Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-17

4Why-How was this, doctor?'' asked
Miller with immediate interest. 81 had
not heard. Are there-have there been
any new Developments And lowering
his voice as he asked, the major drew the
post surgeon into the hallway.
Nothing of consequence. major, OF
course, we all felt uncomfortable when il
was known that Holmes had lost a porte
monnaie from his Overcoat pocket as it
| hung here on the rack that night-thou9h
he protests there was nothing in 1.-THE
thing might have been serious. You re-
] member you thought the hail door had
! been opened during cur dinner. / be-
! lieve l was telling some story or other at
the time-bad habit of mine-and we
| sent Robert out to look. He came back
! and said it was tight shut and couldn t
| have been open because he had fixed it
so that the latch could not be turned
| from outside. But Holmes showed US
next day that it could be- -
''Then you think it had been tempered
with-that some garrison sneak thief had
got in?
Well, that s what Holmes saws and
what Robert stoutly maintains, though
you can I see scratch or a mark or any
thing 20 indicate that such means had
been used. No, Major, and the doctor
shook his headOminouslY, - II have an
other theory bat it is one too shadowy
too unsubstantial to speak OF. 1t is
nothing but suspicion -
And Miller would not ask him what it
was. Well knowing how the doctor had
been devoting himself to Miss Forrest it
was with nothing short OF amaze that the
old soldier now heard him speak After
all his wife had told him whom could
n,sfl. q
Abruptly the major changed the sub
ject, even while thinking how in his own
experience he had had recent opportunity
to realize the truth Of what the doctor
said. Somebody had indeed "gOt fooled
on that latch the night he sat there in
the dim light Of the Doctors library.
Somebody who evidently expected TO en-
ter as readily as before, and had worked
Intellectually for several minutes before
abandoning the attempt, and then only
to be caught in the act and uHblushingly
to repudiate the same.
Bayard, said the major, 81 am
the last man 20 interfere in the details of
my subordiuates management of affairs,
but there s a matter l want to ask YOU
about while we are ont here. What is
the reason DR.. Weeks refuses to let Mrs.
Miller go in and see Mclean She has
been always very fond of MIN, and natu-
rally wants to be Of service now. OF
course, il there be any good and sufficient
reason, we nothing to say, but L think
We a right to know -
Bayard hesitated a moment. FCome
out, here on the piazza, major, - he
presently said. 81 don t want them to
hear in the parlOr, and together the
two officers walked over to the wooden
railing and stood there looking at each
other. 1t was evident to the post COM
mander in an instant that what his sur
geon had to tell was something of no
little Importance and something further
more that he shrank from mentioning.
Bayard S eyes fell before the majors
earnest and troubled gaze, he was
plainly studying how to put his informa-
ton fairly and without prejudice Sud
denly he looked up.
First, while we are on the subject
let me finish about this latch business,
major. 1t is not entirely-entirely irrel-
evant to the other matter. You
see 1 had to tell Robert why we
made such particular inquiries about
the door. Now the boy has been
with me for years and came to me with |
q most unblemished character Why! he |
was body servant for the adjutant and !
quartermaster of the First artillery in |
the lively old days at Fort Hamilton and |
had unlimited opportunities for pecula- |
ton, but those gentlemen said he was |
simply above suspicion. But he is sensi-
tive and it worried him, fearing lest Nj.
Holmes should think he or some of his
assistants in the kitchen had been search
ing those pockets, Now it was simply on
his aceount-Ato convince him II was
somebody from outside that surrepti-
tiously entered the hall while we were all
at dinner-that Holmes took the trouble
to test the latch, and with a little bit of
stiff wire he showed rs how Roberts de-
vice could be circumvented -
''And Holmes has no doubt it was so
accomplished? asked the major ten
atively.
Bayard looked embarrassed. 81 can
lot say just what he does think, major,
because he utterly refuses is speak of it.
lie said it was absurd to make such an
lido about nothing, and declared he would
'e seriously annoyed if l pursued the
ubject -
But you admit you have n theory of
our own! - and Miller keenly eyed his
medical officer as though striving to read
'eneath that smooth and polished sur
ace.
81 have what might be called an
n vague theory and a sus-
'icion that would be entirely intangible
mt for one OF two little things that have
ecentiy come TO my knowledge. -
land those little things point to an
lmate of the garrison, do they not?''
sked Miller with as much nonchalance |
5 he could assume
81 fear so, - was the doctor s answer.
but you asked why Mrs. Miller was I
rged not to come TO Mr. Mclean s room !
lst yet, that is the way Weeks put it to
he when / overhauled him, which l did |
ne moment the matter came to my ears. 6
est assured, l was quite ready TO take !
mirage at his action, more so rather {
nan you could have been. But, major. G
Duld you have heard his explanation, t
on yourself would have been the first to 4
" no one but his physician should be t
lowed to stay there. Weeks even sent
re hospital nurse away and sat up with t
i'm all night himself - v
"a Has he been delirious?'' b
- Yes, and in his delirium he has been v
liking of things that have completely +
poor Weeks. OF. course he D
'uld not give me the faintest inkling of
hat they were and could not ask, but Il