Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-08-26


ShT Miss -Ss1win-the young lady
who let us in just now. l was told of.
] went 10 work. and ran across ny man
here three weeks Hgo-hv had not gone
so far. after all. He told me something
that put me on another scent altcgeth-
er. You'll be rather surprised, il moth
ing more. II stood to reason thSt the
thief. il he meant business. would never
attempt to patent the affair here. OF in
his own name either. I made inquiries,
and yesterday. sure enough. word came
to hand that n shady agent. we'll known
to the police, was fort .rc syndicate
in Berlin to put your clock exclusively
on the market there. aceIing himself
well in the background in Lordon. I
Swallowed him for Just two lours. and
then I saw him in coufab with the man
we wanted-the man who. as IL han
Pened, Lamont here saw creeping down
this staircase at Eve Al. m. Gu the dav
of the theft-with your invention un-
der his arm, no doubt. Lamont thought
little of il, but there's no doubt the
thief had his notion as to where the
blame would be sure to lie next morn
ing. Nowl" He lowered his voice note.
"Er-Mr. Marcel, it is rather unfor-
tunate that the man VINO stole your
brainwork should be the father of the
girl who thoughtfully put US up to the
Job"
baldwin," I got out, with a husky
culver. For me, the room was spin
ming round; one dear face looked inn
ploringly at me out of a mist. Bald
win! Metals fatherl The
hnt nj L
"Ayel fancy it's not altogether his
first attempt at shady work, either.
We shall see. I've a warrant here for
both of them, and-but you'll have your
clock back, sir, with grand advertise
ment, in a few days; and I hope you
won't forget me. Baldwin's
out, the girl says, but he'll be back in
few minutes. She knows nothing, of
course, and you'll like to avoid fuss, ]
know. I shall have him as he steps IN.
If the matter hadn't gone so far"
A faint, thrilling scream from behind
the door. He threw 1t back, and there
stood Meta. She had heard all-saw
what she had done in her loving desire
to help me-her face told it. White.
wide-eyed, her shaking hands put out,
she stood there-a picture to go to q
mans heart and print itself there for
ever and just at that moment,
to complete the unnerving tragedy Of
the situation, we heard the turn OF a
key in the halldoor below. Merciful
heavensi I know stood dumbed and
thrilled as much by the nameless sus-
pense as by the incredible thought that
my LIES triumph was within reach
| Del l.
ing down the passage.
What really happened7 1t seemed
afterwards like some dream. The de-
tective took a step. Another pitiful
cry-1 could never forget it. Netta's
arms barred the way.
'Dadl Dadl Coco, for your lifel
They knowl Sirs, you dare
noti Mr.. Marcel. you couldn't-oh, for
love Of me, you'll never let them take
himi"
i And I-noi All the blood seemed to
take life in me again as Netta's prayer
sank into me. For love of herl her
: own fatherl 1t all happened in an in
describable minute; there was n rush
IN the passage below, and simultaneous
ly must have thrown both arms about
the detectives waist, and held him fast.
In that wild moment of revulsion
thought of nothing but spRring Meta
Of spa{ing the man because he was what
heswas%o her. And the door down there
banged he was gone.
"You madmani You'll lose him
everythingl" painted the detective. But
Meta had put me to the greatest test
Of mans love-I chung on as If for my
own life-till suddenly the reaction
came. For love of her had lost what
had seemed dearer than life itself.
slid down, and knew nothing more.
That, gentlemen, was 80 years ago
That model was lost-destroyed, M
3 doubt, within "a hours-we never heard
4 of il or the man again. But here, to
q night, stands its duplicate-and a du
!, plicate of this we can see in a thou
Z sand shop-windows. Need / say tina
= we owe it TO Netta-the loving wife VIII
has stood by me, built up my hope
= again, and spurred me on to the grea
q task, day by day, for those 30 years
Need 1 say what won when it scenes
had lost everything? Left alone,
Y could never have brought myself to e
q over all that old ground again, but tn
l patient inspiration of years has don
9 at last what you see. And when los
e her. when death took her froT
u me, a year ago, her last whisper wa
y There, no, can't. But here's
u ls-and Meta knowsi Meta knowsi-
Tit-Bits.