Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-03-19

There should be some fraternal courtesy
between us | have come to you as a
friend, honestly wishing to aid you. l
have known that you We're III the city
for some time. / have heard Of you, of
course. Who in our business has not?
Therefore have spent great deal Of
spare time watching you. 1 did SO sim
ply to notice and perhaps to learn some
thing from your methods. In this way
became acquainted with the fact, first,
that you are interested in the name
Mitchell, and, secondly, in the name Le
roy. have simply put the two together
and jumped to the conclusion that you
are trying to learn something about Le-
roy Mitchell Am I right"
Before 1 reply to you, Mr.. Seton,
must have more assurance of your good
will and responsibility. How do l know
that you are detective at all?''
"Quite right Here is my badge. 1
am in the department here. "
Every we'll so far, but now how can
you prove that you have any good reason
for assisting me?"
"You are a hard man to help, de-
clare. Why, what object but a friendly
one can have?"
81 am not prepared to answer that at
present Perhaps shall be able to do so
later. "
"Oh, very WE'LL You can look me up
all you want to- can stand it, assure
you. But, really, did want to help,
though of course 1 have no right to in
trude. As you say you do not need me,
why p
~ did not say that l would not ac-
cept your aid You must not think me
ungracious. 1 am simply a detective,
and careful from habit. / certainly
should not speak confidentially to man
that meet for the first time, and so
disclose any Of my own purposes. But
| it is different with you. You must have
had definite idea by which you ex-
pect to give me assistance or you would
not have come here. If you are earnest
and honest, see no reason why you
should not disclose the main purpose of
your visit at once"
eff only to prove my honestly 1 will
do So 1 believe you are looking for Le
roy Mitchell If SO, 1 can tell you how
! to find him in a few hours, or, at the
worst, in a day or two. "
"You know of Leroy Mitchell who
is now in this city?"
81 do He is over in Algiers, work.
er in one of the carhouses. He is COM
mon, drunken brute, and that is the only
reason why there would be any diff
Guilty about finding him. When he is
sober, he is easy to see, but as soon as
he gets some money he is off on another
spree. "
"Do you know of a woman of the
name of Rose Mitchell"
"Certainly-that is, did know such
woman once. But she has not been in
New Orleans for years. At one time
any one could have given you her ad-
dress. I see now that this man is the
one whom vou ws.it. for once he passed
as this woman husband.
"You are sure of this?'
positive -
"When and where can I see this
man?'
He works in the shops of the Louisi-
ana and Texas railroad, over in Algiers.
You can find him through the foreman. "
"Mr. Seton, it may be that you have
given me information which will be Of
service to me. If so, you will not regret
it. 1 will myself examine into the mat
ter. For the present, if 1 do not make a
confidant of you, you must attribute it
to caution rather than to distrust.
"Oh, / am not easily offended. I
would act in the same manner in your
place But you will find that am your
friend. You can count on me to aid you
ON demand. I won't trouble you again
till you send for me. A note to head
quarters will reach me quickest. Good
morning"
Good morning, Mr.. Seton, and
thank you" Mr.. Barnes extended his
hand, feeling that perhaps he had been
unnecessarily discourteous.
Mr.. Seton took it with that genial
smile of friendship so common to the
native southerner.
Left alone, Mr.. Barnes at once pre-
pared for u trip to Algiers, determined
not to let any more time be lost. He
reached the shops just after the men had
knocked off for luncheon. The foreman,
however, told him that Leroy Mitchell
had been at work in the morning, SO he
waited patiently.
When the men came back to resume
work, the foreman pointed out a man
who he said was Leroy Mitchell. The
fellow had bad face, and if ever he
was gentleman he had sunk SO low
through drink that no evidence of it re-
manned in his appearance. Mr.. Barnes
went up to him and asked when he
could have talk with him.
"Now, if you pay for it, replied the
man insolently.
"What do you mean?" asked the de-
teotiye-
"Just what I say" said the other.
1--WE get our pay here by the hour, and
if you want my time, why, you ]! have
to pay for it at union rates. " And he
laughed as though good joke had been
peopounded.
''Then,' said Mr. Barnes, taking in
the kind of man with whom he had to
deal, "I'll engage you on job that I
have for You and pay you double wages
as long as 1 use you. -
"Now you are talking" said the fel-
low. "Where'll we gof''
"I think I'll take you to my hotel"
And thither they proceeded. Up in his
own room again Mr.. Barnes felt at ease,
while his companion certainly made
himself comfortable, selecting a rocking
chair and putting his feet up on the
window sill.
"Now then," began Mr.. Barnes, 81
want to ask you few questions. Are
you prepared to answer them?'
''That will depend ON what they are.
If you don't ask impertinent questions
or ones that I think ought to get more
than double wages for answering-why,
am with you"
''In the first place, then, are you will |
ing to say whether you ever knew wo- |
man who called herself Rose MITCHELL
well, rather. I lived with her till |
she broke me. "
''Do you know where she is now?"
81 don't, and l don't care to. ="
"Suppose 1 were TO tell you that she |
is dead, and that she had left 800, 900 |
which is unclaimedY
The man jumped to his feet as though |
shot and stood staring at the detective. |
he gave a long, low whistle, and keen, |
tricky gleam came into his eye, which
Mr.. Barnes noted. At length he spoke
>"Are you giving me this straight"
Il am telling you the truth. The wo-
man is dead, and that amount Of prop
erty is where / can get it for the man
who can prove that he is entitled to it. -
,rbo III that bacr IJo