Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1905-11-18
The Doctors wife |
~ MSS N. e. BRADDON
CHAPTER XII.-Continucd.)
"a criminal casei'
az MSS N. e. BRADDON

"a criminal casef''
ayes. I was in town on business a
year or two ago. to renew some leases
and look into whole batch Of tircsomc
business matters which my lawyer in
sisted upon my attending to In my own
proper person, very mucl, to my annoy
ance. I dropped into the United Stock
Bank. While I was talking to one of
the clerks at the counter man came
In and stood close to my elbow while he
handed In n check. know 1t came very
close upon the hundrcd-reccived the
money and went out. lie looked like a
groom out of livery. left the bank
almost Immediately after him, and as he
turned into little alley ! followed a
few PAGES behind him. At the bottom of
the alley my friend the groom was met
by big. black WHISPERED man who seem
ed to have been waiting for him, FOR he
caught him suddenly by the arm and
said: We'll. did they do itT Yes, the
other man answered. and began FUN
bling in his pocket. making a thinking
sound as he did so. 'You needn't have
pounced upon me so prcciouy sharp he
said, rather sulkily: 4 wasn't going to
bolt with it. was II The black-whis-
kercd man had seen me by this time. and
he muttcred something to- his companion
which evidently meant that he was to
hold his tongue. and then dragged him
of without further ceremony. This was
all saw of the groom or the black.
whiskcred gentleman upon that occasion.
! thought their method Of cashing a
check was rather queer one: but
thought no more about 1t until three
weeks afterward. when went into the
United Stock Bank again. and was told
that the check which had been cashed
In my presence was forgery, one Of n
series of the most audacious frauds, per
petrated by a gang whose plans had only
just come to light and none Of whom
had yet been arrested. They've man.
aged 10 keep themselves In the dark In
the most extraordinary manner, the clerk
told me; tho checks are supposed ia
have been all fabricated by one man. but
three or four men have been employed ia
get hold of the original signatures Of
our customers. which they have obtained
by complicated system Whereupon
told my little story of the black.whis.
kered gentleman"
Mr. Lansdcll paused TO take breath
and stole n glance at Isabel. She was
pale always--but she was very pale now
and was watching him with an eager
breathless expression.
SILLY. romantic little thing" he
thought, ito be so intensely absorbed In
my story"
You're getting interesting. Roland
said Gwcndolinc. "Pray go on"
1.-THE upshot Of the matter was that n,
8 o'clock that evening II grave little gen
tleman came to me and cross.qucstioncd
me as to what I knew Of the man who
bad cashcd the check. You think you
could recognize this man with the black
whiskcrsT he said. Yes; most decided,
! could And you'll swear to him. Il
necessary with pleasure On thi,
the detective departed and camc to IN,
the next day. TO tell me that he fnnciet
he was on the track Of the man he want
ed. hut he was nc loss for means oil
Identification. lie knew. or thought tina,
he knew, who the man was; but h,
didn't know the man himself from
Adam. The next morning ! had the sn
prcme pleasure Of pointing out my black
whiskercd acquaintance. lie looked yer,
black. declaring that 1t was all mis-
take. and that II would DO easily sci
right. I let the two go together. yer,
well pleased with my adventure.
II was not 50 well pleased. however
when ! found that was wanted rs q
witness at preliminary examinations, ant
adjourned examinations. and on and OF
through trial that lasted four days ant
a half; TO say nothing OF being badgcrct
and brow-bcatcn by psctitloners---wh,
We're counsel for the prisoncr-and VIII,
asked mo II It was my friends whsker,
recognized, or II ] had never seen nm,
other whiskers exactly like his? II
should know him without his whiskcrs
whether any member Of my family Ia,
been In lunatic asylumY whether
usually devoted my leisure time to travel
Ing about with detective officers? whethe
] should DO able to recognize an nc
quaintance had only seen once In tween
~ years? whether ! was short.slghted
would ] swear I was not shOrt.sightcd
would be kind enough to read a vers
or 20 from q diamond edition of IN,
works Of Thomas Moore? aud SO on
But question me as they would. the prls
oner at the bar--cOmInOnly known o.
Jack the Scribe. alias Jack tho Gentle
man. alias ever 80 many other name
which have completely forgotten--wa
the Identical person whom ! had sceI
meet the groom. My evidence was onl,
. single link In long chain; but I sun
pose 1t was cmlnently damaging to M,
black.whiskered friend. for when no an,
two OF his associates had received theI
sentence he turned toward where wa
standing. and said:
~ don't bear any grudGe against tn
gentlemen Of the jury, and ! don't bea
any malice against the judge, but when
languid swell mixes himself up In bust
ness that doesn't concern him, he de
serves to get It hot and strong. II eve
] come out of prison alive, III kill you!
HE shook his fist ut me rs no said /,
There wasn't much IN tho words, bu
there was good deal In the way h
which they were spoken. He tried TO 81,
more; but the warders got hold Of hin
and held him down, painting aud gaspinp
and with his face of dull livid whit,
] saw no more Of him; but II he does lv
to come out Of prison. most firmly be
lieve he will keep his word"
"Izzie," cried George Gilbert. sudden
", "what's the matter!"
All the point Of Mr.. Lansdelrs stor
was lost for at this moment Isabel tot
tered and fell slowly backward upon tn
sward, and all the goldfish leaped ava
In panic of terror as the doctor dippe
his hat into the marble basin. II
splashed the water into his wife's fac,
and she opened her eyes at last, yer