The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-07-31

~~Ot
landlady.
In that case will wait, If you please;
have an engagement with Levi. He
asked me to run up to his room and make
myself at home in case arrived before
he returned"
Very we'll. The second door on the
right at the head Of the stairs.
Paxton ascended to Levi Kredge's
room, entered and closed and secured
the door.
:, The tanitor's room was small sleep
Ing apartment, Win a closet opening
from it.
Besides the usual furniture, the room
contained Hedges trunk. 1t was locked,
but Paxton opened 1t by means of q
skeleton key, and searched it. He dis
covered nothing to reward his quest.
Then he ransacked all the drawers,
and still he made no discovery.
Completing the search Of the sleeping
room, he entered the closet.
Presently Paxton emerged from the
closet with small canvas bag, such as
gold coin is packed in at the mint, In his
hand.
Il thought some discovery might be
made here" said the detective 10 him
self, in tone of satisfaction, as he
placed the small canvas bag in his
pocket.
Then he ran down stairs.
The landlady met him in the hall.
Are you going, sir?" she asked.
yes, I'll run round and see Levi at
the office"
Paxton was we'll satisfied.
He had made something Of discovery,
he fancied, but regarding it he main
tanned the most profound secrecy.
At the timo when Paxton undertook
the solution Of the mystery Of John
Oakburn's murder, he was engaged in
another Investigation which related to
certain affairs which do not interest US.
Some business pertaining 10 the mat
ter induced Paxton to make visit to
certain obscure East Side street, where
the dangerous undcrcurrent Of the great
city's human tide was ever to be dreaded,
one night soon after the occurrence last
recorded.
The detective was elaborately dis
guised, for he was too we'll known to the
criminal classes, and he had too many
enemies among them to think OF ventur-
ing among them in his OVID proper per-
sonality.
AS he taversed the dimly lighted way,
Paxton noticed O female form fitting
along before him, and he fancied there
was something familiar about the wom-
an's appearance.
In o moment or so he was at the
woman side, and as she passed beneath
q street lamp at corner the night wind
lifted O veil which she wore, and he
caught glimpse Of her face and recog'
nized it.
The woman was Marion Oakburn.
OF course Paxton was surprised at
finding Marion alone at night in such
dangerous locality.
But his curiosity and his detective in
stinct prompted him to follow her.
A few blocks further down the street,
the detective saw Marion pause before
she door OF a gloomy building.
The cashiers daughter glanced about
as though she expected to meet some
one, but she did not discover the detect
I've, who had promptly stepped back into
the alley.
A moment elapsed, and, peering from
his hiding place, the detectives espion-
age was rewarded by the appearance Of
q man who came skulking stealthily along
the street as though fearful Of discovery,
and joined Marion at the door.
The girl gave the man both her hands
and seemed to greet him warmly.
The detective was SO near that, as the
man presently raised his voice tride,
he heard him say:
Come, let US enter the parlor. I have
much to say to you"
Then they opened the door and disap-
peared within the house.
Paxton remained where he was.
He did not follow Marion and her COM
panion into the house, for, as it was not
an ordinary public resort, he deemed it
advisable to proceed with caution.
A moment or 50 elapsed, and then the
detective saw O faint light reflected
through the opening between the blinds
OF q couple Of windows in the side Of the
building fronting the alley.
He glided to the nearest window,
thinking it might be the window to the
little back parlor mentioned by the man
who had met Marion Oakburn.
Paxton hoped to see and hear more Of
the parties who had just entered the
house, but as he reached the window
heavy inside curtains were drawn, and
he was unable to see anything, neither
could he hear word.
There was no help for it, and 80 the
detective waited patiently in the alley
for Marion and her companion to reap
pear on the street. -.
AT the expiration OF nail an nour,
perhaps, the door through which the
subject OF Paxton's surveillance had en-
tered opened, and they came out.
A brightly burning gas-let in the hall,
which must have been lighted since they
entered the place, reflected a brilliant
light upon the couple as they stood for
moment in the open door addressing
some remarks to person within.
For two minutes Paxton scrutinlzed
the face Of Marion's companion under
the glare Of the gas light.
He saw that the man was In disguise.
The next instant Paxton believed that
he had made great discovery.
He saw O scar on the mans eyebrow,
and from this as well as his general ap-
pearance, which correspondeG with the
general description given by Stuart Har-
land, the detective believed that Marion's
companion was the suspected assassin of
her father-the man called "Garnar" by
Pratt & Weeks, who carried the skeleton
keys and wax impressions in his over
coat pocket.
Marion and her companion walked
away, but at neighboring corner they
parted.
But Paxton did not mean that the man