Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1897-05-27

suppose ie had been you and not
who, in the hope of getting sight of
James Mullen-as we will for conven-
ience's sake call the person passing as
Mrs. Hughes-had kept a watch upon
the Cuban Queen, as described in chap
ter 8; suppose it had been you and
not who had been in the company
of Muir and Quickly that evening and
had seen Mullen come from the hulk in
q boat, under cover Of twilight, and
proceed in the direction of Benfeet,
whence he could take train either to
London or to Southend-would you in
that case have acted as / did and in
structed Quickly to shadow him, SO that
you might get an opportunity of paying
q surprise visit to the Cuban Queen in
Mullen's absence, or would you have
abandoned your proposed visit to the
hulk and decided to follow him your
self?
Let mo sum up briefly the arguments
for and against either course as they
presented themselves to me when had
so hastily to make choice. In the first
place, had to recognize that in intrust-
ing the task to Quickly had one or
two very ugly possibilities to face.
Though O sensible fellow enough for Or
dinary purposes, he was hardly the sort
of man one would select for SO delicate
a piece of work as that Of shadowing
suspect. He might prove himself suffi-
ciently clever to carry it through suc-
cessfully, but it was much more likely
that he would foil, and it was even con-
ceivable that he might so bungle it as to
attract the attention of Mullen and thus
to frighten away the very bird for whom
l was spreading net. But what weigh
ed with me even more than this was
that in deputing Quickly to follow
Mullen I was losing sight, at all events
for time, of the central figure of my
investigations, as they then stood-of
the person whom, rightly or wrongly, I
suspected to be the object of my search
and this was a course which no one
placed as was could adopt without the
gravest misgiving.
On the other hand, the reasons which
most influenced me in deciding to in
trust the task of shadower to Quickly
were equally weighty. II the person
who was seoreted on the Cuban Queen
were James Mullen, he was not likely,
in view Of the hue and cry that had
been raised and of the vigorous search
which was being nude, to venture far
from SO secure q hiding place, and the
probability was that he had gone to
some station up or down the line-prob-
ably to Southend-to post some package
in order that it might not bear the Can
vey postmark.
Another reason was that could not
ask for an arrest merely upon suspicion,
and it was quite possible that to obtain
the necessary evidence might have to
keep an eye upon Mullen for some time
to come. By shadowing him upon the
present occasion I ran the risk of being
seen and recognized, which would not
so much matter in the case of Quickly.
Then, again, it was highly desirable I
should pay my surprise visit to the Gu
ban Queen in the absence of the suspect
ed party, and, if I neglected to do so on
the present occasion, might not get
another opportunity.
If could satisfy myself by visit to
the hulk that the person who had been
concealed there was really woman,
need trouble myself no further about the
vessel and its occupants But if, on the
other hand, / found evidence which
went to prove that the supposed Mrs
Hughes was of the male sex, should
have good cause to believe that I had
indeed discovered the hiding place of
the redoubtable James Mullen.
My last reason was that at the mo-
ment when l was called upon to make
my decision was wearing norfolk
shooting jacket and knickerbockers.
This costume, especially in the streets
of London, would render me conspicu-
GUS, and, in fact, would be the worst
possible attire for SO ticklish job as
that Of shadowing suspect, whereas
Quickly's dress would attract no atten-
tion either in town or country.
have asked my readers to take mo
into their confidence and to face with
me the dilemma in which was placed
because am in hopes that most of them
will admit that under the circumstances,
and especially in view Of the conspicu-
ous dress I happened to be wearing, l
acted rightly. Those who so decide will
not be too hard upon me when confess
that in allowing myself to lose sight of
the person who had been In hiding on
the hulk I made. as events proved, a
fatal and, but for other circumstances,
an irretrievable mistake. That ! am but
a bungler at the best Is, fear, already
only too evident. though I make bold to
say that it is not often that I bungle SO
badly as did ON this occasion. The re-
suits of that bungle--results big with
consequences to others and to myself
were twofold. The first was that Quickly
! never returned from the quest unon