The sun., 1906-01-14
TheBrownD Daub onthe Letter
Truman Skaters Recovery Of His Daughter
self, as he stood by the rail, his head on

self, as he stood by the rail. his head on
Why? To work in some way, of course,
on the sympathies Of Truman Slater, the
millionaire miner, whose arrival in town
had been announced in the papers. To
use the miniat ture, perhaps, as a means Of
identifying, the child Adele, now fully grown.
II eliye: To use it, perhaps, as means Of
establishing an impostor In her place II
haply she we're dead or gone from knowl-
And who, after all these years OF oblivion
could or would seek out the miniature?
Who, then, could know it's po 'sble value !;
could be apprised Of the identity, Of the
OF, her husband, OF the fate of the child.
taken from ts home, except, eNoeyt, OF
course, the man who had set, this evil coil
In motion, the man who had painted this
minia ture, using in the soft brown Of the
eyes and hair that same rare pigment the
use OF which had helred to make Gerald
Mayne famous.
Cronkite turned to the pawnbrokT..
You You don't mind my stepping in behind ie inc
dark corner?" And he added some ex-
| planatory words
"Of course not, rel oined the mn n heartily.
IL thought as much" And he swung opsn
the grating.
Very we'll, then" continued the de;
tective, 4and we will turn this light so, and
thus get good view of his face. II he
wants the miniature sell 1t to him. Here
1t is, you see and you'll he quite welcome
| to the proceeds IL you will let me out OF the
side door directly he is gons,
Presently some one ratified at the front
door, and on being admitted stood in bold
relief before the desk,
At first glance, in pose and dress, he
showed the outlines Of gentleman. But
the glaring light from under the tin re-
nector was pitiless. 1t displayed rent
and stain in the clothing; 1t displayed wear
and waste in the form. And when the soft
hat was thrust back impatlentiy the the white mt
! comprising hatred which comes from de-
feat and defiance.
Well, demanded the stranger, have you
found that miniature?'
1T Is here answered the pawnbroker,
at the same time naming his price.
| The man held the likeness up and scruti-
sGrest Godi. he murmured. in despairing
admiration. which is the more beautiful,
the subject or the painting?
Then he thrust the case into his pocket
and counted out the amount.
Curse you!' he snared, coming to him
self suddenly. What do you mean by look
Il was thinking" retorted the pawn
broker calmly that you were more adapted
to giving than to redeeming pledges
shabby genteel, hey? Let me tell you
that in twenty-four hours will be able to
Dly ana sell you ana your Oiu Idt tldl' Vi
place hundred times over.
And out the stranger went, the nicely OF
his gait contrasting oddly with tine rough
nees of his words.
III.
There was nothing homelike about Foun-
ders Court-no wonder charity did not abide
there. noisome rookery, just on from
the waterfront. no lamp without, scarce
glimmer from within, served to guide the
steps OF one seeking to enter. The stranger
from the pawnshop swore vigorously as he
stumbled up the rickety stairs thereby
aiding Cronkite as he followed, as silently, as
pers!stentlv as sha dow.
Yet for all his ,oholer, the stranger had
evidently been there before. He turned
the deeper darkness of a blind passage
He raped on the door at its end like one
assured OF his errand; yet he raped in
Curse Macklin,' he muttered, is he
drunk again, or does he want to keep OUT
Of 1t Probably both. the beast. But
yet he may send his mamie said no knew
just the sort. IN wait at all events"
II, And With t thrust Of his f2ot, hs forced
ing anew, until, in his gropings. he found
a lamp and made q meagre light.
To Cronkite, crouchinR by bin for fuel
or ashes, this broken soliloqny came with
the force OF a revelation. The strangers
and his words on leaving there had all
united in convincing him that this was the
artist Gerald Mayne, fallen from his high
est9te, and bent on regaining at least the
material part of it through some nefarious
scheme. In which the miniature would be
an element strongly favorable.
But manifosty its possession, together
with his almost exclusive knowledge OF
Enid Slater's fate, would not be sufficient.
He needed the help OF an acoomplioe-.t
sort Of a wretch whom one who must have
been an inmate of this disreputabe and
dangerous resort for many year would
select as fit for his purpose.
What was this purpose, then; what, In
deed, could IL be- II not to remove the only
possible obstacle from his path to Slater's
millions-to do away with the child, Adele,
as ruthlessly,, as surely, as retributive
destiny had done away with her errinR
mother.
Such confidence did the detective feel in
these logical deductions from all the ascer-
tainable facts, so hopeful did he grow that
by means Of the path thus outlined he nA,ht
work his way to Adele Slater, beset with
he began removing cuffs and neckware,
battering his hat rumpling his hair and
turning up his coat collar, to reduce himself
to that condition in which he might per-
senate Macklin's proper sort of man with
some degree Of likelihood
The sound OF voice in the hall below,
however, brought these expert endeavors
to close, even as IL drew him on tiptoe
and breathless to the verge of the stairs
There II be as much more comm to you
when you We done the job, tell YOU" said
a persuasive whisper, land the risks not
fieabite"
Risk nawthin', came heavier rumble,
-but can depind on you bot2"
"You know me"
Il know you, Macklin, to alus look out