The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1895-03-09

~ VI ~ AAAs
"He is believed to be a retired mer-
chant Of means and a childless widow
e.. He has occupied a large house in
one OF the vest central squares for the
last three years and lives alone with
the exception of servants, two male and
one female. Ihave taken the next house.
! thought it might be useful
1T may be useful. I see you have
been doing a little detective work OH
your own account" he said, smiling.
$50 far SO good. But please don't make
any more inquiries about him. If he
has anything to conceal, we don't want
to SCI him on his guard
He shifted On his chair and scrib-
bled on a hiotting pad.
"By the way, suppose you are quite
sure that Mr.. Winnings version of the
affair is correct?:'
Il would stake my life on his truth
and honor
"You are biased, my dear madam"
POSSIBLY. But common sense must
tell you that if he had wished to deceive
me as to his character he need not have
confided to me his name and history.
However, if you are afraid to under
take the case, say SO, Mr.. Doyle, and I
will go to some one else"
afraid? Not at all, " said the detect
i've, with alacrity. 81 shall be happy to
exert my best endeavors on Mr.. Vim.
ing's BEHALF
The first thing the detective did was
to set a watch upon Mr.. Barlow from
oxf loo, 1,,t no l>ol 70 no.- 4l,~ ,,@+o,
after he had forged them, so his every
movement out of doors was reported.
At the end of a couple of weeks the pri-
vate inquiry agent began to look blank.
Mr.. Barlow's conduct was irreproach-
able. He went for a walk every day, and
once he visited his tailor's. That was
all. He was invariably home before
dark.
"I'll have him Swallowed for anoth-
err week, but really don't see much use
in it, he thought, and he said as much
to Sadie. "Mr. Vining must be mis-.
taken as to who gave him the notes.
The man seems perfectly respectable"
One of Doyle's emissaries, following
Barlow one night in evening dress, sue
ceeded in making himself chummy with
that gentleman in a chance encounter at
one of the music halls and thereafter
had many social evenings with him.
Still nothing was discovered.
At length, however, something oc-
Cured. A satellite returned with the
information that Barlow mad entered a
small hairdresser's shop in a back street
in Soho and had remained there quite
two hours.
This was mysterious. For what pur-
pose could the white waistcoated house
holder with the bland smile and the
creaking patent leather boots have spent
all that time in a dirty little BARRIERS
shop:
The next morning Doyle undertook
the s~hadowing himself. Mr.. Barlow
went for a walk and nowhere else.
Ditto the next day and the five subse-
quent days. The detective ragged. For
nearly a fortnight nothing occurred,
and then Mr.. Barlow visited Soho again.
While Doyle waited for his reappear-
ance one or two persons came out Of the
shop, and some went in. Among the
former he noticed a gentleman with
bushy sandy whiskers. Three-quarters
of an hour later he returned. The
pavement was narrow, and he brushed
against the shabby lounger at the cor
ner. And the shabby %lounger's observ'
ant eyes noticed that there was a specl
of mud on the gentleman's otherwise
immaculate shirt collar. 1t was a dirty
day, one of London's own.
Presently the private door opened
and Barlow, in his own proper person
issued forth and walked briskly dowl
the street.
On his collar, in the very same place
was a little speck of mud.
It was three weeks later. In his pri
vate room the manager Of the x
bank was cordially shaking hands witt
a spare gentleman of benevolent aspect
"You want those large notes changes
for small ones? Certainly, sir. Anything
to oblige a client of Messrs. Gordon
, Co.. A recommendation from them is
, recommendation indeed!"
A few minutes afterward the old gen
tleman quilted the building, and calm
. a hanson drove to Charing Cross sta
n ton. Close in the rear followed anothe
hanson, whose occupant was MI
Doyle.
a The old gentleman entered the st;
ton. So did the detective. He came OF
again and took another cab. Ditto MI
d Doyle. A short journey on the under
ground railway was followed by a shar
walk, which terminated at the priva,
door of the shop in Soho. Therein val
Il ished the old gentleman, only to real