Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-11
GEORGE OSBORNE. NJ. D., F. R. C. S.
Woods Hotel.
HOlborn.

HOlOOrn.
''It is now nearly three years since we
paid some very heavy claims on Mr.. Engle-
fields life to his executors" Mr.. Webber
continued, "but of course 1 declined to sat
isfy DR.. 0sborne's curiosity in any way
until he had informed me his reasons for
making inquiry. The story he had to tell
me was so extraordinary that my reserve
melted away, and felt it my duty to satisfy
him, en- the main point at any rate.
sit appears that DR.. Osbourne went to
the East at the outbreak of the Russian
war, leaving behind him his father, verging
upon his dotage, and a little child, q
motherless girl, believe. They resided at
some village down in Berkshire, the name
of which has escaped me-it is not very ma
terial to the story. Before setting out, DIR.
Osborne made his will, appointing friend
Ia man named Leyton-pfaeticing as q
veterinary surgeon at Great Chelderton, his
executor, who promised to keep a watchful
care over their interests until his return.
Osborne came back in the early part of the
year, and % going to the Berkshire village
could discover no trace of his father or
child. He declares that he was not sur
prised at that, since he hardly expected to
find old Mr.. Osborne alive and it was un-
derstood that in the event of the old gentle
mans death the child would be taken care
of by Leyton."
"Rad the friends not correspondent Dog
gett asked, his keen, glittering eye denoting
intense interest in what promised to be
from the detectives point of view-an inter-
esting case.
''There had been some correspondence, but
it was broken of. The reason for this was
not assigned by DR.. Osborne. To come to
the crux of the story, Osborne goes down to
Chelderton, where instead of finding his
friend practicing as veterinary surgeon, he
discovers him in full feather as q wealthy
landed proprietor. Leyton, it turns out, has
married the widow of Englefeld, the bank
er Now for the point. When Osborne
called at Chelderton Manor, where Leyton
is living in grand style, his whilom friend,
after displaying considerable agitation,
professed not to know HMM fact, avowed
total ignorance of Osborne, his father and
his child"
"This gets very interesting" said Dog
gett, as Mr.. Webber made a pause in his
narrative.
''But this is not all, replied Mr.. Web
Der, continuing his story. sit so happened
that ut this moment 0sborne's little girl
eame into the room where the two men were
sitting. He recognized her at once, from
her likeness to her dead mother. Even, as
he says if his memory had proved unable to
retain the child's ineameDts, the likeness
was too unmistakable to admit of doubt
Unhappily, the child's memory was not
equally retentive, and she ran away, fright
ened, from a strange visitor. Leyton
stoutly denied that the child was Osborne's
and finally put an end to further discussion
by threatening to have him turned away
from his door,
"What a splendid villain" cried Dog
gett, in an outhurst of admiration.
before Osborne left" resumed Mr..
Webber, ''he made mention of his will, in
which he had appointed Leyton trustee and
guardian to the child, but Leyton stoutly
declared his entire ignorance, and affected
to think Osborne mad. On inquiry at
Doctor Commons Osborne can find no trace
of his will having been proved. He then
paid another visit to Sonning, in Berkshire
-ahi that is the name of the place, / had
forgotten it-but cannot find his fathers
name in the burial register; nor can he OBJ
tain any information when the old man
died, or when his child was removed. He
is, therefore, in this curious position-of
wanting to claim his child, whom Leyton
absolutely refuses to recognize as his and,
except himself, there is no witness to her
identity. And he is anxious to learn where
his fsther is living, if alive still, and where
he lies buried if he is dead. He has en-
ployed detectives without result"
"Quite too intricate a case for Scotland
Yard, - said Doggett, with grim smile.
$50 it seems" said Mr.. Webber, "for.
while they buoy the poor man up with ali
kinds of hopes, the solution of the mvsteri-
Gus proceedings of this man Leyton is no
nearer than when the case was put into their
hands. Osborne, very naturally, argues
that Leyton can only have the most dis
graceful reasons for repudiating an ancient
friendship. He sLys he cannot account for
the effrontery of ths whole proceedings ex-
cept out of anxiety on Leyton's part to con-
ceal some gigantic fraud; and he even goes
SO far as roundlY to hint at murder. After
turning the matter over in his own mind he
comes to the conclusion that gentleman in
Mr.. Engle6eld's position might in all proba-
bility turn cut to have insured his life
heavily, and, imagining that to be the case,
he jumps to the conclusion that If he could
discover any Office in which Mr.. Englefeld
was insured the insurance company might
be induced to share his suspicious and make
common cause with him; for, though not
exactly poor man, he has no money to
spare. Now tell me what you think, Dog
gett."
II am quite ready to do your bidding"
said the detective.
Then you think we should take up the
case1" asked Mr.. Webber.