Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-02-14

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Amos Bergman oTyrcl a cottage in a
west side suburb. Vglera he kept up Il plain
but comfortable establishment. He was a
bachelor Of fifty, Il small, mid man. looking
even older than he was.
One-halT Of his friends and acquaintance
regarded him as . crank. while the rest
maintained that. in spite of some eccen-
tricities, he had a fund of native shrewd-
ness that might have been genius under
different circumstances.
The trOublc was that he had never been
obliged to PIN down to any regular work.
As a young man he had taken up first one
profession and then another: he had yecrcd
around To science and then to trade, and
finally settled down to books and gardening
for pleasure, varying his scclusion by dip
ping now and thea into the affairs of the
world, sometiaes as an agitat0r. sometimes
rs a philan'A~ppist. With ali his vagaries,
he was "a geuerous-hcartea man, and his
nephew, Norris, had lived for a half-dozen
years In his household. the recipient of his
bounty and the weather-vanc of his ideas
which had left the young man a little worse
on, perhaps. than If he had been thrown
upon his own. eudeavOrS in his tender
years. However. he mad the good sense to
rebel when he came of age. and turned his
hand to the first homes calling which of
fered. He had been two years in the ex-
press service, and ~lat-;rcd himself that he
was q trusted cEpIoyn. when his abrupt
dismissal brought him up standing, as it
were, and cut away some Of the self-con-
ccit which goes with youth and inexperi-
enco theT wild world over.
There being nothing 10 interfere, hi went
On the afternoon following his receipt of
that dispatch 10 pa d visit to his uncle.
Amos Bergman met him with a hearty
handshake, and Q congratulation for what
the young man was.dIsposed to regard as a
decided misfortune.
"Glad you are cut of the business, my
boy. 1t never did give d chance to the
capacities that are in you. Purely mechau-
ical, without scope for the reasoning pow
ers, but there's an opening now that will
tax them, il you choose TO avail yourself of
it.n
af IL can reason out a new situation
shall be very glad. Uncle Amos"
ssThat'S it exactly" cried Amos Bergman.
"Or let Us say occupation. to be cX,
act, for it viii be to your advantage to
work independently il this matter. ]
haven't any doubt Of your fitness for the
work, and I'll advance the necessary funds
for expenses, etc. No thanks. my boy! IL
have my reward in seeing you win the
honors, as I'm SURE you will"
"But, my dear uncle, what is the work.
"Wei-you know | always said you had
the making Of 4 lawyer IN your broke OF
Uncle Amos, with just the least suspicion Of
anxiety apparent IN his amer
eyes, laughed Norris. And of a doctor
and q minister, and a stock broker, and
dare say, o. Il gambler. and Il craftsman
also, if the simple idea were not too shock
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my abilities away TO the upper notch, that's
certain. What is the fancy now, Uncle
Amosl'
at struck me, az soon asI read the re
ports. i said To myself: Norris has all tbs
advantage of having been on the ground
He has the making If q detective in him
think l had it myself, when was younger
and he'll see what l see. that the seconl
robbery is only IL cover for the first Fin
u the man who stole the single package
and you'll have the root of the whole afTaI
In your hands. You'll make Il name fo
yourself, my dear boy, for. mark my words
this is no ordinary robbery. There is sons
deep plot, some scheme of ~wroug-doiu!
which reaches farther than the public sus
poets, and you're will DO the grand oppor
tnnity to unearth the whole yhlainous com
plication, and bring i. to naught-"
Norris was we'll used toliis uftcles snthus
iasm over his hobby Of the moment, and al
amused smile lowered about his lips as h
listened to the growing c!oqucnce of III,
elder man.
"You evidently allude 10 the recent ex
press robberies. You seem TO forget, though
that the regular detectives are at work, an
at fault, too, "a far as can learn"
"Of course They're at fault. They're dec
In the Old rats. II needs a young, cleve
fellow, without bias, u~niafluenced by tn
deductions drawn from previous cases