The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-19
A Detective
Problem
BY T. C ARNOLD


man at Burnet station to investigate a
trouble they're having there. Some one
is committing incendiary acts, and they
can't find out who is doing 1t. Go down
there and see If you can do anything
for them"
hadn't been long In the detective
business and was ambitious to show
some ability in the case with a view to
promotion to more important cases and
better pay | reached Burnet in the
afternoon and met the gentlemen who
had sent for detective. They told
me that the fires invariably occurred
at night, never in the daytime. asked
them why they hadn't established
watch, and they said the matter did
not occur often enough to warrant their
doing so. there having been only three
or four cases during a year. There
were only a few policemen in the town,
not enough to light upon the incendi.
airy except by accident ! asked them
If the burnings were confined TO Bur
net, and they replied that blacksmith
shop during the time of their occur
renee had been set atire in the next
station below, Wharton. That was the
only case they knew Of. No one was
suspected. no stranger had been seen
lettering about. and they didn't believe
any one had come into the town to do
the damage.
The case for me seemed hopeless. |
could see no way to solve it except by
keeping watch. and another outrage
might not occur within two or three
months If at all. Nevertheless didn't
like to go back to report that hadn't
made an effort. so | concluded to settle
myself in the town for a week. The
hotel was a very poor one, and one OF
the men. Mr.. Aborn, who had sent fol-
me offered to take me into his home.
accepted and was in no hurry to get
away, for his daughter, Alice, girl OF
nineteen, took my fancy, and while pre-
tending to investigate the incessiary |
case was really dawdllng about with
her.
Miss Aborn, 1t is true, took a great
interest in the matter about which l
had come to Burnet, or. rather, the
detective features pertaining to It.
was the first one of the profession she I
had ever met. and | was quite GU.
riosity to her. She wished to know
my methods in the case ! was sup I
posed to be working on, but ] told her
- I,I nj
AT the end of the week | returned /
to headquarters and reported no prog /
ress. Before leaving Burnet Alice
Aborn told me that she was going /
over to Wharton to visit a cousin for
a few weeks. To please her | told
her she might try to find out some
thing about the fire that had occurred /
there. She was delighted at the com.
mission and promised to do all she
could to find clew.
hadn't been away from Burnett .
more than three or four days when
received telegram that another mys'
terious fire had occurred at Wharton.
took train for that point at once
and. entering the town incog, began
TO snoop around for what | could find
out. But my incog didn't last long.
for | met Alice Aborn on the street.
| asked her if she had learned any
thing. and she admitted she had not.
| was not disappointed. for l had ex'
pected nothing from her
After couple of days spent at
Wharton without results ! went over
TO Burnett on train with Alice. She
the incendiary cases that on
several occasions she had dreamed she
had herself set fire to buildings.
When | asked her If these dreams had
occurred about the time the fires had
taken place she said she didn't re-
member. except in the last one that
had Just passed. She had one of her
inceudiary dreams on the very night
this fire occurred.
very remarkable suspicion enter
ed my head Could Alice be uncon-
sciously the Incendiary? Nonsense!
How could she get out OF bed in the
middle of the night and. unseen, go
and set fire to a buiIdingf But could
not get her dreams out of my head
and the fact that a fire had occurred
at Wharton Just when she was there.
asked her where she had been when
the former fire had occurred there. and
after a little thought she said that on
hat occasion she had also been at
Wharton.
From that moment there was no
ioubt in my mind that while in some
abnormal condition Alice Aborn in her
deep mad succeeded in escaping from
her home unknown to any one in it
md had set fire to the buildings burn
ri. AS soon as we reached Burnet |
had an interview with her father told
him OF my suspicious and suggested
his setting watch upon his daughter
Then | took my leave and reported the
.ase to my chief.
Three months from that date | re-
'eived a letter from Mr.. Aborn in
Orming me that during the previous
light his daughter had walked in ler
ileep and had been stopped just as she
vas about to set fire to an old stable.
She slept In n wing of the house and
ould get out of her window on to q
he'd and thence to the ground and re-
urn. After my suggestion her sister
lad slept with her and had seen her