Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-10

3
the showlder. why, Mickv seq he; It's
Mick Leamy. du bliever
know
!" Not know mef seq he. Why, I whit to
school wild ye.' An wild that he hauls me
off to bar. blarneyin' and minowdherin',
an orders drinks.
Can We rache me a poipe-loightT seq he,
an turned to get ut, but, lookin' back sud-
dent, there was that onblushin thief av the
warf tippin' paperful of phowder stuff
into me glass"
What did you do?' Hewitt asked
II knocked the dhirty face him, sor,
an can We blame me? name scutt, thryin'
for to poison a well-manin' stranger. /
knocked the face av him, an got away
home"
Now the next misfortune?'
Faith. that was av a sort likely to turn
out the last of all misfortunes. / whit that
day to the Crystal Palace, bein' dishposed
for little sphort, seem as 1 was new to
JUICE av crowd on the station plat
form, consekins of late thrain.
Sthandin by the edge av the plat
form at the fore end, just thrain
came in, some onvisible murderer gives
me a stupenjus drive in the back, and over
l wint on the line, mid-betwixt the rails.
The engine came up an whit half over me
Wldout givtn' me scratch, bekase aV my
men pulled me out, nigh sick wild fright,
sor, as We may guess. A jintleman In the
crowd sings out: I'm medical man! an
II ey TUX me in the waitin' room, an he
investigated me, havin turned everybody
else out av the ROOM There wuz no bones
bruk glory be! and the docthorman he was
tellin me so, after feelin' me over, whin 1
felt his hand in me waistcoat pockut.
An fwhat's this, sor? seq 1. DO you
be lookin' for your fee that thiefs way?
He LATED and said: L want no fee from
We, me man. an l did but feel your ribs
though on me conscience he had done that
undher me waistcoat already. An 80 l
CO me home"
What did they do to you on Saturday."
Saturday, sor they gave me a whole
holiday, and 1 began to think less OF
things; but on Saturday night, in dark
place. two blayguards TUX me throat from
behind, nigh choked me. flung me down,
an whit through all me pockuts In about a
quarter av minut."
And they took nothing. you say?"
Nothing, sor. But this mornin' l got
my worst dose. 1 was trapesing along dis
treshful an moighty sore, In street just
away Off the Strand here, when / observed
the docthor-man that was at the Crystal
Palace station a-smilin' an beckonin' at me
from door.
How are We now? seq he Well SEE
I. I'm moighty sore an sad bruised SEE
!. is that SO? seq he. 'Sthep in here So
I sthepped in, an before I could wink
head that sent me off as unknowledgable
as a corpse. I knew no more for while.
sor, whether half an hour or an hour. an
thin got up in room av the place, mark
ed To Let Twas a house full av offices,
by the same token, like this. There was
sore bad lump on me head-see ut. sorf-
an the whole warr was shpinnin' roun'
rampageous. The things out av me pock-
uts were lynn on the f1ure by meal bar
rim the key av me room. So that the de-
mons had been through me pOsseshins
again. bad luck to en-
You are quite sure, are you, that every
thing was there except the key?' Hewitt
asked.
"Certin, sor? Well. I got along to me
room, sick an sorry enough, an doubt
some whether I might get in wild no key.
But there was the key in the open door, an
by this an that, all the shtun in the room
chair, table, bed an all-was sthandin on
their heads twisty-ways, an the bed clothes
an everythin' else; such disgraceful
stramsh conglomerated thruck as We
niver dhreamt The chist av drawers
was lynn on uts face, wild all the dhraw-
out an emptied on the f1ure. Twas
as though an army had been lootin',
sor"
But still nothing was gomez
"Nothin', far as l investigated, sor.
But 1 didn't shtay. l came out to spake
to the polls, an two av them LATED at me
wan afther another
TT has certainly been no laughing mat
ter for you. Now, tell me-have you any
thing in your possession-do or
valuables, or anything-that any person.
t of.! your knowledge is anxious to get mold
Il have not. sor-divil a document! AS
to valuables. thin an me is the cowldest
av strangers.
Just call to mind. now, the face Of the
man who tried to put powder In your
drink and that of the doctor who attend
they at all alike, or was either like any
body YOU have seen befOre!
Leamy puckered his forehead and
thought.
Faith" he said presently they were a
bit alike, though one had beard an the
udther whiskerS only.
Neither happened to look like Mr. Hol-
lams. for instance? an,
They'd ha' been mortal like him If they'd
been shaved" Then after a pause, he
suddenly added: Holy saints! is Ut the
family he talked avg"
said Now, as to the man who sent you
with the bag. Was 1t an old bag?'
Bran cranklin' new-a brown leather
bag"
That 1 niver thried. sor. 1t was not
my consarn.
True Now as to this Mr.. w. himself"
Hewitt had been rummaging for some few
minutes in a portfolio, and finally pro-
duced photograph and held 1t before the
Irishmans eye rs that like him?' he
asked.
"Shure it's the man himself! Is he a
friend av yours, sor?
NO, he's not exactly a friend of mine,
Hewitt answered, with a grim chuckle. Il
fancy he's one of that very respectable
family you heard about at Mr.. Hollams.
Come along with me now to Chelsea and
see If you can point out that house in
Gold street. I'll send for a cab"
He made for the outer Office and I went
with him.
What is all this Hewitt?" I asked "A
gang Of thieves with stolen property"
Hewitt looked in my face and replied:
IT'S the Quinton ruby!"
WHAT The ruby? Shall you take the
case up, then9'
II shall. 1t is no longer a speculation.
Then do you expect to find 1t at Hol-
lams' house in Chelsea?' asked.
mo, l don't. because 1t isn't there-else
why are they trying to get it from this UNI
lucky Irishman? There has been bad
faith in Hollams gang, I expect, and Hol-
lams has missed the ruby and suspects
Leamy Of having taken it from the bag.
Then who Is this Mr. w. whose por-
trait you have in your possession
''See here," Hewitt turned over small
pile of recent newspapers and selected one,
pointing at a particular paragraph Il
kept that in my mind. because to me 1t
seemed to be the most likely arrest OF the