The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-11-02

Jul very HcdNts SCI Win q HdhusOus
diamond. a sapphire and ruby-f
snowy and costly thing such as | haC
never seen before. The shank wa:
badly bent, as if it had been violently
wrenched from the cuff.
How had it found its way into tba
shoe? and where was its mate now
Certainly the case was growing inter
esting, but began to feel the need o.
some help with it. Now have an ole
friend who happens to be very clevel
detC ctive employed by one of the
private offices, and him l decided to
consult. / found. however, that he
had been sent out of town a month or
so before, and had written that he
would not return for day or two vet.
There was nothing for it then but to rely
upon my own wits for the present,
calling in the aid of the police, per-
haps, as last resort.
Ny wife is accustomed to sudden
flights upon my part, so l merely sent
! boy for my valiSe with a short mes
sage: held a brief interview with the
! landlady of the lodging-hOuse, and in
3 the evening found myself the occupant
l.
visited that morning. Two days passed.
A coroner's jury had sat upon the body
of dead Miss Smith, and had brought in a
verdict of accidental death, and she had
been buried by the county. had man.
aged to obtain a sight of all the dodgers
in the house and learn something of
their occupations and habits, and aSyet
had found no good reason to suspect
any one of them of knowing aught of
the affair. My next door neighbor
proved to be the dark-bearded man
whom | have mentioned. 1t was
through his room had convinced N.Y.
self that the murderer. il there had
been a murder, must have escaped,
and upon him kept as close watch as
could be done without exciting his sUS-
picions. He confined, himself, how
ever, closely to his room, only leaving
the house TO take his meals at little
restaurant near by, until the afternoon
of the second day, when he went out
so quickly that, had | not been at the
window and seen him cross the street,
l should not have known il.
followed him. kept him in sight.
until he turned into the Havana Steam
ship Office, and later, learned there
that he had taken passage by the boat
sailing next day, under the name of
Robinson. 1t was the same one by
which he was known in the house, and
there was really nothing especially
suspicious in the fact that q man of
whose business | knew nothing con-
templated trip to Cuba, still didn't
like it. called again at the detective
Office. and this time, fortunately, found
my friend. | wished to waste no time,
and plunged at once into nv story.
He was a very cool hand, this Frank
Rice. / had seldom, if ever, seen him
show emotion, or even surprise. Nor
did he say much now. But at sight of
the gold horseshoe, which | handed to
him as finished my tale, he flushed
slowly al the roots of his hair, and his
eyes opened wide.
This man. whom your wife thought
she saw in the window" be said, after
a pause. ''he was smooth faced and
bald. you say? Hum-and the woman?
wait. look at this" and he took
photograph from bis pocket and held it
out TO me.
'Why, it is shel How on earth-?"
for it was i'm truth a very good likeness
of the girl whom had seen lying dead
in the-precinct station house two
nights before.
my dear John" said nav friend,
slowly, al think you have done it this
time. / fancy you will have something
10 scribble about before many hours
Now tell me where | can see your dark
complexioned, bushy-whiskered, black
haired friend; / may not know him.
but | should like to gaze upon him.
And he calmly pocketed the sleeve but
ton.
1t was drawing near TO the hour at
which Mr.. Robinson dined. / took
Rice to the little restaurant near nv
lodgings, when, after few words with
the proprietor, we were allowed TO
take our stand in the kitchen, near a
window i'm the partition, which COM
manded view of the dining room.
As | expected, Mr.. Robinson came
In few minutes Rice laid his hand on
my shoulder. and we left by the back
door. Now take me to your house."
he said quickly, she is safe enough al
present"
"Are you satisfied?' / asked. lis
he the man you wanted? And who is
he, anyway?' But Rice merely smiled
and would tell me nothing.
''Be patient" he said, calmly. I've
no time to waste now" and strobe
rapidly along.
Once i'm my room, he locked the door
and threw the window open.
Nov watch here" he said, land
when you see our man coming, warn
ME at once"
With that he proceeded in the most
matter-of-fact way to pick the lock of
the door opening into the next room,
took off his shoes and slipped noise
lessly in.
1t was still daylight, and / stuck
closely at the window. A quarter of
an hour, twenty minutes went by.