The Republican., 1893-06-01

over again the story he had told to his
employer.
From the beginning Constable
O'Ruark distrusted the man, and
doubted his round, unvarnished tale.
Hartigan had a peculiar type of cold
blue eye, which O'Ruark invariably.
and sometimes incorrectly, associated
with craftiness.
Your own opinion IS then that you
were robbed on the way home from
Dempseys public-house last night?"
said the policeman, gazing at the but
ter-buyer's boots.
"Of course. What else can think?"
You had the notes in Dempsey's?"
81 had. I'm certain on that point"
"AnG you have no recollection Of the
faces or the build of those two strange
men, nor the exact spot where you met
them?"
II have not constable. | was very
far gone in liquor, I'm sorry to say"
You did not miss the notes until this
morning."
Il did not. How could I?''
You're sure they couldn't have
dropped out of your pocket after you
got home? | think you said you
searched for them?"
Indeed, did, constable. searched
the house from top to bottom. spent
two hours this morning turning the
place topsy-turvy-but the notes are
gone, clean gone"
| 81 must also have search in your
house myself; for, of course. | can't
take your word for everythi ig, Harti-
gan"
II don't expect you to, 'Tis black
business for me. I'm drives crazy to
think what ! can do to replace the
money. But what can poor man do?'
he added, with sigh.
THE best thing is TO find the notes"
"Of course; and I'll bless you. Con-
stable O'Ruark, if you can track the vii
lains who stole them
"Well, come along now, and well
have another hunt in your house before
| try to get on the track of the thieves"
Aren't we losing time on that score
already?"
1--WE can't do everything all at once,
you know Perhaps in the condition
you We're in this morning after last
nights spree your search wasn't az
keen or as thorough as it might have
been"
"Ah! was sad and sober enough this
morning. heaven knows. There ism t an
| inch of the house didn't search"
Come, let us be moving" ushering
the distressed butter-buyer out of the
office and leaving word with Mr.. Bod
kin where they were bound for.
The pair walked in dead silence to-
wards Hartigan's house. passing the
police barracks on the way O'Ruarll
stopped at the barracks, and, going IN
side, left some instructions with an ell
derly constable, Murphy by name, who
was in charge of the barracks. Then
he rejoined Hartigan and accompanied
him to his place of abode-a small cot
tage in poor locality. A very poor
looking place for a man with two pounds
a week in Carrigmore, it seemed to Con-
stable ORuark
The front door opened into a room
with a lime-ash floor. roc m which did
duty for hall, kitchen and parlor. A
common deal table stood in the center
of the floor; there We're three plain.
wooden chairs a three-legged stool. a
dresser, fairly furnished with crockery
ware. and underneath the dresser and
attached to it small modern cup
board, on the top of which stood few
knives and forks, spoons and glasses.
The sharp eyes of the policeman
took in the whole visible contents of
the room at single glance; and then
he stood for few moments gazing at
an elderly woman. who was sitting on
the three-leggcd stool. blowing with a
pair of dilapidated bellows fire made
of slack balls-a mixture of coal dust
and mud-which burned feebly on the
large, open hearth.
O'Ruark had made up his mind that
llartigan had not been robbed, and that
the notes We're hidden; but It was not
| likely, the policeman felt, that so crafty
man as he judged liartigan 70 be
would select an ordinary hiding-place.
| However, for forms sake. he made an
| exhaustive search of the room. a search
which included an examination of the
| fiue of the chimney and disturbed the
| bellows-blowinC operations of the old
woman at the FIRE As she rose and
stepped back from the fireplace, bel
lows in hand, Hartigan, who had been