The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-01-09

out all could about Tomilsou. His
home was at Putney. To Putney /
went. l discovered he lived quietly in
n dull road, couple of hundred yards
from the river. He is childless
widower of forty-five. He never saw
any company, and his household con.
sisted of himself, an old housekeeper
and one maid servant On week days
he never made more use of his Putney
house than TO sleep and eat breakfast
in 1T. Even on Saturdays he did not
come bone until il was time for bed.
In summer he spent good deal of his
leisure on the Thames, but had no
boat of his own, always hiring one of
old Greenfell, the boatman.
Little time rs Tomilson devoted to
Putney, as rule, they told me he
spent less than usual there that week
for the maid servant had gone homo
on Friday to Hertfordshire to see her
mother, who was ill, and Tomilson
had given his housekeeper holiday
from Saturday to Monday to visit her
married daughter, he saying he would
him self spend from Saturday to Mon.
at Brighton.
"Now, many men without families
are in the habit of going to Brighton
from Saturday to Monday, but he was
not one of these. In fact, his visiting
brighton was most unusual event;
and for years he had not done any
thing of the kind. This set me think
ing and inquiring further and more
closely about Tomilson's manner of
accounting for his time. He had
given out that he went to Brighton by
the G.. 10 on Saturday and came back
by the $50 on Monday morning. /
made sure that he had not been seen
at Putney from Saturday to Monday
night, when he went home after the
fire.
"Iomilson told them in Thames
street that he had stopped at the Boil.
var in Brighton, so 1 took little trip
for myself down to the sea, and drop.
ped into the Bolivar. At the hotel
1t is big one, as you Enow-I found
out that he had been there from Satur-
day night to Monday morning accord
ing to the books, for he had paid for
his bed on Sunday night and breakfast
next day. L lounged about and found
a chatty chambermaid wno said that
although the bed was rumpled she did
not think my man had slept in it on
Sunday night. Then 1 met waiter
who would, in the ordinary course,
have served Mr.. Tomilson's breakfast
on Monday morning, and who could
not remember having served him or
seeing him that day.
"Tomilson was not known in
Brighton, and lost all trace of him
there the moment / put my foot out
side the hotel. However, the facts 1
had picked up put an idea in my head,
and l came back to London and went
on to Putney once more and dropped
in on old Greenfell. OF course, the
boating season has not begun vet for
him. l found him doing some var
nishing in expectation of the season,
and fell into chat with him.
"He had not seen Tomilson for
weeks-months 1t was of him the
tea merchant always hired boats in the
season, but Tomilson would not be
likely to take to the river for month
or six weeks yet. Greenfell had moth.
ing but good to say of Tonilson, and
was very indignant at the rumors re-
specting the fire in Thames street.
"'Why,' said Greenfell, the man
was fifty miles away at the time the
fire broke out
so l have heard. l said. Green
fell had no notion was a detective.
l had come merely to see about boat
for next Sunday.
"'They tell me, said old Greenfell.
that the fire began at the river side.
Well, I'll tell you q curious thing.
Sunday night or Monday morning one
OF my boats, pair oar, was taken by
some one who did not say ''By
your leave. or pay penny.
81 was all atteatioa now, you
may be sure.
"Whoever borrowed the boat
brought it back all right, and nothing
the worse if it wasn't for stencil of
paraflin. Whoever had the boat must
have upset his lamp in it.
a II. 1. 80