The Portland daily press., 1895-07-06

- - ~O~--
ing ball.
Every we'll, Williams, there may be
something in your story. I'll look into
the matter at once. Meanwhile go home
and stay there, SO that I may find you
if l want you"
Eyes, sir. I thank you for taking it
up. 1t takes a load off my mind to know
you're in charge, inspector. If there's
harm come to the master, I'm sure
you'll track the party down. Good morn
ing, sir
GOOD morning, Williams -
After the departure of Williams the
detective sat still for several minutes,
lost in thought. He was weighing two
ideas. He seemed still to hear the words
which Mr.. Mitchell had uttered after his
success in unraveling the mystery of
Mr.. Goldie's lost identity. ''Next time
will assign myself the chief role," or
words to that effect, Mr. Mitchell had
said. Was this disappearance new rid
die for Mr.. Barnes to solve? If SO, Of
course he would undertake it as a sort
OF challenge which his professional pride
could not reject. On the other hand, the
cable dispatch and missing coat of mail
might portend ominously. The detective
felt that Mr.. Mitchell was somewhat in
the position of the tabled boy who cried
''WolfP' so often that when at last the
wolf really appeared no assistance was
sent him, only Mr.. Barnes decided that
he must chase the ''wolf," whether it
be real or imaginary. He wished,
though, that he knew which.
Ten minutes later he had decided up
on course of action and proceeded to a
telegraph Office, where he found that,
as he had supposed, the dispatch had
come from the Paris firm of jewellers
from whom Mr.. Mitchell so frequently
boughG gems He sent lengthy mes
sage to them, asking for an immediate
reply.
While waiting for an answer the de-
tective was not inactive He went direct
to Mr.. Mitchel's house and once more
questioned the valet, from whom he OBJ
tanned an accurate description of the
clothes which his master must have
worn, only one suit being absent. This
fact alone seemed significantly against
the theory of visit to friends out of
town. Next Mr.. Barnes interviewed the
neighbors, none of whom Remembered
to have seen Mr.. Mitchell during the
week. At the sixth house below, how
ever, he learned something definite.
Here he found Mr.. Mordaunt, personal
acquaintance and member of one of Mr..
Mitchel's clubs. This gentleman stated
that he had dined at the club with Mr..
Mitchell on the previous Thursday and
had accompanied him home in the neigh
borhood of II O'Clock, parting with him
at the door of his own residence. Since
then he had neither seen nor heard from
him. This proved that Mr.. Mitchell was
at home one day after Williams went
to Newport.
Leaving the house, Mr.. Barnes called
at the nearest telegraph Office and asked
whether messenger summons had
reached them during the week from Mr.
Mitchel's house. The record slips
showed that the last call had been re-
oeived at 1890 A. M. on Friday. A cab
had been demanded, and one was sent,
reaching the house at l o'clock. At the
stables Mr.. Barnes questioned the cab
driver and learned that Mr.. Mitchell had
alighted at Madison square.
''But he got right into another cab"
added the driver. cit was just chance
seen him, cause he made as if he was
goin into the Fifth Avenoo, but luck
was agin him, for I'd scarcely gone two
blocks back when had to get down to
that who should see but my fare 60 by
in another cab. -
"You did not happen to know the
driver of that vehicle" suggested Mr..
Barnes.
CHATS just what I did happen to
know. He's always by the square, along
the curb by the park. His names Jer-
ry. You'll find him easy enough, and
he'll tell you where he took that fly
bird"
Mr.. Barnes went down again and did
find Jerry, who remembered driving a
man at the stated time as far as the I'm
perial hotel, but beyond that the de-
tective learned nothing, for at the hotel
no one knew Mr.. Mitchell, and none rec
objected his arrival early Friday morn
ing.
From the fact that Mr.. Mitchell had
changed cabs and doubled on his track
Mr.. Barnes concluded that he was, after
all, merely hiding away for the pleas
ure OF bathing him, and he felt much
relieved to divest the case of it's alarm
ing aspect. However, he was not long
permitted to hold this opinion. At the
telegraph office he found cable dis
patch awaiting him, which read as fol-
lows:
Montezuma emerald forwarded Mitchell
tenth. Previous owner murdered London elev-
enth. Mexican suspected. Warned Mitchell.
This assuredly looked very serious.
Casting aside all thought of practical
joke, Mr.. Barnes threw himself heart
and soul into the task of finding Mr..
Mitchell. dead or alive. From the tele-
graph office he fastened to the custom
house, where he learned that an emer-
aid, the invoioed value of which was no
less than $40, 600, had been delivered to