Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-05-15
My Strangest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
Author of CDR. Kiko1a," THE Beautiful
White Devil" "Pharos, The
Egyptian" Etc.
copyrighted, 1901, by Ward, Lock & Col
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
1t will be truism to declare that
human nature is about as complicat-
ed n piece of machinery as could be
found in the human world. And yet
do not know why it should be con-
sidered so. All things and all men
do not run in grooves. A man to be
a criminal need not be hopelessly
bad in every other sense. | have met
murderers who did not possess sutfi-
cient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars
who would rob a poor man of all his
possessions in the world, and yet
would not despoil little child of
half-penny. The fact of the matter
lis we all have our better points, our
own innate knowledge of good and
evil. Hayle had betrayed Kitwater
and Codd in the cruelest fashion
possible, and by so doing had con-
,dcmned them to the most fendish
torture the mind of man could con-
~ceive. Yet it was through his one
good point, his weakness, if l might
so describe it, that / was enabled to
come to my first grip with him.
it was between the hours of two
and three that ] entered the gates of
Brompton cemetery and commenced
my examination of the various graves
therein contained. Up one path l
wandered and down another in
search of the resting-place of the
poor crippled sister Of whom Gideon
Hayle had been so fond. 1t was a
long time before | found it, but at
last ! was successful. To my aston
ishment the stone was plainly new
one, and the grave was tastefully
decorated with flowers. AS matter
of fact it was one of the prettiest in
its neighborhood, and to me this told
its own tale. / went in search of the
necessary official and put the case to
him. He informed me that l was cor
rect in my supposition, and that the
stone had only lately been erected,
and, what was more to the point, he
Informed me that the gentleman who
had given the order for it had only
the week before paid the necessary
sum for insuring the decoration of
the grave for many years to come.
II gather from your words that
the gentleman, who must be a rela-
tive of the deceased, has been here
lately" l said.
~He was here last Sunday after
NOON" the man replied. 'Ie is a
,most kindly and generous gentleman,
and must have been very fond of his
sister. The way he stood and looked
at that stone the last time he was
here was touching to see. He'd been
in foreign parts, sir, and is likely to
go out there again, so l gathered
from what he said. 1t is a pity
there are not more like him."
This was news, indeed, and
pricked up my ears on hearing it.
Having learnt all / was likely tc
discover, l thanked the man for his
Kindness and left the cemetery. If
had done nothing else, / had at least
satisfied myself upon one point, and
this was the fact that Gideon Hayle
had been in London within the week
Under such circumstances it should
not be very difficult to obtain his ad
dress. But | knew from experience
chat when things seemed to be run
jsing most smoothly they are as
5nuch liable to breakdown as al
any other time-sometimes ever
amore so. I accordingly hailed a cal
and drove back to my Office. Once
there / entered up my diary accord
ing 20 custom, wrote a note to Kit
water, informing him that l had dis
covered that Gideon Hayle had no
left London on the previous Sunday
and also that I believed him to hav,
aegotiated certain of the stones il
london, after which 1 returned tc
~ hotel to dine.
Most people who know me would
&ell you that it might be considered
consistent with my character that
still occupied the same apartment!
in the private hotel, off the Strand
En which / had domiciled mysel
when ! first arrived in England.
j am made comfortable ! prefer t.
stick to my quarters, and the hote
in question was quiet one; th
cooking and the service were excel
lent, and, as every one did his, o
her, best for me, | saw no sort o
reason for moving elsewhere. 1t i
something N such matters to know