Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-24

to yourself as possible"
sit is mere formality, Crisp" Mr..
Parkman volunteered. speaking for the
first time with earnest klndcess. Il will
attend myself and say bow perfectly RI
dicuiOus your conduct for years makes
this charge appear"
The color came back to the clerks face.
"Thauk you, SIR he said.
perhaps you will let yourself be search
ed here?" asked the policeman. Crisp
nodded acquiescence, and did not tlinch
when the operation began. But the first
arhcles 10 appear were two keys. The
policeman looked carelessly at tue first;
but his face lit up wonderfully as he held
up the second.
This is the missing key!' he eXclaim-
ed, and thrill of intelligence seemed to
pass round the room.
''rhat KEY" said Crisp, still bewildered
and graphing with the memory of things
which seemed TO have happened so long
ago, THAT is the key Of Mr. Critch-" he
stopped with trembling lips. He had
gone so far unthinking; and then his pO-
sition in all its bearings flashed across
his mind. He remembered all that the
presence OF that KEY upon him, all that
the words he had uttered, might mean for
him. The room began to turn rOnnd, Wis
ions of Ethel and Mr. Critchlow swan
before his ewes. Amid an appalling ST.
lence, which had greeted his words, he
fell to the floor in dead faint.
Five minutes later the room was cleared
of all save Its owner and the short stout
man. Il cannot believe it now Mr..
Parkman was saving, land yet the key
the key! How can he explain that {?
How can he eXplaiu that"
"YOu remember, sir, | told you it was
a pretty clear easel" answered the de-
}, L.,
one.
You did. and did not believe you. :"
the merchant answered with a grOan. He
was very greatly distressed, and no won
der.
"Well, sir, Pm inclined to think you
were right and was wrong" the other
answered dryly.
"Eh! Less clear now, inspector? But
the key?"
sit is the key, and another matter or
two, that puzzle me-" the man answered
tboughtmily. You've read, | dare say,
OF murderers doing stupid things, sir /?
There was that nurse who strangled her
patient and then could not refrain from
laying her out. Yes, quite so. But l
never heard OF "A murderer carrying a
proof against himself in his pocket; and
that proof Thing he had no motive for
keeping and every chance to get rid Of"
1t almost seemed as II the merchant in
his interest in the puzzle thus presented
to him forgot his anxiety on behalf of his
poor clerk. But" he suggested, sit was
very likely sheer carelessness. Its dis
covery YOU could see was terrible shock
to him"
''Quite true, sir" the detective said.
"And the female who, if the policeman
il to be believed, was with him-if you
could get a clue to her, she might clear it
all up"
81 hope she may" the man answered
coolly, ''fOr [ have not only got the clue
to her; | shall see her to-day. | don't
think there can be any imprudence in
showing you this" He took from d large
pOcBetbOok which he produced a tiny
newspaper cutting. Mr.. Parkman looked
at it with face of great amazement. 1t
read thus:
"Gl vgsvO nZrmgivV slfhv srtstzgv
nvvg nv wvZivhg * II XszmtV ZOoVb ~
ulfi glndiild yb gszg grny rdroo szey irw
nbhvou lu III ding Vmvnb blfi Olermt
vlmvhg."
''But this is gibberish," the merchant
said, after turning it over.
''NO, not gibberish," the detective an
swered, wondering that such a man should
know so little of such a subject, ''only CT
pher, and the easiest that exists. It's
merely a transp0sitlOn of the alphabet, Il
is A, is b, and 50 on. But here is my
translation. l may add that the adver-
tisement appeared in the Standard OF last
Friday. SIR"
The translation ran as follows:
ITO Ethel, Maintree House, Highgate:
''Meet me, dearest, at II Change Alley,
at four tomorrow.
SPY that time L will have rid myself OF
our worst enemy. Your loving,
"ERNFsT.v
s'GoOd heavensp cried the merchant,
pare with excitement. she is lost! This
is almost conclusive evidence. | don't
know-gOOd heavens!-I don't know what
can be said to this"
"Umphl'' the detective said. ''This ad-
vertisement is another thing which |
had not when / gave you my opinion this
morning." He said it meauingiy, and
paused as II expecting 10 be questioned.
But MIR. Parkman had not marked the
drift of his last words, and let them pass
uncballenged.
Shortly afterward the merchant, pale
but collected, had TO be present at the
Lord Mayors inquiry at tue justice room
of the Mansion House. We need not at
tend him thither. for only such evidence
was taken as would Justify remand, and
the reader can guess what that was. The
Crisp 20 into the house on the Saturday
afternoon, and had likewise seen him
leave It little later, each time in com
pany with lady. Then the Superinten-
dent of Police produced the key found up
on the prisoner, and proved that it was
the key of Mr.. CrtchiOWs office, the door
of which was found locked upon the out
side. And two OF Parkman's clerks re-
mctantlY described the bad terms upon
which the prisoner and deceased were,
and tho 9ltdSi threat with which the for
mer had left Critchlow upon the last oc-
caslon, when the cashier was, so far as
could be proved, seen alive by any one
except the murderer. This amply sui
feed; and Ernest Crisp, clerk, was for
mally remanded-bail being OF course
refused-uutil the following Thursday
upon the charge of wllhll murder. The
inquest, opened the same day, was adj
jourued 10 await the result OF the magis-
terial inquiry.
CHAPTER Nv.
"a clergyman TO see Miss Maunder? l
viii sac him first mysoIfO gaid Miss Main