The sun., 1906-01-14

On the appointed day and hour old Tru-
man Slater entered Judge Marcellus's pri-
vate office. The sturdiness OF his frame
and tho directness of his gait revealed the
strength and vigor which had enabled him
TO snatch great fortune from the privations
and dangers Of the alkali plains. But the
tremor OF his lips and the heaviness OF his
eyes spoke just as plainly Of the hardest Of
all troubles to endlre-the trouble OF sus-
pense.
At the same moment Abe Cronkite en-
tered from the main room, and, going to
his desk. produced small packet.
will you please examine this, sir'' he
said.
Mr.. Slater united the string and removed
the wrapper. He lifted the cover of the
box and brought out the miniature Of
young and lovely woman, pearl engirt, and
set as q brooch
my wife as she was when she went
away with our little Adele" he gasped.
where did you get it?"
The detective looked toward his master
with disquetude.
MY man Cronkite shrinks from the re-
morselessness OF logic" the Judge kindly
explained. "He employs in his researches
Me posteriori method Of proceeding from
Hscertainable facts through rational de-
auctions toward the truth. Sometimes the
conclusion Is as shocking as 1t is inevitable.
Perhaps he had better just state his facts"
This is the statement OF the case, Mr..
Slater, as received it from the Judge"
began Cronkite. IF err in any respect,
please stop me at once.
twenty years ago you were so fascinated
by an actress named Enid Ransom, who
came with a travelling show to the little
mining town where you lived, that you
married her after a weeks acquaintance.
Two years later she disappeared, taking
your little child, Adele, with her, and send
ing you letter from the train, wherein she
reproached you for neglect and said good
by forever"
Her reproaohes were just groaned Mr..
Slater.
1T would seem so" continued Cronkite
composedly, "for you took no steps to trace
or intercept the fngitives, but continued,
absorbed in business"
Until fit Of sickness. through bringing
me face to face with death, showed me how
contemplate had been my ambitions and
lahors in comparison with the duties I
had summed" the old man interrupted.
.On my recovery I came to this city. re-
membering that it had seemed to have the
pull Of a magnet for Enid. I engaged
Judge Mrcellus to aid me in finding my
wife, my child, at the cost OF half my for
tune, IL need be-
Exactly" agreed Cronkite. "And these
we're all the facts had to start with, with
one vital exception. You gave the Judge
your wife's farewell letter. Here it is
you see; a half sheet Of heavy white paper
eomewhat r,,mpled as if II might have been
carried loose in a travelling bag, with a
small brown stain on the back OF tt
Il remember noticing that. even in my
rage said Mr.. Slater. .The color was 30
rioh 80 full of life
1T has the same characteristics, sir,
now, you observe, unimpaired after lapse
Of eighteen years. This struck me 20
forcbly that consulted dealer in artist
materials about it. He recognized It at
once as daub OF an Egyptian pigment,
made, 1t Is said. from the dust Of murnmies,
rare at the present time. and almost un-
known q generation ago When / asked
whether he knew Of any local artists using
It then he said he cid not, excepting, Of
COURSE, Gerald Mayne in his wonderful
studies of the Great American Des--'
Gerald Mayne'' exclaimed Slater, grit
ting his teeth, Il remember the fellow
being out there; but never dreamed-'
sListen, sir ! looked up Mayne's record.
He married ten years ago. and, as soon
as he could. went abroad with his wife,
where they have lived ever since.'
-As soon as he could?"
.Yes, he was shot and dangerously
wounded as he was coming out OF church
after the ceremony, by a woman. II was
the sensation OF the day"
But the woman, the woman2"
"she pleaded guilty at once, covering
her identity under the assumed name Of
Mary Smith. She was sent for ten years
to Moyoming prison.
"Yes, yes
~She died there in few months, friendess,
unknown, having kept rigid silence"
But this miniature-for Gods sake,
tell me-"
AT my request, the warden looked up
the preliminaries of her entrance into
prison. Tucked away in the storeroom
they found the little package of her effects,
q pitifu array of thin patched clothing,
a worn wallet. containing nothing but a
pawnticket. l went to the pawnbroker.
scarcely hoping after so long a time, but
he had preserved the pledge for it's artistic
value. You have it in your hand sir
.The child" moaned old Truman Slater.
find the child for me at any oost 1t is
my last, my only, hope"
II.
Established nearly a century ago.
read the inscription over the doorway
OF the gloomy shop, and the framed sets
OF pawntickets hanging on the grill in
front of the desk, by their various dates,
verified the assertion.
The elderly man at work with the books
behind the grill gave hard smile Of well