Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-01-15

laughing. The only wonder is tEat
he is not in the saloon here It's
the fellow in tie second who gam
mons sick, and sits in the big chair
all day"
.Ha. hall laughed The captain ;
"you're ont Of il this time, old man.
That poor chaps Frenchman--
can't speak a word of anything
else r
rs that so n replied the other
calmly. "Well, il any case, he's the
man who can tell you where the
stolen stuff isl
"Nonsense ~ said the captsin.
Hes never been for'ard the whole
passage. Why, if it hadn't beer for
Miss Agnew talking TO him he'd
have had to stay dumb altogether"
"Fine-looking. fresh-complexion-
ed, rather Jewessy, curly-haired
girl-lots of side and sauce-No. 81,
port side3"
Right replied the skipper.
Australian native. She's in my
charge. Knows her way about too
we'll, though, to need any looking
AFTER
"H'm!n grunted his companion
lighting fresh cigar. you told
me, think, that you had searched
the ship?'
Every corner and every soul on
board" replied the captain proudly.
"Tchk, tchk,'' said the other be-
tween tongue and teeth. "What
pity Tony Jenkins is a genius,
though! A commoner would have
chucked the thing overheard. Not
Tony he's too much of an artist to
stand any waste of that sort. Yes,
| should say there was q chance.
When you broached the matter |
thought it was only bit OF amateur
aristocratic kleptomania. see now
that it's thorough business-busi-
ness sweet and hot; well consider
ed, long thougbt-out, cleverly put
up job. Thank your stars, my boy,
that | happened to be where | was,
or you would have lost your billet
to certainty -
"Well, Watson-ycs, of courses
Johnson" said the captain, chang
ing color as be thought of the fix he
was in, and saw no way out of,
''there's the reward, you know.
And
"Dont want q penny replied
the detective. "This is purely lit
tie private affair between ourselves.
I'm On official business, and should.
Mt have meddled but for old &C.
quaintance's sake. You did me 8
good turn. I'll return it now, il /
CAM
Next morning Mr.. johnson man
aged, casually, to have talk with
Dolly, who came up 10 where be sat
in the sun, looking very old and
feeble, TO ask his opinion on the
quality of the saloon tea, which she
aveIred, "wasn't fit for pigs to
drink" Later, she coufded to her
friends that he wasn't bad old jos
ser, and she rather thought he'd
been gay sort of chappie in his
day.
While on his part, Mr.. Johnson,
removing the powerful magnifying
glasses he had worn throughout the
interview, smiled in his beard and
muttered, 1.-THE scars there all
right, but fainter than when / saw it
last. Clever Clever's no name
for It'll Nc use looking through
their berths, I suppose. However,
/ may as we'll have Try. I'll bet
the stuff's neither there nor on their
persons If not, where them A
sum in induction la Sherlock
Holmes y
And "Mr. Johnson" generally
supposed to be the cleverest and
keenest of all Scotland Yard, puck
cred his brows over the problem.
During dinner he managed to slip
into, and with practiced hands ran
sack Dolly's berth. But he found
nothing at all discriminating in the
simple cabin trunk unless a bottle of
hair depilatory and another of dye
could be deemed so.
The clothing was all of good make
and quality, and as the intruder no.
ted the carefully worked initials I'D.
A." on everything. he shook his
head doubtfully.
Under the circumstances a mis-
take was very serious matter.
And the Illamani was rapidly
nearing the Australian cost. II he
ives to make coup be had no time
to lose.
Monsieur Deschamps occupied =
deck chair aft; and while its occu-
pant was at luncheon in the second
saloon on the following day, Mr..
johnson made as free with his be-
longings as be had done with Dolly's.
And with little more success.
In the pockets Of pair OF old
trousers he found tiny key with
only one ward, at sight of which his
eyes glistened.
MIN T. he muttered az be stepped
out onto the empty deck; "the rest
~ Tho t.7roh arc ~~o~bn.-1