The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-17

taken at that time. Had the tramp been
one Of the company 10 commit the crime
his accomplices would have shown up for
their share OF the plumber. Yet there he
was spending ii openly and In a manner to
attract the greatest possible attention 10
himself. Then there was the imprint OF
the hand on the dust under the carpet.
That was left by the real thief. Who was
he and how did he learn of the secret hid
ing place? Could 1t be Mollie-yes, why
not? The belief that the hand under the
bandages was the guilty hand had blinded
him. She was an accomplice Of the real
thief and was helping him to get the money
that he had somehow lost to the tramp.
1t was through her that he must work to
catch the real criminal.
With this end in view, Maitland visited
daily with the baron and encouraged the
latter's attentions to Mabel. This was not
difficult task. Mabel was such sweet lit
tie body that the baron was soon head over
heels in love with her. He showered her
with presents, dressed her in silks and
laces, took her to drive daily and gave out
everywhere that they were to be married.
Mollie was furious. but her hold on the
baron was gone. He refused her entrance
to his quarters, sent back her letters un-
opened, and passed her on the street with
scarcely a nod of recognition. Maitland
kept Mollie informed as to their love af-
fair. He wished to make the baron so
hated by his former sweetheart that she
would try to ruin him. At the same time
he was gaining her confidence. After sew
eral weeks of this maneuvering he made an
engagement with Mollie to meet him at din
ner. She was also to bring her brother,
who had but recently turned UP and who
Maitland was very anxious to see When
this arranged Maitland invited the
baron and Mabel to the same luncheon.
Mollie came first and her brother fol-
lowed Something IN the mans face or fig
ure seemed very familiar to Maitland, and
yet he did not remember to have seen him
before. But as the brother raised a glass
Of wine the detective almost leaped from
his chair. There clasped about the stem
Of the champagne glass were the fingers
he had been so long seeking. There was no
MISLEADING the hand. He would have known
it among a million. How many hours he
had pored over it's outline, building UP
from the faint red lines a complete struc
ture. He. had often thought he could tell
was just as he had pictured it. He knew
now why the man had seemed familiar to
him at the outset. The face and figure Of
the man correspondent with his speculations.
1t was as though a figure out of a dream
had been suddenly materialized. His heart
was in his throat, but habit was stronger
than emotion and saved him from betraying
himself. The baron and Mabel. would they
never come? He talked commonpiaces
while his brain was on fire. He ordered
wine and forced it ON his companions for
fear that they might go before his plan
was worked out. To arrest this man now
was to bungle, and Maitland was an artist.
At last they came:s the baron tall and
courtly, his companion fresh and pretty as
a wildwood flower. For this night she had
laid aside her new finery and wore SIM
pie dress, no ornaments save a bunch Of
violets at her throat. At their entrance
Mollie's eyes flashed fire and the man be-
side her grew lvid. But before a word
could be said Maitland sprang up. and.
grasping the barons hand, cried: my dear
fellow, how glad I am to see you. Come
and sit at our table. And you, Miss Mabel,
how pretty you are tonight Here are
some old acquaintance. Now we shall
have q jolly time
81 decline to meet Them" cried Mollie.
rising.
brother.
never speak again." shouted Van Staal.
advancing on the stranger.
"You are you know you are!' shrieked
F1r1g a. xx-f<l
did you get the money with which to trick
out this little mink? From the express
company All need to do is to say the
word and you go to the pen"
'And them" cried her companion, your
little pet there can go back to the
streets" A blow on the cheek cut the
sentence off short. The brother staggered
under the force OF It, but, drawing a revolt
yer, would have fired had not Maitland
caught his hand and wrested the weapon
from him. But he was now mad with rage,
and. springing at the baron's throat. he
cried: Tramp! thief! devil! 1t is my money
you have been spending; mine; mine; mine;
mine. You dug it up out there in the
swamp and ran away with it. I will have
your life
mot just yet" said Maitland, stepping
between the two men and covering both
with a revolver in each hand. "Your lives
are too precious to be wasted In that way.
For the present they belong to me-" He
blew upon a whistle and four officers en-
tered.
Take charge of these men," he said.
"Handcuff them securely and see that they
do not escape. This lady. too. may as well
go along. This little girl is innocent. I will
see that she is properly cared for"
At the trial the baron, with ingenious
complacency, confessed his part in the af-
fair. He smilingly acknowledged his iden-
tity; that Baron Van Staal and John Bohm,
the tramp, were one and the same person.
His remarkable rise in the world he ex-
planned to be the sheerest accident. 1t
happened few weeks earlier when hobo
ing through a mountainous district out on
the Southern Pacific. He had left the rail-
way track. intending to take a short cut
through some timber to a hamlet near by.
Tired, footsore and hungry. he had never
before been so down on his luck. few
mouthfuls of food he must beg and, If
possible. find a shed to protect him from
y |