Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-12-01

$500 AsShC AA4o
Greengraves, with the oily and persuasive
way which he so well knew how to assume
when the occasion called for 1t, passed his
card with a smOthered whisper.
The porter at first sight of the pasteboard
shook his head, then stared hard at Mr..
Greengrayes, then relaxed gently by degrees,
and made half a promise:
"Fraid you'll have to wait a long time
though, sir"
Mr.. G~reengraves, with the expression Of
n martyr OF long and bitter experiences, ex-
pressed his willingness to do so.
Still the stream Of persons DESTROYS of III
gress or egress poured in and out Of the
towering building, up and down the broad
stone steps, past the marble columns: some
radiant, some anxious, some scowling black
ly--thc most part, If not all, whispering
eagerly, consulting, and comparing notes.
Presently, Mr.. Greengrayes's card having
passed up to the presence, a message came
down that he might follow it. This he did
up a broad imposing staircase, on a soft
carpet past a sprinkling of grey-headed.
solemn-looking, profoundly deferential I'M
derlings,o one Of whom in a whisper gave him
directions as to the way he should take, each
in turn staying his progress, as though fear
ful OF some Intrusion, for which anon they
would be called To account.
And So at last he found himself upon the
outskirts OF a small, truculent, and grovel-
ling crowd OF seemingly awe-stricken APP
plicants for the honor Of a few moments
conference with the great man, and he him
self at last, not without some trepidation,
crossed the threshold Of the presence-cham-
BIER.
And here, indeed, he was impressed by
what he saw. Well acquainted with The
faces Of the leading and conspicuous men i'm
almost all classes Of society, he looked OF
in wonder at the evident respect, firm belief,
and rapt attention of the white-headed men
standing around, who met the slightest
sound halfway with an angry "Hushv'
whilst Sir Richard in cold, hard, metallic
tones spoke.
Then came back to the spy's mind tho
scene in the drawing-room. The attentive
group as here surrounding the husband, tho
beautiful woman, his wife, r%ecumbent, but
with restless eyes watching and waiting as
1t seemed to him with a slammed indiifer-
cnce but inditrerently disguised.
And then again another picture arose,
bright, clean, and clear, and strangely re-
pulsive as oddly enough it had seemed to
him that night, used as he was to the seamy
iha vi itlN-to tlI0 lttliotiO aiit tiip NV
mantle. That crowd of painted women
thronging the stage amongst carpenters,
greasy and dirt-stained. The ddnscuse, with
her bold, bad, pretty face, cruel eyes, and
sharply set mouth-the grey old man, be-
guiled, befooled.
But the sonorous sounds of Sir Richard
Fordyce's voice rose over and dominated all
this. 1t appeared that 1t was the question
Of museum opening on a Sunday that was
under discussion, and that Sir Richard most
strongly objected to any boon so capable OF
being perverted from It's original purpose.
Quite aged and venerable men listened to
this, and when at last the speaker ceased,
there was a deep murmur of applause. Then
earnest congratulations and hand-shakings,
and then the assembly slowly dissolved and
the great man and the spy were left alone.
Mr.. Greengraves was making his mindup.
Yes" said he TO himself;''the best thing
l can do is the straight thing. I've two Sc
crcts, but | can't sell both with safety. Sup
pose, then, | go for Sir Hichard-: moral
mana man whose good name Is Of vital
importance to him. Yes, III go for Sir
Richard and chance it."
Fordyce, with an air of intense weariness,
rose. closed, and bolted the room door.
well" he said; "about that business, I
SUPPOSE
Lot of trouble to you, Sir Richard, all
this inquiry? Better drop it-ehY"
"EhT' he said quickly; then recovering
himself, added in icy tones: "Why?"
II was thinking so myself, sir. OF course
there can be no doubt now as to who was
the thief"
Indeed! Surely that poor unhappy girl
who drowned herself had nothing to do
with it?" =
THE poor unhappy girl, as you call her,
Sir Richard-and in truth / think her life
was quite wretched~ enough-was tried three
years ago for the murder of her child and
acquitted"
Good Heavens! How could such a per-
son have possibly obtained an entrance into
my houSe.w
well, sir, you see it was left to your
hOusekeeper, and to tell the truth, l hardly
think she was very much to blame. Hester
Partridge-oddly enough that was her right
name, but she was tried in another-had q
mother almost as cunning as the tiend Of
darkness himself, and she was more than a
match for half-a-lozen such women as Mrs.
Gee. II was with a false character that
Hester Partridge entered your service, and
her mother and her father, who is dead now,
have in their time botl been tried and con-
victed for felony. | was once myself q wit
ness against the father"
do you mean then to imply that this wO-
man VINO has killed herself was the thief!9'
Possibly. At any rate her mother, aeon
victed thief and a suspected receiver OF
stolen goods, was in the habit Of visiting
her at your house clandestinely.
Outrageous. But the woman must be-
given into custody. A full inquiry must be
made into the whole circumstances of the
case. A."
"a private inquiry" said the detective
softly.
Why" asked the other.
Mr.. Greengraves rose, walked to the door,
opened it quickly, looked around, satisfied
himself seemingly that there were no caves
choppers, returned to his seat, and drew
from his pocket the stolen letter.
The adhesive portion of the envelope had
been artfully manipulated. 1t now required
only to be damped once more. and tho
epistle itself dropped into the letter-box on
the garden-gat,, where. had it not been for
Mr.. GreengraveS's interference, it would
long ago have peacefully reposed, and how
would anyone in the wide world be any the
wiser.