Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-11-24
Detective
CrOnkite En-
counters the
. Ways of
the Orient

evening Tor a stroll, Wnlcn ESteHe
came to accompany.
AS Harry Kennett had predicted, he
and Nance speedily became chums,
tramping. riding and boating together
without a thought on his part, and
only an occasional conscientious warm
ing on hers, of the neglected law books,
behind which the spectre of the funk
ed examination lurked.
The professor too kept mainly in the
open, bringing home a mess Of rocks
to clutter up his room with, as Dinah
Indignantly expressed it, but over
which he would enthusiastically de-
scant as unique specimens Of the drift
if by odd chance he secured listener.
1t followed that for the most part he
was both alone and unobserved.
1t followed too that Harry Kennett
was but i'll pleased when late one
night, on opening his door in response
to a guarded rat-tat, the professor
stepped briskly inside with evident in
tent of visiting for a while. He was
Just preparing for soft revery Of
Nance over a last cigar and now he
had to exchange it for so hard a sub
ject as rocks. However, his show Of
cordiality soon gave way to genuine
surprise and interest.
Here is the situation. young man"
began the professor, drawing his chair
close and emphasizing his points with
taps on the knee. "Old Victor Duvall
brought back with him from Asia a
fortune and a dread, closely connected.
He stealthily converted his property
into gold coin, which he did not spend
and yet not a trace Of it can be found
He lived here in retirement and secre-
cy, sitting in that big chair by II
window downstairs, watching. One
day he was found dead.
My conclusion is that his method or
concealment worked in the one case
but not in the other. He saved his
money; himself he could not save. The
gold coin is hidden somewhere about
the premises; but he was murdered"
For an instant Kennett looked be-
wildered. Then he pulled himself to-
gether resolutely.
II thought you were puttering old
crank" he began.
IF you hadn't thought so how could
expect to work effectively?" replied
the professor.
"Then why are you so frank with
me?"
Because see you are sincerely fond
of Miss Nance Duvall and / need your
help"
THAT is all right enough, but your
generally do, at the end of a rainbow"
Does it? l know positively that 1t
existed and that it was not in any way
disposed of by Victor Duvall. Hence"
Hence, If, as you say, old Victor
Duvall was murdered the murderer
got away with 1t just as he got away
with him."
The stolid lines in the professors
face relaxed. He smiled grimly.
Il knew there was substance to you
for all your froth," he said. Now lis
ten. If the murderer had got away
with the treasure he would not be here
looking for it, would he?"
You don't mean DR.. Frisch?"
Il do mean DR.. Frisch. have had
my eye upon him for some time. There
are so few of the East Indian races in
this country that it was not hard to
select him as the one typifying the
most obvious and powerful of motives,
religious zeal.
He is a Brahmin who has deliber-
ately sacrificed his caste. Why? Not
for the sake of Hindu independence,
you may be sure. That Is only pre-
tence for being without anything back
of it-no lecture course, no lecture, no
interest in the subject here or in Hin
dustan. On the other hand he was
planning to come down here before the
young ladies advertised"
How do you know that?" asked
Kennett sharply"
Because he brought down with him
a packet of letters tied together by a
silk cord addressed to him in Miss Es-
telle Duvalrs hand"
"Ah! That is why you tipped out
his bag, and he got so hot about it."
"Of course; though that isn't all
managed to see through that little de-
vice. The girl is avaricious; that is
as unmistakable as her beauty, and
this crafty Semitic has been working
on it, is working on it. Why? hope
to answer that better in twenty four
hours than now.
He may believe that he can learn
the whereabouts Of the treasure
through her; those people have
strange belief in the divination Of kin.
He may plan to make his title to II
legal through marrying her"
why, he's old enough to be her
grandfather"
But he doesn't look it, as yet. At
all events, what l want of you Is to
guard Miss Nance closely. The crisis
is approaching. Remember that avar-
ice is a progressive passion, going from
much to more, from bad to worse
These two cousins know and care for
each other but slightly. If one dies
the survivor becomes potential heir to
the whole"
Il will, will, with my life, the darl-
ing" declared Kennett vehemently. Il
have faith in you, professor, the more
so because l seem able to see through
this millstone. Nance has told me Of
Judge Josiah Marcellus's interest in
her. You are"
Yes" interposed the professor calm
ly, Il am Abe Cronkite."