Wichita eagle., 1889-07-21
TIE SECRET OUT.


This was the wording of the telegram l re-
ceiyed one wet, ugly night last December. /
was sitting in my little snuggery back Of my
( office, before a blazing CRATE, with my feet IN
slippers and my body in warm dressing
room. had mug OF hot punch and cold
mince pie on the table before me, along with
an uncut novel and q genuine Havana, with
which intended 10 regale myself presently.
And although had very strong anxiety 10
secure Jorlette, it must be confessed ihat
was altogether TOO comfortably situated to
relish going out into the cold that disnally
dirty night
This telegram was from ny chief, who, !
might as well say, was detective, and had
followed that thankless and precarious bust
ness for several years. People considered me
very successful in working up difficult cases,
but was never quite satisfied with myself
| wonder if any man ever is!
This same Jorlette had given us a great
deal of trouble We had never had SO keenly
cunning spirit to cope with Strategy was
matched with strategy, diplomacy with diplo-
macy; and scores OF times, when we were sure
of him, he bad slipped from under our fingers
like flea and left Us wondering how he man
aged it.
Perhaps it would be wei TO explain that
Pierre JOrlette was a murderer, upon whose
head was set price of ~ 900 by the crown.
a Frenchman and nohienlan by birth, a gen
tleman by education, he had when very
young married a beautiful English girl, with
whom be passed two years OF unaIloyed hap
piness. AT the end of that time some fearful
shadow came between then-none knew Of
what nature-and the nhuman husband
stabbed his wife 10 the heart! Her confiden-
tial maid witnessed the deed and attempted
to save the life of her mistress but Jorlette
fell upon her with savage ferocity and left
the two corpses lying together side by side.
These are the facts as briefly as | can state
them to you. OF course there were many
minor circumstances not worth recording. US
they have little bearing upon the short story
! am writing
1t seemed from this telegram that Jorlette
was TO be on the 1880 train. | wondered how
Cathcart bad got his information, but be had
armies of spies constantly working for him,
and probably some Of them had made the
discovery.
| had only to follow instructions.
For the hundredth time | took JOrlette's
photograph from my pocketbook and exam
med the features of the murderer. IL WAS
singularly handsome face that | saw-cle,trly
cut, with large hazel eyes shaded by long,
dark lashes, mouth delicate and sensitive
as a voman's, high, rather narrow fore
head, half hidden Ill clustering curls of au-
burn hair, a form rather spare, yet well knit
and a hand symmetrical and rounded us Il
womans.
The picture would have answered splendidly
for that of a sentimental, sonnet making
poet-but for a murderer it was dead fail
ure Nevertheless, somewhere in the past,
before crime had scathed aim. Jorlette had
sat for it.
changed my slippers for boots and got
myself inside my fur ovcrcOat, stuffed
vahse with brown paper and blaching brushes,
that l might appear respectable traveller,
and, looking at my watch, found l had just
time to reach the station.
The train stopped ten minutes for refresh
ments, and, taking tho guard, who was an
old friend OF mine, sufficiently into my conf
dence, | was given an opportunity OF looking
through the carriages previous TO the start
ing of the train.
1t was full train, but. singularly enough,
there was not rec asa-!ed man on board Of
it Jorlette was red headed, and, aside from
that circumstance, be bad u face which / fiat
tered myself could not readily mistake.
As | stood irresolute, and feeling very much
as If | tad been fooled, there came toward
me from the dining room an individual tall
and spare, with slouched hat, white era
vat, Il huge piece Of game pie in his hand
and this person had red hairI And dark
eyesl
1 watched him closely. There was Ger
tain logged, skulking look about him, be
would not meet my eyes, and rs walked OF
70 the extreme end Of che platform by MIN
self, and remained there muuchiug MS PIE
until the last Dell rang: and tnen be hurried
on board with the air Of one who felt that a
great deal depended on his getting seat
was convinced that be was my man,
though be was not altogether ike the photo
graph. Still faces aud photographs differ a
great deal since 70 the picture there lie little
expression and no expression-and do no:
the characteristics Of q face depend more on
color and expression than a mere outline IF
featured
He entered carriage No. III, ami az hint
the guard put me IN the sA.oe van There
were three persons already there beside my
pie eating friend and myself. An elderly
gentleman, who was reading The Times
wrong si.e Up. and nodtiuS blandly over -
columns, a pair Of rural loTers
ioungtTg on each Others shoulders and dis
cuzsing peppermint dTops tosetAer' Ald
presently We were Te-ezT creed by al Old lady
Ia very prsu1e bonnet with browu Ebbons,
and bearing luggage N the shape Of a bird
cage a basket witt cat n Il. al umbrella
and very large carpet sack
Jorlette rad produced another section #
pie, and was defnolisniDg II vigorously. I
seemingly be enjoyed IL We4, suppose
even a murderer r-ay enjoy eating pis-
Just as The tram began - u5ove TIE door
opened and a ycang Lady cane A.ezassEingly
fcrwsrd YOa sDcv what helpless erss.t9rsx
women are on their feet II bo1nctny sway
ing railway car, and this young beauty wa
co sxreptior- she tottesed. AID would ha=s
fa-sen, but pat at ruy alIn and caught her,
at the ss1oe ;lEcs Offering her tae unoccuy8ed .
sea; 81 my ss1c.
she bluAised rossly, thank u1s IN tie s~sst>
PSI voice h-d evsx heard aad sank down q .
TIC c2sGloaA- covering my Enes< ~s;h bsiioss
Il rEf-3l1g and frtagirx, making E7s ie-s-
vel, no+ usagy removes fron TIE g&t1s Q.
Parade
A loTelie- face hsd never s-@a The skta
w1s clear and far; re mouth F~s=zt. saz.szisvs
nd httls sad; TIE sys, DARK atd fSSsli1azs
.nd tie oe@atlfni 3rx. brO~s hair, ~Esna
Jung over Shoulders II tbs pssFaAl-2z ssTsn.
vas sot, "a r0@A Szsk. aa1 FspF@ss1 Ike iEs
1ssoE1 Il r,szzys t-ook VIXEN = fSys oTey
! t.s1 & r,sSAles
Bz+ - los- was ! u o1-.a-zsSS -stksss -
.h2-rns q ikA fair crsztErs tnzi szs-1ssliT
-saerabersd was nos looking seAzrp, az
SAfaczys EAa ordered IL. Azss ! tGrLsos 20