Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-01-10
The Successful Detective
nY ROSE EYrrSGE.

he was forced TO acknowledge to him
sell, mind you; to no one else
would he make such an acknowledge
ment, that sometimes, only sometimes,
he might be a little trying.
For instance, when he came home to
dinner at seven-thirty, after promising
to be at home at five sharp, and then
raising Cain' because the dinner was
over-cooked.
Or stopping out with the boys" till
three O'Clock in the morning, When his
wife had sat waiting, in evening bennett
nnd gloves, from seven-thirty till ten
thirty, in expectation of being taken to
The theater, in accordance with a fort
night-old and oft-renewed promise.
But why did she so carefully and per-
sistently keep her desk in the sitting
room locked? And why, when the post
mans whistle was heard, did she blush
so wildly, and become 80 embarrassedp
True, she was always at home. In
deed he sometimes reproachcd her for
not going out oftener, for he could not
help noticing that she looked sadly pale
and thin.
These wore tho reflections of Mr..
Thomas Blcally, as he walked down
town one frosty morning, from his cosy
little home III street; and no
there and then determined that he would
learn what her desk contained, and why
she blushed at the sound of the post
mans whistle,
SO, few mornings after his rehec-
tions had taken this definite form, he
asked his vito to pack his travelling
bag, as he was going to Albany for u
few days.
Cicely Bleakly turned her large blue
eyes on her husband in startled way,
and trying vainly to keep back the
tears, she said
why, Tom, dear! isn't it rather
sudden9 You mover said
Yes, yes" sad Mr. Bleakloy, look
ing not over comfortable, for this
was his first essay at private detective
business; and as his wife stood there
Stl'iN llllll' WIN llSI SNttl, StIiILC lace
so pale, trying so hard 10 control her
trembling lips, and clasping her hands,
her hands, that used to be so plump
and dimpled-loolling, SO thin and
white he did not like it ovcrlnuch.
YES, yes; I'm going for tho firm,
some business before the Legislature:
bc back in three days at farthest, sooner
if possible. Goodbye" and with a
hasty kiss, he fled
Fled in the word, for one more look
at Ciccly's face, and bag, aud fib, and
detective business, and all, would
have all gone by the board.
But just at that moment the boil
rang sharply, and the postman wills
tied. Cicely's face flushed crimson, aud
her hands tluttercd like two little Gagged
birds beating their pretty wings against
their bars.
This sight ncrved Mr.. Bleakley to
frmnees, and with a cold "Ta-ta," he
loft the house, and walked sharply
away.
twas nearly ten o'clock on the night
of the day of which Mr.. Bleaklcy,
armed with his traveling-bag and his
suspicious, had started on his trip to
Albany.
The snow, which had been falling all
day. was still steadily coming down,
and There was strong east wind blow
ing, Of those east winds that have
way of depositing small specimens OF
ice just between your neck and your
muller, behind your ear,--an east wind
that makes your fingers and toes, and
your ears and your nose, feel like
small sections of Siberia
Tho Bleallly house did not look 20
cheerly as usual The light seen through
the vestibule doors burned dim and low
the parlor and basement windows We're
in total darkness; but the light which
shone out upon the cold, bleak night
from the three windows in the second
story, looked upcommonly warm and
gracious.
At least this is the way it struck a
man who passed rapidly, but furtively,
Up and down on the opposite side of the
street, trying Intellectually to keep him,
self warm.
This was Mr.. Thomas Bleakley. and
20 he tramped up and down in the pitt
less cold, he could not help thinking
how CHEEKY and COSY tnat room was.
And he thought 800, that the DAY now
ended had certainly been the longest
he had ever known Though he had
been perfectly free to go and dine in
true Bohemian fashion with the boys,
somehow he had not felt inclined to dc
so. Indeed, on the contrary, he felt
the strongest objection to seeing, or be-
ing seen, by any of the boys, and now
he found himself cold, miserable, faint
and hungry.
just as the bell in the tower Of q
neighboring church rang out tel
o'clock, his long, cherries vigil wa
rewarded.
There, walking swiftly down tn
street. there came the tall, straigh
figure of woman. His wife! III
would have recognized her anywhere
he told himself, even If she had nc
been warmly encased. from head t
foot, in that sealskin coat he hal give
her at Christmas.
With the jealous frenzy Of an Othellc
but with the stealthy stiffness OF a
Lago, he darted across the street, an
followed literally in her tracks.
Silently he entered the area direct
behind her. passed as silently after he
through the iron gate, waited, wit
baited breath, while she searched
her pocket for the key of the basemer
door, found it, and silently and car
fully, but swiftly, as though custol
had made the act familiar, unlocke
the door, and plunged into the Gimme
ian darkness OF the basement hall.
At this moment his just wrath brol
r.. 4. T. -. g.. l.