The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-14

II met him In the passage gust notc."
no photographers name. 1t is Mrs.
Cecil Slater. I met her on a P. and O.
boat. How on earth did it get in the
Scotland Yard album
"That is what should like to know,
Mr.. Gates"
Mr.. Gates turned to his drawer, and
after few minutes rummaging pro-
duced the picture I had seen on my last
visit. .....
"Here is my print. 1t is identical
with yours, you observe. But why
should you have come to me? 1t is sim
ply remarkable coincidence"
"Well, to tell you the truth, Mr..
Gates, happened to see the copy Of
yours when I was here last week. 1t
was lying in that drawer, which, you
may remember, you could not close.
could not help noticing it, for 1t was
staring me in the face while you were
showing me your curios. I thought ii
was the same and brought this to you
to make sure"
Gates laughed.
II see, Captain Brett, you are warm
ing to this detective work. I must con.
graduate you on your ingenuity and
POWERS Of observation.
He said this somewhat sarcastically,
lrs I forgave him, for he admitted to
bs.ng in bad temper.
'4fut how did it get in the police al
bum9" !csked.
''I'ni ,sre don't know" said Gates.
II did MT put it there"
"Of course not, I laughed. "But do
you happen to know anything about the
lady that would connect her in any way
with the murder?'
"Nothing at all that I am aware OF.
met her some time ago returning from
India, and heard she died last year.
She was most charming woman and
had many friends. Some one on board
took her photograph, and she honored
me, along with others, with a print.
That is the whole history Of my copy"
This was distinctly disappointing.
What we had looked upon as an i'm
portant olew turned out to be Of no
value at all unless we could trace the
prints, and that was rather unlikely.
"Can you tell me who got copies be-
sides YOURSELF"
II cannot. don't know how many
prints there were, and certainly never
knew where they all went to. The man
who took them was called Ralston. He
is in the Indian civil service, and l have
no doubt could find out his address for
you II you wish it,"
IT don't expect he will be of any use
to US, but I dare not leave even that
stone unturned. shall be very glad,
Mr.. Gates, if you will get me that in
formation, and possibly you may by
that time remember the others Of your
fellow passengers who also got picture
Of the LADY,
Gates promised to do bis best, and !
took my leave. did not much care for
the man, but he seemed willing and
even anxious to help me, and on two
points at least he had given valuable
information.
I took the photograph back to Scot
land Yard. The officials there were bo-
ginning to know me. go frequent had
been my visits on one point and anoth.
or. One Of them stopped me in the door
way Just as l was leaving.
"Ah, Captain Brett said he, "
have some news for you. Jenkins, one
of our men, has just returned from a
mission in the Argentine. He had charge
Of our album before he went away, and
we have told him about the photograph
being stolen. He distinctly remembers
an inquirer fumbling over that page IN
a rather suspicious inaner. He thought
1t queer at tho time, but did not detect
the substitution Of the print. He kept
his eye on tho man, however, and
learned his numo afterward. He is Ger
tain lie did it,"
"Woll, who was it?"
ut was Mr.. Keighley Gates. Do
wo,, ls,Npss