Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-12-20


the law, and I am anxious to find
the man. I am sure you will tell me
everything which might help me, and
[ don't ask to know more"
She considered it for a moment,
and then took counsel of frankness.
"He admitted it because I asked
him."
Griffin smiled, and then explained
the smile.
Pardon me-" he said. 81 was
thinking that no one but a woman
would ever have thought of doing
such a thing as that. / fancy you
surprised the admission out of him."
mo, / do not think I did. He adj
mitted the fact very willingly,
though he would not admit that it
was wrong"
''Ah; that helps more than you
might imagine. They have all been
looking for a seasoned criminal, you
know"
"He wasn't that" she said, with
an air of conviction. apart from
this one great wrong which he had
done, he seemed to be gentleman.
It may seem incredible to you, but
he fairly insisted upon my writing
to Mr.. Galbraith.''
Griffin smiled again and nodded re-
assuringly. What she was telling
him fitted in admirably with the only
tenable theory he had formed; that
the robbcr was no criminal; that he
was only monomania on the social
side.
"And when he did that he doubt
less assured you that he would con-
slider himself bound in honor not to
take advantage of your frankness ?"
"He did just that. How did you
know" she asked.
81 merely inferred it. And his
parole was to expire at st. LOUISE"
"It vast did,
Griffin rose and found his hat.
81 am greatly obliged to you, Miss
Farnham. I know you haven't found
it easy to speak of this to stran-
ger"
While the identity of the man is still
a mystery, you have helped more
than you know. Good morning."
Griffin left the house, but instead
of taking the street, he turned aside
to stroll aimlessly along the lake
shore, giving a new theory time to
grow a little more definite. AS has
been said, his trade of man-catcher
had come to be a passion with him,
and he had genius where others la
bored only with talent. When the
new theory had taken shape, it
slipped into musing speech.
''She can't account for his little
vagary, but / can. He simply fell in
love with her at first sight, and be-
cause he was in love with her he
made her do that which she knew to
be right, at whatever cost to himself.
That being the case, he is as sure to
turn up here sooner or later as the
sun is sure to rise tomorrow morn
ing. Better than that, he may be
here now. I'll camp down and study
my environment for awhile. It's a
pretty place, and I'll caH it my va
cation"
In a weeks time Mr.. Thomas Grit
fin had learned more about Wahaska
than the ordinary summer visitor
would have learned in a years resi-
dence. He knew Jasper Grierson and
his ambitions, and Jasper Grierson's
daughter and hers. He knew all
about the social teapot tempest, and
could Identify the adherents of each
of the factions. He knew that An
drew Gaibraith was a guest at the
summer hotel on the point, and was
soon able to draw his own conc1u-
sions touching the growing intimacy
between Grierson and the New Or
leans banker. The drawing of these
conclusions cost the detective trip
to the pine-land region in the north
ern part of the state, and the in
formation he sought and obtained
had no bearing upon the bank rob-
berry. Jasper Grierson held the re-
version of some worthless pine land
which he was trying to sell Andrew
Galbraith: that was all.
But in another field Griffin sent his
arrows of Investigation nearer the
target, and that without knowing it..
He came to know all about the Ray
mers, the iron works company, and
the reorganization of the same with
one Kenneth Griswold for partner.
Probing a bit deeper into this, more
to account for the oddity of a man
like Griswold interesting himself in
a business affair than for any other
reason, the detective unearthed a
thing which the prime movers in it
were not bruiting abroad. Jasper
Grierson had all but succeeded in
smashing young Raymer's enter
prise; would have smashed it but for
Griswold's Intervention. That was
fact the first. And fact the second
was this: That Jasper Grierson re-
pulsed was not Jasper Grierson de-
feated. Having failed to smash Ray
mer, he was now trying to obliterate
both Raymer and the new partner.
To this end he was fashioning two
weapons. The railway and all other
work controlled by Gricrson and
those te whom he dictated was
wit froyv, tho ro0rron;zoI