Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-03-25


peen better cared Tor mad / been a
crowned head. l suppose l am bit
of faddist in these things. Except
when business compels me TO break
through my rule, rise at the same
hour every morning, breakfast. lunch,
and dine at the same time, and as
far as possible retire to rest pune
| tually at the usual moment After
dinner in those days. things have
changed since then somewhat, l in
variably smoked cigar, and when
the evening was, fine went for a
stroll, returning between nine and
ten and retiring to rest, unless I had
anything to attend to, punctually at
II. On this particular occasion, the
night being fine, though rather close,
lit my cigar in the hall and stepped
out into the street exactly as the
clock was striking eight. l had lot
to think of, and felt just in the
humor for a walk. London at all
hours is a fascinating study to me.
and however much l see of her.
never tire of watching her moods.
After l left my hotel l strolled along
the embankment so far as the houses
OF parliament, passed the abbey,
made my way down Victoria street,
and then by way of Grosvenor place
to Hyde Park corner. Opposite APPS
, ley house / paused 10 look about me.
had my reasons for so doing, for
ever since | had left the riverside
| had entertained the notion that l
was being followed. When 1 had
crossed the road at the houses of
| parliament, two men, apparently of
the loafer class, had crossed too.
They had followed me up Victoria
street, and now, as | stood outside
the duke of Wellington's residence, l
could see them moving about on the
other side of the way. What their
| intentions were l could not say. but
that their object was to spy upon my
movements 1 was quite convinced.
In order to assure myself of this
fact resolved to lay little trap
for them. Passing down Pccadilly
at q sharp pace, turned into Berke-
ley street. some 20 yards or SO ahead
of them. Crossing the road | shell
tered myself in a doorway and wait
ed. l had not been there very long
before l observed that they had
turned the corner and were coming
along in hot pursuit. That they did
not notice me in my hiding-place is
evident from the fact that they
passed on the other side of the
street, and, doubtless thinking that
they had missed me. commenced to
run. I thereupon quilted my friend
ly doorway, returned to Piccadilly,
hailed a cab, and drove back to my
hotel AS l went I turned the mat
ter over in my mind. With the ex-
ception of the present case l had
nothing important on hand, SO that
I could think of no one who would
he likely to set watch upon me
That I did not suspect Hayle would
only be natural under the circum
stances. as 1 did not know then tina,
he had been the wit,sess of Kitwate
, and Codd's visit to my Office that AFT
ernoon. and l felt conT;accd in m
own mind that he was unaware tina
they were in England. 1t was mos
1 natural, therefore, that I should no
in any way associate him with tn
plot.
The following day was spent TO
! the greater part in making furthe
inquiries in Hatton Garden, an
: among the various Dutch merchant
then in London. The story the senio
partner of Messrs. Jacob and Buler
4 correct, and there could be no sor
i of doubt that Hayle had realized
e very large sum of money by tn
0 transaction. What was more, / di:
: covered that he had been seen
London within the previous "a hour
l. This was a most important poin
e and it encouraged me to persevere
o my search. One thing, however, We
y remarkable. One or two of the me
y chants to whom Hayle had dispose
u of his stones had seen more of hi
than Messrs. Jacob and Bulentha
u Two had dined with him at a certai
l. popular restaurant in Regent stree
anu Ldu hlSllSu d tIVdLNI Nltl III
afterwards. In neither case, hoy
: ever, had they discovered his nan
a or where he lived. This secret
l. guarded most religiously, and Il
IS fact that he did so afforded additio
q al food for reflection. If he imagine
Is his old companions to be dead, wi
n should he be so anxious that his ov
o identity, and his place of residene
"a should remain a secret? If tn
y We're safely out of the way, no OF
could possibly know of his come
1 ton with them, and in that case
might, if he pleased, purchase a ma
20 sion in Park Lane and flourish /
IS wealth before the eyes of the wor
l for any harm it might do him. Y
81 here he was, exciting mistrust by
ld secrecy, and leading a holear
lie corner sort of life when, as / ha
X. said, there was not the slighte
ld necessity for it. Little by little
d. was beginning to derive the impr'
&c sion that the first notion of n
n Hayle was an erroneous one, a
as that there was more in him than
at supposed. This sentiment was d.