Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-06-28
UNDER A CLOUD :
CLEARING HIMSELF.
The Thrilling and Absorbing Story
OF a Great Crime.
By JENNIE DAVIS BURTON.
AUTHOR OF HER LIES SECRET AM
OTHER STORIES.
Eopyrsghssd, 1888, 6y the A. NJ Kellogg Neacspoper
Company. az Rights Reserred
CHAPTER III.
rN~D a~oo

Dacnelor OF fifty, small, mild man, looking
even older than he was
One-half of his friends and acauaintances
regarded him as a crank, while the rest
maintained that, In spite of some eccen-
tricitles, he had a fund of native shrewd-
ness that might have been genius under
different circums tances.
The trouble was that he had never been
obliged to pin down to any regular work
As young man he had taken up first one
profession and then another; he had veered
around to science and then to trade, and
nnally settled down to books and gardening
Tor pleasure, varying his seclusion by dip
ping now and then into the affairs of the
world, sometimes as an agitator, sometimes
as philanthropist. With all his vagaries,
he was generous-hearted man, and his
nephew, Norris, had lived for half-dozen
years in his household, the recipient of his
bounty and the weather-vane of his ideas
which had left the young man little worse
on, perhaps, than if he had been thrown
upon his own endeavors in his tender
years. However, he had the good sense to
rebel when he came of age, and turned his
hand to the first honest calling which Of
fered. He had been two years in the ex-
press service, and fiattered himself that he
was trusted employee, when his abrupt
dismissal brought him up standing, as it
WcIS, anu Cut away VI Inc Scll-COu-
ceit which goes with youth and inexperi-
ence the wide world over.
There being nothing to interfere, he went
on the afternoon following his receipt of
that dispatch to pay a visit to his uncle.
Amos Bergman met him with hearty
handshake, and congratulation for what
the young man was disposed to regard as
decided misfortune.
s'Glad you are out of the business, my
boy. 1t never did give a chance to the
capacities that are in you. Purely mechan-
ical, without scope for the reasoning pow
ers, but there's an opening now that will
tax them, if you choose to avail yourself of
itn
sfIf can reason out a new situation I
shall be very glad, Uncle Amos"
''That's it exactly" cried Amos Bergman.
Cor let us say occupation, to be ex
act, for it will be to your advantage to
work Independently in this matter. 1
haven't any doubt of your fitness for the
for expenses, etc. No thanks, my boyl I'll
have my reward in seeing you win the
honors, as I'm sure you will"
"But, my dear uncle, what is the workl''
"Well-you know l always said you had
the making of a lawyer IN youf' broke off
Uncle Amos, with just the least suspicion of
anxiety apparent IN his manner.
eyes," laughed Norris. ''And of doctor,
and minister, and a stock broker, and l
dare say, of a gambler, and craftsman,
Also if the simple idea were not too shock
ing to contemplate. You have always rated
my abilities away to the upper notch, that's
certain. What is the fancy now, Uncle
Amosm
ut struck nc, as soon as read the re-
ports l said 20 rsyself: Norris has all the
advantage of having been on the ground
He has the making of detective in him'-I
think had it myself, when L was younger
and he'll see what 1 see, that the second
robbery is only cover for the first Find
out the man who stole the single package,
and you'll have the root of the whole affair
in your hands. You'll make a name for
yourself, my dear boy, for, mark my words,
this is no ordinary robbery. There is some
deep plot, some scheme of wrong doing
which reaches farther than the public sus-
poets, and yours will be the grand oppor-
tunity to unearth the whole villainous com.
plication, and bring it to naught-"
Norris was well used to his uncle's enthus-
iasm over his hobby of the moment, and an
amused smile lowered about his lips as he
listened to the growing eloquence of the
elder man.
ssYou evidently allude to the recent ex-
press robberies. You seem to forget, though,
that the regular detectives are at work, and
at fault, too, as far as l can learn"
'Of course they're at fault. They're deep
in the old ruts. 1t needs young, clever
fellow, without bias, uninfuenced by the
deductions drawn from previous cases.
Don't tell you this is robbery without a
paralle,s The superintendent of your di-
vision himself admits that. He told me
had grounds for my theory when l ex-
planned it to him.
s.What! you have been to the officers of
the company, uncle! Wheua What had
you to say to them!"
"Nothing to your discredit, you may be
sure, Norris. They seemed quite struck by
my reasons for thinking you the very man
to unravel their mystery"
tsWhat reasons, IN the name of all!'
"Wen. there's that affair of the trap in
the car floor, evidently the work of me-
chanic. nothing rough or bungling about the
lob. When told them that you had quite
a genius for working in wood, that you
were as well up in calculations and measure
ments as any skilled carpenter, and could
do as neat a job of repairing-conveylns
the idea that you might find something IN
the shape of clue that would pass I'M
noticed by an unframed eye-they really
seemed quite impressed"
ssYou did that, Uncle AmosF'
Norris spoke slowly, looking at his uncle,
ssCeytainly 1 did it, testify. Il have
your advancement too much at heart to neg
lect such an opportunity
A dim vision of all that this statement
meant dawned upon Norris. What wonder
if the company looked on him with sas
picious ewes! What wonder II they re
garded the concealed aperture In the car
floor as a ruse of his own creating and ms
story of Robber No. One as a mere cover &c
shield himselfs
Here was the true explanation OF his alb
rupt dismissal, and of the spy set to dog ms
steps. ,...o.
Quite unaware of his nephew's bitter
thoughts, Uncle Amos concluded, cneer
fully:
ssYes, they seemed quite impressed, ano
though of course they couldn't feel lustheo
to put the job wholly in your hands, Know
from a remark of the superintendent they II
be glad to have you at work on II. your
nephew shall have abundant opportunity
for proving your good opinion OF MN, ar,
Bergman'-those We're his very words.
shall not be at all surprised if our mystery
is solved through him yet SO You see
Norris, row much depends on the enor's
you maka.n
ST do see very clearly, Uncle Amos, and
shouldn't wonder if you were to drive me
into playing the part of detective yet.
CHAPTER w.
A TELL-rALE SCAR.
Carol Childer was going to q oall-nei
first ball-so it is not strange that her Little
head was almost turned with delight
OF course she dressed hogSa RefoZe tine,