Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-05-11
As \ CHILD IN 4 CRADLE
By Dwight Weldon.

must confess, it's no pleasant task yum
ming down smuRglers, but some one
must do it. Number four is the lucky
figure: who has it -
From the ranks of twelve detectives,
corps of San Francisco, a handsome,
manly Young fellow OF twenty-five
stepped forward.
"fidGcly? yon, chE" mIrmured the
detective. Well, von're the chosen
man. Orders? there you are: Rest
neither night nor day till you have Yun
the opium smugglcrs to cover. Never
mind the stuff itself It's the men We
want.
Walter HidSely received packet OF
papers from the hand Of his superior
otiicer; bowed silently. and as silently
withdrew 20 the stall that was his
desk, trunk. and !ounging- place when
off duty.
He was 2 rew nian III the service :;
had been clerk or bOokkeeper in the
East, had come West 10 better his for
tune, had failed. and. given work by
the detective agencr. had exhibited a
nerve force and ability as a man-hun-
tcr that ~ once won command and
high pay.
About a month previoua, however,
lie had been set al work ON n case that
had puzzled even lis supeliors, and
utterly hatlicd limseli Gen. Robert
Dayton. wealthy retired merchant,
had been found murdered IN his bed
one morning. Eidgcl seut to work
up the ease, found two frightened ser
wants, II iihcd noney-bnN and Il beau
tiiul girl, Grace, the daughter OF the
General. 10y his side, y as frantica.iy
calling her dead fathers name. and
utterly unable to give theory as TO
the motive OF ia. chime, outside ut
robbery.
IN her frantic emotion. however, She
had suddenly alluded To discarded
lover--Aylmer. Noting the TACT, and de
termining to remember that name and
to later question the fair, stricken
Grace about lis owner, Ridgelv left
the house al death TO report the case
at headquarters. and at the same time
to confess secretly that he had met the
first woman in the world capable OF
stirring his heart 20 its intenscst
depths.
That evening when he returned to
the mansion Il new sensation awaited
him. He found the servants terribly
frightened aud eNcited--they had a
startling story to tell. just at dusk Il
close carriage had driven to the front
of the house. A note brought by the
driver induced Miss Dayton to 90 to
the carriage, as if to see some invalid
friend there. Then 2 Shrek, n man
sprang from the vehicle, she was thrust
within, the door banged. and the car
riage Whrled away ere the alarmed
servants could get to the road.
Since then, almost day and night.
the Young detective had sought to solve
the double mystery OF murder and alb.
duction by investigation and theory
As to the former, utter failure brought
him to the blank wall of mysterious
disappearance within week. As to
surmise, he believed that the re-
jected snitor, Aylmer, had murdered
General Dayton from motives OF re
venge, because he opposed his aspira-
tons for his daughters Land. and had
later abducted the girl herself. Where
he had taken her, what he hoped to
gain finally, We're vague gucsses with
the detective. VI HON Il laN ming loye
more than dntT or reward inspired to
fatliom the fate at the beautiful Grace
Dayton.
Why did lie suspect Aylmer? Only
from what he had heard 0f the man -
Il dissolate. desperate fellow, who. i!
was rumored, hNd disappeared from So
ciety, after his rejection bv Grace, g
become chief oi II Law less band of ma
RAIDERS living in the mountains.
He has made Grace Il captive thu
oriZed Ridgely; he hopes to ter.ify
her into wedding him; he believes tina:
suspicion OF her fathers death is not
directed Against him. When he has
forced her tn become his Wife he il.
compel he" i0 .'iaim the fortune. con
vert il into ready cash and spirit her
away 10 ,riI3e a;tIc and distant rcir,':ti.
A diffr'1' task 10 prove nil this. but
I will lind hi,h vet, That girl'@ iace
haunts r2---,o pitcous, so pleading
Will the first clue 10 her fate never de-
velop:'
That rtoTGh' soand expression in q
sign as Rii2e!v looked over the papers
his chief had given him. The opiun,
smugglers: Ii was theme shat every
detective on the force slammed and
hated. IN hunting to cover the men
who "cle engaged ia Ibis Illicit trade.
within month one expert man catcher
had disappeared, and one had been
found shot to death on lonely bit Of
seacoast near the city.
Ridgely looked over the papers close
ly. Here was statement that the
schooner Osprey would sail into the har-
Dor that evening with cargo of bamboo
fancy wares, crockery, and tea from
China. In some deft way it was also
expected that Il certain large hogshead.
ostensibly containing leadfoil, but in
reality filled with opium, would he
landed so as to evade Government in
spection. This package was to be
spotted, allowed to land, and in no