Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17

cerated under false pretenses, to which he
is probably a consenting party, in Selby
House.
Who are his accomplices? All the sane
inhabitants of Selby House? That is un-
likely, with a reward of $500 on his head.
1t is some years ago that the occurrences
am narrating happened. Now, Sigismund
Hannay would have smiled on the British
| public from board outside every police
station. Then the only portrait of Sigis-
mund Hannay was that in the Office in Scot
land Yard-and perhaps the one in the
locket in my hand. Consequently, the
keepers In Selby House need not be the ae-
completes Of Sigismund Hannay. There re-
main the resident proprietor and the doctor.
1 remembered Stewards saying 'the doctor
and the prop had words about him the
other day." Then his banknotes. Who
ever heard of lunatic with banknotes, ex-
cept, perhaps, those of the Bank of Ele-
gance? But then, if he had these notes and
the piles of money Stewart talked of, why
didn't he offer more for the old locket he
wanted back, and that the proprietor had
said m1st be found?
He was afraid to offer much, and so at
tract attention to himself.
If he were insane, why, when Stewart put
him in a double-bedded room, as was the
custom at Selby House, did he sleep
alone? If he were a sane man,
and it seemed Stewart had no
doubt of it. why didn't he try to escape? Be
cause he didn't want to. The only person,
then, really in the secret, might be the pro-
prietor, the doctor being merely mystifed,
and possibly in doubt; for Sigismund Han
nay, if it were he, could only have been
vla - Rha 4ha -
two medical men and a friend or relative.
Were the two medical men and the friend
or relative accomplices? Not necessarily;
Sigismund Hannay might have deceived
them; he might have slammed mad. Or
though this was an unlikely theory-Sigis-
mund Hanny, incarcerated as Hoffman,,
might be really mad. Or, Hoffman, might
not be Hannay at all. Alas! a very possi-
BILE solution.
But then, the nickname "the Winker."
Why did Aannay or Hoffman, wink con-
tinually the first day, or rather evening, of
his arrival at Selby House? If insane and
Hoffman, because he was under great ex-
citement at his incarceration. If saneIand
Hannay, because he was excited at the
thought of pursuit, or feared the other in
mates-a very natural fear. Why did the
wlnking pass of? In either case, because
tne excitement mad ceased. why old IL sud-
denly return on the loss of the locket? Be-
cause again there was cause for excitement.
Did ''the Winker," Hannay or Hoffman,,
as the case might be, wink With his right
eye, his left eye, or both? Only to be de-
termined byseeing him wink. 1t would not
do to arouse Stewards suspicious by more
questions If he drops his right eyelid, he
is probably, or rather possibly, Hannay; if
the left or both, certainly not. How to as
certain?
Only by seeing him.
How to see him?
Only by entering Selby House. 1 eogi-
tated. If 1 attempted an entrance by
stratagem or ruse, and were detected as an
impostor the first time, there could be no
second attempt Weighing all these things
in my mind, hurriedly am afraid, for the
fear was ever before me that, even were nv
theory right that Hoffman, was Sigismund