The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-26

of cetting him to lunch with me. There
was nobody worth looking af1er there. A
bead-clerk named Talbot, a yC4lng woman
TO do the type-writing, and a couple of
voung men. My impression was very
s+ro,c that there are none of them in it.
Cunliffe tells me that he has known Talbot
to. several years. and that he is as guileleSS
as little baby"
League Club"
THAT is the fellow"
II had a glimpse of him the other even
ing. What do you know about him"
3He lives on his income, and ekes it out
nv doing dramatic critcism. He's a well
edncaJed man, in the fashion, knows every
bodv. Got acquainted with Cowran through
some legal affair. But | haven't followed
him up much"
In an affair of this kind, when we are all
in the dark. you should follow up everybody.
There's no telling where a clue might come
in. Does this Cunliffe know GoldingE'
~ never heard him mention him"
"Find that out at once. How long has
Talbot been in Cowran's office"
Ten years. at east
"Then Talbot must know Golding, and
all about his quarrel with Cowran; and
since Cunliffe knows Talbot, he is likely to
at least have some useful knowledge about
Golding. Why, there may be something in
thisi The more / think about this business,
+he mo e | am inclined to believe that the
man we want has no personal quarrel with
Golding, but is simply rascally Spectator.
If Cunliffe writes for the papers, his income
can't be sufficient for him. The glimpse |
had of his face didn't impress mo favora-
bly,. Fellows like him, keeping up appear
ances in good society, are sometimes the worst
kind of rogues. | would sooner act upon
slight evidence against a man like Cunlitfe
than upon strong evidence against man
like Cowran."
II will take him up Immediately. Shall
I keep an eve on Talbot ALSO"
Not for the present. We shall probably
not want him unless the scent after Cow
ran gets hotter than it is; and meanwhile
Won can keep track of him sufficiently
through Cunlife. As you are practically
alone in inc investigation of this affair
and, by the way, what you have done has
leen well done, all things consideration
had better not try to be in too many places
at once. Luckily, Cunliffe and Cowran
are both members of the same club, and
Hullol"
AS he uttered the exclamation, he pulled
in his horse, and brought the sleigh to
standstill at the side of the road. At the
same time he pushed back his fur cap from
his forehead, and opened his fur collar, re-
vealing the well-known features of Inspec-
tor Byrnes. Another sleigh, advancing in
the opposite direction drew up abreast of
him. 1t was driven by a Cossack coach
man. and contained Mr.. Owens.
Excuse me for stopping you, Owens"
said the Inspector. This is Mr.. Hamll-
ton. a friend of mine, and on the case.
] didn't wish to lose the opportunity of
asking you whether there was anything
now"
I'm glad we met" Owens replied.
ssThere is something new, and confess it
puzzles me. Two things, in fact"
"When can see your
"The best plan will be for us both to drive
to nv house Mr.. Hamilton will come too,
of course. Will that suit youF'
Perfectly"
Mr., Owens spoke to his coachman, who
turned the sleigh and set out homeward,
followed by the Inspector and Hamilton. III
a short time the three men were seated at
the table in Mr.. Owens library.
You said there were two new things, l
think, said the Inspector.
II did, and l will give them to you in the
order of their appearing. The first is in this
letter from the unknown letter-wrlter
Read it, and see what you think of it."
The Inspector took the letter, and perused
it twice carefully.
He replies to the advertisement he
then said, looking up, land announces that
he Will follow Mr.. G0lding's advice on We'd
nesday as to buying stock"
YES: and there is something else"
80 see; but [ don't understand it. It
seems to refer to some previous business
of Mr. Goldings of which | know moth
ing"
I'm explain it to you. At the time Gold
ing quarreled with Cowran. Cowran had
some papers of Goldings in his possession,
TO be used in conducting a certain law
suit These papers were of a very private
nature; they contained the key to some of
Goldngs secret methods of conducting
operations"
Il follow you. Go on"
1.-The contents of those papers were known
to no one except Golding, Cowran and my
self. By some oversight, they have re-
NAMED in Cowran's hands ever since. Gold
ing thought they had been returned to him,
but they had not"
81 understand! And the expressions in
this letter.
have been used only by a man who was
familiar with the contents of those pa
pers."
"Humph!" calculated Hamilton, glanc-
ing at his superior. THAT seems to come
pretty straight, doesn't it?"
The Inspector stroked his chin and was
silent for a few moments.
Gould Cowran have communicated the
contents of the papers to any third party,
during the interval between the quarrel and
now" he demanded at length
1T is physically possible, no doubt, but
extremely improbable He. could have
done so only with the intention of iniuring
Golding; and the injury would have been
infinitely more effective if instead of tell
ing the secret to one man he had put it in
the papers and published it to all the
world
True. Then you infer that Cowran
wrote the letters"
That would be the logical deduction;
nevertheless / must confess that | still be-
heve Cowran to be innocent. Though he
would not be likely to voluntarily betray
the secret of any one, accident might
somehow have revealed it without his con-
ALL ~
All, to be sure! You spoke of some
thing else. What is its"
Mr. Golding this morning received by
special messenger from Cowran's office,
sealed packet he opened it and found-what
DO you supposep
The private papersp
The private papers, complete and in
tac1l Now, Inspector, what is your inter
probation Of thar
Were they accompanied by any letter or
memorandum from CowranP
=, me messenger presented a receipt for
oolding % sign. That was all"
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