Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
OI1Af u" 7.
Introduces Amber Jevons.

bier JeEOnS, with q deep pun DIT his "eii-
coIored briar. What you've told me shows
quite plainly that you have in the first
place viewed one little circumstance with
suspicion, then brooded over it until 1t has
become magnified and now occupies your
whole mind. Take my advice, old chap,
and think nothing more about it. why
should YOU make yourself miserable for no
earthly reason? You're q rising man-hard
up like most of us-but under old Eytons
wing you've got brilliant future before
you. Unlike myself, mere nobody, strug-
Cling against the tide of adversity-you re
already a long way up the medical ladder
If you climb straight you'll end with an
appointment of physician-in-o ordinary ana
a knighthood thrown in as makeweight Ola
Macalister used to prophesy 1t, you remem-
Der when we were up at Edinburgh. Ihere-
fore l can't for the life of me discover any
cause why you should allow yourself to
have these touches of the blues-unless It's
liver or some other internal organ, about
which you know lot more than 1 do. Why,
man. you've got the whole world before you,
and as for Ethelwynn-
'EtheIwynn" 1 calculated, starting up
from my chair. Leave her out OF the
question! We need not discuss herr! ana
walked to the mantelshelf to light fresn
LAS YOU wish, my dear fellow" said my
merry, easy-going friend. II merely wish
to point out the utter folly Of all this sus-
piCion
pause. during which he smoked on vigor-
ously he suddenly asked, We'll now De
frank, Ralph whom do you really suspect
was silent. Truth to tell, his question
entirely nonplussed me. L had suspicious
distinct suspicious that certain persons sur
rounding me were acting in accord toward
some sinister end but which OF those per
II. ni,N11-
termine. 1t was that very circumstance
which was puzzling me to the point OF DIS
traction. uu. ~
1t. L know that the whole affair seems
quite absurd, but must admit that can
fix suspicion upon any one in particular.
Jevons laughed outright.
I'm that case my dear boy9 h, you o0eN'
perhaps 1 ought to, but don't, L an
swered, facing him with my back TO tne
fire ITO you, my most intimate frlena,
I've explained in strictest confidence the
matter which is puzzling me. 1 live IN
hourly dread of some catastrophe, the ma
ture of which I'm utterly at a loss 10 oe-
termine. Can you define intuition!
My question held him in penslve silence.
His manner changed as he looked me
straight In the face. Unlike his usuai
careless self, for his was curious cnar-
acter of the semi-Bohemlan order ana say say
age Club type, he grew serious ana
thoughtful regarding me with critical gaze
after removing his pipe from his lips.
Well" he exclaimed at last; II WI tel
YOU what 1t Is, Boyd. This intuition, or
whatever you may call it, Is an internally
bad thing for you. I'm your friend-one OF
your best and most devoted friends, old
chap-and if there's ANYTHING IN II III rem
der you whatever help can
Thank you, Amber" / said gratefully,
taking his hand. Il have told you all this
tonight in order to enlist your sympathy,
although / scarcely liked to ask your aid
}S huSV One-buSler even tndn
my own, perhaps-and you have no desire
to be bothered with my personal AFFAIRS.
ION the contrary, old 1elloW, ne saiu
remember that in my mystery I'm in my
element .
there is no mystery-only suspicion.
What Amber JeVons had asserted was a
fact He was an investigator of mysteries,
making it his hobby, just as other men take
to collecting curios or pictures. ABOUT MS
personal appearance there was nothing very
remarkable. When preoocupied he had an
abrupt rather brusque manner, but at all
other times he was a merry, easy going
man of the world, possessor of an ample
income, left him by his aunt, and TINS ne
augmented by carrying on, in partnership
with an older man, profitable tea-blendlng
business in Mark lane.
He had entered the tea trade not because
of necessity, but because he considered II a
had thing for a man to lead an idle life.
Neyert heless, the chief object OF his exist
ence had always seemed to be the unraVel-
ing of mysteries of police and crime surely
few men even those professional investiga-
tors at Scotland Yard, held such record
of successes. He was born detective, with
a keen scent for clues, an ingenuity that
was marvellous and patience and endur-
ance that was inexhaustible. At Scotland
Yard the name of Amber Jevons has for
several years been synonymous with ali
that Is clever and astute in the art OF de-
tecting crime
To be a good criminal investigator a man
must be born such. He must be physically
strong; he must be untirtng in his search
after truth: he must be able 10 scent mys-
tery as hound does fox. to follow up the
trail with energy unfiagging and seize OPP
portunities without hesitation; he must pos
sess cool presence Of mind, and ABOVE all
be able to calmly distinguish the Facts
which are of Importance in the strengthen
ing of the clue from those that are merely
superf1uous. All these, besides other quail
ties are necessary for the successful pen
etration of criminal mysteries. Hence IL Is
that the average amateur, who takes up the
hobby without any natural instinct, is in
variably blunderer.
Amber Jevons. blender Of teas and In
yesttgator of mysteries, was lolling back in
my arm chair, his dreamy eyes half closed,
smoking on in silence.
Myself, was thirty-three, and fear not
much of an ornament to the medical pro-
fession. True, at Edinburgh had taken my
NIB and CM. with highest honors, and
three years later had graduated NJ D., but
my friends thought good deal more OF my
my shortcomings and magnihed my talents
suppose IL was because my father rep
resented a county constituency In the house
OF commons, and therefore l possessed that
very useful advantage which Is vaguely
termed family influence, that / had been
appointed assistant physician at Guys My
own practice was very small, therefore l
devilled as the lawyers would term 1t, for
my chief, Sir Bernard Eyton, knight, the
consulting physician to my hospital
Sir Bernard, whom all the smart world
of London knew the first specialist on
nervous disorders, had his professional
headquarters in Harley street. but lived
down at Hove, in order to avoid night work
or the calls which society made upon him.
lived a stones throw away from his house
in Harley street, just round the corner in
Harley place, and it was my duty to take
charge of his extensive practice during his
absence at night, or while on holidays.
! must here declare that my own position
was not at all disagreeable. True, l some
times had night work, which Is never very
pleasant, but being one of the evils of the
life of every medical man he accepts 1t as
such ] had very comfortable bachelor
quarters in an old and rather grimy house,
with an old-fashioned, dark paneled sitting
room, a dining room, bed room and dressing
room; and save for the fact that l was
compelled to be on duty after o'clock
when Sir Bernard drove to Victoria station
my time in the evening was very much my
own
Many a man would suppose, have en-