Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-01-12

instincts again INTERVIEWED, and he set
the cups down again--this did not
| see-and turned his steps toward the
| library with the intention of writing
her note instead. But though he
found paper and pen to hand, he could
find no words for so daring request,
and he came back into the hall, only
to hear that the woman he had con-
templated addressing had just been
murdered and her great jewel stolen.
The shock was too much. and as
there was no leaving the house then,
he retreated again to the library
where he devoured his anxieties in
silence till hope revived again at sight
of the diamond in the inspectors
hand, only to vanish under the ma
chinations of one he did not even
recognize when he took the false
jewel from his hand.
| The American had outwitted the
Englishman and the triumph OF evil
was complete.
Or so 1t seemed. But If the English
man is slow, he is sure. Thrown of
the track for the time being, Mr.. Grey
had only to see picture of the sti-
letto in the papers, to feel again that,
despite all appearances, Fairbrother
was really not only at the bottom OF
the thefts from which his cousin and
himself had suffered, but Of this fright
full murder as well. He made no open
move-he was stranger in a strange
land and much disturbed, besides, by
his fears for his daughter-but he
started secret inquiry through his
old valet whom he ran across In the
street, and whose peculiar adaptable
ity for this kind Of work he well
knew.
The aim Of these inquiries was to
determine If the person, whom two
4 physicians and three assistants were
endeavoring to nurse back to health
on the top of wild plateau in a re-
mote district of New Mexico, was the
man he had once entertained at his
own board in England, and the adven-
lures thus incurred would make
story in itself. But the result seemed
| to Justify them. Word came after III
numeroble delays, very trying to MI.
Grey, that he was not the same,
though he bore the name OF Fair
brother, and was considered by every
one around there to be Fairbrother.
Mr.. Grey, ignorant Of the relations be-
| tween the millionaire master and his
| man which sometimes led to the lat
ter's personifying the former, was con-
| fident of his own mistake and bitterly
ashamed of his own suspicious.
| But second message set him right.
| A deception was being practised down
in New Mexico, and this was how his
| spy had found 1t out. Certain letters
which went into the sick tent were sent
away again, and always to one adj
dress. He had learned the address.
1t was that Of James Wellgood, c.,
Maine. If Mr.. Grey would look up
| this Wellgood he would doubtless
learn something of the man he was so
interested in.
1 This gave Mr.. Grey personally some
thing to do, for he would trust no
second party with message involv-
ing the honor of possibly innocent
4 man. AS the place was accessible by
railroad and his duty clear, he took
the journey involved and succeeded In
getting a glimpse in the manner we
know of the man James Wellgood.
| This time he recognized Fairbrother
and, satisfied from the circumstances
| of the moment that he would be max
ing no mistake in accusing him of hav
ing taken the Great Mogul, he inter-
copied him In his flight, as you have
already read, and demanded the I'M
L Jt,%, 80 y A., SoS
And Fairbrother? We shall have to
go back a little to bring his history up
to this critical instant.
/ When he realized the trend Of pub
lie opinion; when he saw perfectly
innocent man committed to the
Tombs for his crime, he was first as
tonished and then amused at what he
continued to regard as the triumph of
his star. But he did not start for
El Moro, wise as he felt 1t would be
to do so. Something of the fascina-
ton usual with criminals kept him
near the scene Of his crime, that,
and an anxiety to see how Sears
would conduct himself in the South
west. That Sears had followed him to
New York, knew his crime, and was
the strongest witness against him.
was as far from his thoughts as that
he owed him the warning which had
all but baked him Of his revenge.
When therefore he read in the papers
that "Abner Fairbrother" had been
4 found sick in his camp at Santa Fe,
he felt that nothing now stood in the
way of his entering on the plans he
had framed for ultimate escape. On
his departure from 81 Moro he had
taken the precaution of giving Sears
the name of a certain small town on
the coast of Maine where his mail was
to be sent in case Of a great emer.
gency. He had chosen this town for
two reasons. First, because he knew
all about it, having had young man
from there in his employ; secondly,
Il because ar its neiphhnrhoo tn N, n