Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-01-29
Then what 90 you mean By saying

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now to several since I asked you why
you came here this morning.
81 will tell you," said the detective,l
playing his trump card, as he thought,
81 have been examining the place where
your crime was committed, aud have
found that seventh button" If Mr.,
Barnes expected Mr.. Mitchell to recoll
with fear, or tremble, or do anything
that an ordinary criminal does whe4
brought face to face with evidence of hlS
guilt, he must have been disappointed;
But it is safe to assume that by this
time so skillful q man as Mr.. Barnes did
not expect so conSummate all actor as
Mr.. Mitchell to betray feeling. He did
show some interest, however, for he
arose from his chair, and walking up to
Mr.. Barnes he asked simply:
"Have You it with you? May see it'll
Mr. Barnes hesitated moment, won
dering if he risked losing the button BY
handing it to him. He decided to give
it to him and did so.
Mr. Mitchell looked at it closely, as
though all expert, and after several mo-
ments of silence he tossed it carelessly
into the air, catching it as it came down,
and then said:
"This would make pretty situation
in a play, MI Barnes. Follow me. De-
tective discovers crime and finds curious
button. Goes straight to criminal and
boldly tells him Of the fact. Criminal
admits that he has but six buttons out
of seven and asks to see the button
found. Detective foolishly hands it to
him. Then criminal smiles blandly and
says: Mr. Detective, now l have seven
buttons, and my set is complete again.
What arc you going to do about it, .
"And the detective would reply,
said Mr.. Barnes, falling into the humor
of the situation, Mr.. Criminal, l will
just take that back by force. "
Exactly. You catch the spirit of the
stage picture. Then fight between two
men, applause from the gallery, and vic
tory for either party, as the author has
decided That is the way it would be
done in play But in real life it is diff.
ferent. I simply hand you back your
button thus" handing hutton to Mr..
Barnes and bowling politely. Then he
remarked: "Mr. Barnes, you are well
come to that. 1t is not a part of my set!
"Not a part of your set?' echoed the
detective, dumfounded.
mot part of my set. l am sorry to
disappoint you, but so it is. I will even
explain, for l sympathize with you. l
told you the set was originally seven
So it was, but the seventh button he's
the head of Shakespeare OH it. All seven
were given to me by my friend, but as
I could wear but six l returned to her
this odd Shakespeare button, which ]
had made into a breastpin, and kept
the others, thus reducing the set of but
tons to six The seventh is no longer a
button, you see. "
"But how do you account for the fact
that this button which have is plainly
portrait of your friend and counter
part to those OF your vest?'
MY dear Mr.. Barnes, I don't account
for it. 1 don't have to, you know. That
sort of thing is your business. "
"What if I should decide to arrest you
at once and ask a jury to determine
whether your original set included this
button or not?"
"That would be inconvenient to me,
of course. But it is one of those things
that we risk every day mean arrest
by some laundering detective Pardon
me, do not get angry again. l do not
allude to yourself. I am quite sure that
you are too shrewd to arrest me. y
"ADd why so, pray?'
Because 1 am surely not going to
run away, in the first place, and, second,
", You would gain nothing, since it
would he so easy for me to prove all that
I have told you, and in your mind you
are saying to yourself that l have not
lied to you. Really have not. "
II have only one thing more to say to
you, Mr.. Mitchell" said Mr. Barnes,
rising. will you show ME that seventh
button. or breastpin?'
"That is asking great deal, but
will grant your request upon one condl'
tion. Think well before you make the
bargain. When l made that wager, l
did not calculate the possibility of en-
tangling in my scandal the name of the
woman whom l love dearest OH earth.
That is the portrait Of the woman who
will soon become my wife. As have
said, she has the other button and wears
it constantly You will gain nothing by
seeing it, for it will simply corroborate
my word, which, I think, you believe
now. 1 will take you to her, and she
will tell you of these buttons, if you
promise me never to annoy her in any
way in connection with this affair.
81 will give you that promise cheer.
fully. have no wish to annoy lady.
"That is for you to decide. Meet me
in the lobby at noon precisely, and l
will take you to her house. And now
will you excuse me while complete
nv toilet"
TO BE CONTINUED.