The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-08-15


and, as it happened, by the same insti-
tuition where Mrs. Tunstall kept her &C
count"
"Then It is proved He is the man,
exclaimed Pauline, triumphantly.
"No, it is not proved" returned the
detective, shaking his head "It takes
more than that to make conviction.
We do not know that the note was pre-
scented by Horace Dupee, and even if we
did it would still be possible that he had
received it from some one else. No,
Mrs. Ketelle, we cannot arrest Dupee on
that evidence. If we could find any pre-
text for arresting him, either on this
charge or on any other, then it might be
possible to complete our evidence as to
this But the power to do that is unfor-
tunately wanting"
"Do understand you that if any one
brought charge against him on another
matter you could obtain conviction on
this?"
81 don't promise we would do 1t; /
only say it might be possible. But at
any rate think it would do no harm if
you would tell NEAL about your inter-
views with Dupee and what came of it. I"
Pauline gazed at the inspector in as
constituent.
"You know about that too?" she ex-
claimed at length.
"Why not? What is there so wonder
full in thatf" he returned, composedly.
81 suppose nothing seems wonderful
to you," replied she; "but confess had
expected to surprise you in regard to
thatl Well, then, if you know that !
have seen him, suppose that you know
all that passed between us, also?"
"No. no, rejoined the inspector, laugh.
fng, "my knowledge stops at the fact Of
the interview. What you said to each
other you will have to tell me II you wish
me to know it"
''It was in order to tell you that came
here" said Pauline; and she went on to
give an account Of the whole affair, the
inspector listening to her with close at
tention. Her narrative was clear and
precise.
"Do you think that he was aware that
you were the sister of Jerrold and Percy
Eolen?" he asked, after she had finished.
"He must have known it. Twas mar
NED only a short time ago, and my
maiden name was in the papers"
"Does it not seem odd that he should
have made this attempt upon a woman
whose brother he had murdered? Muir
derers are usually more careful, If moth
ing else. think we shall find, Mrs. Ke-
felle, that he is innocent of that crime.
AS regards the robbery l say nothing;
but have never thought it likely that a
fellow Like Dupee would commit muir
der so peculiarly cold blooded and COM
paratiyely "nprovoked as that would
have been. But if he was wrongly
charged with it it is quite conceivable
that he may have embraced this oppor-
tunity to revenge himself upon member
of the family that brought him to ruin"
"You may be right"
81 believe it will turn out so. But
there is another point suggested by your
story. 1t is quite certain that he did not
know your brother, for If he had he
would not have attempted to blackmail
you on his account-or, at any rate, not
on the ground that he put forward"
"Yes, there can be no doubt about
that" Pauline assented.
"Then don't you see it has bearing
ON the robbery Your theory has been
that he committed the robbery partly, at
least, in order to have your brother ar
rested for it. But as he did not know
your brother by sight that theory will
not stand. If we consider him to have
been the thief, his involving your brother
in the scrape must have been merely
coincidence. Your brother happened to
be talking to the lady, and his overcoat
pocket happened to be the one in which
the purse could most conveniently be
dropped. If Mrs. Tunstalls husband,
instead of your brother, had been in your
brothers place, the evidence, so far as
the purse was concerned, would have
pointed at him."
"That is logical cannot deny it,
said Pauline. "But it does not show his
innocence of the robbery; it only shows
that he had not the motive for commit.
ting it that supposed he had; it was not
revenge-it was vulgar pocket pickingr
"Well, that is as it may be- But let
me refer to another point in your story
You said that the name he gave to your
husband was Grush-John Grush?"
"Yes, but of course it was an assumed
name"
"No doubt; but it is curious that he
should have assumed that particular
name instead Of another
"Why not that as well as any?"
Because it is the name of another
mana real man, that is. fellow who
has been a companion and intimate of
Dupee's for some years past John Crush
went with Dupee to California and re.
turned with him. 1t was he who pointed
you out to Dupee in the park, the day
you first saw your brother 1t was he
who suggested to Dupee that it might be
a profitable job to blackmail you"
"How did you learn all that, Inspector
Byrnes?"
81 might tell you that learned it by
detective intuition, or some other sort Of
witchcraft But the simple truth is that
John Crush told mel"
HE told you? He is one of your men
them
t.No.-o. Iii d.. l.. L.. - - - 1,