Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-27

you no struggle to 90 so. II all OF
you could only know what these long
weeks have been to me, you would
understand how deeply the sight or
old friends affects me. Here have
been In world apart The poor
creatures who share this dreadful
home with me only make my situa-
ton worse, for I can do nothing for
them, and yet the sight Of their mis-
cry distresses me beyond words"
/ Elinor did not know how much she
had been spared by the considerable
ness Of the warden in assigning her TO
q tier Of cells In which the more bru-
/ tai inmates Of the Tombs never were
confined. She had had only glance
| Of the neither depths. Grave though
I the charge against her was, the good
4 old man, whom an accident OF poll
tics had placed IN control OF the pris-
on, had recognized from the first that
she was Of finer mould than anyone
who had been entrusted to his cus-
tody in his whole term of office, and
he had seen to It that her eyes and
ears were not assaulted by the sights
and scenes of the blacker depths.
! Years passed, and Elinor was a woman
of much graver maturity ere she knew
how much of misery she had escaped.
The visit Of Mrs. Missioner and
Sands did Elinor SO much good that.
when they went away, 1t was with
lighter heart she returned to her cell.
with renewed courage she steeled her
eelf to await the efforts Of the good
friends and the devoted lover she
knew were working to clear her name
of the frightful charge Donnelly and
Carson had lodged against her
Her confidence in Or. Fitch was not
misplaced. for in tho short time when
Mrs Missioner In her limousine was
speeding back 10 her home in Million
aires Row. and Sands, in a brougham,
was returning to HIS office in the
Bowling Green building, Fitch and
Tritz were standing on a Fourth Ave-
nue. corncr a short distance north Of
Twenty-thir1 Street, gazing with dis
may at a tWentv-story skyscraper that
stood on the site of the little old curio
shop to which duty had called the
Young ambulance surgeon years be-
fore.
you are sure this is the place."
asked the detective.
absolutely" said the doctor II
went over there to get some brandy
for the old man when was working
him out OF his stupor"
We'll" said the sleuth, so far as
that old curiosity shop Is concerned.
we're up against it; or, what Is worse
we are not up against it. We are con-
fronted by this steel and stone mon
strosity, and I guess there's no Use
wasting time making inquiries there;
but there may Re a few oldtimers
with memories along this block. and
we'll see what we can find out. You
take that side of the street, and I'll
take this"
Britt and Fitch went into one shop
after another. patiently repeating per-
sistent Inquiries as TO what had be-
come Of the veteran curio dealer.
Blank stares and equally blank an
,wers were the result until Britt. in a
siny tobacco shop that was the center
Of all the old-t'mes places huddled to-
gether for protection against the en-
croachment of progress, unearthed a
memory incarnate In a man, who,
Fitch said might have been the twin
brother of the amateur alchemist.
Yes" said the man. 81 remember
him. and it's a funny thing to me that
anybody who ever saw him could ever
forget him. He was the queerest little
old duck | ever ran across"
Britt thought if anyone could be
queerer than the ancient tobacconist
he would have to step out OF page
CT Dickens.
The incarnatc memory recalled that
the curio dealer had been taken away
a week or two before his shop was
torn down to clear the ground for tho
scraper No, he didn't go away He
. was taken away.
Anything wrong with him" asked
Britt
We'll, not exactly what you might
call wrong, so to speak" quavered the
old tobacco merchant. Il wouldn I
go so far as to say there was anything
you NIGH exactly call wrong with
, him, but neither would | undertake to
: tell you that he was altogether what
you might cali right" and he touched
his forehead significantly.
oh" said Britz, Wards or Ran
daIrs?'
Huh" said the old tobacconist. Il
don't know that you mean"
Why" said the detective, what I
r'can is did they take him to the Asy-
: lum or TO the Workhouse?"
81 reckon It wouldn't have been any
use to take him to the WOrkhouse,"
said the tobacco dealer, because, so
. far as know, he never done no work
IN all his life, and he was too old
dog TO learn the habit by that time.
; NJ, guess thcv took him TO the other
) place; but what do YOU want to know
> for? Are you missing heirs"
, Britz and Fitch laughed
= NO" he said, my friend here Just
l wants to brush up an Old acquaint-
' ance." When the two had bought
. enough cigars to recall family the
r drCama OF prosperity that had in
! erired the old mans youth. they
< ftrolled to the Twenty-third street
J. corner, where they jumped aboard a
: crosstown car that took them to the
, Island ferry.
,, CHAPTER XIV. s