Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-06-24

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question was tho relict of the artistic
genius whose brain had conceived and
whose hand had drawn the picture |
am unable to say, as particulars were
not given. In regard to the details of
the rattle, however, the promoters of
the enterprise had condescended to be
more explicit, as another label ANNOUNCE
ed that the price Of tickets was sixpence,
and that they were ''to be obtained of
the professor. I was, however, more
concerned at the moment in ascertain
ing what had become of the letters, SO
l scanned the room carefully, shifting
meanwhile the outspread and interposed
broad sheet of The Daily Telegraph,
like u yachtsman setting his canvas
close to the wind, SO as to keep myself
out of reach of the professors too in
quisitive glance, and switching my eyes
from object to object until they discov-
cred the missing letters placed upon q
rack which hung upon the wall near the
window.
''It's very dark here, or else my
sights getting bad and I shall have to
take to glasses. I'm hanged if can read
this small print" said aloud, standing
up and moving toward the window, as
if to get better light. For half q min
ute pretended to read, and then lei
surely shook out the newspaper to its
fullest extent, in order to reverse the
sheet, thus hiding myself completely
from the professors eye.
As did SO took the opportunity to
snatch the packet of letters from the
rack 1t was no easy matter to shuttle
through them with one hand and with
out attracting attention, but I accom-
plished the task successfully, and not
without result. for the bottom letter of
the packet was for Mr.. Henry Jeanes
and was in the handwriting Of the bar
| ber at Cotley.
The reader will remember that had
prepared two envelopes bearing the Cot
| ley postmark and addressed to Jeanes
in as close an imitation of the barber S
handwriting as possible. Into one of
these envelopes had that morning slip
ped sheet of blank paper on which
was pasted the newspaper cutting about
the finding of the body Of poor Green q
had a reason for doing so which will
shortly transpire), and this envelope
was at that moment carrying just inside
my sleeve. To abstract the original let
ter and replace it by the dummy was
the work of few seconds 1t was we'll
that had come thus prepared, for in
the next instant the professor had snatch
ed the packet from my hand and was
asking, in voice quivering with fury,
what the dickens I meant by such i'm
pudence.
whats the excitement?' said as
calmly and unoonsciously as possible.
"I was only looking if there was one
for me? There's no harm done"
"Oh. isn't there?" he said. "But
there soon will be if yer get meddling
ERE again." And with one swiftly
searching and darkly suspicious glance
at my face he fell to examining the let
tiers, and, as 1 could see by the move
ment of his lips. counting them one by
one to see that none was missing. My
heart, I must confess, jumped bit
when he came to the forgery with which
| had replaced the letter had abstract
ed But the result was apparently salts
factory, for he put the packet back upon
the rack without further comment and
took up the discarded shaving brush to
continue his task. I did not feel at the
best of ease, when, after the customer
had paid and departed, surly "Now,
| them" summoned me to the operating
chair, for it was not altogether reassur
ing to have razor in the grip Of such
o ruffian at ones throat But, though
the shave was accomplished with none
too light hand and the scoundrel drew
blood by the probably Intentional and
malicious way in which he rasped my
somewhat tender skin, he did me no Sc
rious injury, and it was not long before
was back at the hotel and engaged in
opening the abstracted letter.
There were two documents inside, the
first of which was addressed to Jeanes
in Mrs. Stanley Burgoyne' s handwriting
and ran as follows:
"JAMEs-We are glad to have your
promise and will carry out our part of
the contract faithfully. We shall re-
main here as you direct until you tele-
graph the word Come, when we shall
start for England at once, and you can
count on the yacht being at the place
you mention within four days and ready
to. start again at few hours notice.
CA9ToRIA.
Tho fac n