Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-01-06
III.
BY Philip q. Hubert, jr


nor detective who had detected some
ahAng. What was to do? Denounce
this young girl as possible thief to the
library authorities? Such course
would put an end to her chances for
ocpying any more English stories for
American newspapers; but it would
mean disgrace, and in all probability it
would not result in recovering the 500
that the Gazette had lost. Moreover,
the more l thought of the girl and her
pleasant ways, the less ! liked the idea
81 accusing her of wrongdoing. pom
aered the problem for a good hour.
osnders' note was in my pocket 1t
was some encouragement to find that
Tho handwriting was not bit like the
Hne feminine scrawl Of Miss Ellen Rob
srtson. 1t was perfectly possible that
This copy of the Londoner might have
been taken out by another person, Dan
Gers, for instance, as well as by Miss
Robertson. With this theory in view
4 went manfully to work at my cards
again. and so thoroughly convinced
myself that such must be the case that
when my friend, the librarian, passed
my desk at closing time, and asked me
weak enough to say, No. According
70 the strict terms of the inquiry, /
Aad not found my man; it was a wom-
IN L came ucruss several more cards
soaring Miss Robertson's signature
and a request for the Londoner of 1s4s;
evidently she had used the volume al
most every day for a week That even
ing 1 kept away from the Gazette of
Ace in order to avoid the questions /
should have met there, for l had re-
ported that l was examining the cards
IN the Manhattan library. Thus does
sunsclence make towards even OF sue
Dessful detectives.
The next day l put in eight hours of
Srork at my bundles of cards, going
back half year. Apparently no one else
had touchcd that number of the Lon
.doner or any other number of that
magazine. / reviewed the evidence as
ActectiveS are won't to do in books.
Ssaerc was young woman engaged from
norning till night in copying from the
8ondoner of June, 1s4S. "Daisy's
Guest" had been stolen from this book,
and according to Terrin, an expert, it
was unlikely that there was another
"
IN the country. No other person had
xsl<en the book out.
Nevertheless, before any accusation
could be made. it would certainly be
necessary to connect Miss Robertson
with Danders. That might not be
easy. Puzzled and sick at heart, / was
Rcaving the library at four o'clock,
when at the door found Miss Robert
son gazing out into the rain with dis
snay. / had purposely avoided her dur
ing the day, contenting myself with
making sure that she was at work as
sxnal. 1t was impossible to avoid her
now, for 1 had an umbrella and she
Aad none. Perhaps, after all, q de-
s<rtive ought not to neglect this OPP
Rortunity to know more of Miss Rob
sxtson. So 1 offered to take her to the
Szr- Her manner was a trifle stiff;
perhaps she had noted and resented my
studied avoidance.
Let me see-you will have to take a
sixth avenue car" said this particular
eetective. in his stupid way.
~Why, yes; but how did you know
that?" said Miss Robertson, her Gu
g4osity getting the best of her displeas-
are. If there had been any displeasure.
Perhaps it was only my conceit that
gave birth to this latter fancy.
/ have always been considered a
fairly ready liar, but for q few seconds
stumbled. / could not tell her that
4 had her address carefully copied into
NY note book. suppose 1t was news
paper instinct that prompted me to
sAy:
81 happened to see you take Sixth
avenue car last night as / was going
Acme"
That's very strange" said the girl,
hooking up at me with a twinkle that
sven the shadow of the umbrella could
not eclipse, "for>I walked ali the way
home last night"
L was enough of liar to see my way
nlear now.
Really! Then it must have been
some one very much like you, and some
one who came from the library. Then
perhaps you do not take the Sixth
avenue car after all %
~Yes, do. L live in Thirtieth street.
But before / take my car have to stop
an Sixth avenue at a bookstore where
ordered some writing-paper for my
rather last night. The rain has stopped,
10 that needn't trouble you to go out
of your way any farther"
ut is not out of my way. Besides, it
might rain again"
So we went on towards Sixth avenue
And then turned uptown. In less time
than L can write it, and by what magic
hardly know, had wholly forgotten
that Miss Robertson was probably a
criminal of mild type and 1 the
Eleuth-hound on her track, the avenger.
She had very pretty ways-for Grim
fnsl. And she talked more to my lil-
ing than any other girl 1 had met in
years, or before that.
There's the sort of rain costume you
sught to have" I said, pointing to a
araped wax figure in the brilliantly
lighted show-window of great shop
q woman in long macintosh, holding
RuOpen UMBRELLA I'm the face of a sunnos-