Omaha daily bee., 1905-10-08

II
- had not quite come up that astute Of
ISXSY( ncers expectations he appeared stil to have
Ne@lGSal faita in I have 10 doubt that you will
remember that extrao rdinary affair at High
bridge Spa how Featley recovered her neck
lace. need not go into 1t here. Although as say had
really been OF assistance TO Inspector clair on that
the time when ne sought out again;
that. too work Of a similar kind.
doing some rctouchng IA studio one morn
Ing when the inspec. in, accompanied by Enoch
Noyce He had evidently sought out the old man first
After that preliminary delay and that talk concerning
ordinary matters both Of which seemed essential to some
the inspector approached the object Of his visit And
again happened that ne had been sent for from the
country.
1T may prove to be only question finger marks,
Mr. Rattenbury" began, It may prove to be some
thing more. ] can't exactly at the moment but
certainly help It's goodish way, but don't
suppose you mind that"
/ eagerly assured MIN that was prepared go any
where. and begged that he would give some idea of
what the mis- occasion.
It's a little matter of said Inspector clair,
looking frownngy into the fire before which he sat
Figure yourself highly respectable town. OF highly
respectable inhabitants sort Of place where every one
goes bed half past, and where concert or
"a mild and innocent hop is the greatest relaxation
tnown The vicar dimes with the banker crime Is prac-
ucay unknown and at the asszos white gloves are as
common constabes.
There you have think a pretty description
Of Brmford Market, in the county f shropshire
And the arson" asked voyce looking at him quiz
zngly.
speCtor pursuing his lips TEs institution or that is
abaze; a somewhat old-fashioned fire engine
IT,
outside the town is set aght in three or four places
There's no hope that all Tnis that has
the ucondiaryi differ and yet seem to point
to particular man. In word the thlng mas become
serious many properties have been attacked
becomes vitality necessary something should be
done Now you know the reason why want to go
with Brmford Market in the county of Shropshire
Il should be matter added the Inspector
pulling thoughtfuly 1T his beard" very easy matter
indeed"
We Travelled down to Brmford Market taat day, and
think it the dulhst most highly respectable looking
have encountered
clean the proverbial new pin, and the
houses faced the broad stress, with bright wink
ing knockers and brass plates and spouess door
most Of them had green shutters to the windows
turned by against the walls There market
cross dating four hundred and there
hall that rad been renovated, and there
public library that need renovatng and
there was, course, a bank.
mention the bank particularly, because it concerns
this story a square building standing in the CEN
OF the town and when referred to simply az the
bank" spoken of by strangers Ortnmans bank "
arrived, the bank almost the first place to
which were introduced because its proprieor-a GER
tain Mr. Orthman--wds the most keeny interested
i the mysterious which been taking place He
appeared to be rather shining light i'm the place and
indeed, at that time its mayor.
He was I think, Of the most remarkable looking
men have ever seen should imagine especially having
gard his name, that he foreign exrac
ton; any the type of face curious He
had high decidedly intellectual looking forehead, clear
profile, with firm mouth and chin dark hair brushed
straight of the temples and orehea" and the brightest
eyes have i'm a human face They
markable
the spoke There about them quite
magnetic quality looked the prosperous
citizen of provincial town wen dressed and well
hammered and evidently used to dealing with men As he
strongly interested in the concerning which
Inspector Clair had been summoned
is a serious matter for us-for town of which
the chief magistrate ne said Nc property is safe;
already the lives of innocent persons have
been sacrificed. police appear helpless.
No reward that have offered has induced one to
come forward 10 give evidence YET that te cases are
the acts of incendiary is perfectly clear"
noticed curious thing, while Mr. Nicholas ORTIZ
man takedns face worked eXctedy and his eyes bazed
quite in the manner Of to whom this personal
offense. Nor that the remarkable thing Look
ing at him in the strong light i'm which he sat- that
his face perfect network OF lines and wrinkles maxi
him, that appear much older than
supposed | of an old person
with just such lnes-a the of which might have
been, to fancy. at least capable Of fitting larger
than it covered The thought occurred then,
ir looking at him; It dismissed moment later.
Guided by the chief constable of the town. to
the OF the latest outraEe-a school
Orthman, alike in his capacity mayor a private
Individual VINO might some day suffer himself in like fash
ion accompanied I remember that the circumstances
the pathetic in that the little children
the caretaker of the place had persisted In the flames
There had been opportunity for getting out,
they had forgotten excitement At this dis
time l forget exactly when was the reason
Inspector Clair made various for
footmark here, and cursng the stupidity local
police there, where something had been disturbed
could see that he bafied. Moreover there
small chance that any photograph % finger marks foot
prints would be OF hundred the
windows and the doorways dozens Of
over the soft earth round about the ruin of the school
house and distnguishabe from another The
only real evidence that could was that the
hend who fired the place had deliberately In three
different spots; the flames had been break out in
those three places at the same time
one witness was brought forward-that broken weep
ing creature the carataker the whose little
children had been sacrificed. He a big. burly man
with honesty written all him. II would have been
sheer madness to suggest for that this had
"nythng to do with the fire. to throw some
light upon the identity Of the inccndary
lie had seen man, with CAP drawn about his face
and clad In an old and shabby overcoat hanging about
near the school Tie had liked the man and
had pointed him out his wife. The man had nothne
about him by which he could be identifed-a least IA
caly-save very remarkable pa eyes-blazing eyes
wide open and staring The face had far as they
could see, swollen appearance the lips hangne
loosely; altogether the face OF madman. Neither the
MISREPRESENTATION