Evening journal., 1899-10-20

ONE THOUSAND
DOLLARS REWARD
"Now, here's your chance. Jimmy"
raped out my chief, one morning.
Camden town-your own neighbor-
hood. twenty bales of rare silk,
worth thousands, consigned all the
way from Lyons to JOwetts, the big
West end drapers. Jowetts' agent
rushes off to the station to meet it.
and finds that some smart rogues have
got there one hour before him, present
ed forged credentials and driven of
with the stuff in n van in broad twi-
light.
"Soon after midnight n constable
noted Just such n van as described,
suspiciously rounding the corner Of
| Windygate St, Camden town, and at
that very minute. mark you, some
one ran up and led him Off with n
bogus tale Of murder going on at the
other end of his beat When he got
back-van gone. and all beautifully
quiet
"Jowetts, half mad because the kind
of silk spoils in no time unless kept
very dry, have been here and offered
ISL 900 for immediate recovery.
"Windygate ST. is a cul de sac, with
about 80 or 60 houses in it. The silk
may be slowed in any one of them,
and all the local police have done is
to put an extra man on watch at the
lOpen end. on the chance that there viii
be an attempt to remove the bales. l
give you - hours"
In less than an hour / got to Windy
/, gate sta quiet double row Of houses
OF a featureless three-stOry type-and
was in time to see the Special man
exchanging chaff with servant girl
lat the opposite corner. He said some
thing. and she tripped Off.
Thought I knew you, Mr.. Girdle-
, stone That's the girl at n house half
way dOwn-knOws nearly everyone in
2 the street, and ready to talk all day.
No. not a ghost OF n clew so far, sir,
q except the van business. There's the
, lrut by .le curb where Il turned, and
] then a much lighter one where it was
turned back, unloaded, no doubt;
there's been rain since"
humphl Shift your point a dozen
yards higher up. out of sight, and let
[. me know anything that happens
4 lThere'll be a rag-and-bottle man along
here presently-you understand"
b 4 hurried hOme-It was barely q 1C
minutes walk Half an hour later
/ was leaving again by the back en-
b trance. so dirty and disreputable that
!. my own wife had given 4 start. TC
y hire a barrow and stack some rubbish
on II was simplicity itself; within tn,
q hour / was wheeling it into Windygatg
ST., shouting hoarsely a record price
for rags and old bottles. At the enc
of my arduous round / was only tn,
p richer 10y n borrowload of unconsider
n eu triiles.
e, 1t must have been about O'CLOCK
when, as I sat studing the CamdeI
town directory. the most curious, IN
u dreamed-of coincidence occurred. Thl
bell rang hesitatingly; a pause. an,
then my wife tapped TO say that
81 young person, apparently in trouble
10 wished 10 see me upon private bust
:. ness. Next moment a young lady. II
- widows weeds had flOated Impress
lively into the room and was raising
> her veil from a white, worried face
% "Nir Girdlestone-the police inspect
or? Then / hope you won't think M
II silly. but really, l felt l could put NJ
n with IL no longer @, If my dear hus
lband were only here My name
! NIInfls NV at - W AhNN -tttt ST.
lpl YOU know Il, sir. 1t may soun
r., strange. but ] go in fear of something
re happening almost In fear Of my life
You know. when dear Harold died
a. had TO let the ground and first floor
as to man named Winston and his wife
D. "They seemed strange from the frs
ID land kept all their doors locked. the
elthey began TO have mysterious visitor
rollong after dark and my servant keT
40 waking me ut night TO say she cOul
ar not sleep for the queer noises. Thes
last two days there has been cor
-ltlnual digging sound down In the has,
~ ment. especially at night. I lie an
" quake. IL sounds Just as III they an
burrowing under the street"
re Indeed: And what made you CON
er to me. madam
e. "To YOU? Oh, Of coursel Why.
a. gave them notice 10 90 six weeks bacl
a. land they simply laughed Since the
4, they have not offered a farthing ren
n 1 have thought of going to the pOlit
=, for advice. and always hesitated. 81
this evening my girl said there was
homely constable az the corner. tt
Winstons happened TO have gone on
so ] slipped ON my things. ran up an
asked him ii he would mind coming
ar 20 see what was going on. and how
ne could get an cicctIsent notice. II
70 wrote fids address on q piece of pap'
and told me to como straight 10 yo
- As YOU would see into 1t Immediately
.. was at the door in two stride
IS. This queer accident brought abol