The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1889-10-26

stuffed with rejected manuscripts and
stillborn dramas. declined with thanks
by purblind publishers and managers.
Sir Toby was firmly impressed with the
idea that had his station and his duties
been otherwise, he would have made
his fortune as detective. and nothing
pleased him so much as endeavoring to
discover the identity of an undetected
murderer or the motive for myster-
ious disappearance. Whenever such
an event occurred, which was pretty
often, Sir Toby used to indite long epis-
ties to the Times. setting forth his
theories, which, after all, frequently
turned out to be quite as near the truth
as those of the professional detectives.
1t was one day in early spring that a
great idea occurred to Sir Toby Bun
skin. He felt in particular nissan
thropic humor, for Jack had been stay
ing with him. and uncle and nephew
had contrived to quarrel even more
seriously than usual. Moreover, there
had been published certain damaging
facts in connection with one or two
charitable institutions to which Sir
Toby had intended to leave the greater
part of his fortune, and he began to
think that even Jack might not put his
money to a much worse uss than a
pack of over-paid greedy officials. 1t
was in this humor that he had taken
up a newspaper and studied the strange
disappearance of Mr.. Jabez Brown, an
eminent Mudford merchant and mill
ionaire, who had vanished from mortal
ken in the most unexpected manner
and without the slightest apparent
reason. The amateur detective was
strong in Sir Toby. as usual. and he
fell to musing over the fate of Mr..
Brown, and to evolving all manner of
theories which might account for his
singular absence. He was rich, emil
nently respectable. and universally
looked up to in the commercial world.
An examination of his affairs had
proved beyond doubt that no financial
embarrassment existed. Then he was
a moral man, and there was no sus-
picion that he had eloped with some
body else's wife-or, indeed, that q
lady was in anyway connected with the
case. He was perfectly sane and in
good health, and no conceivable reason
could be imagined for his committing
suicide.
HE may have been murdered, of
course" thought Sir Toby; but this
solution seemed there
may be woman in the case. Begad,
believe he is alive, at any rate. He
may have disappeared out of pure ca
price-found his responsibilities too
troublesome, or gone off in pursuance
of one of those whims that every body
has. or nearly every body. Brown dis
appears-delight of heir-long search
after Brown-body found in the Thames
much decomposed-but easily identi-
fed as that of Brown by servants in
pay of heir-heir takes possession of
property-has splendid time for a
few weeks, when behold Brown redivi-
vus-Brown alive and well!-promptly
kicks out the heir, and declines all re-
sponsibility for his debts! What a
splendid situation! Wonder how my
dear nephew would like itp I'd give
f5, 900 to see him." And Sir Toby
burst into harsh, unpleasant laughter,
and positively rolled about in his chair
with ghoulish merriment. The idea
pleased him SO much that he sat up a
good two hours later than usual. and
when at last he went to bed it was
with firm determination to carry out
his extraordinary scheme, and to
execute vengeance upon Jacob
Bunskin the ingenuity of which should
only be exceeded by its completeness.
Upon Sir Toby's preparation it is
unnecessary to dwell. He contrived to
possess himself without suspicion of
several thousand pounds in ready
money, for he had no intention OF being
left penniless during an absence that
might be prolonged. He had to make
up his mind as to what country he
should select for the scene of his ad-
ventures, and, after much deliberation,
he fixed upon America, with a view of
enjoying some wild sport in the Rocky
Mountains and elsewhere; he also had
to invent sufficiently trustworthy dis
guise for himself, and to lay in stock
of more or less outlandish garments in
order to accentuate The change in his
appearance.
Now, Sir Toby was a smart, dapper
man who dyed his hair black and
shaved clean his face, SO he argued
that if he bought a red wig and beard
they would effectually disguise him
until his own beard and mustache had
had time to grow. When this hap