The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-12-27
CHAPTER III.
A STUDY IN PROBABILITIES.

al IL INCy ulO, uOW COulO IL Oo COL
nected with the one which we were
trying to decipher? Then. at a sec
n glance. I saw how in deadly earn
est he was. There could be no doubt
ing It; he had read into them som
meaning which I had failed utterly tt
Gee.
I sat down in my chair again, m,
nerves a-Quiver: at last. We were or
the verge OF success.
We'll, let's hear It," I said.
II intend that you shall-wait till
get them arranged. I'll build up the
story as I go along. and I want 20,
to ask any questions or point out any
defects that occur to you. OF course
1t will be only a study in probabilities;
but between US. I think we can get II
pretty straight"
He got up from the desk with the
clippings in q neat little pile. and sa,
down in the chair facing mine. He
took q medttative puff or two before he
began.
Wen have to start with a few gen
eral observations" he said. at last
have carried these clippings around
with him for sc long unless they in
some way concerned him. It's evident
that Miss Croydon would never have
dared to take them unless she was
pretty certain that they somehow vital.
ly concerned her. It's evident thai
Tremaine wouldn't have taken sc
he was mighty anxious to find them
! We arrive. then, at our first conclu.
sion. namely. that these clippings neces-
sarily shed some light upon the
tragedy recently enacted in this room,
and upon the connection of these people
with each other"
YES" I agreed; "unless all these
NnNN1a vyoro r,iSfolroy, tn +1o;n 1et;,,,0tr
of III value Of the clippings"
THAT. OF course. is possible: but !
don't think 1t probable. AT any rate,
let US disregard that suggestion for
the moment. n proceed along the 9th
er line. What light is it possible for
these clippings to shed OF the murder
Of Thompson. Obviously, it must be
jority of them seem to be concerned
with the adventures of a Frenchman,
who goes under various names, but
who. I am sure, is and the same
person. He must. then, be either Ire
maine or Thompson. But Thompson
was evidently not a Frenchman, and
Tremaine pretty evidently is, though
his contact with the world has served
to rub away a good many of the marks.
I think we're pretty safe, therefore. In
assuming hat the French1nan OF these
clippings is Tremaine. AS we go on,
believe We'll find some internal evil
dence confirming this. You agree with
me thus far?"
Perfectly" I said. admitting your
first premise that these clippings are
really concerned With the cose."
THAT, too. I believe. Well soon be
able to prove by internal evidence. OF
course. II they haven't any connection
With it. they'll soon lead us into chaos.
But there's another thing; we mustn't
: nvra1f too ,-,,11 1850 rry
mustn't expect u story complete in all
Its parts-lt's bound to be fragmentary.
The wonder is that Thompson succeed
cd in keeping this many links in the
chain. Maybe in his more prosperous
days he had a mania for clippings. AT
best. we mustn't be disappointed If
there are long gaps in the story"
Yes l agreed again; that's evil
dent enough"
Very we'll; Well begin with the clip
pings. then, substituting Tremaine's
name for the one used. The first clip
ping is merely a marriage notice, an
nouncing that on the 23d Of August,
1883. Tremaine married one Therese
Bertigny, at Dieppe. Let me see: Ire
years OF age. No doubt he was born
at Dieppe. so that the name given here.
Victor C~harente. is his real one. You'll
notice that he's retained the first name
which Is a bit of corroborative evil
4 dence."
"or a mere coincidence" I supple
mented.
ss''IIl wire our correspondent at Dieppe
to look up this Charente-perhaps he
can get a photograph. That would set
tie the question"
I nodded. Yes. that would settle It
for Tremaine at 40 was probably not
greatly different from Tremaine at 20.
The second clipping" proceeded
Godfrey. 'shows us that our hero soor
wandered from the straight and narrow
path. and gives us. too. q little ligh,
upon his personal history. In the spring
following his marriage-April l6. 1884
to be exact-while assistant manager Of
the ship supplies house Of Briquet
Freres. he absconds with co. 900 francs
It Is discovered that he kept a mis-
tress at Rouen. He Is believed to have
gone to America-to have been SNUG.
gled out Of the harbor by a friendly
l American captain. Surely, 1t is not i'm.
possible" he added. that this friendl,
American captain was Thompson"
Very few things are impossible"
commented; I began to be impatien,
prejudice against Trcmaine to warp hi:
Judgment.
We'll. we'll keep that for a hypothes
Is. anyhow" and he turned to the thirc
clipping. This he continued. ..show!
us that he indeed came to America
1t is dated July %, 1855, and state.
that a young Frenchman and q tram
skipper named Johnson-ah. you seeoo'
=, l did. indeed, see-here was the frs
appearance OF Tremaine's zombi-of hi!
familiar devil. 1 looked at Godfre,
with the liveliest admiration. This con
structive reasoning was somethin,
which I. certainly, was quite incapable
of.
ST that j on Thompson's arm wa.
the initial OF his real name" observed
Godfrey. II thought is was 1T ha,
been there a long time, and an effor
had been made to erase 1t. After
man has started on the crooked patti
he doesn't var any tattoo marks o,
him-they make Identification too easy
For Johnson. then. Well hereafter reat
Thompson"
I nodded: I was beginning to be con
WINGED.
Well" continued Godfrey, "rremain
and Thompson. then. we're arrested /,
New York. July %. 1885, at a low re
sort where they We're having a carouse
They had beaten and robbed anothe
sailor. 1t seems that nothing was lef
Of the sixty thousand francs. and nat
urally Tremaine found 1t diculfht L
go honestly to work again. The fourtl
clipping. undated. but probably som,
months later. shows that Tremaine an,
Thompson were sentenced to thre
ven re- zach IN Cipu S;,- n,< <lo,