Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-22
THE STRANGE FOOTPRINT.
A DETECTIVE STORY.
By Malcolm Bell His
Copyrighted 1889 by s. s. Mcclure.

/ his feet with an exclamation of delight,
and dancing wildly around the room
with an extravaganza altogether I'M
usual to his quiet reserve.
"Cape Town, he cried when the
first exuberance of his joy had spent it
self. "Cape Town, gold, wool, ost-
ostrich, am-iam-diamondi Padger,
my boy, You We got it this time, you We
got it. You We been running after false
lights all the time with the only true
lanterns in your hands.
That the case had been made in or
near Cape Town was hardly to be
doubted. That it had been constructed
TO contain a diamond was conjectural,
but more than probable. His course at
last lay clear before him. To find out
what Mrs. Ennis connection with
South Africa had been was the first step
on the ladder to success.
Where it would lead him he could not
possibly guess, and did not at that mo-
ment particularly care He should sue
coed, and that was ali he thought of.
Whoever the murderer had been, hen o
longer entertained a doubt that the case
before him had contained the motive of
the crime, and would lead ultimately to
the conviction of its perpetrator.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FREILIGER DIAMOND.
Among Mr.. Padger's earliest re-
markable achievements after he had
started in business on his own account
the discovery and capture of a gang of
habitual diamond stealers stood easily,
recruitment. The stones had mystic
riously disappeared, packet after pack
ct, during their transmission from Am
sterdam to London, and tho manner in
which Mr.. Padger found out the system
employed by the robbers, and eventually
succeeded in trapping all the principals,
was sufficiently ingenius to be recapitu-s
lated here Had it anything to do with
the Westcliffe murder?
1t must, however, suffice to say
that he gained both profit and
praise from the merchants whom
his success benefited, and one in
particular, Dutchman nam
ed Van Cooler, to whom had been re-
stored by his iustTumentality consider
able amount of valuable property, had,
in addition to substantial recognition of
his services, promised TO place his eXpe-
renee entirely at Mr.. Padger' S disposal
if ever an occasion offered when it might
assist him.
To him then. Mr.. PadgeT betook him
self the morning after his momentous
discovery. The wealthy old merchant s
office was situated in Walton Garden,
and consisted of one small, dark, plain
Iy-furnished apartment in which the
iron safe securely embedded in the wall
was the only sign that any business what
ever was carried on there.
Mr.. Van Cooler was seated at his high
desk when Mr.. Padger arrived, partak-
ing of a modest luncheon consisting of
bread and cold sausage.
Aha, Mr.. Badger, - he cried on per-
ceiving that gentleman in the doorway.
GLOW it vos nit you, mien freund?'
''First rate, thanks, said Mr.. Pad
ges cheerily "How's yourself and
buaness?''
"For meinselluf olright, but peezness
bah, - and he shrugged his shoulders
despondently, for if Mr.. Van Cooler was
to be believed he was always on the i'm
minent verge of bankruptcy.
81 want you to do something for me,
if you will - remarked Mr.. Padger,
jauntily taking his seat on a table in the
center of the room.
''You know, - said the old Dutch
man, ''eef 1 gan I viii. Vot ish eet you
vant?''
81 want, replied Mr.. Padger, TAX
ing out his note book and reading the
details with extreme deliberation, 81
want a diamond of an oval or egg shape,
one inch and a quarter in its longest di-
ameter, and three-quarters of an inch in
its shortest.
Mr. Van Cooler stared in blank amaze
ment at this modest demand, but pre-
ceiving no symptoms of joking in Mr..
Padger's immoYable countenance, he
L
earnest.
"Haf you by any janice gOm indo a
vordune, mein freun?'' he asked as Mr..
PadgeT sat, airly swinging his legs, with
an eXpectant air as if he anticipated the
imminent production of trays full of
such stones as he required.
mo- he answered, shaking his
head sOlemnly, ''Do such luck for
Padger. -
''Do you not know den dot diamond
such as you desgribe would COST you
tOusands of pounds?
$50 much the better, - cried Mr.. Pad
ger enthusiastically. ''The more it costs
the better I shall like it -
sis it, den, mein freund, dot you hat |
gone out of you praln?'' exclaimed the |
astonished dealer, seriously alarmed for |
the state of Mr.. Padger's intellect
''No, no, said he reassuringly, 81 m /
all right, Mr.. Van Cooler. Let me ex- |
plain -
As briefly as he could consistently with |
clearness, he related the circumstances |
of the murder, the discovery of the cas- |
ket, and the reasons that led him to the /
conclusion that its contents had been a |
such as he described at the |
end of this narrative, Mr.. Van Cooler |
shook his head doubtingly.
'Think not, eh?' inquired Mr.. |
Padger.
cit ees scarcely probable. -
"Why not?
ga shdone soch as dot gould not dis
sbbear mitout some questions asked. Its
would pc ven known, amt 1t? |
For constance, I haf here q leest of all,
or nearly all, der veil known crate tia
and you shall zee for yourselluf
eel dere is soch ting dere.
He produced from his desk a small
volume bound in black cloth, and laid it
/ I