Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-10-10

tn feel he had let himself in for rather an
absurd chase after phantom fancy.
However, while he fingered unwilling to
throw it up yet card was one day put
into his hand, and brisk little gentleman
Immediately stepped up, and shaking
hands warmly, announced himself TO be
no other than Mr. Septimus S Perkins.
and now, sir, what dye want with mel
! rather expected TO see Mr.. Osmund Q.
Questin, but | guess you are not much
like that gentleman"
I'm delighted to make your acquaint
ance, though" rejoined Dick. I've come
over to trace Mr.. Questin, and want all
the information | can get"
you don't mean he's missing' thought
he was in for very severe sickness when
we parted, but if he fell sick on the way
surely he didn't die without wiring his
friendsg7
He seems, on the contrary, to have
fetched Paris in excellent health" said
Dick. Then Mr. Perkins gave circum-
stantial account of every hour he had
spent in Osmund's company which were
not very many.
ut wasn't that we hope you could tell
us much, but you were the last friend he
named in his letters. Here's his face; dc
YOU recognize ft'" Dick continued, plac
ing the photographs before Mr.. Perkins.
Yes" he said, examining them; that's
him, but, oddly enough, they remind me
of a triting incident that had slipped my
memory. A man got into that car while
we were coming along the outskirts OF
Rome city, more like our friend than ever
| saw twin bears. Drol? Mr.. QuestiD
didn't particularly notice it,"
Didn't they know one another"
Not they; and didn't meet again, so far
as / know"
"Ah. therewe are, you know, justwhere
we were, said Dick, discOnsolately. I'D
better tell you the whole story" he went
on.
That's what meant to have when
answered that advertisement that got
hurled at me through three organs"
Whereupon Sherrietf gave the full his
tory. reserying any opinion on it.
eff YOU take my advice, sir, yOu viii just
reserve yOur operations and watch the
man in London, whether he is the true
simon pure or not"
Taking the hint, SherrieG wrote to An
astasia. Instead Of letter came tele-
gram:
"In Paris since Thursday"
$50 much the better for us, " commented
Mr. Perkins. Now for a round of hotels
again.
beginning with the Bristol" said
Dick
"If he goes back to the Bristol it's ten
TO one in his favor"
"He was not at the Bristol" this time,
but at 'Meurice's," a fact soon ascer-
tanned Eav further, Mr. Perkins moved
himself into "Meurice's," and by cunning
bribery got into Mr.. Questins room, and
made notes of all he found there. He re
couized among other articles the small
valise he had noticed in the tram-car. He
invited Sherrietf to dinner, and the pair
awaited with intense excitement me en-.
trance of Mr. Questin."
He came in when they were seated at Ia
bic d'hote, and took his place opposite
them. Dick turned crimson, and slightly
kicked his friend.
"Oh, it's the man, murmured Mr.. Per
kins, rather crestfallen, and yet pleased
to see his acquaintance again. How are
you, sir?' he said across the table. Glad
to meet you again Mr.. Questin"
Mr. Questin glanced sharply up, bowed,
then seemed to recollect the speaker, for
he said cordially that he was glad to see
him
You look pretty fit now, sir" remarked
Mr.. Perkins, but | thought you likely to
be real sick when we parted in Rome"
Il was for a Bit" the other answered.
"but I soon Dicka1 nm -
you were well out of Naples; they had
cholera at compound interest after you
left"
Eyes, its not a thing | would so out Of
my way to meet"
See anything Of it when you were
aroundg'
Ooh, believe the poor beggars were dy-
ing of it, but it's struggled away as much
as possible"
"Ah! Didn't you tell me that you had a
kind o. nervous shrinking; that it was
about the only mortal thing that scared
you, MIR Questinf"
"Just that, answered the other, with
slight laugh, then he turned to some topic
of the day, and an animated conversation
ensued
Mr.. Perkins took no notice of Dicks
eager questions ana comments until the
two were at the latter's hotol when, slow
ly removing his big cigar, he said: shes
right as young woman in love should
be. It's another man"
At this astonishing announcement Dick
seized him by the arm, gasping with aIx-
iety to hear more.
Face, same; voice, same; action, same;
inside all wrong; not hit that off Now to
discover if he has murdered the other
Can't make out if he is the other man in
the car
Dick wrote at once to Anastasia, saying
that they had a clew at last.
Now said Mr. Perkins, wen get .
right cute sort OF detective, and keep an
eye on our friend day and night"
Directly Anastasia heard that there
seemed a possibility of her idea being a
correct one, she began to put together all
that Osmuud had ever told about the
Questin family, with the conviction that if
there was an impostor in the case, so
strong a likeness could not be a mere &C
cidenJ She then wrote 10 SherrieH. tell
ing him that Mr. Questin's younger broth.
or b4 q rtsa rrfs.1 "a t.,r r,f D.