The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-28


ly well break into tho place all the same
IL was only TO save trouble that
thought I'D give YOU the chance TO Civ,
US the keys. When they find the houss
robbed and open, and you missing. oi
course they'll say you done IL. and a,
long az they live they'll look on you as
an old thief and swindler." r.
"And what would they. call me II ]
helped you 10 the keys?" scathingly re.
torted the old man.
Pike was not good at reply. so he made
no answer but 10 leave the hole and lock
the door after him. There was no win.
dow or fireplace In the damp and frousy
den. and Pike took Ne light with him. 50
poor old Mr.. Brownings was left In a
darkness that might almost have been
| cut with y knife.
The situation was horrible and depress-
ing. but solitude and darkness with some
develop reflection. Mr.. Brownings was
I not deficient in quickness and intelli-
gence, though his retired life had made
| him scarcely fit TO rub shoulders with
| the active and work-a day world. and
| all his thoughts and energies were now
| turned on one questten--How could he
oircumvent and outwit the villain who
] had played him such a dastardly trick?
| In a contest of cunning the man OF edu-
| cation I'm the long run has generally the
best OF II. Mr.. Brownings thought OF
dozens of plans before morning, and at
last resolved TO try one OF them, the
ingenuity OF which alone has induced me
TO recall the case
When Pike entered the den next morn
ing with an apology for breakfast in
his hands. he found his prisoner lying
on the bed listless and pallid. and evil
denly agreeing badly with the confins-
ment and change of air"
On
Ing" he said with exultstion; "aro you
going To say where them keys is and
have done with it?"
mo, / am not we'll; hope I'll die"
feebly returned the prisoner.
"Wouldnt VOC like me to bring you a
first-rate doctor to feel your poultice and
set you up agsin?" said Pike, with brutal
humor.
To this the old man made no answer.
and Pike soon tiring Of the silence of
his victim. retired. In the afternoon,
however, on revisiting the den, he found
the breakfast untouched. and the old
man still lying on the bed with dropping
eyes and pallid aspect and began TO get
alarmed
You can have a drop OF drink. II
you like" he suggested, that being his
universal medicine for all ailments.
mo. that would kill me-" said the old
let me die. The medicine / want you can
not get"
Don't know about that. I'll get my
wife TO bring you a pennyworth OF any
thing from the doctors shop II you
give It a name" said Pike in sudden
generosity.
THAT would not do; what need Is an
expensive prescription; and I'm not sure
IL they would give II without a doc
tors line" said the old man.
Write IL down on piece of paper
and promise TO tell me where the keys
is hid. and I'll try" said Pike: and to
this proposal the old man, with
feigned reluctance. at last agreed.
Raising himself in bed. he took the
scrap of paper and pencil placed before
him by Pike. and beading II with the
usual cabalistic r., wrote down, In Latin,
a message, OF which the following is q
free translation:
II am a prisoner in den of Cowaate:
for Heavens sake get the assistance OF
the law, and have the bearer followed
and me set free. The man who trapped
me means to rob my brothers house at
the south side OF the city"
The old man would have put down
more but he was afraid of rousing the
suspicious of the watchful Mr.. Pike, by
making the thing look too much like
letter The moro effectually TO carry
out the deception. he had arranged the
message in separate lines, with figures
representing imaginary grains, scruples
and drains at the end of each The
whole he signed with his initials only.
1T b." trusting to good fortune. or the
activity of the police TO do the rest.
Pike could read pretty nuently. and
he grimly took the strange prescription
in his hand and sravely tried to spell
II through.
What in the name Of mischief Is all
this" he cried at last II can't read
the half of it?''
II daresay: there are words and names
that only chemist can understand.
They've a language of their own. you
know" said the old man, with affected
Indifference: and then. as he weakly sank
back on the bed and spoke no more Pike
was forced 20 retire 10 study long and
profoundly the paper with the help OF his
wife. The first words in the curious
prescription chanced TO be sum vinctus,"
and these suggested to Pike a brilliant
and economical idea.
Some vinctus7" he said to his wife.
who was equally at a loss with the pa
per- what the deuce Is 'vinctus.' 1 won
der--some simple thing like castor oil or
SIENNA and salts. I'll swear? Them chem
lists. you know. are awful cheats. and
puts IL on fearful when the thing Is writ
on a bit paper. l know what I'll do,
I'll just go In an AK some vinctus'-say
a pennyworth-for n sick child. and take
my own bottle and I'll get the same
that they'd be charging half a crown
for"
This seemed cheap and at the same
time effectual way of getting at the re-
quired Information regarding the keys,
and cordially approved OF by the wife OF
the thief. who sagely remarked that even
II the medicine wasn't quite right. he'd
never know the differ, and by that time
they would know about the keys 80
Pike took lengthy stroll across the city
TO "A quarter IN which he was not likely
TO be known. and. boldly entering a
chemists shop, asked for "a pennyworih
OF vinctus." Unfortunately for Pike. his
knowledge OF Latin pronunciation, either
of the Scotch or English schools. WAS
wOfully deficient, and the chemist,
tholgh clever and sldlful. failed to recog-
niZe the word. and said
IL don't know what you mean. What
Is IL for2''
ITS for poor sick child"
"Oh. indeed. Then YOU had better bring
a prescription from a doctor"
"But itll cost more that way, won't
IT. cautiously demurred Mr.. Pike.
"SiXpence more
"Dh. well Al it's only Sixpeuca | don't