The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-01-14
CHAPTER X.
BRIDE ROSES.

"a blonde, you say, sir?"
Eyes, Sweetwater; not OF the usual type
but one of those frail, ethereal creatures
whom we find it so hard to associate with
crime He, on the contrary, according to
Miss Butterworth's description land her
descriptions may be relied upon), is one Of
those gentlemanly athletes whose towering
heads and powerful figures attract univer.
sal attention. Seen together, you would
be apt to know them. But what reason
have we for thinking they will be found
together"
"How were they dressed?"
Like people Of fashion and respect
ability. He wore brown-checked suit
apparently fresh from the tailor; she, a
dove-colored dress with white trimmings.
The parasol shows the color Of her hat
and pumes. Both were young, and (still
according to Miss Butterworth) of sensi-
tive temperament and unused to crime;
for she was in a fainting condition when
carried from the house, and he, with every
inducement to selfrestraint, showed him
self the victim of such powerful emotion
that he would have been Immediately sur
rounded and questioned if he had not set
his burden down in the vestibule and at
once plunged with the girl into the pass.
ing crowd. Do you think you can find
"Have you no clews to their identity
beyond this parasol?"
''None, Sweetwater, if you except these
few faded rose leaves picked up from the
floor of Mr.. Adams's study"
"Then you have given me a problem,
Mr.. Gryce," remarked the young detective
obviously as he eyed the parasol held out |
to him and let the rose-leaves drop care
lessly through his fingers. Somehow |
do not feel the same assurances of success
that did before. Perhaps I more fully
realize the difficulties of any such quest,
now that I see how much rests upon
chance in these matters. If Miss Butter
worth had not been precise woman, /
should have failed in my former attempt,
as | am likely to fail in this one. But
owner of this parasol if only to learn my
business by failure. And now, sir, where
do you think ! am going first? To for
lists, with these faded rose-leaves. just
because every other young fellow on the
force would make a start from the para
sol, am going to try and effect one from
these rose-leaves. ] may be an egotst,
but cannot help that. | can do nothing
with the parasol"
"And what do you hope to do with the
How can florist help you /
in finding this young woman by means of o
them?" v
"He may be able to say from what kind v
Of a rose they fell, and once l know that, |
may succeed in discovering the particu- k
ar store from which the bouquet was sold e
% this more or less conspicuous couple"
You may. ! am not the man to throw Sc
,old water on any ones schemes. Every
nan has his own methods, and till they n
ire proved valueless l say nothing" Ii
Young Sweetwater who was now all al
lerve, enthusiasm, and hope, bowed He
vas satisfied to be allowed to work in his
'wn way. dt
81 may be back in an hour, and you may
lot see me for week." he remarked on h'
eavlng.
"Luck to your search!" was the short 10
eply. This ended the interview. In a m
ew minutes more Sweetwater was off. de
The hour passed. he did not come back; in
he day, and still no Sweetwater An fr
Their day went by, enlivened only by an w
Interchange of notes between Mr.. Gryce br
nd Miss Butterworth Hers was read by
ne old detective with smile. Perhaps ce
ecause it was so terse; perhaps because W
was so characteristic. nc
ear Mr.. Gryce: W,
do not presume to dictate or even to WI
re, but have you inquired of the postman
a certain district whether he can recall in
lie postmark on any of the letters he de-
7ered to Mr.. Adams? A. B.
His, on the contrary, was perused with at
frown by his exacting colleague in !:
ramercy Park The reason is obvious. III
ear Miss Butterworth:
Suggestions are always in order, and
en- dictation can be endured from you. M
he postman delivers too many letters on ne
at block to concern himself with post all
arks. Sorry to close another thorough clt
re. E.G. to
the anxiety of both was
eat; that of Mr. Gryce excessive. He I'M
Is consequently much relieved when, on caI
e third morning, he found Sweetwater WI
rafting him at the Office with satisfied 70,
lille lighting up his plain features. He on
d reserved his story for his special pat W
n, and as soon as they were closeted to- to
ther he turned with beaming eyes to- n
ard the old detective, crying: br
News, sir; good news! 1 have found %
EN-; I have found them both, and by
oh happy stroke! 1t was a blind is
all, but when the florist said that those see
tails might have fallen from bride
sir, l know that any woman
n carry bride roses, but when l remem- !
red that the clothes of her companion Sw
oked as though they had just come from q,
e tailor's, and that she wore gray and DIR
lite-why, it gave me an idea, and I wa
gan my search after this unknown pair loo
the Bureau of Vital Statistics" "
Brilliant" calculated the old detec- Sw
e. THAT is, if the thing worked gar
And it did, sir; it did. / may have ing
en- born under lucky star, probably wit
IS, but once started on this line of fro
lrch, I went straight to the end. Shall con