The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-12-04
TILE SHADOW ON THE WALL.
BY AN ~EX-DETECTryE.

ns a detective | have seen many o,,eer
UhinSs and have met with more re-.
"hafkable adventures than the world
would really credit. The particular
one am aboH to relate has nothing
oiohe supernatural about il. AS a
matter Of fact, never had theluck to
100 on a ghost, except atthe theatre.
uhosts to my mind, are unsatisfacto.
ny creatures, whose business is to terri.
~ poor wretches with dreadful warn
'hss OF coming misery and misfortune;
out DO not hesitate to acknowledge
mat was once saved by a shadow.
mat seems strange, and the wav in
which it happened was stranger still.
~ was many years ago when | was
beginning life, that l was sent to a
country village to discover a mvster;-
Gus robber who had broken into a
church andhad stolen someten pounds
III money, esidethesilyerplate belong
ing to the rector.
reached the village at sunset. 1t
was a quiet ana pretty place with n
narrow strip OF common on each side
OF 'he road; Il pond, where someducks
were leisurely padding, and a straw.
matched inn, i'll front Of which q
group OF laborers were sitting over
pipes ndbeer. Without heedinstheir
curious looks, l walked on to the
church, whichstood afew yards higher
up III the middle of the neglected
churchyard. The solemn hush that
oroode over it, the fading sunlight
SHINING on its windows, and the birds
singing softly from the encirclingtrees,
affected me strangely. Twilight gath
cred around me ash fingered there.
Having decided that the best thing
coulddo was to put upat theinn for
F" aay or two so rs to pursue my in
CURES on the spot, | went back be-
tore 1t closed and soon succeeded in
coming to terms with the landlord.
lie a a pleasant, talkative old iel-
low, a widower, and his niece had
kept house for him ever since his wife
died.
"She's gone up to the rector's, has
Janet. He's preparing for confrma-
ton 'gainst the bishop comes re-
marked the landlord, cheeriully.
You We heard OF the robbery, | dare
say?"
81 have heard very little OF it so
far" | answered.
"lndeed!' returned the old man. re,
treating a step or two to look at me,
and apparently satisfied with the in.
spection-"indeed. Then you could
not have come to n better person for
particulars, though ! sayi it as perhaps
l shouldn't. The w~iseacres around
here never thought of asking old
Browns opinion, and the village con
stable owes me a gr,ldgc because |
won't give him trust. The way of the
world, sir, everywhere"
"Do you really think you know who
the man is?" | interposed. s'From
what have seen of the church, it
doesn t seem to have been entered
from the outside"
"Why, of course not. The thief got
into the church as he got out of it
through the door"
Was 1t possible that the landlord
had hit on the truth? His theory. at
all events, seemed probable enough.
In my anxletyto obtain such iniorma-
ton as | could, | encouraged him to
continue, by suggesting that he could
begin at the beginning and tell me all
he knew.
"-Ay, to be sure l will" returned Mr..
Known nali1\- s.It loaa,+ n,,,
much, but ii | were younger | would
makeit enough to lay a certain gentle
man by the heels az u lesson to him
and to Others like him, l would So
He then told me how, a month be
foretlle church was robbed, n~stranger
had hired a bedroom there stating that
he had business in the ncighborhood
which would probably keephim from
hometor week ortwo. Hcwas an ex.
tremely polite person, this stranger,
but the landlord noticed alter u time
that he was often out all night, and
that whenever this happened hewould
lay IN bed the next day till late in the
afternoon. However. Mr.. Brown
made no complaint, and things went
III rs usual till the night of the rob
berry. On that day the stranger went
out early i'll the morning and never
came back. For the rest, the land
lord described him as a tail, good
looking man, apparently about forty
years old.
as that ALP l asked, feeling both
doubtful and disappointed.
st is ALL" he answered.
He came nearer; he laid his hand
lightly on nv shoulder.
"Believc me-" he said, 81 cannot ey-
actly explain what mean, but as sure
as there isa sun aboveus, that manis
the robbcr."
Before | could reply, the door was
opened andin came a falr girl with her
yellow hair braided around her bead.
looking, in the bloom of her youthful
beauty, like Il rosebud dipped in dew.
She glanced around, curtsied me, and
stole quietly out again without saying
u word.
Remembering what thelandlord had
told me, | hadno difficulty in guessing
that this was janet. Under ordinary
circumstances, | should have been in
terested in questioning him about her,
butin my present position Iwantedto
be alone to ponder Yer what | had
heard, and decide on my plans for the
morrow therefore pleaded fatigue
Us an excuse for retiring, pledged Mr..
Brown in a glass of his own ale, and
was shortly afterward shown upstairs.
1t was q close, sultry night. | blew
my candle out, and seating myself in
81 chair by the window, began to think
what / should do next. The absorb
ing purpose that had guided me thus
far was only intensified by the infor-
mation-meagre as it was that | had
already cleaned. For ought l knew.
my landlord might have q personal