The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-09-27

for her own daughter had occupied the
room before he had had it, and the pho
tograph 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 ad-
dress of a small town, and he frowned Il
little as he looked at it. What had Fred
Emberson, thief, to do with little
child?
He shut up his pocketbook with snap
and gave final look around.
He was just turning away when his
man came back from the station with
the information that Emberson had been
seen taking ticket-no to London, as
called Staybridge, halfway down the line
1t was tricl. of course. He would
go on to Euston and pay excess fare,
and be lost at once iii the London crowd.
Still, NARROW sent his man to tele-
graph to the station at Staybridge, and
waited, still inpatiently, searching the
room, for the reply.
fore, and that was mechanic in a
working. suit apparently on the lookout
for work. Evidently it was not EN-
berson, and NARROW decided that his only
chance now was to 80 to Topping, where
the photograph had been taken.
He started Immediately, sending his
man on to London to try to get some in
formation there and meaning to wait for
quiet country Station. The town law be-
hind ia sleepy market town full of
sheep and cattle and farmers gigs, and
bright with the spring sunshine.
He found the photographer easily
enough; and there a copy of the photo
mr. hn h0f
rooms. 1t had been taken Just about
a year ago. The photographer remem-
bered it distinctly, because the woman
who brought the child broke down CRYING
at the finish for no reason at all that he
could make out.
Il suppose you know nothing of her.
do you? asked the detective, and the
photographer shook his head.
mo. but she came from a place not
far from here he said; "at any rate,
sent the proofs thereto place called
Staybridge, about five miles away"
Detective Marrow started little.
Staybridge! He was on the road at last.
surely! Staybridge was the place to
which Fred Emerson had booked-thc
out! Detective Marlow's pulse quick
ened, and ten minutes later he was
walking away from Topping toward the
distant village
1t was a hot walk that day. The
roads were dusty. and he was tired when
he reached it at last.
lie made his way slowly through the
strassllns houses and quiet shops toward
an inn. He would have to 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
az ao impatience: The thought of the
$500 stirred him.
re was remembering with a beating
ing that 1t would not be long now-when
a bend III the road brought him sudden
~ upon small cottage.
1t lay close to the road. n low wall
hcmninS in its little square patch Of gar.
den, and little wooden gate leading to
Ragged path. bordered with wallaowcrs
and luDns and lavender.
He looked UP half carelessly. wonder.
ing If Embcrson was living in A cottage
like that-it he was in Staybridge at al
when the sight Ut little child sitting
on the wall brought him to standstill.
Something about her was familiar, At
first he could not tell what and then he
remembered the braid on her frock and
the braid on the child in the photograph
1t was the same dress, the same child
only now she was older-and prettier.
He stopped and went toward her. She
was such 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 before her.
He hesitated before he spoke, and then
jerk.
What is your name?' he asked
Her round eyes searched his face. Il
looked stern enough just then, but it did
not brighten her. She slipped down from
the wall and held out her hand.
ITS May" she said.
''And-what is your fathers nama?''
In spite of himself NARROW hesitated
"Fathcr's called Fed darling,'" she
replied, Zoos mother said So An he's
been away such long time, and l didn't
fink he'd ever come back"
The detective looked down at her. Fred,
"When did he come back?" he asked
abruptly.
The child, all unconscious. took he,
father another step nearer prison.
Only the day before tins 0ay," she
said, land 1 was s'prised. 1 just couldn't
fink who it was. But mother knew. and
she cried, and it made her iller, and the
doctor was very ang'y."
''Where is your father?" asked Mar.
low.
The chi]d's eyes dilated little.
HE mustn't be 'sturbed," she said
Hes wifi mother and mothers drefful
ill. That's why he came back all in
such a hurry"
She stopped, looking up at the detec.
tive with eyes that almost unnerved him.
Perhaps something in his face began at
last to impress itself upon her baby mind.
for sudden droop came to her lip.
Il 'spects fathers very bovered," she
said, slowly.
At that instant the cottage door was
flung open and a man looked out. When
he saw NARROW he made a half move
ment backward and then altered his mind
and stood still.
NARROW looked at him and recognized
his man. This was Fred Embersm--the
thief; this was the man he had come to
catch-this was the man whose capture
snna0< eHnn ~. tl7.1.ss. ~.