Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1899-06-10

Wdubs W pay HIS %oDJ AoI q stDl y,
Long life to Perkins of Chicagol
don't recall bis name, but am hearth
IL pleased at your success, Paine. ("
When Perkins reappeared at the APP
pointed time, he glanced over the first
few pages Of the manuscript with great
satisfaction and counted out $500 in
payment
II hope this will be success, the
author civilly remarked. 81 have made
it as dramatic as possible, remembering
your interest in Navy conversation. /"
"It's sure success" Perkins an
swered. Good evening. I"
He shook hands effusively with
Paine and Immediately took his depar-
ture.
Paine's sleeping room adjoined his
study, and the door between these
apartments was kept closed at night.
When he opened it the next morning on
his way down to breakfast, he uttered
q sharp cry Of dismay and sprang for
ward into the room excitedly.
During the night his desk had been
ransacked and its contents strewn over
llJC ilUOAs aiLlC liiahC u nhLlAEtA 5CaACA
through both rooms, but nothing else,
not even his watch and money, had
been disturbed. Moreover, when he had
carefully rearranged his disordered pa
pers they were all accounted for, with
this exoeption--every scrap of writing
which related to John Navy had been
stolen.
Iavl,y hot oqt DarI,,po
ed, He appeared depressed and discon-
certed and his changed mien excited
Paine's wonder
Ibid you like my story?'' he asked.
Eyes, it is good story" Perkins
slowly responded. 1T is something of
an advance on the other. Still don't
find that it contains all | expected. /"
why, what did you want?" Paine
was on his mettle now. "You would
hardly expect three volume novel for
the price you offered. T"
II didn't bid high enough, that's
fact, the publisher confessed. "But
want the rest of it-badly. am think
ing of making you big offer for all
you know about Navy"
"In a series of short stories like the
others?"
ooh, anyway you like-yest' Per-
kins got up and walked the floor impa
tiently. 81 can t explain! IT this way
You have what want, and if / can
make deal with you we won't dioker
about the price. Now, what can you do
for me?"
81 can supply the demand" said
Paine confidently. But you must give
me time for this. Unfortunately all my
notes were stolen last night
'That was all you knew about Navy?"
asked Perkins hopelessly.
Everything | had. Stay-there is
Navy's own story, but l have already
dipped into that for few of his peculiar
ideas.
Mays own storyi" the publisher
echoed in strong excitement What's
that?'
Paine made brief explanation, and
upon learning the fate of this story
Perkins drew long breath as if tanta-
liked almost beyond endurance.
But you say that you copied it, . he
exclaimed, with a CLEAN of hope.
where the copy?"
cit is still at my old home. packed
away with trunkful of old letters up
in the attic.
"Then you could get it?''
Certainly, if it is of value to you.
Strangely enough, the publishers
eagerness was quickly allayed by this
reply. ave will let the matter rest
awhile. he decided after moment of
abstraction and then quietly withdrew.
A few days afterward Paine received
letter and paper addressed i'll his
mothers handwriting With a pleasant
anticipation of home news he opened
the letter, but it's first paragraph drew
from him a Cry of surprise. His old
home had also been entered by bur-
glar. 1t was matter of slight impor-
lance, but in the light of his own recent
experience it was sufficiently disturbing.
Further details made it very clear
that both of these trivial robberies bad
been committed by the same mysterious
person. AS in the former case, nothing
of value had been stolen, but the con-
tents of an old trunk had been found
scattered over the attic floor.
~ send you The Gazette, which has
Just arrived, Mrs Paine wrote in CON-
clusion. 81 see that the Penniwell mon
ey has been recovered and that one of
the burglars is in custody. Possibly
this is the man who entered our house. !"
A sudden light broke in upon Paine's
mind. There was but one man who
knew of the papers in his trunk-one
man who had shown an insatiate curl
osity about John Navy. Snatching up
The Gazette, he quickly ran over it's
prolix account of the arrest.
The last paragraph was especially in
teresting to Kepler Paine:
''The prisoner registered at the Union
House as Perkins of Chicago. His con-
nection with the Navy gang has been
clearly established, and it appears that
he discovered the long hidden booty by
means of cipher message from his old