Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-30

evening when I entered the elevator at
my apartments.
"Have had any calls?" l asked.
"One-a gentleman.
How long sincc?'
Shortly after you went out.
Ibid you tell him was not in?"
"No, sir, for didn't know it. Jim
had just gone off, and took his place.
The man got out of the elevator, walked
10 your door and touched the bell. I
went on up to the top story, and when
I came down he was waiting for me-"
Ibid he have anything to say?'
"He said as how you wasn't in.
Then / happened to remember that
had letter for you and was going to
step out to drop it in your box, when he
said he would do it for me. handed it
to him, and he walked across the hall
and dropped it though the door,"
Describe the man. "
Rather small, stepped quick, had q
gray suit of clothes and derby hat. "
1t was enough. Covey Cone had been
watching on the opposite side Of the
street until he saw ME leave the build.
ling. Then, when the coast was clear, he
went up to my room.
What was his object?
Although he had my fee In his pocket
at the time and was i'll my employ, the
scamp was shadowing me. He was
working for some one else aud against
myself.
i Who was his employer?
Itwas impossible to conjecture at this
stage, but it looked as if some one held
suspicion of the truth, and he was
plotting in such PERSONS behalf.
His visit to my rooms when sure l
was absent was with the purpose of get
ting possession of letter, and his little
scheme had been successful.
What letter was it?
While these thoughts were fitting
through my brain I had entered the
outer room Of my apartments There
lay letter, where it had fallen to the
floor after being dropped through the
slit in my door, for Harold had arranged
that his mail should be delivered in
that fashion.
Ripping open the envelope, saw
that the few lines were petition for
money. Some youth had just conceived
an invention so wonderful that all he
needed was the funds with which to &c.
cure a patent, when he would make
every one concerned so wealthy that, as
he expressed it, none of the Vanderbilts,
Astors or Goulds would be ''in it. ="
Hardly pausing to read the signature
l tore the missive into fragments and
flung it into the gaping wastebasket.
Perhaps my recent experience had
sharpened my wits, but as sat quietly
smoking my cigar the whole plot, as 1
believed it to be, unrolled before me.
The letter received a couple of days
before from Chicago and signed
"Budd," was written by scoundrel,
with whom Harold was guiltily connect
ed. A suspicion of that fact was in the
mind of Detective Cone when he called
at my rooms. BE suspected the envelope
in the wastebasket and the glimpse
which he caught Of it fixed the hand
writing in his mind.
Without knowing that I had tele-
graphed to "Budd," he believed that
another letter would soon be due from
the same quarter, and he adopted bold
plan for securing it.
It is the very audacity Of such schemes
that brings success. had withdrawn at
the critical moment, and he secured the
letter just as the elevator boy described.
When he stepped to my door, with
his back toward the waiting lad, he
slipped my letter into his pocket, while
the one brought with him for just such
an emergency was dropped through the
door into the room.
The begging missive from the invent
i've young man was blind 1t had been
prepared by Detective Cone and took
the place of the important letter.
had telegraphed to Budd" to write
me the particulars, and the time had
elapsed for him to do SO. Doubtless the
whole plot was revealed in that letter
which Internal fate had sent astray.
Had it reached me as intended I would
have been forearmed against most Sc
rious danger.
well, if the storm breaks on my
head, must take it. The only way Of
escape that can think of is to take Co.
vey Cone into my confidence and tell
him everything.
Suppose / did so? He wouldn't be-
Iieve me, and, since no one can be con-
vinced that am not Harold Westcott,
the whole thing will be looked upon as
miserable dodge by criminal to save
himself
II am dead set against revealing this
unprecedented state of affairs to any
one, and am mighty sure not to do so
until certain it will effect some good. I"
Resolutely forcing the matter from
my thoughts for the time, I addressed
myself to the other equally important
phase of this extraordinary business.
The course Of cabling to Harold, as it
presented itself to me on my way home
from the Lawrences, with statement
that Miss Lawrence had arrived, that /
had seen her and that 1t was Imperative
ly necessary he should return at once,
seemed to be 80 simple and straightfor-
ward that, al have said, the wonder
was it did not present itself to me at
first.
more than one obstacle obtruded. AS
matters looked Harold was hopelessly
involved in the criminal scheme OF
"Budd' of Chicago, and, much as he
might wish to return, he would not dare