Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-08-08
CHAPTER XIX.
Mr.. Chamberlain. sIeuth.


Unbeknown to himself, Mr.. Cham
berlain possessed the soul OF con-
spirator. Leaving Aleck Van Camp at
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 briskly 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 1t had been necessary to ap-
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 a case as Agatha's; but
they had left him eminently well
equipped for discerning right prin-
ciples and embracing them.
Chamberlain's first move was to Wis
it Big Simon, who directed him to the
house Of the justice Of the peace, Is
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 q
fourishing pear tree.
You wait Just a minute, II 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.
Mr.. Chamberlain strolled into the
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 OF 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 a dozen ripe pears were twitched
of, just in the nick of time, SO far as
the eater was concerned.
We'll, 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 OF his rusty, old
fashioned hat and filled 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 ONCE and attend
to business. I'm not equal to Cincin-
natus. whom they found blowing his