The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-12-15

| A Wonderful Sleuth.
y BY Emerson Bennett.

BY Emerson Bennett.

The following wonderful exploit OF
an Oriental Sleuth is the narration Oh
gentleman who spent some years III
British India, and Is here given in his
own language.
| was one day sauntering through
one of the prominent streets Of Cal
,utta, when my attention was attracted
10 crowd of people gathered around
mountebank, who, on raised platform
was amusing the spectators with some
feats of legerdemain
| quietly drew up to the outer CIR
Gle and remained there. for a rev
minutes watching his clever tricks,
sra then resumed my walk.
AS did so | attempted to draw my
watch, to note the time; but, to my
Eurprise, found the gold chain caught
IN the lining of my pocket.
AS I disengaged it, discovered 20
ray horror, that my watch was miss
ing | say to my horror, because can
fiink IF no other word that so nearly
expresses what | felt.
Ehe watch was not only of great i'll
trinsic value, but an heirloom in our
tamily-a royal gift to distant ances-
tor-and has been in possession OIL
elder sons for many generations. Thero
was a legend, too, that, II lost, anc
hot recovered, the last owner would
have a tragic end.
With a gasping faintness, and large
heads of perspiration standing on my
features, at once started for police
Headquarters; and there l made my
loss known, with the remark that
was prepared to pay almost any amount
to be again put in possession OF what
! SO highly priced.
Then you are disposed to offer
tempting reward?' said the chief OF
police.
Anything you may think proper to
name, sir. was my reply.
Shall we say fifty pounds"
Double it-treble it-quadIuple it,
if necessary"
Well say hundred pounds. then,
and I'll get your watch back II IL
human or ghOstly power
What do you mean by shostly pow
err"
You shall see."
He touched button and presently
man appeared.
rs Zanwi OF duty?"
He has Just come in. sir
He is wanted here"
The chief detective opened door
snd pronounced the name.
A nondescript came bounding in.
l say nondescript. because | never
saw anything like him before or since.
He seemed to be neither man nor
monkey, and yet something Of both
combined. He was very small for a
man, but too large for monkey. His
head. face, arms, hands, legs and feet
were Of the monkey order, but he had
no tail. His eyes were black and bead
like, and he seemed to have an intel |
ligent cunning. and could talk in a
way to lie understood by his master.
Mr.. Gonzai,' said the chief Of po-
lice, speaking to the detective, this
gentleman (nodding towards mel has |
lest valuable watch. for the restora-
ton of which he Will pay hundred !
pounds Let Zanwi lind the thief and |
restore it,"
Please state the particulars, sir?"
said Gonzal, turning to me.
hurriedly and anxiously related a!l |
l knew of the matter, which really |
amounted to nothing beyond the fact |
Of the loss.
Are you certain you had the watch !
viii, you In the street, questioned the
detective.
Eyes, l am certain of that" replied,
because / remember looking at the
lime while walking along"
Did any one jostl. you in the crowd
around the montebank?'
mo one, am certain. for I did not
top long. and all the time remained
IN the extreme outer circle
'IIow do you account for the watch
,eing removed from the chain, and
he end of the chain restored to your
rocket. without you being made aware
Il it in any manner?"
Il cannot That is mystery l have
lot been able to solve to my satisfac-
ior. My only theory is that the pick
,ocket must have been an adept in his
'IcfesEion, TO draw my watch and twist
t from he chain wihou my seeing or
ceiling him."
You have the chain the thief han
led"
This is it, replied. as I produced
t, land the end of the chain shows
he twist, as you see here
Good smiled GOnzal, as he took
he chain in his hands; this gives US
chance to call upon power more
Mysterious than the proSlcm we wish
0 solve! In this r,aniEin l2lancing