Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1896-01-30

to make a button Of it. He decided,
therefore, that the girl was doing the
best she could to invent plausible ex-
PLANTATION TO a question which Mr..
Mitchell himself had simply refused TO
answer. Not wishing to arouse any sus-
picion in her mind that he doubted her
word, he replied quickly:
THAT is very likely, and surely he
could not have chosen a better face for
his subject.
"Mr. Barnes, p" said Emily, you Of
fered just now TO give me this, thinking
that had lost it, OF course / should
not accept a present from one whom
have had the pleasure of knowing for so
short a time, but you are Mr.. Mitchel's
friend, and as l would really prefer not
TO have my portrait in the hands Of
strangers I accept your gift with
thanks"
This was entirely unexpected. When
Mr.. Barnes had made the remark that
he would be glad TO restore her her own,
he had done so feeling safe, because to
obtain it she would need to admit that
she had lost it. Now it seemed that she
had deprived him of his piece of evi-
dence. He did not know what to say
when Mr.. Mitchell walked across to them
and remarked pleasantly:
well, Emily, do You find my friend
Mr.. Barnes entertaining?"
'Mr. Barnes has been most agreeable,
Roy, and, see, he has actually given me
a present, " saying which she handed the
Z
countenance Mr.. Barnes thought he saw
! a feeting smile Of triumph pass
II am proud of you, Emily. You
command homage wherever you extend
your influence. Do you know, Mr.. Barnes
refused to give this cameo to me only
this morning. You can guess why l
wanted it. -
Because it has my picture copied on
it?"
Exactly Mr.. Barnes, allow me to
add my thanks TO those of Miss Remsen.
You can readily appreciate why we pre-
fer TO have this bauble in our own pos
session.
Mr.. Barnes thought that he could. He
saw that he was fairly caught, and that
he could do nothing without making a
scene. He met glance from Mr.. Mitch
el which we knew was meant to re-
mind him of his promise not to annoy
Miss Remsen. He had about decided
that he had been fool to make such
promise and to have visited the place at
all when he suddenly changed his mind
as servant announced:
''Mr. Alphonse Thauret. -
- 4 IL.
ed the name. 1t was upon the card given
to him by the Frenchman who had left
the train at Stamford. He was watching
Mr.. Mitchell when the newcomer was
thus unexpectedly announced, and he
thought he detected glance of displeas
ure. We're these two men acquainted,
accomplices perhaps?
"Mr. Mitchell, let me present Mr..
Thauret - said Dora.
81 have had the pleasure of meeting
the gentleman before" replied Mr..
Mitchell, and with stiff bow he crossed
to the side of Emily as though to pre-
vent an introduction to her. This of
course was impossible, and Mr.. Mitchell
was plainly annoyed. Emily stepped
forward, extended her hand to Mr..
Thauret, and then, turning, presented
him to Mr. Barnes, who had arisen, and
who simply bowed.
"Ahl Mr.. Barnes" said the French
man, "I am delighted to meet you
again.
"Why, do you know Mr. Barnes also?"
cried Dora, greatly surprised.
''Who does not know Mr.. Barnes, the
celebrated detective?' He said this in
that extremely polite tone so much as
sumed by his race when inclined to be
most complimentary. Yet Mr.. Barnes
thought that he had some sinister mo-
tive in thus proclaiming his connection
with the police. Was it to prevent him
from calling upon these women again?
If so, he failed to make the desired i'm
preston upon Dora, for that young
woman seemed fairly enraptured.
"a detective?" said she. ''Are you
really the great Mr.. Barnes?"
81 am a detective, but scarcely a
great one. "
ooh, but you are, you are read all
about the wonderful way in which you
caught that man Pettingill And now
tell me, are you going to catch the man
who robbed the woman on the Boston
train yesterday?"
'How do yoI know that it is a
MANI" asked MIR. Barnes, amused at
her impetuosity and pleased at the turn
taken by the conversation.
ooh, it is not a woman! 1 am sure
of that. read about it in the papers
this morning I bought three, so as not
to miss anything. No woman would
have been clever enough to plan it all,
and then carry it out so thoroughly"
''This is very interesting, 5" said Mr..
Thauret. ''Of course, I, too, have read
the papers, but besides that, as you
know, Mr.. Barnes, was on the train
myself, and the first to be searched.
have thought of the case ever since. In
my own country we claim that our de-
tectives can unravel any mystery, and l
am curious to know how you will man
age in an affair Of this kind. The thief
evidently is clever; do you not think SOP"
Mr. Mitchell had drawn apart and ap-
parently was absorbed in a conversation
with Emily. Nevertheless Mr.. Barnes
was confident that he missed little of
what was being said by the group of
which he himself was one Under ordl-
nary circumstances he would not for a
moment have thought of speaking of so
important a case before one who at least
might be suspected of completely. But
these were not ordinary circumstances.
Here were two men, about both OF
whom there was a mysterious connection
with the crime, or crimes, which he was
investigating If either, or both, were
guilty, it was evident from their cour
age in visiting unconcernedly at the very |
building in which the murder had been |
committed that extreme skill would be |
required to obtain a conviction. The de-
tective therefore considered that these |
men must be met with methods as bold |
as their own. Speaking in a tone loud |
enough to reach Mr.. Mitchels ears he |
said:
II think that the thief is clever, but |
that he is not so clever as he considers |
himself. "
"How is that?"
"He believed-I say he, because, like |
Miss Remsen, think it is a mani
Chow delightful Of you to agree with |
me, said Dora.
'This man, them" continued Mr.. |
Barnes, considers that he has misled |
me. He thinks that when | directed that
all the passengers should be searched |
did so hODin0 to find the lost Jewels |