Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-01-10

The inspector, surprised by this un.
expected attack, regarded the speak.
er with an interest rather augmented
than diminished by his boldness. The
smile with which he had uttered these
concluding words yet fingered on lis
lips, lighting up features of mold too
! suggestive of command to be assOCi-
ated readily with guilt That the i'm.
preston thus produced was favor
able, was evident from the tone of the
inspectors reply: =
we have said nothing about prose
cution, Mr.. Brotherson. We hope to
avoid any such extreme measures.
I and that we may the more readily do
so, we have given you this opportun-
/ ity to make such explanations as the
situation. which you yourself have
characterized as remarkable. seems to
cali for"
/ Il am ready But what am allied
upon to explain? l really cannot see,
I sir"
/ You can tell us why with your
seeming culture and obvious means.
you choose TO spend so much tins in
a second-rate tenement like the one in
! Hicks street"
Again that chill smile preceding the
J quiet answer,
/. Have you seen my room there? 1t
is piled to the ceiling with books.
/ When | was a poor man, chose the
. abode suited TO my purse and my pas
sion for lirst-rate reading. have new
er seen the hour. when | felt like NOV
ing that precious collection. Bes Aes.
am a man Of the people. I have led
i may say that ! am leading-a dou-
bic life: but of neither am l ashamed,
nor have | cause to be. Love drove
me to ape the gentleman in the halls
of the Clermont; a broad human inter-
est in the work Of the world, to live
as a fellow among the mechanics OF
Hicks street"
But why make use of one name as
a gentleman of leisure and quite a diff
ferent one as the honest workman >"
All. there you touch upon my real
secret. l have q reason for keeping
my identity quiet till my invention is
completed"
"A reason connected with your an
archistic tendencies?"
Possibly" But the word was ut
tered in way to carry little convic-
ton. Il am not much of an anar-
chist," he now took the trouble to de-
clare, with a careless lift of his shout
ders.
We are glad to hear it, Mr.. Dunn
Physical overthrow carries more than
the immediate sufferer with it."
We have no wish" continued the
inspector, Ito probe too closely into
concerns seemingly quite removed
from the main issue. You will prob
ably be anxious to explain away a dis
crepancy between your word and
your conduct, which has come to our
attention. You were known to have
expressed the intention of spending
the afternoon of Mrs. Spots death in
New York and were supposed to have
done so. yet you were certainly seen
in the crowd which invaded that rear
building at the first alarm. Are YOU
conscious of possessing a double, Or
did you fail to cross the river as YOU
expected to-"
Il am glad this has come up The
tone was one of self-congratulation
which w0gld have shaken Sweetwater
sorely had he been admitted to this
unofficial examination. Il did mean to
go to New York and | even started on
my walk to the bridge at the hour
mentioned But | got into small
crowd on the corner OF Fulton street.
in which a poor devil who had robbed
a tenders cart of a few oranges, was
being hustled about. There was no
policeman within sight, and so
busted myself there for minute pay
ing for the oranges and dragging the
poor wretch away into an alley, where
could have the pleasure of seeing
him eat them. When ] came out of
the alley the small crowd had van
ished, but a big one was collecting
up the street very near my home
always think of my books when see
anything suggesting fire, and natural
ly ! returned, and equally. naturally,
when ! heard what had happened, fol-
lowed the crowd into the court and so
up to the poor woman's doorway But
my curiosity satisfied, l returned at
once to the street and went to New
York as | had planned"
DO you mind telling us where you |
went in New York;"
Not at all | went shopping. Il
wanted a certain very fine wire, for |
an experiment | had on hand, and II
found it in a little shop on Fourth |
avenue. If | remember rightly, the |
name over the door was Grippus Its |
oddly struck me-"
There was nothing .left: TO the in
spector but to dismiss him :. He had
answered all questions willingly, and |
with a countenance INEXPENSIVE of |
guile. He even INDUCED in parting /
shot on his own account, as full of |
frank acceptance of the situation as it |
was fearless IN its attack As he halt |
ed in the doorway before turning his
back upon the room, he smiled for the
third time as he quietly said:
Il have ceased visiting my friends
apartment in upper New York If you
ever want me again. you will find me
amongst my books"
He was halfway out the door, but
his name uIIickiy SD0kpn bv tho in |