Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-22

Jamaica, that q client OF theirs had
Just died, and left about thirty thou.-
and pounds. AS far as the other gen.
tleman knew, he had but two relations
alive-a granddaughter and a grand
niece. Mr.. Handley was instructed to
nnd them out. They were natives OF
Manchester, and to the last known
address in that city he Of course ap-
piled.
In three days an answer came back
to the effect that the and-nephew was
believed to have been drowned in a
collision on the Thames. The niece
was supposed to be governess In the
vicinity of Stockport Her address at
Heaton Chapel was sent on immedi-
ately after, and then Mr.. Handley sent
down his managing clerk, who came
back with the mysterious news that SHE
had left her engagement few days
before, foTfeitlng q months salary in
lieu or notice
al have advertised in the Times and
other morning papers for the young
lady" proceeded Mr.. Handley, ION
Friday and Saturday, and this morn
ing, but these organs evidently have
not come under the eye of Miss Mer-
cedes Brampton. The lateness of her
disappearance makes II suspicious, and
so have sent to you to discover her If
you can"
You think the young lady has fallen
into the hands of people who will sacri-
tice her interests for their ownp" said.
What else can tkinkP" asked Mr..
Handley.
Excuse me-" L proceeded, ''but
that would Imply that some one in your
service had divulged business secrets;
for how else would anyone but you
know that this lady was entitled to
thirty thousand poundsp"
"Ah, quite accurately reasoned, ;"
the lawyer went on, with a smile, land
that gives me confidence in you, sir.
l feel that l NAV freely assure you that
nothing of this matter has passed
through the lips OF any member OF my
establishment, except so far as my
clerk made inquiries in Manchester,
Stockport and Heaton Chapel. He
found that at least two strangers had
called upon and had interviews with
the young lady-one an elderly gentle
mar, and the other a clergyman"
do you think that the solicitors of
the deceased have communicated with
any other person in England?" 1 asked
next.
NO" returned Mr.. Handley,
firmly; "but I imagine that dozens
nay hundreds-of this paper are posted
regularly to England" and he handed
me a copy OF the Kingston Cleaner.
which contained an account OF the old
gentleman's death, with the fact ap-
pended that his relations were a grand
nephew and grandniece in Lancashire.
"Ah, that accounts for the whole
thingl" i cried. ''Some uRscrupulous
'next-of-kIn' agents have got their
clutches on the poor girl"
"Next-of-kin agentsl Inscriptions!
What do you meanY" asked Mr.. Hand
ley, elevating his eyebrows II know
several of those firms, and believe them
to be most honorable people"
And 1 know dozens Of solicitors
who deserve hanging" I said quietly,
''but that does not affect the character
of the profession generally. There are,
Of course, decent as well as rascally
next-of-kin agents, and the reason
say she has got into the clutches of
these INSCRIPTIONS people, is because
the honest agents would have replied 10
your advertisement at once"
"Ah, you are right" said Mr..
Hsndley. "What do you propose doing,
then2"
81 shall go to Manchester by the
next train" was my reply, "and. II
possible, l shall trace her out"
/ did as l said. l had no difficulty
In finding Mr.. Gillespie, the late en-
ployer OF Miss Mercedes Miss
Mercy Brampton- Mrs Gillespie was
not a very sympathetic woman, and
was not Inclined to say much in favor
of her late governess. oh, there was
nothing against her characterl She
wouldn't have been in her employ If
there had been, but she had gone away
without warning, with the first man
that came for her--at least, not the
drst man. for he was clergyman,
although one night he certainly was a
little tipsy,' and spoke much more like
a play-actor than a clergyman"
"a clergyman little tipsy-and
spoke much more like a play-actor than
a Clergyman" was il strange that these
words should bring blck to my mind
the interview between Furnival and
Frank F., the actor? Not at all.
It was the clue 1 wanted, and then /
remember that FurnIval had blurted
out a faw weeks before that he and
Greevil were going to found next-of-
kin agency, with branches all over the
kingdom, or perhaps the world. /
determined TO run off to town at once,
and find out Frank. III he had shaved
OF his mustache, should know what
to think.
First, 1 tried to procure photograph
of the missing heiress, but Mrs. Gllles-
pie had never seen one. After little
patience, however, the nursery govern
ess was discovered to have had one
s.yU
Brampton. When 1t was produced 1t
was a very humble matter, done Oh
common glass, but no doubt was a
pretty faithful picture.
Armed with this and my suspicious,
1 returned to town in high spirits.
L lost no time in hurrying to the
haunts OF Messrs. Greevil, Furnival
and Frank F., but no one appeared
to be more at leisure than 1 was when
ran against the first two Of these
worthies. Frank was nowhere to be
seen.
1t was soon apparent to me that
FurnIval and Greevil were not on the
best OF terms together. L have hlnted
| to you before that Furnival was like a
kind of deformed Hercules-perfectly
undiscuisable. Greevil. on the other
hand, was mIddle-sized, quiet, fair.
haired, and with that peculiar stamp OF
face which may be called expression
| less. We soon had to learn that HI:
acumen and cunning were almost
| matchless.
During the whole Of this first after
noon the partners seemed to be playing
at cross purposes. Greevil wished tc
look after business; FurnIvsl would
accompany him. This the other die
not desire, and SO it went on unit
Furnival got too much to drink, when
he began to quarrel openly, but Gree
] vii kept his temper excsllently, and
would not be drawn out. At last, after
turning out time. heard Furnival
say:
Look here. Mister Clever Greevil
don't try doubling on me. or you'll
| come of second best"
who's doubling?"
You are"
you're tipsy. or you would not say
| sos'