Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-20
The Man With Thumb.
BY w. C. HUDSON.
Barclay North.)
apprehend." said Cathcart,

whether we can erect II INTO a certainty
| You will perceive in that unfinished let
| Ter a direct reference is made to a son.
| The writer seems to he borne down by
he fact that all the evils he has recited
IRE to attributed to an ungrateful son.
| Now inasmuch as he had but one son,
he superficial and perhaps natural sup
| position would be that that son was re-
| Ecrrcd to But we are Immediately con-
| Irunted with the fact that nothing in the
:Ife Of the young mau can he found to
Justify the charges
Upon the contrary. we find abundant
violence that that son was treated with
| confidence, pride, affection and generos-
| ~. which the son repaid with an affec-
ION and attention quite as strong. This
certainly is contradictory But if fur
ther evidence is wanted it is to be found
n the almost frantic endeavors of the
Young man himself to disprove the
,harges--e ndeavors i'll directed and i'll
advised, as might be expected in boy
rnly twenty-three - throwing himself
open to the most rigid examination, and.
| further, that after having brooded on
these troubles fer eight years, he has set
| the inquiry on foot again Those who
ire inclined to look leultntly on the
Young man say that the elder DOrison
must have been stricken with an insan-
| tty which was precursor OF his death,
Dr that if he had been permitted to fin
lsh the letter it would have been found
hat he would have qualified the charges.
others, and by far the majority includ-
ing the long and clear headed men of
the police. insist that the charges are
direct and uneGuivocal disagree with
all"
Mr. Eustace who had been sitting in
his easy chair. with his elbow resting
upon the arm. supporting his chin,
Strengthened up and looked with rising
color upon the old detective.
| You will notice, continued Cathcart
taking out the copy Of the unfinished let
ter that in the reference to this son he
uses the term IAN uu%ratcful son. not
my ungratclul son. nor the ungrateful
son of my heart or life or old age, as
men often speak He uses the indefinite
article, an -
And you reason there was another
son., interrupted Mr.. Eustacc eXcitedly.
II do, replied Cathcart tirmly-''an
illegitimatc son Therefore, believing
that to be So and knowing the relations
existing between you and Mr.. Dorison, |
am come to know whether you have any
thing in your posscssion-any knowledge
which justifics such a theory?
Mr. Eustace rose from his chair i'm
pulsively and rapidly walked up and
down the apartment with long strides.
evidently much agitatcd.
You are touching upon sacred conf
dences," said Mr.. Eustaco finally. II
do not know
One moment" interrupted the old
detective hastily, II am not without
knowledge that the elder Dorison had
some relation with wOman-just what
it was do not know, but his portrait,
his seal ring and parts Of letters written
by him were found in her apartments.
But stronger than all is this: For num-
Der of years that is to say, for twenty
FIVE years, this woman occupied house
down town, the title to which was vested
in her name. This property was trans
ferred to her April twenty-second, eight
cen hundred and fifty-four, by Richard
Basselin, the consideration being eleven
thousand five hundred dollars.
find among the papers Of the Dorison
estate voucher, a check drawn on the
Chemical bank for eleven thousand
FIVE hundred dollars, in favor OF
Richard Basselin, dated April twenty
second, eighteen hundred and tifty-four,
signed by Reuben Dorison, certified by
the cashier on that day and Endorsed by
Richard Basselin subsequently, Rich
ard Basselin removed to Buffalo, where
he died little more than Il year ago
You perceive that q connection is estab
lished The nature of that connection
is what now desire to ascertain"
Mr. Eustace had stopped in front Of
Cathcart as the latter talked He asked
suddenly
The name of that woman
Il prefer to follow my own plan of in
quiry and endcavor to elicit information
before disclosing it. have no objection
to giving it and will do so before leave
The important thing is not to satisfy
your curiosity but to justify my theory.
Mr.. Eustace turned an irritable glanc,
upon the old man, sitting so calm ant
imperturbabla at his fireside. He re
sumed his walk.
Il have some information, no doubt
that will assist you. What you ar
I LSlllllS5 lllO ID NhOllJ liz" hC 1oCSOAOA
in my mind is whether should tell tina
which was given me under the solemn
seal of secrecy"
Have you the right to obstruct tn
search of a young man leading to tn
restoration of his good name2 appea
to you as man of justice | appea
also to your recollection of Reuben Dor
" son, and ask, if it were possible for hir
to appear here for one moment, whethe
he would refuse you permission to III
> lock your lips, when the doing of
- would tend to remove the disgrace fro1
a son he thought so much Of, as you hav
yourself testified. Finally, say to yo1
b not in the way of threat, but as sin
pie statement of fact, that there is al
other phase of this case that sooner {
later the officers of the law must tax
J hold of, where you will be summoned
tell all you know, unless you evade it
telling me now"
All of this increased the agitation (
hn