Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1901-09-20
HOW MARROW GOT HIS THIEF.

had occupied the room before he had
had ii, and the photograph was Of no
child they knew.
NARROW looked at it again and made
a note Of the photographers name.
which was printed on the back. 1t
bore the address Of small town. and
he frowned a little as he looked at it,
What had Fred Emberson, a thier, to
do with a little child?
He shut his pocketbook with snap
and gave a final look around
lie was just turning away when his
man came back from the station with
the information that Emberson had
been seen taking a tic&ct-not to Lon
don. as they had expected, but TO a
little place called Staybridge. half way
down the line II was a trick, of
course. He would go ON to Euston and
pay excess fare. and be lost at once in
the London crowd.
Still NARROW sent his man to tele-
graph to the station at Staybridge
and waited, still impatiently. search
ing the room. for the reply.
1t came promptly Only one person
had come by that train on the day be-
fore and that was a mechanic in a
working suit apparently on the look
out for work Evidently it was not
Emberson. and NARROW decided that
his only chance now was to go to
Topping. where the photograph had
been taken.
He started Immediately, sending his
man on to London to try to get some
| information there. and meaning to
wait for him at Topping He got out
at a little, quiet country station The
town lay behind it-a sleepy market
town full OF sheep and cattle and farm
ers gigs. and bright with the spring
/ sunshine
He found the photographer easily
enough. and there copy Of the pho
tograph he had brought from Ember-
sons rooms, It had been taken just
about a year ago. The photographer
remembered it distinctly. because the
woman who brought the child broke
down. crying at the finish for no rea-
son at all that he could make out
81 suppose you know nothing of her,
do you?" asked the detective. and the
photographer shook his head
No but she came from a place not
far from here he said. AT any rate.
sent the proofs thereto a place
called Staybridge, about five miles
away
Detective NARROW started a little.
Staybridge, He was on the road at
last surely! Staybridge was the place
to which Fred Emherson had booked
the place at which the worldngmar
, had got out, Detective NARROW.
pulse quickened, and ten minutes lat
er he was walking away from Topping
toward the distant village.
1t was a hot walk that day The
roads were dusty. and he was tiret
when he reached it at last
He made his way slowly through tn,
struggling houses and quiet shop,
toward an inn. He would have tC
stop. Of course; perhaps for some
days, certainly for one night
He went in and had some tea. and
then set out to look around He was
all impatience. The thought of the
$500 stirred him
He was remembering with a beating
heart the girl lie meant to marry
thinking that it would not be long
now-when bend in the road brought
him suddenly upon small cottage
II lay close to the road. low wall
hemming in its little square patch OF
garden, and little wooden gate lead
ing to the tagged path. bordered with
wallnowcrs and lupins and lavender.
He looked up half carelessly. won
dering if Emberson was living in a
cottage like that--if he was in Stay
bridge at all-when the sight of a little
child sitting on the wall brought him
to a standstill
Something about her was familiar
At first he could not tell what, and then
he remembered the braid on her froel1
and the braid on the child in the pho
tograph 1t was the same dress. the
same child. only now she was older
and prettier
He stopped and went toward her.
She was such a little, thin child, and
her face was pale and delicate in spite
of the country air, She looked up at
him with bright eyes and smiled, and
somehow he felt oddly uncomfortable
4 before her
He hesitated before he spoke, and
then his question came with a gruff
sharp jerk.
What is your nance he asked
Her round eyes searched his face II
looked stern enough just then. but it
dd not frighten her. She slipped down
from the wall and held out her hand.
IT'S May" she said.
"And-what is your fathers Nance
4 In spite Of himself NARROW hesi-
tated
Fathers called Ed darling. she
replied. Cos mother said so. An
he's been way such long time. and |
don't fink he d ever come back
The detective looked down at her.
Fred darling!"
When did he come back?" he
asked, abruptly.
The child, all unconscious took her
father another step nearer prison
only the day before this day" she
said and was s'prised Il just
couldn't fink who it was But mother
lnew. and she cried. and it made her
iller and the doctor was very angy."
Where is your father?" asked Mar
low.
The childs eyes dilated a little.
He mustn't be sturbed, sne said
Hes wifi mother and mothers drefful
ILL., That's why he came back all in
such hurry"
She stopped. looking up at the detec-
tive with eyes that almost unnerved
him. Perhaps something in his face
began al last to impress itself upon
her baby mind. for a sudden droop
came to her lip.
Il 'spects fathers very bovered, .
( she said SLOWLY