New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-10
They are merely interviewed letters. III
enough! | have found him.
CHAPTER III.

pcbNtth octius lut ClcM, VI idthti .
see it. and catching your man there is grea J,
distance. Here is the position, II my theory Is
correct. Sigsmund Hannay. under the aiias VI
Mr. Hoffman is ncarcerated under false prelenoes,
60 which he is probably consenung party III
Selby House. l.;
Who are his ACCOMPLISH All the sane . IN
habitants in Selby House That is unnkIely.
with reward of 500 pounds on his head 1t is
some years ago that the occurrences l am mar,
rating happened. Now, Sgsmund Hann"y
would have smiled on the British bnDnc Lao onl1
board outside every police station. Then the OILY
portrait OF SiGsmund Hannay was that in VH nc
Office in Scotland Yard-and perhaps, the Ole ee n,
the lOcxet in my hand. Consequently. tne
ers in Selby House need not be the acoolnPdneot
of Sgsmund Hannay. There remain the res S.e,.
proprietor and the doctor. j remembered ouII
art saying the doctor and the prop haa w Motes
Who ever heard of o lunatic with bank hote7,5
except perhaps. those of the Bank OF Eegdn n 30
But then. if he had these notes and me PIE. orer
money Stewart talked Of why didn't ne ol,es
more for the old loclIet he wanted back, anu UNIV
the proprietor had said must be found ..
He was afraid to offer much. and SO attfac' az"
tention to himself . him
in double bedded ROOM as was me uus,
tom at Seby House, did he sleep alone II ne we me
a sane man. and it seemed Stewart bao p so
doubt Of IL. Why didn't he try to escapeT De
cause he didn't want to- The only person, tneh,
really in the Secret might be the proprei1r 'I ip
doctor being merely mystiied ana pos So cSonId
doubt: for Sigismund Hannay, If IT were be conau
only have been placed in the asylum on tne ,oIa
tidcate Of two medical men and friend or rela,
tive. Were the two medical men and 1ne Sois.
mund IIannay might have deceived them Ut. ne
might have slammed mad. Or-though TINS mn'
an unlikely theory-Sigismund Hannay, lnc"iVo Or
ated as Hoffman,, might be really III II'u Alas a
Hoffman, might not he liannay AT all ~
very possible solution. 1,,, Wbv
But then. the nickname, "the Winl1er' why
did IIannay or IIoffmann wink contlnuaIiyS i rmr
first day or rather evening of his arrival al oeiS
insane and Hoffman,, because ~
was under great excitement at his lncarcer ~ I
If and Hannay, because ne was exciteu az ,
thought of pursuit, or feared the QUIT iir ma &C
very natural fear Why did the wlnkmg psi
off ? In either case, because the excitement ,nu
ceased Why did it suddenly return on tnc a ioso
Of the loclIct, Because again there was cn" o.
for excitement Did the Winkcr, iahhay or
Hoffman,, rs the case may be, wink win i hn
right eye his left eye both? Only 10 9e
determined by seeing him wink II would no , 90
70 arouse Stewards suspic9ns by more ,ofbaSlT or
rather possibly, Hannay if the left or po'h'
certainly not How to ascertain
Only by SEEING him.
How TO see him
Only by entering Selby House. coqtated
If ] attempted an entrance by stratagem or rust
and were detected as an mpostOr the first tlmee
there could be no second attempt. WeighhS ~ ,m
these things i'm my mind, hurricdly am AFRAID Ior
the fear was ever before me that. even were my
theory right that Hoffman was Sigismund Hannay,
hidden in Selby House by some artfu conspiracy.
might the advertisement, and might guess
MS | had DONE that IIannay was the supposed luna
tic. Time then pressed. Stewart might at any
time give information and f0rcstall me: that ne
had suspicious Of foul play of some sort ;TS
certain ! must act at once. / went into Id,
spector RobertS's Office, ! saw him, alone.
asked Tor a weeks leave-I, who had never taken
day, save when on two occasions OIL duty on ac-
count of health.
Your application can go in said he.
/ demurred. ! wanted it then, that moment
Is it family bereavement
NO. not a bereavement
"Quite impossible, then; against all rules
Inspector ! may lose my sweetheart II you
don't give it me- said |.
Speak plainly my man; il can strain a
point WILL but speak plainly.
| did not hesitate. i told him Of old Days
bargain with me. and-here my voice sank TO a
whisper" think have clew to him." | said.
and pointed to the bill Offering the 800 pounds for
Hannay, which was fastened with others by tin
tacks to the wall behind the inspector.
Sergeant Dryland," said the inspector &" this
is no matter for triding Are you quite serious?"
assured him Of my seriousness.
You are young and comparatively mex
perienced officer said the inspector; | win as
sociate some one with yOu--" He stretched his
hand toward his bell
Inspector Roberts, | said. with a gasp I
should lose the reward-and I honestly believe
can put my hand on Sigismund Hannay in forty
eight hours
The inspector paused. It's a great response
sponsibility. I'm an inspector Of police, but
feel for yOu-don't dsappoint me- he said. As
he spoke he raised the lid Of his desk and with
ont a word he placed in my hands a pair Of light
steel handouts.
"On my own responsibility hn said 81 give
you sixty sours' leave, Sergeant Dryland Don't,
don diSlppOint me- / thanked him, and putting
the handouts in my pocket, LETT his office.
As | walked down the stairs | felt that the in
Spector had trusted me, and that must not abuse
his confidence Unless succeeded in clapping those
neat handouts of his on SigiSmund Hannay,
never could hold mp my head again. The die
was cast, and | had saked my all upon the throw.
recoinnotred Seby House it was in Chelsea
o nigh Withholding remarkable biz old-fash-
Toned house; OH the door very small plate,
Mr.. Blank, the proprietors name. Another
smaller door at the side of the house with "A bnll-
handle and the old fashioned bell in an iron cage
as was once common in big suburban houses: On
this door was written I'm staring white letters
- servants Entrance In the door was a small
grating with an inner shutter | rang the bell:
the shutter opened | saw the face of an old man.
" Can | see Mr.. Stewart, an attendant here?'
What's your busness?'
Merely friendly call; name of Dryland,
please
I'll see"
The shutter closed with snap I waited pa
uently five minutes, ten minutes: MS / raised my
hand, my patience being exhausted, to ring the
bell second time the door noiseeSSly and sud-
denly opened. and Stewart bareheaded stood be-
fore me.
Nothing wrong hope ?" said he, holding the
handle of the door in his hand; nothing wrong,
| Eope?'
q" No, nothing with them at IIoxtOn-nOthing.
Can You give me a few minutes ?"
Step inside said he. can't leave the
house: I'm on duty"
Nothing could have happened more OPPORTUNITY
II ! had planned it; Stewart had evidently sus-
piciOn of me-
Take seat" said he, pointing to a bench just
inside the door We were in a small tagged court
yard, half Of which was covered with roof of cor
rugated iron: three sides a dead wall evidently
the back Of Sclby House; two windows only on
the ground floor These were heavily barred, as
IS usual with the basement windows Of large
houses; they evidently the kitchens The
smell OF Cooking came from the haf-opened WIN
dows; the hustle of active work and the CHATTER
OF crockery could be heard.
Busy place said l.
B0ardcrs dinner said he
. fou feed them we'll" said I, as q most appee,,
tlzlng display was carefully arranged on a small
u u ul.... 49, Il