Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-10-20
A GIRL ffRf OF GRR(f9ff RIFF f .
4xMAJ.ARTHU aR1FFITHs.
Copyright, 1900, by R. F. Fenno & Co.
CHAPTER vi.

Copyright, 1900, by R. F. Fenno & Co
CHAPTER vi.
PASSAGES FROM THE DIARY OF wILFR1DA
FAIRHoLME.
s. s. Chattahoochee, July 1I.-Al-
though still harassed and oppressed
by hideous anxiety. l want. In this my
first moment Of leisure. to set down
clearly and fully the strange events
that have occurred since that memora-
BILE evening in Princes Gate. have
been In d whirl ever since. But have
forgotten nothing. Every act. every
thought is indelibly fixed in my mem
ory from the moment that | realized
my loss.
Forget! shall never forget that aft
ernoon when the American detective
brought me the news. What an odd
creature he was. Very much overdress-
ed, with sort of company manner
voice. which didn't disguise his Yam
kee accent or tone down his awful
Americanisms. know now that the
poor wretch was. honest and straight
forward. but could not get over my
repugnance to him at first:
And so when we got to the very
house and drew quite blank made up
my mind that the man was an arrant
impostor: Nothing fell out as he said.
"His boy would be on the watch"
There was no boy. He was quite Ger.
tain of the house into which Willie
had been carried. The police broke in.
There was no Willie Wood.
The whole thing was hum5ug. ! felt
convinced Of It and said so. only to re-
gret It directly after. 1t could not be
quite humbug. or. If 1t was. Roy. dear
Willie's lovely dog. was in it. too. for
Roy had certainly smeit him out In the
cellar where we found the awful appa-
ratus and things. and | ought to have
known that a dogs instinct is always
true. But | was very short with Mr..
Snuyzer and left him in huff. It was
q mistake. Of course. for 1t was losing
q chance. The man might be useful.
and after all he was the only one who.
whether the right or the wrong one,
had any sort Of clew. That was good
old Sir Charles Coliingham's opinion
and Colonel Bannister's. the big off,
cial. chief constable or assistant com.
missioner or something whom the gen.
eral brought with him to Hill street. /
found them there closeted with mother,
who had heard all about it from them.
She was rather in q limp condition.
dear mother, having quite failed to
take in the situation and unable to say
or suggest anything.
The colonel-he was rather q cross
looking, middle aged man. with square
cut. short whiskers and bristling
gray mustache-took me sharply to
task for letting the. American slip, ano
I should have been offended at his
tone, but knew had been wrong.
From what you tell us he had no
doubt been in communication with
Captain Wood yesterday. and he would
have saved us some time and trouble
II we had him under our hand now.
he must be hunted up" said the colo
mel
"Your people know him at Scotland
Yard: He was there today, and they
sent him on to the United States con-
sulate. He told me that himself" l
said.
'."They will know him at the consu.
late probably. I will send there to in.
quire," said the colonel, making a short
note.
"And Captain Woods man knows
him. They came here together this
afternoon"
"And for the matter Of that so do l."
added Sir Charles. "Not much. Of
course, and he's an uncommon queer
looking chap. But the fellow seems
honest and straightforward"
"Unless the whole thing is put up
job," remarked the police colonel, with