The Portland daily press., 1895-05-27


ago that he was thinking of buying a
bicycle, and yesterday by accident I
came across machine of an entirely
new make, which seems to me superior
to anything yet produced. I thought he
might be interested to see it before de-
Gliding what kind to buy
81 am afraid you are too late. Mr..
Barnes. Papa has bought bicycle al
ready"
Indeed! What style did he choose?"
II really do not know, but it is down
in the lower hall, if you care to look at
it,
''It is hardly worth while, Miss Rose.
After all, have no interest in the new
model, and if your father has found
something that he likes I won't even
mention the other to him. 1t might
only make him regret his bargain Still,
on second thought, I will go down
with you, if you will take me into the
dining room and show me the head of
the moose which your father has been
Dragging about killing. believe it has
come back from the taxidermist?''
"Oh, yes. He is just a monster. Come
on
They went down to the dining room,
and Mr.. Barnes expressed great admira-
ton about the moose head and praised
Mr.. Mitchel's skill as a marksman.
But he had taken moment to scruti-
nize the bicycle, which stood in the hall
way, while Rose was opening the blinds
in the dining room. Then they returned
to the drawing room, and after little
more conversation Mr.. Barnes departed,
saying that he could not wait any lon
ger, but he charged Rose to tell her IA
ther that he particularly desired him tc
call at noon on the following day.
Promptly at the time appointed Rem
ington walked into the Office of Mr..
Barnes and was announced. The detect
i've was in his private room, and Mr..
Leroy Mitchell had been admitted but a
few moments before.
"Ask Mr.. Remington in" said Mr..
Barnes to his boy, and when that gentle
man entered, before he could show sur
prise to find third party present, the
detective said:
'sMr. Mitchell, this is the gentleman
whom I wished you to meet. Permit
me to introduce to you Mr.. Mortimer
]. Goldie, better known to the sporting
fraternity as G. ]. Mortimer, the cham
pion short distance bicycle rider, who
recently rode mile in the phenomenal
time of 1866 on quarter mile track
AS Mr.. Barnes spoke he gazed from
one to the other of his companions with
a half quizzioal and wholly pleased ex-
preston on his face. Mr.. Mitchell ap-
peared much interested, but the new
conner was evidently very much aston
ished. He looked blankly at Mr.. Barnes
a moment, then dropped into chair,
with the query, "How in the name OF
conscience did you find that out?'
"That much was not very difficult, :"
replied the detective. 81 can tell you
more-indeed, I can supply your whole
past history, provided your memory has
been sufficiently restored for you to rec
ognize my facts as true"
Mr.. Barnes looked at Mr.. Mitchell and
winked one eye in most suggestive
manner, at which that gentleman burst
into hearty laughter, finally saying;
'tWe may as we'll admit that we are
beaten, Goldie Mr.. Barnes has been
too much for us.
''But I want to know how he has
done it," persisted Mr.. Goldie.
81 have no doubt that Mr.. Barnes
will crafty you. Indeed, am as curl
GUS as you are to know by what means
he has arrived at his quick solution Of
the problem which we set him."
81 will enlighten you as to detective
methods with pleasure, Mr.. Barnes
said. ''Let me begin with the visit made
to me by this gentleman two days ago.
At the very outset his statement arous-
ed my suspicion, though I did my best
not to let him think so. He announced
to me that he had lost his identity, and
! promptly told him that his case was
not uncommon. I said that in order
that he might feel assured that did
not doubt his tale But truly his case,
if he were telling the truth, was abso-
lutely unique. Men have lost recollec-
ton of their past and even forgotten
their names, but I have never before
heard of man who had forgotten his
name and at the same time knew that
hc had done so.
IA capital point, Mr. Barnes, said
MIR. Mitchell. "You were certainly
shrewd to suspect fraud so early"
"Well, cannot say that suspected
fraud so soon, but the story was so
unlikely that could not believe it i'm
lnediately. therefore was what might
call analytically attentive during the
rest of the interview. The next point
worth noting which came out was that,
although he had forgotten himself, he
had not forgotten New York, for he ad-
mitted having come to me without spe-
cial guidance. -
II remember that" interrupted Mr..
Goldie, ~ and I think I even said to you
at the time that it was significant. :"
"And I told you that it at least
showed that you had been familiar with
New York. This was better proved
when you said that you would spend
khe flav at CsutraI rarlc and when after