The Yale expositor., 1905-07-14
A BIT OF AMATEUR
IA DETECTIVE WORK

| Qence L nave or this Is mat my friends
are continually asking my opinion of
this or that book. One class of fiction
always Observation-Disclosures stories.
Today l read every detective story I
tan get my hands on. This is the cause
of my conversion:
One summer my friend Charlie Coe
asked me to spend some time with him
at his country seat He had there
number of guests, including Virginia
Carney, whom l had met before, and
Miss Kate Taylor, whom l met there
for the first time Virginia Carney
was inclined to literature of refined
type, and 1t was supposed that on &C
count Of congenial tastes she and l
would make match. When Miss Tay-
lor told me that she loved detective
stories IL seemed to me that we could
never have anything In common.
One evening as l was hurrying down
10 dinner, being late, / saw we'll
dressed man on the stairs with an over
coat on his arm and a satchel in his
hand. On seeing me he looked a tri-
de embarrassed, told me that ne was
a newly arrived guest that he did not
wish to disturb the host while at din
ner and he would be obliged if l would
show him to some room where he could
make a toilet. The butler was in tho
hall below, and it occurred TO me to
turn the man over to him; but, not
wishing to appear disobliglng, 1 took
him up TO my own room and left him
| there.
l did not think of him again, nor did
l see him. played an exciting game
OF billiards after dinner and from then
till midnight danced. The next morn
ing early l was Off with fishing party
! and did not return til shortly before
dinner.
On entering the house met my host
and told him of my success at fishing.
He listened without showing the slight
est interest-indeed, was very freezing
in his demeanor toward me- At din
ner the guests treated me In the same
fashion. No one refused to speak TO
me, but all avoided me. During the
evening l went to Miss Carney and
endeavored to draw from her the cause
Of my singular treatment. | soon found
! that, whatever the cause was, she had
been as fully affected by it as any one
else. But she gave me no satisfaction.
Later much depressed by what /
could not understand, l went ont on to
the piazza and sat alone. Hearing a
light step behind me, turned, and
there was Kate Taylor. l arose and
| bowed formally, not knowing what to
expect
You have noticed, suppose" she
said, "a GOODNESS toward you. l doubt
if you know the cause"
Il do not"
"a number OF guests have missed
since last night some of their valua-
blcs, and diamond brooch was found
yesterday morning by the manservant
who brushes the guests clothes in the
side pocket of your dinner jacket"
For a moment l was thunderstruck,
but the guest, or, rather, thief, whom !
had taken to my room soon came back
to my memory and accounted for ev-
erything. | hurriedly gave the girl an
account of the matter, and l saw ut
once that she believed my story. Then
started to go in and explain the mat
ter to the host.
zone moment" said Miss Taylor.
"Will he believe your
"Why not? DO you not believe me-"
Eyes, but did not believe you guilty
In the first place. If 1 had / don't
think | would be much influenced by
your story. In criminal cases you will
notice that people range themselves on
Ell hn nfb nd do anf oh
their opinions whatever the evidence or
the verdict"
what course do you adviser
II have always had u fancy for de-
tective work. Suppose you do nothing
for the present and leave the matter
to me-"
I was glad to avail myself OF any
assistance. She asked me to tell my
story over, questioning me minutely
as l did SO. Then we separated, it
being understood that she was not to
treat me any differently from the
others.
The next few days were torture to
me. Avoided by the guests and treat
e,i coOlly by the host, wished to leave,
but Miss Taylor advised my remain
| ing, so I stayed on and every day was
the more stunned.
At the end of the fifth day, just be-
fore dinner, the host asked for the at
tendance OF every guest in the draw
| ing room. ! felt sure that my time
had come; that I was about to be de-
nounced. When we were assembled.
| Coa addressed us:
"My friends, robbery has occurred
| in this house which has thrown sus-
picion on one guest and has been I'M
raveled by another" He then told
the story Of my meeting the man In
the hall and continued: "a lady took
up the case, and, from the fact of the
butler having been in the hall when or
soon after the assumed guest entered,
she suspected him and left money
! marked where it would tempt him.
He was caught in the trap. and on
promise OF immunity confessed that
1 no had admitted the thief while we