The sun., 1902-09-07
AT THE CRIMINALS
n HOUR OF DANGER.
A Lesson as to the VaIu: Of Clues
Given BY Abe Cronkite to
an Amateur Detective.

Bertha Nav writes me that her father ha
disappeared without explanation or clue
You know how his constructive energ,
permeatcs every detail of that vast busi
uess and they were never more busy thar
Dow, what with rush of orders and The
Youndat ion scarcely laid lGr the new fact ory
and so YOU can well imagine the resulting
confusion, TO say nothing Of alarm
Blu, he i. often away, ~ir, isn't he''
asked the detective.
"Yes but not without leaving precise
instructions with his manager Mr. Acres
not without advising his daughter, Bertha
and Miss Randall, the housekeeper, of his
Intentions Besides, the town is ~ small
as he il big There is but ona train day
on that little branch road and If he boarded
Il every one would know it before il was
out Of sight
ANY reason, sir, in business or private
life"
No, no interrupted the Judge. i'm
patiently Business | tell you. was never
more prosperous, His private life il simple,
regular. irreproachable, the ideal life OF a
widower conscious of his duties as a father
and the employer Of .OOO men
But some one may he interested in
having him re"
Nonsense He hasn't an enemy in tho
world. His men love him. Why, thore
has never been a labor dispute in Nay
vile. Mr. Acres, bis manager and natural
successor, is his personal friend and before
long will be his sOn-in-law. Bertha and he
are devo,edly attached to each other Miss
Randall the housekeeper. ia related 10 his
dead wife and woman conspicuous for
good works
There's no skeleton in that household. no
serpent in that Eden: and we need not
waste time in talk The thing TO do is TO
investigate.
You must g. down there are once. Cronk-
ite Report To Mr. Acres; he will assign
you TO some employment that viii naturally
give You access 10 the house, grounds and
works Il is essential for the welfare of
the business, as II il the wish OF the family,
that all publicity, II possible, should he
avoided
Report 10 Mr. Acres, who naturally will
expect to be my confidsnt. 10 direct my
movemen's?" repeated Cronkite -Oh, no.
air. that il not the way ] care to work.
! must have a free hand
Now, there is Mr.. Beavers, your junior
partner They have never seen him, have
they' Ah | lhought not. Then let him
60 down az your agent. and follow out the
lines that will surely loo suggested
In the meantime, | will be- busy in my
own way, finding opportunity, never fear.
to consult with him, Between us the truth
ought 10 be made manifest. Remember.
sir. that in detecting. virtue should no more
be assumed than vice
The Judge a. first dcmurred as a man:
then he conCurred az a lawyer Finally,
Mr. Beavers was instructed 10 proceed to
Nayville and report to Mr. Acres as Mark
Mason. city detective: while Crontite was
left 10 his own devices.
Mr. Beavers, Young and ambitions, start
ed in on his mission with rhe view OF
making record for himself He had often
heard Cronkite talk Of the value Of close
observation. and how. little things might
prove crucial things. and the lesson was not
lost
Even az he passed through the mill yard
he was struck with the sulen looks of the
men at work on the foundations Of the new
mill. Evidently there was some ill-feeling
there. despite the Judges roseate state
ment to the contrary.
This impression was strengt hened after
Mr. Acres had assigned him 10 a desk In
the Office, and the sound Of violent dispute
came from without. He went to the win,
dow
A tall, portlv man. in a rough s,iit oi
corduroys was lust leaving a gang Of mer
whom he had been berating The grour
depicted, in its postures and gestures
anger and hatred There was the clenched
fist. the brandished tool, the drawing to-
gether as against common foe WhC
then, was this MANI
Mr.. Beavers found Mr. Acres, the man
ager, ready and affable to his inquiries
II was Nr Ruffies, he explained. the boss
mason in charge of the construction Of ths
mill rough; hard man he th"ght, thougf
real, he had had absolutely nothing 10 dc
with him, Would Mr., Mason mind sayinl
Why he askcd'
ANY signs Of violCnce seem pc, tincnt tC
my inquiry" replio MIR Beavers sagely
sThSe iaborrrs a ignorant foreigners
bred to avenge tn. own fancied wrongs
II they are 80 inCen,rd against the agent
why not the more so toward his superior
oh, no, no. protested the manager
sthe sweetest the gertiest nature"
But Mr. Beavers, having discovered
clue, was NOT at all disposed to abandon
Il: /, might I've long time before snot he
one would promise so well He waved hi,
hand deprecatingly.
1T is natural. my dear sir, he said. -tha
your anxiety, your affection should blinC
you TO tho field of probabilities which thil
instance Of evil passions opens TO a trained
view. Let me particulariZe.
You have told me that when last seen
MIR Nay was spending the evening al hi,
desk in the library of his home. Would i
have been an uncommon thing for hin
TO step ont for a moment, to come over her,
70 the office"
"Oh. no hui
where DO these laborers lives- continue,
Ar Beavers, remorsclessly. "Surely no
down in the village"
Some huts We're erected for them iils
beyond that clump Of woods lying bet weel
the house and the park"
Then, they might have met him b,
chance. when wild with drink or the sens,
Of injustice They nigh, have been lynn
In wait
My God" cried Mr. Acres. "Oh. horrible
horrible II cannot be but vet -O Oh
my poor, dear Bertha, would that coul,
bear it for you"
Then Won agree began Mr. Beavers
Il don't know what to think" moanet
the manager, but il Just flashed acros
my mind that Mr. Nay was about tho boss
masons size and that on that fatal las
day he wore the same sort of rough, out
'door garb, slouchcd hat and cordu
rJys -"
THAT explains it, said Mr.. Beavers