Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-06-28

pTlutb ucuE tue Sutc III tuc iuhC. AOu will remember that sent Steggles of to watch at the Cop before I went out to the back-merely, of course, to get him out of the way. I went out into the lane, leaving you behind, and walk ed its whole length, first toward the Old Kilns and then back toward the road. I found nothing to help me ex- cept these small pieces of paper which are here in my pocketbook, by the bye. Of course this 'mmy' might have meant Jimmy or Tommy as possibly as Sammy, but they were not to be rejected on that account. Certainly Crockett had been decoyed out of your ground, not taken by force, or there would have been marks of q scuffie in the cinders. And as his re- quest for sweater was probably all excuse-because 1t was not at all cold afternoon-he must have previous ly designed going out. Inference, letter received, and here were pieces of letter.
 "Now, in the light of what I have said, look at these pieces. First, there is the 'mmy,' that have dealt with. Then see this throw them ov'-clearly part of throw them over;;' exactly what had probably been done with the slippers. Then the poor f., com ing just on the line before and seen by joining up. with this other piece, might easily be reference to poor feet But there is something else. Two other pieces evidently mean left him. and right away'-send Steggles right away perhaps. But there is another, containing almost all of the words hate his,' with the word hate under lined. Now, who writes hate with the emphasis of underscoring-who but woman? Here was something more Sammy had been enticed away by a woman.
 "Now, I remember that when we went into the taproom on Wednesday some of his companions were chafing Crock cit about certain Nancy Webb, and the chaff went home, as was plain to see. The woman, then, who could most cas- fly entice Sammy Crockett away was Nancy Webb. resolved to find who Nancy Webb was and learn more of her.
 Meantime I took a look at the road at the end of the lane. It was damper than the lane, being lower and over hung with trees. There were many wheel tracks, but only one set that turned in the road and went back the way it came, toward the town. And they were narrow wheels-carriage wheels. Crockett tells me now that they drove him about for long time before shutting him up. Probably the inconvenience of taking him straight to the hiding place didn't strike them when they first drove off.
 "A few inquiries soon set me in the direction of the Plough and Miss Nancy Webb. I had the curiosity to look around the place as approached, and there in the garden behind the house were Steggles and the young lady in earnest confabulation! z
 Every conjecture became certain ty. Steggles was the lover of whom Crockett was jealous, and he had em- ployed the girl to bring Sammy out. I watched Steggles home and gave you a hint to keep him there.
 But the thing that remained was to find Steggles' employer in this busi- ness. was glad to be in when Danby called. By way of making assurance doubly sure l took short walk this morning in the character of a deaf gentleman and got Miss Webb to write me a direction that comprised three of the words on these scraps of paper left right and 'lane.' See, they cor. respond, the peculiar 'f's,' 't's' and all.
 Now, felt perfectly sure that Steg- gles would go for his pay today. In the first place, I knew that people mixed up with shady transactions in professional pedestrianism are not apt to trust one another far. They know better. Therefore Steggles wouldn't have had his bribe first, but he would take care to get it before the Saturday heats were run, because once they were over the thing was done, and the prin- cipal consplrator might have refused to pay up, and Steggles couldn't have helped himself. Again. I hinted he should not go out till I could follow him, and this afternoon when he went follow him I did. I saw him go into Danby's house by the side way and come away again. Danby 1t was. then, who had arranged the business, and nobody was more likely, considering his large pecuniary stake against Crock ett's winning this race.
 But now how to find Crockett? I made up my mind he wouldn't be in Danby's own house. That would be a deal too risky, with servants about, and so on. I saw that Danby was a build CT and had three shops to let. It was on a paper before his house. What more likely prison than an empty housef knocked at panby's door and asked for the keys of those shops. I couldn't have theml The servant told me Danby was out (a manifest lie. for l had just seen him and that nobody could see the shops till Monday, but got out of her the address of the shops. and that was all wanted at the time.
 Now, why was nobody to see those shops till Mondayi The interval was suspicious -j just enough to enable Crockett to be sent away again and cast loose after the Satufday racing. supposing him to be kept fin one of the empty buildings. I went of at once