Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-23

her heart would break. From childhood
 her cousin Clarence had been her play
 mate, and she had learned to regard
 him as brother. An! how could he
 have been SO cruel as to strike the blow
 that deprived one who had been moro
 than a father to him of the priceless
 boon of life?
 Zelda summed everybody, lest some
 one might suggest the horrible suspicion
 that haunted her, notwithstanding her
 great efforts to get away from it. She
 dreaded the very thought of Tom Eek.
 ert iinparting his knowledge on the sub
 ject to tho authorities; and yet, as if di-
 vining by intuition the use to which he
 intended to put his dread secret, she pur-
 posely summed him, in the hope that her
 fathers recovery might batlie the schemes of the designing book-keeper, and tbrow new light upon the dark mys- tery which made the Carson mansion
 house of mourning and of misery But as the days dragged drearily by, and the stricken millionaire showed no sign of returning consciousness, Zeldas
 heart sank. and she prayed fervently
 that death might take her and spare her dear fathers life.
 Tom Eckert called at the house several
 times and sought to see her, in accord ance with the promise she had made him the morning after the crime was committed, when the chief of police was there, but on every occasion he received the reply that Zelda was in her fathers room, and could not be disturbed. Eckert felt that he was purposely
 sighted, and grew impatient. He urged
 the members of the Grimsby Steel Com pany to take action toward tracking down the criminal, and in accordance
 with his advice one of the best detectives In New York was bl ought to Grimsby to
 look after the case. He had been Ge-
 tailed for the work by celebrated Go- tective agency, and he introduced hiii.- self to the people of Grimsby as the resi- dent representative of the Modern Mu-
 tual Accident Insurance Company, whose capital was expressed in an uIl-
 limited amount of figures.
 The office of the Modern Mutual Acci. dent Insurance Company was opened on the principal street of the city, and q glittering sign announced the fact that it's general agent, Isaac Sawyer, was pro, pared to write politics for fabulous fig ures at reasonable rates.
 Mir. Sawyers real business was known only to a very limited number of persons, and the interest taken by Tom Eckcrt in the great robbery at President Carsoii's house was, unfortunately, sufficient to include him in that number. Isaac Saw yer did not wish to be known in his ca
 pacity of detective to anybody in Grim by, and those who knew him were as good as sworn to secrecy. He was active in pushing the interests of the insurance company he represented, advertised lib orally ill the local pabers, and soon came to be looked upon as a "hustler," and
 was regarded with jealous eye by his
 business rivals. This was just what he
 wanted because it effectually disarmed suspicion and he was now free to work. A few days after Sawyer's arrival in Grmsby, Tom Eckert called at the Car son mansion and asked if he could see Zelda. The servant knew that his visits were unwelcome, and might have told him he could not see Miss Carson, but she delivered his message, and returned i'm mediately with an answer to the effect that Zelda was busy attending her father, and could not be seen.
 Eckert had been repulsed so often by this reply, that 1t piqued him. He felt that he was entitled to her confidence rather than her coldness, and resolved that he would no longer permit himself to be sighted and snubbed ill this way. His eyes snapped vioiously when he re. ceived the stereotyped reply of Zelda through the servant, and his white teeth gleamed through sinister smile. Then his thin lips became compressed, and
 putting his hand to his forehead, as if revolving some important matter through
 his mind, he said:
 "Stay a moment. Iwant you to take
 an important message to your mistress Then taking notebook from his pocket, he wrote these words upon one
 of the leaves:
 "The detective has arrived to work up
 the case, want to see you before con
 sulting him. TOM EcKERT Folding this note carefully, he handed it to the servant and said:
 "Give this to your mistress, and say
 await her reply"
 The answer came much sooner than
 Eckert expected, in the shape of Zelda Carson herself, who looked weary and
 worn from watching and weeping by the
 bedside of her dying father. The lowell, ness by which Eckert had so long been fascinated was undiminished, however:
 and it kindled desire anew in the breast
 of tho unwelcome visitor, but he did not
 feel q single touch of pity for this beauti' full girl i'll her bitter hour of sorrow. He greeted her with his sweetest smiic. although he read her dislike in her eyes "You want to see me-" she began. "Be kind enough to state your business, Mir Eckert, as I cannot afford to be long | away from my father"
 "As stated in the note I sent you, detective has arrived ill Grimsby to work up the robbery and the assault. He is