one
by profession habitually employed in inves-
legations requiring care and cunning-blOod-
less, emotionless, unsympathetic. You
might, physiognomist would have said,
have moved such man to hatred and long
enduring revenge, but never TO love.
But Sir Richard Fordyce occupied no
magisterial or inquisitoral office: at least,
such description could not have justly de-
scrbed the various important duties per-
formed by him as head of one of Her Ma
jesty's highest government Offices.
The house in which the dialogue took
place was Sir Richards, an old-fashioned
red-brick mansion close to the banks of the
Thames at Fuham, and the scene enacting
one of a strange and horrible real life
drama, with the curiOusly complicated plot
OF which we shall have now, if it please
you, TO deal
What reason should there be for conceal
ment@' repeated Sir Richard angriy, stamp
ing his foot.
NO exact reason that know Of" replied
Mr.. Cuthbert Craven, his secretary, lex
cept that, as rule, have always been led
to understand these enquiries, when placed
in the hands of an ordinary police-officer,
are conducted with 50 much unnecessary
publicity"
IF publicity lead to the detection of the
thief, and the restoration Of my poverty,
see no reason to object to it,"
ut is only, for you to say; await your in
structiOns."e
You have them. Send for the police"
Certainly" replied the secretary with a
slight bow and moving towards the door,
whilst Sir Richard, turning his back upon
him, rested his foot upon the fender, and
drummed with his long thin fingers impa
tiently upon the mantelpiece.
Before Mr.. Craven had had time to gentl,
close the door behind him, he was called
back.
'These fellows are clumsy are theyi
Make great fuss? Upset one? Turn ones
house topsy-turvy? Is that what you meang'
II have known several cases of their do
ing So" replied Craven; 'aud that is not
the worst"
Indeed! What else do they do?'
THE code of the ordinary laundering
polce-ofiicial," said Mr.. Craven, after care.
fully closing the door behind him, 'is no,
that of the rest of humanity. With him any
and every one is guilty until proved to be
innOcent--not that all are innocent unit
proved to be guilty. The first duty Of In
spectOr Hardstoff. when called in to max,
an enquiry, is to find clue This must b,
DONE and must be done without delay-tha
Is sine qua non. Anything looking Xix,
clue is therefore greedily seized upon anC
adhered to, in spite of all outside sugges
ton, and in the meanwhile the real culprit
seeing the turn things have taken, ha,
plenty Of leisure to clear away any traces O.
the deed he may, in the hurry OF the mo
ment have overlooked"
You do nOtappear to have a high opinion
of the police" said Sir Richard, who still
stood with his back turned towards his com
panion.
II have very little personal knowledge Q
them" said Craven with bright smile
that lit up his fresh honest face and clea
blue eyes Ike CLEAN Of summer sunshin,
Il only speak at secondhand. Certainl
one case did come within my experience.
was case Of robbery, in which in the enc
after being badgered to death by enquire
as TO how, when, and where he came by IN
article stolen, the owner of il himself, VIII
had raised the alarm, actually found hin
sell Ill the dock for perjury. 1t is true h
had some strong reason for wishing to kee
70 himself some secret connected with tn,
past history of the diamond"
Upon the mirror placed above the mantel
piece. Slr Richards eyes, throughout tn
others talk. had been steadfastly fixed.
Reflected there, he could see dis,inctl
every movement of the others face In IN
! brighter background, whilst the features q
his own were yelled by shadow At tn
word diamond" his half-closed eyes oper
ed suddenly with startled glare. and h
repeated the word in loud sharp tone, v,
without turning.
II beg pardon, sir" said the secretar,
my mind was, at the moment, running q
the diamond you had lost. In the case
the person was speaking of, II was rul
Bracelet, belonging to some lady betwee
whom and the prosecutor there existed 6
intrigue--that was, In fact, why he pr
varicated with the police"
The other made no reply, but slowly Il
cold grey shade crept back to his face, frol
which transient fash Of color had banisl
a. while ago, and his eyes hslf-close
y again - they were usually.