Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-04-02

cut Of the seven. Dick are forgeries ihave
ean robbedP
ssimpossiblef7 said Dick.
80 Ishould have said yesterday. To-day
lean Only repeat, I have been robbed
Dick slowed q face full Of astonishmsnt
who can have robbed youf' he asked.
''Tha', You see, IS what we have to end
ou.; and that, by George, ! wiz find out-I
will find out, DickT He ratified his keys in
his pocket. II Is suppoled that only persons
Of great resolution rattle their KEYS whe i
they resolve. But / doubt this. III / do
nothing for the next twelve months | will
find out. l have been robbed OF sixty pound
sixty poundsl That won't break me. 1t
isn't the money so much as the viIla.ny which
troubles me; villainy about the ofice-vi-
lainy at my very elbow. I'll find out who
did il, Dick. and then we viii see what the
law can do. Some men when they are
robbed-oh, | know it goes on every day
sit down and hear excuses, and forgive the
villain They let the wife or the daughter
come to them and cry, and then let the fell
low 30. That is not my sort, Dick. ! will
catch this fellow whoever be isl will track
him down. He had better have robbed a
bank-which is bound never to forgive
than have robbed me"
"How-howf' asked Dick, clearing his
throat again How do you propose to find
himi'
As for the amount, it isn't much-sixty
pounds. The interest Of sixty pounds at
five and a half per cent, which l can get If
anybody can, is three pounds six shillings a
year. An estate in perpetuity, worth three
pounds six shillings yearly, has been stolen
from me-from you, too, Dick, because /
suppose Here h stopped to heave a sigh
The common lot is hard, but hardest of all
to a man who ismaking money. 81 suppose
] shall some day have to leave things behind
me, like everybody else. Three pounds six
shillings a yearl Think how long it takes to
save that. A little perpetual spring, so to
speak. Who has done itP you say. That is
just exactly what we have to find out; and,
by George, Dick, I'll never rest-never-and
Ill never let you rest, either-until / have
found out ths mani"
Two men there are who particularly re-
sent being robbed. The one Is the man born
to great possessions. He is always obliged
to trust people, and he is the natural prey
Of the crafty, and he feels personally in
suited by a breach of trust because it seems
to accuse him Of being credulous, soft,
ignorant Of the world, and easily taken in.
The other is the man who spends his life in
amassing small gains, and knows the value
Of money, what it represents, how much
labor, self-restraint, and the foregoing Of
this worlds pleasures for the sake Of getting
it, and very often how many tricks, and
what crookedness in his pilgrimage. Mr..
Murridge was the second Of these men. His
son watched him ~curiously and furtively,
as he continued wrathfully threatening ven
geance and relentless pursuit.
''Well, sir,n Dick asked, when the storm
subsidized, ''as yet you have not told me any
particulars"
'Tm coming to them. Idon't know very
much; but ! am sure it will prove enough
for a beginning. Many a great robbery ha
been discovered with fewer facts thai
these. Now listen and get them into you
head. A clever detective would very 500
get a clew out Of what / have learned"
He proceeded to relate briefly what we al
ready know.
Have you got them allf he asked. Isl
down first and make a note of the dates
They may be important. Remember, an Ell
derby man with a foreign accent and thu
foreinger of the right hand gone. A girl
A young fellow with light hair, a pot hat, &
red necktie and a staggering air." :
ut is not much to remember said Dick
But why do you want me to remembel
them SO particularly
Because | want you to find the thief
Dick
The son started and lifted his head
''Whst?' he cried.
Il want you to find the villain, Dick" Mr.
Murridge repeated.
"Me TO find himl'
''You shall show me the stuff you ar
made Of. You'll never make a genealogis
worth your salt. It's poor work spending
every evening over a piano or out in th
streets and all day awning girls heads on
plotting pal. l don't believe you are with
out brains, Dick. And here's a chance TO
you to show what you can do"
YES" said Dick, t~houghtfully.
Besides, l don't want to make a fus
about the matter. Let us work quietly
without the police and the bank and all.
don't want to arouse suspicion anywhere
II see,' said Dick. You want the-th
man who did it not to know that you hav
found it out already"
Eyes 1t shall be your work. It will b
an occupation for you. Get to the bolton
Of this case. Take a week over it. Donoth
ing else. Think Of nothing else. Lordl
should make a beautiful detective. w
often thought that / should have liked tn
work. But there's no money in it."
Dick received these commands with pre-
found amazement.
Go to the police, If you like. But Iwoul
rather you kept it entirely in your ow
hands Anyhow, I don't care how you fin,
it out. Here, take the checks; you may wan
them and the check book. That may be- use
full Don't let the book lie about, though /
would b. Of no use to anybody, because Nv
taken the ~precaution to stop the numbers
Ard as for the sixth OF the stolen checks
the one which is not yet presented-rm il
great hopes, my boy-particularly If W
keep qaiet and nothing is said-that the fel
low will have the impudence to hand |
across the counter to-day or tomorrow
when that joker viii be pleased to find him
self asked to step into the managers room
while the police are called in to escort hin
before the lord mayor. And as for my sic
nature, I've altered it. And it viii be a goo,
long time before anybody gets the chance 0
getting my check book again"
"I-I will do my best said bis ton. "A
preaent, I confess
Mind, Dick, when you've got anythinl