The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-10-05

| Just shade of annoyance In his tone.
Certainly. OF course. do !"
"Well, then, oblige me going straight
to your office and waiting there till I
come to you or send for you. You really
put me out"
Mr.. Cheeseman was 80 amazed that,
| for the first time this. morning, his
muscles had a rest Murmuring some
thing indistinguishable, he turned and
| left the room.
Now, sir" said Tarrant, to the con-
| fidential clerk, who proceeded to make
another search under the keen eye of
the detective. who meanwhile engaged
him in conversation #
"Curiously excitable man, this Mr..
Cheeseman," he said.
Eyes; even more SO this morning
than usual"
Naturally nervous and impulsive,
| though, should say
Very; he always comes in and goes
| out like a whirlwind when he calls
here
"You were not present, I suppose,
| when he saw Mr. Brinstair on Fri
day?'
mo, sir; they were in Mr.. Brin-
stairs private room'
did you speak to him when he
came out?"
"Only to say Good afternoon to
| him. He passed through with his us,
| ual rush, murmuring something about
being late for an appointment"
DO you remember handling Mr.
| Cheeseman's box that day?"
"Yes. I took it into the private room
| and afterwards replaced it."
'Was that after Mr.. Cheeseman had
| gomez
after he had gone out yes, SIR"
"How old Is Mr.. Brinstair?"
about sixty-five. 1 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 hereY
GOTTEN"
"A temperate manW
"Strictly."
Smoker"
Rather excessively, should say
ten or dozen cigars day"
where does he keep his cigars
here?"
I'm box in the drawer of his
desk"
"Oblige 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, sis
the only one l find, and 1t Is empty"
Tarrant glanced at it, thanked him,
and added that he had no further use
for 1t.
We'll, 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. "Why?"
'Well, 1 should If 1 were you. Ask
if man answering Brinstair's descrip-
ton has turned up, wandering in the
streets Of that town. l will come back
in about an hour to see if you have an
answer"
They left the offices together, the in
spector to act OH 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
few evenings before at about ten
o'clock and bought dozen cigars of a
special brand not often called for.
Asked if he had any conversation
with this customer, the shopkeeper re-
piled, 'Well, now, 1 most forget. 1 re-
member he remarked it was a hot
night, and-oh, yes; he said he won
dered If it would be cooler down on
the water front He lit one Of the
cigars and went out, and I 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
his locality three or four times, al
ways, apparently, selecting spot near
seat where one or more Of the home
less frequenters of these outdoor lodg-
ings were sitting. Presently, an idea
or recollection struggled into the
mind Of one of the tattered and I'M
shaven ones, and he frightened UP a
bit, and called out to Tarrant, "1erll