The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-01-25
CHAPTER XII. !
Master Viewers Gives Trouble.

The gentleman of the Newmarket
coat, who had claimed the hospitality
OF Rickerby's Folly on the strength of
those persons born into the world with
q curious faculty of thrusting their
noses into the business Of their neigh
,bors.As a youth this young gentleman
had devoured detective stories by the
score, had invested his first pocket
every policeman he met with an w
which usually attaches only to royalty.
Later on, with the first down upon
his lip, he took to studying the agony
Column in the daily Iapers, and striy-
ing to piecs together the mysteries
which they hid, or tried to hide. from
the gaze of those not actually con-
cerneG in the writing or reading of
them. BY day he occupied a position
behind the counter of a hardware es-
Enlistment, whose very knives sug-
gested possible future crimes; by night,
having donned the Newmarket coat, he
blossomed put into a very private de-
tective of his own making-a man who
scented a mystery with every shadow
that crossed q blind in a dark street, or
saw a fugitive from justice in every re-
spectacle citizen running to catch a
train or keep an appointment.
To such a man, the advertisement
which had appeared in the papers con-
corning Gilbert Rickerby, came as
something more than food and drink.
In the first place, there was the s1O0-5
sufficient to tempt any man to bring all
his powers to Dear upon the case; In
the second place, when he came to dive.
into the matter, and to make cautious
Inquiries in the neighborhood, there
was the haunted house. Small wonder
now that Mfr. Enoch Hubbard Ito give
him his right nance flung himself ca
Eerly, into the business. and felt that
here, at last, was his supreme opportu-s.
uity.
He began, as has been shown, linger-.
ing outside the house, and watching the
people who came and went. In that
way he cleaned from Mr.. Taggett the
opportune suggestion concerning The
lost son of Mr.. Viewers, embraced 1t
eagerly, and got into h house. Once
there, he set to work to find out what
he could without exciting suspicion.
It must be confessed at once that his
first experience was sufficiently alarm
ing. Cornelius Viewers had shown no
particular affection for or interest IN
him; Jemima Viewers had accepted his
coming as one of those disasters for
e gEeh the best of us must be prepared
In O stormy world. From his own point
Of view this was all that Mr.. Hubbard
could have desired; It raj not his wish
that questions should be asked; he was
glad enough TO be a~ccepted-for the
time, at least-for what he pretended to
be. He wandered about the house
coming against the various people who
Inhabited It at odd corners, but re-
ceiving no attention from them In any
way. In fact, he began at last, to think
that he was on q wild-g0ose chase, and
thatsthe soonerNhe left the place and
turned his attention to other matters
the better 1t would be.
He was pleased, however, at the
thought of how easily he had got into
the placer and his vanity was tickled at
tn. remembrance of how completely he;
had hoodwinked the people in 1t; lie
wanted t O enjoy that blissful feeling a
little longer. So he consented to betake
himself to bed, at a late hour, to the.
room which kadsbeen assigned to him;
and, weary with excitement, and not a,
little bored at the "reminiscences Of old
Cornelius concarning days when he had
played. havoc among the women folk,
quickly fell asleep.
He was awakened at sonae dark hour
o. the night-or of the early rtorning--i
by the spealing Of a bell far in the
house below him.. he had come out OF
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