The Florida agriculturist., 1889-10-02

drama, muttering, 'Foiledl but | will
yet be avengedr' or words to that effect
Dupee however, failed to grasp the
dramatic opportunities of the situation;
but he said as he moved towards the
door, You have been known as a pick
pocket, Percy Nolen, and it'll stick to
your With that he opened the door,
and would have gone out of it, had he
not been confronted there by broad
shouldered. athletic gentleman, with
brown mustache and piercing eyes, who
was accompanied by detected person
age wearing the familiar aspect of Mr..
John Crush the only true and genuine
proprietor of that name.
The broad shoudered man, after hand
ing Crush into the room, followed him
and closed the door Good morning.
Mrs. Ketelle and gentlemen, he said,
cheerfully well. Horace, you see I
have friend of yours here Jack has
been complaining to me of you. He
says you not only stole his name, but in
fringed his patent blackmail scheme.
And SO, by way of retaliation, he has
been telling very bad tales of you. I'm
afraid you are in for a good deal of
trouble Horace.
There's no need of making fuss
about this affair, Inspector" said Dupee,
assuming a nonchalant air. There's
been no blackmail that know Of It is
true that Judge KeteIle paid me a worth
less check the other day; but there has
been no pecunary transaction, properly
speaking and don't know what this
man, indicating Crush, lis grumbling
about | know very little of him."
He has the advantage of you, then,"
returned the inspector, for he knows a
great deal about you | have been wait
ing for you for year knew you'd be
back here, so didn't bother to disturb
you in San Francisco: but I've got that
thousand dollar note up at the Office; and
Crush has filed up any little gaps in the
chain, though we could have done very
well without him Hold out your
hands"
The last words were spoken in voice
SO different from the good natured ban
ter of the foregoing sentences that Dupee
gave start and mechanically extended
his wrists, and the next moment the
handouts were round them The mo-
ment after that, however. he seemed to
take in the significance of what the in
spector had said He turned and cast a
very malignant glance at Crush.
"You will find evidence against me,
will you'll" he cried in grating tone
"You did that job on the lady in the
jewelry store and put it off on him, re-
turned Crush. nodding toward Percy,
and speaking with swagger. You
know it, and I'll take my oath to it any
day You played low down game on
me, and that's what you get for itt'
You'll give evidence that I'm pick
pocket, will your repeated Dupee. star
ing at the man with strange express
sion, half leer and half scowl well,
you may do it or you needn't, just as
you please for did rob the woman, and
don't care who knows it, nowl But
you gave it away too quick, Jack Crush
this is the worst days work you ever did;
it would have been worth something to
you to have found out, first, whether
had any little stories to tell about you'll"
The inspector who had been on the
point of putting an abrupt end to their
dialogue. seemed to change his purpose
at the last sentence, and the others pres
ent involuntarily listened to what might
follow
..You can't fell anvthino to h11rt rnap'