The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-07-04
.BeauchanPe S Double
-OR-
THE PRIMA DONNA.
AStory Of Mystery. Love and
Devotion.
BY DAVID LOWRY.
CHAPTER II-(Continued.)

had made miStake-there must be an
other house with similar passageway
The men he saw were we'll dressed
They were young. de remarked theil
youthful appearance, then the clean-cu
faces arrested his attention.
They looked like lot of young clerks
Thenit occurred to him that this lot
of neatly dressed young fellows had faces
sharper and keener than fifty or sixty
average Americans ought to muster. In
one or two instances the loudness OF
dress was noteworthy, otherwise the
average taste was unexceptional; GER
tainly there was nothing to challenge
attention.
Livingston stood looking at the player
nearest him. Apparently no one deemed
him worthy of a glance. One or two
looked at Simmons indifferently as he
passed through the room and addressed
neatly dressed man who stood within q
box-like enclosure.
Simmons leaned towards the proprie-
tor of the establishment, and talked with
him in low tones.
The conversation was very brief.
Three minutes possibly were con.
sumed, then Livingston preceded his
companion through the dark passage,
and once more they were on the broad
pavement Simmons was the first to
speak.
sOur man was there. II we had been
Q little quicker-cr if I had met you five
minutes earlier, we would have had
him." - - e
@This is Beauchampe now-you are
positive -Simmons?" -
Ga ~ Wind II
the man that got into the row, and hit
the usher in the theater: while you were
looking on was your friend Beauchampe,
then the same man changed his hat and
coat in Black Steve's place, and the
same man that changed his hat and
coat in Steve's place came right here.
The proprietor knows him as well as he
knows me-better. He Is wearing the
hat he got at Steve's-and the coat.
I've made sure Of that. But there's
other proofs"
Simmons deliberate tones produced
IN unexpected effect upon Livingston,
who halted suddenly and caught his com.
panion's arm, saying, Simmons, I'd
rather lose q thousand dollars-and !
never had five hundred to call my own
st one time-yes. If I had ten thousand
this minute, I'd rather lose it than have
this proved"
Simmons stood looking down on him,
. He thought quickly. There was some
thing Livingstone had not revealed;
come powerful motive back of the reason
he had given Simmons for probing the
matter. .....'.
aAll right said Simmons. @Just as
you say. Well drop it right here I'm
sorry on your account, Mr.. Livingston,
and Pm sorry for his relatives, II he has
any"
He was looking straight into Living
Bton's eyes.
Thank heaven! he has no relatives
no near relatives. At least, I never
heard him refer to them. But it IL
barely possible he may have some rela-
tives, too. / was not thinking of them"
Simmons brow cleared on the in.
slant
~Glad to hear you say it. Twas be-
ginning to think he had sister or
cousin" .,...
/ sPooh!" exclaimed Livingston. "There
Is no love-no sentiment in this bust.
ness. I've told you everything"
Then we will go right ahead. What
ever is proved will make nc difference
now, except that it will satisfy US. And
to begin, your friend showed Dicky-
that's the proprietor of the pool-room-
his right thumb, and the knuckles of his
hand. He told him the whole story,
same as he told Stone. You see, he
don't care how many of them knows it.
He takes pride in it. His knuckles
we're skinned on the jamb of the door
the second time he struck at the usher.
Then. in wrenching his lett hand out of
the handcuffs-he said he hadn't time
TO- do it neat-when he struck the po-
liceman he bruised the side of his
thumb. He showed it to Dicky and
and laughed. He told Dicky, too, how he
fooled them when he ran across the
street between the wagons. One was
heavy express wagon. He lodged un-
der it, caught hold Of the ring-you've
noticed how the wagons turn in their own
length-curled his legs up, and held on
until there was square or more be-
tween him and the theater. Then he let
20. That explains what he didn't tell
Steve-how his coat got so dirty"
Livingston's face was study as he
stood looking at Simmons.
ClOSC0 ulS AOOVA La my oAo
looked at Livingston with quiet COM
posure that exasperated Livingston,
whose disgust was too great for words
as he pictured Beauchampe curling his
legs up, clutching with strained clasp
the ironwork under the wagon.
1t was such an experiment as only a
hardened rogue would resort to. The
action in itself was incredible. That
Beauchampe would relate it and gloat
over it gleefully was past belief.
1Is that all?"
sNo," said Simmons. aIt's about as
bad as 1 thought it at first Your friend
has done time"
@What!". Livingston, sharp
ly @Beauchampe convict"
There can't be any mistake about
that" said Simmons, with rare delibera-
ton. None whatever. l suspected it
ell along. Mos: of the tricks that sur
prises people and throws them off the
scent is learned in prison..
@Such as slipping ones hands out OF
handouts, eh? They give each prisoner
spair, Simmons?"
@They might as well. A man who Is
thrown onto himself, if he has any life
in him, is bound to work it out some
way. They practice all sorts Of things
to get even with the world when they
get OUT"
GAnd where did he serve time-did
Dicky tell you that?"
"That was my chief errand, l may
say. Dicky's record can't be questioned.
Its public record. He just pastes the
sentences in little book-he's got thir.
teen years without break. Just fad
Of Dicky's."
sBut You have not told me where