The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1913-02-19
The
Stolen
Singer
CHAPTER XIX.
Mr.. Chamberlain, Sleuth.

bDlTdtOT IedNlnB AleCk van camp al
the crisp edge of the day, he fell in
to deep thought as he walked toward
the village. AS he reviewed the in.
formation he had received, he came
more and more to adopt Agatha s
cause as his own, and his spirit was
famed into the glow incident to the
chase.
He walked brskly over the country
road, descended the steep hill, turn
ing over the facts, as he knew them,
in his mind. BY the time he reached
Charlesport, he regarded his honor as
a gentleman involved In the capture
of the Frenchman. His knowledge of
the methods of legal prosecutions,
even in his own country, was extreme.
ly hazy. He had never been in a sit
uation, In his hitherto peaceful career,
In which it had been necessary to APP
peal to the law, either on his own
behalf or on that of his friends.
Legal processes In America were
even less known to him, but he was
not daunted on that account He re-
membered Shelock Holmes and
Rallies; he recalled Bill Sykes and Du-
bose, lodging the operations of JUS
tice; and in that romantic chamber
that turks somewhere in every mans
makeup, he felt that classic tradition
had armed him with all the prepa-
ration necessary for heroic achieve
ment He, Chamberlain, was unex-
pectedly called upon to act as an agent
OF justice against chicanery and vio-
lence, and 1t was not in him to shirk
the task His labors, which, for the
greater part of his life, had been ex-
pended in tracing the evolution of
blind fish in inland caves, had not es-
pecially fitted him for dealing with the
details of such case as Agatha's; but
they had left him eminently we'll
equipped for discerning right prin-
ciples and embracing them.
Chamberlain first move was to Wis
it Big Simon, who directed him to the
house of the justice of the peace, L.
rael Cady. Squire Cady, in his shirt
sleeves and wearing an old faded silk
hat, was in his side yard endeavoring
to coax the fruit down gently from a
flourishing pear tree.
"You wait just a minute, if you
please, until / get these two plump
pears down, and I'll be right there
he called courteously, without looking
away from his long-handled wire
scoop.
r. hnr hnr oil ,tr s,,N1 81.
yard, and after watching Squire Cady's
exertions for a minute or two, offered
to WELD the pole himself.
Takes a pru-uty steady hand to get
those big ones off without bruising
them" cautioned the squire.
But Chamberlain's hand was stead
mess itself, and his eyesight much
keener than the old mans. The re-
suit was highly satisfactory. No less
than dozen ripe pears were twitched
off, just in the nick of time, so far as
the eater was concerned.
"Well, thank you, sir; thank you,"
said Squire Cady. That just goes to
show what the younger generation can
do. Now then, let's see. Got any
pockets?"
He picked out six of the best pears
and piled them in Chamberlain
hands, then took off his rusty, old
fashioned hat and filed it with the
rest of the fruit. Chamberlain care
fully slowed his treasures into the
wide pockets Of his tweed suit.
Now, sir" Squire Cady said heart
fly, well go into my office and attend
70 business. I'm not equal to Cincin-
natus, whom they found blowing his
field, but can take care of my gar
den. Come in, sir, come in"
Chamberlain followed the tall spare
old figure into the house. The squire
disappeared with his pears, leaving
his visitor in the narrow hall; but he
returned in moment and led the way
into his Office. 1t was a large, rag
carpeted room, filed with all those
worsted knicknacks which women
make, and Uttered comfortably with
books and papers.
Squire Cady put on a Powered Dress
ing-gown, drew pair of spectacles
out of pocket, bandana handker-
chief from another, and requested
Chamberlain to sit down and make
himself at home. The two men sat
facing each other near a tall secre-
tary whose pigeonholes were stuffed
with papers in all stages of the yell
lowing process. Squire Cady's face
was following. like his papers, and it
was wrinkled and careworn; but his
eyes were bright and humorous, and
his voice pleasant. Chamberlain
thought he liked him.
Come to get marriage license?"
the squire inquired. Chamberlain i'm
mediately decided that he didn't like
him, but he foolishly blushed
mo, it's another sort OF natter" he
said stiffiy.
Not marriage licensed All right,
my boy" agreed Squire Cady:
"'Tisn't the fashion TO marry young