The National tribune., 1901-04-11

AT fnllaQelpuld my SUI seCultu th
services of an operative from my aSenc!
in that city, to follow any menbc
of the Taylor family who might call fol
the letter. to their residence, in the event
of an answer not being received at hi:
hotel in due time from the one assumed
TO have been sent from the hotel in Chlca
60 from La Grange.
This detective found the Taylor home
an unpretentious house on Locust street
while my son remained at the hotel
fully expecting the coveted invitation u
visit the Captains beautiful sister, Which
arrived at his hotel only half day after
he did, and strongly urged him to call at
his convenience.
He was satisfied from this that our
theory regarding his being in Texas or
Mexico was correct; that the family had
not the slightest suspicion of his identity,
and that, wherever Capt. Taylor might be,
communication with his people had been
very infreeuent, and that, with what he
would be able to invent after being re
Ceived AT Taylors house, he could secure
st least sufficient information to put hlm
upon his sons trail. Not desiring to play
upon their feelings and friendship as an
other person any longer than necessary,
however, he sent word by messenger,
not daring to trust his own handwriting,
that he would call that evening, though
necessarily at late hour; and, accord
fngly, that evening, about o'clock, found
him at the door of u pleasant Locust street
cottage, ringing for admission.
A tall, handsome young woman greeted
him at the door, and accordingly bade him
enter, saying pleasantly, as she ushered
him into the cOZy little parlOr, that she
was Miss Lizzie Taylor, and presumed
he was Mr. La Grange, with whom she
had had so long and 50 pleasant CORE
spondence; and of whom poor Harry,
as she said with shade of sadness and
tenderness in her voice, had so often writ
ten, before he had made his terrible mis-
take, and become wandercr.
After hastily satisfying her that he was
the genuine La Grange, and profuSely
apologiZing for his not having written for
SO long 3 time previous to his arrival at
Chicago. from Cheyenne. he took up the
thread she had dropped, as quickly as pos
sible, and said that he felt sure that
Harry would retrieve himself soon. and re-
turn the money, as he had no bad habits,
and everything would be all right again.
But, yet, Mr.. La Grange, she con-
.inued, lit makes me shudder whenever |
think of all my brothers being away off
3here on the Rio Grande, among those ter
Iible people"
But you must remember" he replied,
encouragingly, they are strong men and
can well defend themselves under any cir
cumstances.'
Harry is strong and brave, know"
answered Miss Taylor, rather admiringly;
but Brother Robert is not fit for such
a life. Why, he is but a boy yet"
''Ah, a younger brother:" he thought,
making a mental note of it, in order to
assist in shaping his conversation, after
which he said aloud: Il almost forgot to
give you this note;'' and he took the piece
Of envelope out of his notebook, as if it
had been sacredly guarded, and handed it
20 her.
Miss Taylor read the hastily written
lines with evident emotion; and after
studying a moment, as if endeavOring to
reconcile matters, while her face was
being searchingly read by an experienced
hetective, she rose, and, apolOgizing to him
for the absence of her father, who was
in New York on business, and of her
mother who was confined to her apart
ment, confirmed invalid, she asked to be
excused so as to show the note to her
mother.
The instant the door had closed ray sor
bad seized the album, which he had To-
Gated during the preceding conversation;
and rapidly turned its leaves to assure
himself that he was not treading on dan
gerous ground. He found half-a-dozen
different styles of pictures Of the Captain,
including three Of the copies taken in Phil
adelphia of the original Atlanta picture
and felt reassured beyond measure at the
lucky turn things had taken. He would
have distracted one of these but il was
the album to the table, and himself to his
seat, when he heard the woman's step
along the hall, and in a moment more she
entered the room.
Giving the door a little impulsive slam,
as she closed it, Miss Taylor at once came
10 where my son was sitting upon the
sofa. and seated herself beside him. She
said that her mother was anxious beyond
measure to learn how and where he had
met Harry, how he was looking, and what
he had said.
The Imagination and resources of the
able detective are fully equal to those
Of the most brilliant newspaper reporters,
and a pleasant and plausible fiction was
invented, how he (as La Grange, of
coursel, having taken a run from Louis
vile down to New Orleans, by boat, was
just landing at the levee, when he sud
denly came across Harry, who had hastily
told him all; how great had been his
transgression, how deeply he had re-
GREETED it; but that now he was situated
in his business matters so that, if let
alone, he would be able TO return to Kuhn
Brothers every dollar which he had taken,
and have fine business left: how it had
been necessary for him to come to New
Orleans on imperative business. and that
he should not come east of the Mississippi
again under any circumstances. He fur
ther said that Harry seemed hopeful; that
uc 5Aatcu ludl HIS younger DEDIner,
Robert, was well and enjoying the frontier
life; and that further than that, he had
no time or disposition to talk, as he was
on the very eve Of departure for Texas,
having only time to write the little note
concerning the photographs.
Miss Taylor excused herself for a mo-
ment to convey the truthful intelligence
TO her anxious mother; and on her return
suggested that they 20 through the album
together at once, and attend to the photo
graphs, an invitation which was accepted
with unusual readiness.
Every gentleman who has had the ex>
perience, and there are few who have not
know that looking over an album with
beautiful woman who has some interest
in her companion is a wonderfully pleas
ant diversion. In this instance il was
doubly pleasant, for it meant success to
my son.
Il wonder why asked Miss Taylor, as
IL wondering as much about Mr.. La
Grange as about any other subject; Il
wonder why Harry desires those photo,
graphs destroyed?
He was turning the leaves for her, and,
as La Grange, Of course, had i perfect
right to take plenty of time to explain
the matter ssOthingly and sympathetically.
But do those horrid detectives track a
man out and run him down, when, if he
were let alone, he might recover from his
misfortune, and right the wrong he has
doneF'
Mr.. La Grange remarked that he had
heard that some of them were very much
lacking in sentiment and sensibility, and