The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1900-04-14

pcafeu. Ort again, nc miSut uot alS
pear at all. He might have been telling
the truth when he wrote that he was
about to sail for England. This de-
tective business was not all II had besU
cracked up to be.
Somewhat disheartened, turned
into the secondhand book-shop of my
old acquaintance Samuel Terrill, whose
knowledge of bookshelf boolSs-is, or
rather was, for he passed over to the
great majority last year, something cx-
traordinary. He could do more WON
derful things with books than Prof.
Hermann with n dozen eggs and new
silk hat. He professed to know 10000
books by their shape and weight. That
Is, provided they were old books; for
new books had no value in Terrills
eyes. New books, he was wont to say,
lacked character.
One day q friend OF mine who wasted
his substance at book auctions was
passing Terrill's shop, carrying under
his arm some prize that he had just
bought; II was rather rare book-a
copy of the first edition of Lambs
Farewell TO Tobacco" printed IN Lon
don in 1928.
Struck a prizc?" growled Terrill,
CHARGING up from his scat near the open
door.
eyes" said my friend; "and III bet
YOU dollar you can't tell what; it's
book you don't often Sec"
"Ahl" said Terrill, taking the parcel
and feeling the book inside. "Will you
give me a dollar IL tell you the name
in three guesses?"
"Done," said my friend.
Terrill turned IL over, weighed IL In
his hand, squeezed it in all directions.
smelt il. Finally:
'If il isn't the third edition of Bryon's
Bride of Abydos,' it's the first edition
OF Lambs Farewell TO Tobacco
"It's not flnd," said, in answer to
his glance. Its only bound volume Of
an old magazine"
"Ah, yes" said he, undoing the paper
and looking at the book. Its rare
book all the same; didn't know there
was another copy in the country outside
the Manhattan library"
Some customers came in, and passed
out TO think over this new lead. So the
only other copy of this book was in the
copied "Daisy's Quest" must or may
have done so ut the Manhattan library,
unless he or she had a private copy OF
the book. which was not likely.
In half an hour / was at the library,
where my story was told TO the head
librarian, who was quite friend of
ours and more than willing TO help the
Gazette. The system pursued at the
library made IL easy to find out when a
book had been used, and by whom.
Every reader had to fill up blank card
with the name Of the volume wanted
and sign il. Each days cards, several
hundred in number, were preserved. 1t
would be matter of time and patience
to wade through this mass, beginning
few days before Danders' letter to tho
Gazette and going back, but this was
one of the tests of born detective; no
ought 10 shadow n man for months
without complaint; go without food or
sleep for n week-in fact, make a per-
feet martyr of himself and enjoy il.
The librarian was willing to allow
me TO search the cards for what
wanted, and 1 began work at once,
sticking to IL until the closing gong
rang through the building In the three
hours so occupied went over the cards
OF two weeks without finding that any
one had called for the Londoner. 1t was
quite possible that there might be other
volumes of that copy floating about
the city; the rascal who called himself
Danders might have picked one up for
n few cents. went home in discon.
ISOLATE mood, going mile out of my way
TO stop at the saloon in Thirteenth
street, where my barlleeping friend told
me that Danders had not reappeared.
"I'll give five dollars to get two
minutes glance at Danders. There's
my address. Send messenger for me
when Danders comes, and the money
will be yours"
The man understood. Walking home
an idea came TO me. If the Manhattan
library's copy of the Londoner for 1S4S
had been used within month or two.
the dust upon il would not be so thick
as upon volumes that were never dis
turbed, say the volumes of that bril-
liant periodical, the Congressional Rec
ord.
A good nights sleep put new heart
into me, and before the doors OF the
library opened / was there. So were
eight or ten other eager workers, evil
IDENTIFY professional readers, 10 whom
the Manhattan's books were tools. One
man, whom l recognized MS q designer
OF theatrical costumes, told me he came
TO look for ideas in the great art works
of France and Germany, and seldom
came away from his days work without
sketches enough 10 provide n whole
burlcsque company with costumes;
which. however, to those who know the
sort OF costumes affected by bur
lesquers, is not, perhaps saying much.
Several of my companions on the steps
might have been students; one was a