The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-04-19

he closed the book, replaced it in the
corner and put out the light. He had
hardly turned to leave the hut when
Hopkins hand was on the fellows col
lar, and heard his loud gasp of ter
TOR as he understood that he was taken.
The candle was relit, and there was
our wretched captive, shivering and
covering in the grasp Of the detective.
lie sank down upon the sea chest and
looked helplessly from one of US to
the other.
"Now, my fine fellow" said Stanley
Hopkins, who are you and what do
you want here?"
The man pulled himself together and
faced us with an effort at self compo-
sure.
You are detectives, suppose" said
he. You imagine am connected with
the death If Captain Peter Carey.
assure you that am innocent"
We'll see about that" said Hop
llins. First Of all, what Is your
name?"
"It is John Hopley Neligan"
saw Holmes and Hopkins exchange
quick glance.
"What are you doing here?"
Can speak confidentially?"
NO. certainly not"
"W'hy should tell you?"
"If you have no answer, it may 60
badly with you at the trial."
The young man WINGED
well, will tell YOU" he said
"Why should not? And yet hate to
think of this old scandal gaining a
new lease Of life. Did you ever hear
Of Dawson & Neligan:"
Il could see from Hopkins face that
interested.
You mean the west country bank
ers," said he. "They failed for mill
lion, ruined half the county families
Of Cornwall and Neligan disappeared"
Exactly. Neligan was my father"
At last we We're getting something
positive, and yet it seemed long gap
between an absconding banker and
Captain Peter Carey pinned against
the wall with one of his own harpoons.
We all listened intently to the young
mans words.
ut was my father who was really
concerned. Dawson had retired.
was only ten years of age at the time,
but was old enough to feel the shame
and horror Of 1t all. 1t has always
been said that my father stole all the
securities and fed. 1t is not true. 1t
was his belief if he We're given time In
which to realize them all would be
we'll and every creditor paid in full.
He started in his little yacht for Nor
way just before the warrant was is
sued for his arrest. / can remember
that last night, when he babe farewell
to my mother. He left us list Of the
securities he was taking. and he swore
that he would come back with his
honor cleared and that none who had
trusted him would suffer Well, no
word was ever heard from him again.
Both the yacht and he vanished utter
". We believed my mother ana 1,
that he and it, with the securities that
he had taken with him, We're at the
bottom of the sea. We had faithful
friend, however, who is business
man, and it was he who discovered
some time ago that some Of the Sc
curities which my father had with
him had reappeared on the London
market. You can imagine our amaze
ment. I spent months in trying to
trace them, and at last, after many
doubtings and difficulties, discovered
that the original seller had been Cap
l;,..l .er Carey, the owner of this
hut
Naturally, l made some INQUIRIES
about the man. l found that he he'd
been i'll command of Il whaler which
was due to retu1N from the arctic seas
at the very time when my father was
crossing to Norway. The autumn of
that year was u stormy one, and there
was long succession of southerly
gales. My fathers yacht may we'll
have been blown to the north and there
met by Captain Peter Carey's ship. If
that We're so, what had become Of my
father? In amy case, if l could prove
from Peter Careys evidence how these
securities came on the market it would
be IL proof that my father had not sold
them and that he had no view to per-
sonal profit when he took them.
Il came down to Sussex with the in
tcntion of seeing the captain, but it
was at this moment that his terrible
death occurred. l read ut the inquest
description of his cabin, in which it
stated that the old logbooks of his YES
sci We're preserved in it, 1t struck me
that il could see what occurred in the
month of August, 1888, on board the
Sea Unicorn l might settle the mystery
of my fathers fate. tried last night
to get at these logboolls, but was una
bic to open the door. Tonight l tried
again and succeeded. but find that the
pages which deal With that month have
been torn from the book 1t was at that
moment l found myself prisoner in
your hands,
rs that all?" asked Hopkins.
''Yes, that is ALL" His eyes shifted as
he said it.