Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1884-05-15

very thoughtful frame Of mind after this
interview Tho fact was that he felt COM
pletely mystifed by Mr.. Wants behavior
While that gentleman was making his state
ment to his creditors, tho ex-detectlVe had
been struck by sudden suspicion
that he was acting a part The Idea
came to him with the force and suddenness
which he had learnt from experience to as
sociate with happy inspiration. The great
secret Of Mr.. Gimblets success in his peculiar
line of business was singular knock OF form
ing correct conclusion without the process
of reasoning He was by no means wanting
in logical perception, but he was frequently
aided in his Investigations by sort of intui-
tion which put him on the right track when
others were vainly cropping in the dark. he
had instinctively mstrusted MI. Want from
the moment he commenced his speech, and
when the proceedings terminated he felt I'M
PEELED to engage him in conversation in order
to gauge his character. He had no difficulty
in this, for Mr.. Wants demeanor had not
been calculated to inspire confidence. In
fact, Mr.. Gimblet had very strong impress
sion that, in spite Of direct evidence to the
contrary, the gentleman was no more en-
titled to sympathy than his defaultlng
partner.
W Dtu ue Cdue W COISNltI ttc uoeui'o Nv"
ever, Mr. GimLlet was inclined to mistrust
his opinion. 1t was quite clear that MIR.
Slowbody had decamped, as alleged, and
had involved his partner in ruin. Tho re-
port of the accountants, a firm of high stand
ing, proved indsputably not only that Mr..
Slowbody had robbed his clients, but also
that he had pledged property belonging TO
Mr.. Vant besi le appropriating the whole OF
their joint capital. The statement Of at
fairs disclosed the most shameful frauds on
the part of Mr.. Sowbody, in none Of which
was there the slightest evidence to show that
Mr. Want had been implicated. In fact, the
surrounding circumstances all pointed to the
innocence of the senior partner, anu no
shadow of suspicion appeared to rest upon
him. But when Mr.. Gimblet was seized with
an idea, he did not easily suffer himself to be
Disconnected by adverse facts. Consequently,
when he reached his diugy oilice he said to
one Of his assistants:
"Granger, you live at C.apham, don't
youi"
"Yes, sir"
~ want you to make a few inquiries about
a Mr. Want" said Mr.. Gimblet thoughtfully
drawing mos ,es with his pen on the blotting
pad.
"ls that the gentleman who has been
swndled by his partnerr
"Yes The matter doesn't press at all; any
time will do. Just find out when he left
Biarr,tz, and what day he received in Paris
the news of his partners disappearance.
You may be able to set It from one of tho
servants
After this Mr. Gimbet dismissed the SUD
ject from his mind for many days. having
more important business On hand. He
learned from the newspapers that no clew
had been obtained as to the whereabouts of
the detaut.ng partner and it seemed pretty
certain that he had ma 10 COOL his escape.
At length his subordinate reminded him Of
the mission he had intrusted to him.
swell, what have you ascertained"
II made the acquaintance OF the gentle"
mans valet, siY, VINO accompanied tho family
to Biarrizp
"Yess"
"Every one in Capham sympathizes very
much with Mr.. Want. The house and
furniture are to be sold, and the servants
have all r,caivel notice
"Of course" said Mr.. GimLlet, imratiently.
"The family stayed at Biarr.t1 for nearly
two months at the Hotel d'Angleterra. They
left on the 2o,h If January ana went to
Paris The letter followed them there, for
warded with other letters from Biarritz some
days later"
"Yesi"
"rhc valet was in the room when the letter
arrived. Mr.. Want opened it, and was dread
fully upset. OF course the valet did not
know what had hlppened at the time, but he
guessed there was something wrong by the
way Mr.. Want abused him for picking up the
envelope from the floor"
ooh! How wa> thatt' inquired Mr.. Climb
let. with su lden interest.
9TH. va ct stopped TO pick up the envelope
which had fallen. Mr. Want pounccd upon
him directly and snatched it away from him
and destroyed it in passion"
Il suppose lie saw the man looking Curl
ously at the postmark or something" Aaid
Mr. Gmblet, thoughtfuiy.
II suppos, he did, but the valet didn't
notice anything except that the letter lad
Spanish stamp
az a" exclaimed Mr.. Gin blet quickly.
THAT is what the man said, sir," said the
clerk, little startled by al abrupt move
meat Of his master
every we'll What olse" inquired Mr..
Cimbet.
1t was evident however, that bis mind
was pre- occupied and that he paid but little
attention to tie remaining details which his
assistant related. The latter we're quite
unlmporan and when the man had finished
Mr.. Gimblet dismissed HIM without asking
anything further. But the incident of the
letter or rather the envelope--aforded him
food for reflection. The letter professei to
have been written in Queenstown, and to have
come from there Mr.. G!mblet had seen copy
of it, the original being in the hands of the
police Obviously the envelope co taining it
H.
stamp. The fact of It's having a Spanish
stamp showed concusively that it had
not been posted in Ireland. OF course, it
was just possible that the valet may have
been mistaken at hasty glance; but, on the
other hand, why should Mr.. Want have seiZed
it SO anxiously, and why had lie destroyed
SO important piece of evidenco' Upon tho
whole, Mr. Gilnb,et wa' inclined 10 believe
the correctness of the vale.'s story; and
this suggested tho inference that Mr.. Want
had been ling the police and his cred
tors for the purpose of screening his part
ner.
The train of thought which followed this
discovery kept Mr.. Gimblet's mind fully oc-
cupied for half an hour, during which he sat
at his desk whistling softly to himself, with
q very knowing expression. AT length he
reused himself from his reverie, and started
off into the city, where he paid visit to MIR.
Want
"Pve called, sir" he said, quietly, upon
being ushered into that gentlenlan's Office,
"with reference to our conversation the other
day"
"Ah! very glad to see you, Mr.. Gimblct,"
said Mr. Vant who had been permitted, ow-
ins to the sympathy OF his creditors, to con-
tinue his business under favorable auspices.
"1here is no news Pm sorry to say. Islp-