The Montana plaindealer. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1906-1911, 1907-11-01

UNI rush, murmurlng something about
being late for an appointment"
do you remember handling Mr.
Cheeseman's box that day?"
Eyes. I took It into the private room
and afterwards replaced it"
was that after Mr.. Cheeseman had
gone?"
After he had gone out; yes. sir"
How old Is Mr.. Brinstairf"
About slxty-fve, l think sir"
"In good health?'
Fairly good, Work has been press
Ing rather heavily on him Of late. He
had an unusually large number of
briefs for this circuit"
Accustomed to work late here?"
OFTEN"
"a temperate man?"
strictly"
Smoker
Rather excessively, 1 should say
ten or a dozen cigars a day."
Where does he keep his cigars
here?"
"In a box in the drawer of his
desk"
"Obiige me By bringing the box
here"
The clerk went into the inner room.
and presently returned with a cigar
box In his hand. "This," he said, els
the only n l find, and It Is empty"
Tarrant glanced at 1t, thanked him,
and added that he had no further use
for 1t.
well, Inspector" said Tarrant, a
few moments later that document isn't
here. 1 didn't suppose it was, but the
time hasn't been wasted. Have you
telegraphed to the Mansfield police
YETI"
NO." answered the Inspector, sur.
prised. "WhyT"
well, 1 should II 1 were you. Ask
If a man answering B~rinstair's descrip-
ton has turned up, wandering in the
streets Of that town. | will come pack
in about an hour to see II you have an
answer"
They left the Offices together, the in
spectOr to act on Tarrant's hint, and
the latter visited the nearest cigar
shops. Finally, at one of them, he
learned that a gentleman who, from
the shOpkeeper's account, bore some re-
semblance to the missing man, came in
a few evenings before at about ten
O'Clock and bought a dozen cigars of a
special brand nOt often called for.
Asked II he had any conversation
with this customer, the s~hopkeeper re-
piled, well now, l most forget. | re-
member he remarked ii was a hot
hight, and-Oh, yes he said he won
dered If 1t would be cooler down on
the water front. He lit one of the
cigars and went out, and 1 haven't
seen him since
Tarrant wandered down to the
water front, also lit a cigar, and
leaned on the rail, with his eyes on
the traffic on the river. He changed
bis locality three or four times, al
ways, apparently, selecting a spot near
a seat where one or more Of the home
less frequenters of these outdoor lodg-
inss were sitting. Presently, an idea
or a recollection struggled into the
mind Of one Of the tattered and un-
shaven ones, and he frightened ND a
bit, and called out to Tarrant, "Yer'u
lose yer hat, mister, II you amt
keerful."
What makes you think so7" asked
Tarrant, turning to him.
well; a gent like you comes down
here t'other night, and stands asmokin'
at the river, an talking to hlsself like,
an, Gawd bless ye, his hat went over
an he nearly went over after II. He
might have gSve me that hat Instead
o sendln' 1t down the river"
I'm obliged to you for the infom.-
ton, my friend. Do you think II ia
worth a quarterT
Thank e, mister; easy earned
Tarrant stolled back to Brinstair's
The Inspector met him with an
expression Of admiration on his face
You hit 1t, Mr.. Tarrant," he said
'our man was picked up wandering in
the streets of Mansfield last nIrb+
quite out of his mind like. Couldn,t
remember his name, or where he lived
or what he was In Mansfield for. II.
was detained, and is being taken car.
Of; but how did 1t occur to you. sir, ,,
"Why, such things happen, Inspector
There was nc good ground to suspect
foul play or suicide. and Imagined
that a man who had overworked and
oversmoked himself might collapse like
that. You knew he had not turned nm
N New York. What more likely than
should follow oUt a fixed purpose
and make his way to the station and