Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-01-23
were to drive IL left the place, Fsnn-

were to drive II left the place, Fsnn-
ing gave them these instructions:
when you come to the Cache
Gulley, six miles out, you are to leave
this box marked XXX under the catalpa
tree where the bowlder is, in the grove
instruments for the surveyors who are
to place new bridge over the slough.
Handle it carefully place it under the
tree and go on"
i He knew these men would carry out
his instructions, for they were
regularly in his service and were well
paid.
The truck got away just one hour
and twenty minutes before Fenning
got call at his office.
He recognized his visitor at once as
the man who had been following the
woman. There was something about
the fellow that instantly told fleming
he was professional detective. He
was becomingly dressed in good
clothes, but they were not worn with
the ease of familiarity. His general
appearance indicated impudence and
doggedness rather than shrewdness.
He had one of those faces, square,
immobile and hard, that are devoid of
all emotion. His little bead eyes were
sunlxen and black and wore steady,
imperturbable stare. He was
musular fellow with square broad
shoulders and significant bulges of
muscles on his arms, but he moved
without elasticity or celebrity.
'Can see you alone, Mr.. Fenning?''
he asked, in a rasping but subdued
voice.
eyes, sir" replied Mr.. Fenning,
'sstep right in here"
The moment they were seated in the
private Office the man said: "Where is
Mrs. Hendricks"
81 took her to private house early
this morning. replied Fenning.
"Why did she leave the hotel?"
Because she was annoyed at your
insufferable impudence in logging her
all the way from New York"
The man was little surprised at
this unexpected 9rankness. He showed
it in his hesitation; his black eyes
stared steadily at fleming, who had
leaned comfortably back in his chair
with the evident purpose of leisurely
conversation, but they betrayed kind
of blank uncertainty
,ssShe came from the hotel directly
here last night?"
"She did," replied Fenning. 81 adj
mire her smartness in getting rid of
nuisance"
''And you know where she is?"
eyes, sir, do, but you must not ex-
pect me to point her out to you before
/ understand the object of your annoy
ance. If you will give me one good
and sufficient reason why you should
follow her, I'll tell>you where she is"
ST guess / know" said the other;
'sshe is on her way to Hendricks before
this
80, you're not an officer. Will you
be kind enough to tell me what you
are and what you want?'
"How do you know I'm not an
ofRcer?"
Because if you were, the woman
you are in search of couldn't get out
of this city without your knowing it;
that is, if you understood your bust
ness. There has no boat left for
up river since last night, and you
would have been at the trains as they
left. don't pretend to know you, but
/ notice you do not wear the red neck
tie that you sported in New York"
The men looked each other in the !
eyes. fleming was the most self
possessed other the most stolid. |
His black eyes had flicker in them
that might mean weak astonishment |
or it might mean contempt.
Sand / notice." he said, "that you
don't wear the same hair and the same
clothes that you wore when we
boarded the Corinthian."
Jennings self-possession was here
tested to the utmost. II don't know
what you're talking about" he said.
"Were you one of the men that robbed
the steamship Corinthian?" and he
pushed his chair back a little with the
impulse of sudden horror at such
close contact.
Eyes, you and I had hand in it,
but Hendricks got the swag."
Fennlng regarded the man with I'M
disguised establishment. ''Did Mrs.
have hand in it, too?"
''See here" said the man, ''there
amt bit of use in this kind of fenc-
ing. / was witness of the first job.
The woman's been singing gold ever
since, while Hendricks is carrying on
his underground works."
.'Yes?" said fleming, as if coaxing a
crazy man to tell more.
ssAnd you run the Office in town.
That's where the woman is now
This was an admission that he did
1ot know where the Laran cave was
Ind Fenning was anxious to find out
Just how much he did know.
"You are right" he said. 'sShe is
safe by this time. I've got tunnel !
hat runs from this office to the under
ground place, but tell me about the ,
steamship. / have forgotten exactly ,
low we managed it," $
you're a steady one," said his i
''but it's no use-you was 6
here" !