The Democratic advocate., 1907-01-04
Seleet Storp.
FATE'S STRANGEST MOVE.
CHAPTER. I.

CHAPTER l.
| was only young man then-twenty-
six-just married, and with reputation
to make. At that time the whole detec-
tive staff were engaged on the mysterious
Damian case which you no doubt remem-
ber. No?
1t was this: Miss Damian was wealthy
old lady who lived on the outskirts of
Windsor. She was eccentric, but gener-
GUS, and lived alone with man and his
wife as servants, whom she treated very
kindly.
One morning the female servant, almost
dead with fright, crawled into the Wind
sor police station with the intelligence that
thieves had broken into the house during
the night, and that something dreadful had
happened.
Miss Damian had heard them and cried
out. Petworth, her husband, had gone
to Miss Damian's aid. She herself was so
terrified that she dared not move. She
heard groan, and lay paralyzed with ter
ror till it was light, and brought the news.
What had really taken place she did not
know.
Two officers went back with her. They
found Petworth on the stairs, unconscious
from Il great wound in his head, and Miss
Damian outside her bedroom door, stone
dead
Petworth was taken to the infrmary at
once, and the hue and cry was raised
Windsor telegraphed to us. Two Of us went
We came to the conclusion that it was a
London job. 1t appears that Miss Damian
kept large sum of money in the house,
and there was valuable plate besides, and
with all this the thieves had made off.
We found jimmy, but with no distinctive
marks that would give us clue. Pet
worth rallied little, but was unable to
give any very decided account of the af
fair. There were two men, but his de-
scription of them was so vague as to be
quite useless for the purposes of identified
tion. Poor fellow! Inflammation of the
brain set in, and more than a twelvemonth
elapsed before he was well again.
We worked hard to secure the murder
ers. We made every inquiry at Windsor
and at the railway stations. We closely
watched all known thieves in town and
arrested on suspicion those whom we
thought likely But it was useless. For
several weeks we exerted ourselves to the
utmost, but it became one Of those many
crimes that seem fated to be secret. OF
course the papers, who were wiser than we,
were very severe with us on account Of
our failure We had come to the concu-
sion that it was one of series of robberies l
that had taken place within radius Of
thirty miles from London, which had all
of them completely baff1ed us.
One evening, about month after the {
murder, being off duty, my wife asked me
to take message to her brother, Strand
tobacconist' assistant. My wife used to
tell me [ was the handsomest man of the
force, and she delighted in making me
look as smart as possible. As [ was 60
ING out she plucked a carnation and stuck
it in my buttonhole, laughingly declaring [
looked 'sust lovely" Little did we guess
that that simple flower would bring fortune
to one and death to another.
found my brother-in law was not there,
being out on business, but was expected
back by the train due at Charing Cross at
7.15; so [ strolled up to the station to
meet him. A train had just arrived, and
| sauntered up and down the platform
watching the arrivals.
Everybody had cleared away from the
platform when yelled lady came hurry
ing by. She looked at me and, observ-
ed, took particular notice Of the flower in
my coat. She made as if to pass me, but
turned around
Good evening" Mr.. Trenchard,' she
said in an inquiring tone.
do not know what spirit of mischief it
was that prompted me, but [ answered,
''Good evening.
Il should have known you by the de-
scription I've had of you, sir, as we'll as
by your flower, but thought you would
speak first.
What did that woman mean? A de-
tective is always suspicious; young de-
tective, eager to achieve fame, more than
suspicious. There was something about
the woman I didn't like, and determined
to let her talk on, little dreaming what was
to follow.
[ noticed that the tone of voice did not
correspond with her dress She was dressed
richly, if not exactly elegantly; bat her
speech showed that she was a person OF
little education.
'Although you have never seen me
before sir, you may put full confidence in
me- [ am Bills wife, you know, and
| one of you now. You know, sir, how
things turned out?'
"Yes, but let me have the particulars,
again." | said adroitly.
'sWel, Bill and Alec are in blue funk;
[ never though, Bill would be SO nervous
as he is; they want to go over the water
for bit. Bill said must tell you as they
didn' mean to do for the old lady, nor
even hurt her. (I gave such a start that
if the woman had been observing me she
must have guessed there was something
wrong), ''but she screamed, and that old
| fool, her man, came, and it was near |
squeak I can tell you sir. Billl take |
his Bible oath he didn't hit hard, and he |
thought he had only stunned her, and
Alec says the same about her man. They
got away with the swag, and nice sum it
is''-in a whisper -"close upon two
| thousand.
"Weve been in a funk ever since.
Tees been about everywhere, but they
never suspected us. But it makes us feel
nervous to see them about. Bill and Alec
want to get off this week, and they want
you to manage it for them.
ssWhat do you wish me to do?
asked.
"Well, Bill S plan is this: He thinks
the best way would be to escape dressed
ND as sailors. He says would you send or