Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-03
CHAPTER III.


The postcard from Belfort was also IN
Dicks hands, two photographs of Osmund
Questin, and his last letters from Rome.
Anastasia's latest idea had been the bold
one of advertising for Mr.. Septimus S.
Perkins in the Times, the New York Her
aid, and LIE Petit Journal, giving Anas-
tasia's address and Dicks Paris hotel.
The first thing Dick ascertained was that
the proper number of tickets taken for
Paris on the day Osmund Questin Travelled
through were delivered up. His next step
was an exhaustive search for his name
throughout the Paris hotels. He was soon
able to inform AnastaSia, whom he chose
to call his client, that he had discovered
it at 1.-THE Bristol" At 1.-THE Bristol ne
had evidently stopped for several weeks,
but nothing special could be gathered
about him beyond his having been re-
marked for his wonderful skill at billiards.
From thence he was traced by the aid of a
detective UP to the very day of quitting
France for England. The history was
clear and commonplace, and Dick began
to feel he had let himself in for rather an
absurd chase after phantom fancy.
However, while he fingered unwilling to
throw it up yet, a card was one day put
into his hand, and brisk little gentleman
Immediately stepped up, and shaking
hands warmly, announced himself to be
no other than Mr. Septimus S. Perkins.
"And now, sir, what dye want with me?
I rather expected to see Mr.. Osmund Q.
Questin, but guess you are not much
like that gentleman"
"rm delighted to make your acquaint-
ance. though" rejoined Dick. "Ive come
over to trace Mr.. Questin, and want all
the information | can get"
you don't mean he's missing? thought
he was in for very severe sickness when
we parted, but if he fell sick on the way
surely he didn't die without wiring his
friends?''
He seems, On the contrary, to have
fetched Paris in excellent health" said
Dick. Then Mr.. Perkins gave a circum-
stantial account of every hour he had
spent in Osmund's company, which were
not very many.
sit wasn't that we hopei you could tell
us much, but you were the last friend he
named in his letters Here's his face; do
you recognize it?" Dick continued, plac-
ing the photographs before Mr.. Perkins
YES he said, examining them; ''that's
him, but, oddly enough, they remind me
of a tritiing incident that had slipped my
memory A man got into that car while
we were coming along the outskirts OF
Rome city, more like our friend than ever
| saw twin bears. Droll? Mr.. QuestlD
didn't particularly notice it,"
Didn't they know one another?"
mot they; and didn't meet again, so far
as I know"
"Ah, there we are, you know, just where
we WERE" said Dick, disconsolately. 'Td
better tell you the whole story" he went
on.
''That's what 1 meant to have when ]
answered that advertisement that got
hurled at me through three organs"
Whereupon Sherrieff gave the full his
tory. reserving any opinion on it.
''If you take my advice, sir, you will just
reserve your operations and watch the
man in London, whether he is the true
simon pure or notn
Taking the hint, Sherrief wrote to An
astasia. Instead Of letter came a tele-
gram:
In Paris since Thursday
$50 much the better for u.s. commented
Mr.. Perkins. Now for a round of hotels
again
Beginning with the BRISTOL" said
Dick.
''If he goes back to the Bristol it's ten
to one III his favor"
''He was not at the BRISTOL this time.
but at ''Meurice's,'' a fact soon ascer-
tanned. Nav, further Mr. Perkins moved