The Portland daily press., 1885-03-21
sArURDAY MORNING.. MARCH Il.
A Detectives Story.
baltimore Herald

d
cases where my skill as a detective was
called in. don't speak of my skill in a
vain sense at al-hut as detective / was
reckoned right smarichap. At the time
when the mysterious murder of Mr.. Loring
occurred In the town OF L--, which was
my native place, | was down South engaged
In an affair OF much mystery, and requiring
the utmost perseverance, as well as decacy,
10 its treatment Wen, we were successful,
ry partner aud me, but it cost me the worst
tack Of chills aud fever that I'd ever had.
was SO bad had to lay off from business
for while and 60 home TO recruit.
When got 10 Ii heard all the partic-
ulars about young Allan-Will Allan-hav.
Ing been arrested on suspicion of the mur-
der, and how tnat plucky little girl married
him in prison, and then set herself to find
pI oOfs OF his innocence. | admired the lit
tie woman, | tell you. | felt to thank
Heaven for making such little ones, ar Id
just like 10 have kissed her hand, if it had
not been too great libersy.
Well, it was all over when got home, the
trial and all that Will Allan was acquitted,
and the young couple we're eff on their we'd
ding tour.
But it turned out, when Mr.. Loring's will
was read, that he had left handsome sum
of money 10 young Allan. Well, this news
had no sooner spread over L. than lot
of hateful folks began 10 say that Will had
done the murder, after all, and to show
good reason for It in The money he had in
heriled
Of course they couldn't have him tried
again, and his life was safe enough: but
knew right well how he'd feel about it. for
I'd known the lad since he was knee-high TO
a woodchuck, and conld kinder understand
how cut up that little wife of his would feel
xrylNas .clta, hnar Il hoo
her husband. So | wasn't bit surprised
when Sslhe, my hired girl, one evening
brought in little bit of pasteboard with
'Mfs. William Allan" printed on it.
OF course | said Pd see the lady at once
it was just what I'd been wanting ever since
heard of her, and she was a sight for sore
eyes when di.i see her, tell you. Pretty
as pink, white and rosy, with lovely eyes
and beautiful hair, and something about her
that made you think of pearls, there was
such glimmer about her face and dress and
white hat. She came to the business OF her
visit with just that drectness you might ex-
pect from little woman of her character.
Mr.. Burns," said she, 81 bave heard of
your great ceverDess in finding out crimin-
ais; want 10 engage your skill in discover
Ing the murderer OF Mr.. L)ring, the rich
banker who was murdered last summer.
You will understand why my heart is set
on this when | tell you that notwiihsiand-
ing my husband was fully acquitted of the
charge, since he inherited good deal of
money under Mr.. Loring's will there are
those who still suspect him of having COM
mitted the crime, aud this suspicion has al
most the bitterness of death to him and me.
There is only one way of entirely clearing
his reputation in this matter-and that, as
you perceive at cnce, is by discovering the
real criminal"
l didn't interrupt her by word-instead,
encouraged her to keep on talking. 1t was
rare pleasure to see her pretty face flush up
and her sweet eyes sparkle and melt and
then flush again when she talked; SO alto
gether, knew every Circumstance in regard
to the arrest and trial and acqGittal of Will
Allan.
l got her to go over the whole ground, and
she told me how she had watched over the
sick bed OF Mrs. Havens, the daughter Of
the murdered man aud the only living being
who could absolutely piove Allan's inno-
cence-how her patients condition 1Cctuat-
ted for months, growing better and then
worse, and then better again, and finally
how she entirely recovered and rewarded the
young wie's devotion by giving testimony
which, in the eye of the law, wholly cleared
him from even the shadow of suspicion,
Then she added:
s'Mr Burns, there is something else |
want to tell you, although it may not be OF
any such Importance as | have thought it.
One OF the most mysterious things about The
murder was the want of any clue 10 the real
murderer Il seemed absolutely dead Sc
cret; but, interested as have been, both
heart and mind, in this dreadful affair, |
have naturally noted some things that to oth-
ers would have no significance.
In talking over all the Doesi ihiiitfae nf tho
case with Mrs. Hsvens, with whom | became
intimately acquainted during her illness, /
learned thai Mr.. Loring's chief objection 10
her marriage with Mr. Havens lay in the
fact that lie had promised her band to Mr..
War6eld, a junior member Of the firm. ad-
mtted within The past two years, and till
then, stranger in L.. Mr.. Warfield had
apparently great influence with Mr.. Loring,
and was passioDately in love with Mrs. Ha-
vens-theu Miss L9rfng.
The young lady was not metely indiffer-
ent to the suitor selected by her father, but
absolutely hated him, and took no pains to
CONCEAL The fact. Mr.. Wsrtied prosecuted
her with his attention, nevertheless; and on
one accession when she told him bitterly
how disagreesble he was 10 her, and that hes
need never hope to obtain her consent ~
marry her, he retorted that he had 'her fa-
theirs consent, and that was better--for it is
as much as his life is worth, said the per
slslent suitor, for him to break faith with
me-and you dare not disobey him..
1t was Immediately after this converse
tion that Miss Lofing eloped and became the
wife of Mr.. Havens. Mr.. Warfield behaved
like maniac on finding that he had lost his
bride, and Mr.. Loring was IN despair over
his daughters eopement."
l suppose my face showed my admiration
of this woman's shrewdBess in seiZiug on all
these facts and putting them together. She
flushed up and said:
'Do you think there's anything in If, Mr..
Burns?"
"Ma'am, think you would be credit 10
the torce if you would join us--b1t of course
th at isn't ia your line. But with your very
valuable assistance, ma'am, think I can
work up this case in way o satisfy you.'
"Oh, MIR. Burns? II you can do that, /
/ feel will owe you more than nv life, aud
you'll see that l can be substantially CRATE
full"
''Not another word of that, ma a'am-it'll
be pleasure 10 work for a lady like you.
One or two questions, if you please-this
Warfeld, | don't know him at all--has he
left The placef"
bank"
81 thought so-shrewd. If he had lett
tub pidC6 IL WOutu nave OcCaStCu6Q remark
and perhaps susp cion."
Mr.. Allan now rose, and said nothing to
detaln her further, Tor | was already busy
ing my brain with all she had told me, and,
notwithstanding my admiration for her, my
interest in her was right glad to be alone
So saw her to the front door, and prom
ised 10 let her know as soon as | had intelli-
genee worth talking Of.
BY this time chance of air and quinine had
done good deal for me, and l was feeling
pretty hearty. BY q series of inquiries,
carried out 10 a slow ard apparently aim
less manner, | learned where Mr.. Waifield
lived and all about the internal economy of
his household. He was still unmarried, and
kept bachelor establishment supeiintended
b7 young and good looking housekeeper-
the only one of his servants who seemed a
fixture in the house, for the under domes-
tics never stayed more than month, and
it was easy to understand why the house
keeper held her place, for it was currently
reported that she hoped in time to become
the wife of her master.
had one of my little plans on hand, and
as soon as | learned that kind of gardener
aGd general male servant was required in
The Warfeld house, introduced myself to
Mrs. Clemens, the housekeeper, and pleased
her SO well that | was next day installed. I
knew lots of gardening, having been bred up
to il long before | was a detective; and /
gave satisfaction in my new capacity. AS
soon as | had been in my situation long
enough to win a certain amount of conf