The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-02-23

- Va S'VA 6lcdleI uaSt8 Ju6u ne
vas making In pushing his pursuit OF
ne Missioner diamond to a close. But
hlurlen. conscience-strlcken though he
Nlas. was loath to send the information
totne Headquarters man until he could
nave time to make further and more
exhaustive search Of his shop, as well
% OF the courtyard in the rear Of the
epllding on which its windows gave. It
WIS dark in the court, and the imper-
iect light Of his candle made his
search so slow that by the time he
vas sure the note was gone beyond
FEASIBILITY of its recovery. 1t was too
iate for him to find Detective Brttz at
Police Headquarters. When his mes
sanger returned with the report that
the Central Office man had left his
Itxom, and that no one in the Mulberry
greet building knew where to find him.
Hnrlen became so alarmed that he
listened to Headquarters to try to
E4dke up the hunt for Britz from that
flint. He was as unsuccessful as his
ehissary, and he spent many anxious
hturs in the waiting room hoping fol-
aatectiye1, return. The, photo en-;
8t6ver tried TO console himself with
the thought that the negative had been
spared, and he therefore had been able
to send to Britz's Office the hundred
facsimiles Of the Curtis dear" missive
his customer had ordered. But it was
poor consolation when he recalled the
earnestness with which the detective
had enjoined upon him not to let the
original leave his hands. Burlen was
an exceedingly uncomfortable young
man during all the time he awaited
the sleuth's return. His discomfort did
not decrease as the hours dragged by.
But 1t would have been we'll for
Britt to have that knowledge in re.
gard to the strange vanishment Of the
Griswold note, 1t would have been bet.
ter for Curtis Griswold II Dorothy
March had not become conscience
stricken in respect of him that same
evening. For little Miss March, being
Of Puritan stock, as soon as she per.
suaded herself that she might have
made trouble for Mrs. Missioner's ad-
mirer by talking too freely to the
bland man from Mulberry street in
the coy corner Of the Forrest theater,
resolved to repair the mischief as rap
idly as possible. She, therefore, sent
little note to the clubmar, asking
that he make It point to see her in
the course Of the evening; and in the
note she gave him list of the several
functions she intended to take In.
The ball Mrs. Missioner attended, and
at which Grlswold scored what he re-
garded as a distinct gain in parading
the wealthy widow before many Of
their acquaintances as receptive re.
cipient Of his attentions, was only one
Of the affairs on Dorothy's list. Girls.
void received the note too late to
come up with Miss March before the
ball, 80 he decided to meet her at q
later dance. That decision upset one
Of his plans-the most important he
had formed In many months. although
he did not know its importance at the
time. It had been his intention to 60
from the Fifth Avenue ballroom to the
Hotel Renaissance, and II he had not
received the note from Miss March. he
would have done 10 even though he
raight have escorted Mrs. Missioner to
her home and passed short time with
her in the interval. ~
Dorothy's request fattered the club
mans vanity so greatly, however, that
he did not hesitate to defer his visit
to the Renaissance in order to keep
the interesting appointment the debu'
tante, with more conscience than dis.
erection, made for him. The conse.
ouence was that by the time Girls
wold's interview with little Dorothy
March was at an end. the hours had
passed beyond a point to which even
his ingenuity could stretch conven'
tionality far enough to make 1t practi'
cable for him to see Mrs. Delaroche
that night.
Dorothy was dancing abstractedly
when Griswold found her. Che was 80
impatient to adjust the harm she felt