The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-08-03

We will let that pass then. But now
tell NE why you followed me personal
ly last night"
How do you know that did,"
THAT is not answering my ques-
ton
well, Mr.. Mitchell, while l certainly
think you capable of taking care of
yourself, from what my man told me
concluded that you meant to accom-
pany Slippery Sam on last nights ex-
cursion. Not having the same conf
dence in that person which you seemed
to have. ! thought that as your friend
it was my duty to be on hand in case
of trouble. But l was not spying upon
YOU
so you even went so far as to dis
guise yourself as waiter and serve
beer to a lot of crooks, just to be near
me? l am truly indebted to you. But
/ do not admire this masquerading. 1t
is too theatrical. 1t savors too much
of the dime novel detective. And 1
suppose, of course, you had to bride
one of the regular walters, who al
lowed you to take his place, eh?"
Not exactly said Mr. Barnes
hesitatingly, somewhat abashed by the
criticism upon his methods; 'but, Mr..
Mitchell, we cannot always choose.
have known of the uses to which this
boat has been put all summer, and
realized that it would be wise and
might become of extreme Importance
to me to have it in my power to be
on board at any time. l therefore ar
ranged matters with the head waiter
and have played waiter on that boat so
often that now my presence attracts
| no suspicion"
"That is just the conceit common to
all of your profession. Your DISCUSSES
are never penetrated. You are like the
ostrich with his head in the sand, in
visible-in Your own mind. Now, the
fact is your identity was very we'll
known on the boat last night"
4 "Indeed! How do you know that?"
1.-THE lecturer of the evening was
talking to me about YOU He considers
! you rather clever but expressed his
/ surprise that you should stoop to such
Anticipated methods as the employment
i of spies. lie says that if he We're in
your place he would use his brains iu-
stead" Y
"Then he would accomplish little, for
/ he has no BRAINS" Mr.. Barnes spoke
angrily, for he had begun to lose pa
4 tience. He thought that Mr.. Mitchell
went too far in his adverse criticisms.
and in this perhaps he was right. But.
the truth was Mr.. Mitchell was ex-
! cessively annoyed, not so much because
i a spy had followed him, but because
for the first time in his experience he
had not himself discovered the fact.
He had therefore given vent to his feel
ings by resorting to satire.
j Mr.. Mitchell had decided that Preach
er Jim was possessed of quite supes.
rior quality of brains, and consequent
ly he was attracted by Mr.. Barnes
words, well knowing that they were
not idly spoken.
what do you mean by that?" said
he
The man is a monomaniac," Mr..
Barnes replied.
.'On what subjectw
ooh, on the subject of last nights
lecture! l know his history very well,
having observed him for many years.
One of his decisions is that he is him
self great criminal. If you could get
i him to talk with you, he would I'M
doubtedly lead you to suppose that he
has committed many crimes and that
through his marvellous skill he has not
only escaped arrest, but has even
avoided suspicion
"But is not this true?'
''True as to his keeping out of the
4 clutches of the law, but that has not
required any skill. He has committed
/ no crimes since he left the reforma-
tory, and he entered that place when
! child. The man is not sound here" con-
cluded Mr.. Barnes, tapping his fore
head significantly.
"He does not impress me as being I'M
sound mentally" said Mr.. Mitchell
doubtingly.
very likely not at single inter-
view. Perhaps indeed you may even
| have concluded that he is endowed
with unusual intelligence. But sup
pose that you We're to meet him again
I and that his conversation should be
/ many subsequent interviews with you
/ he should always descant upon the
] same topics in much the same words!
Such has been my experience. and
am satisfied that his apparent brillian-
cy is really lusterless. AS | said at
/ first, he is Il monomaniac."
Nevertheless Mr.. Barnes, he has
proved the fallacy of one of your ia
vorite theories with scarcely an effort
/ of his feeble BRAIN"
what theory?'
You argued that the theft of the
will is good evidence against young
Mora; that the will would be useful to
him, because its suppression would
double his fortune"
II did. and my opinion remains I'M
altered"
very good. But let me give you
Preacher Jim's idea-the idea, let us
say, of a practical crook opposed to