The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-10-22

himself as we followed the stranger
out Of the bank. "For heavens sake,
don't mention it! l should be ruined
If it was known"
The man in the gray suit got into an
omnibus going westward. We got in
after him There were latent reserves
of youth still left in Mr.. Bruff. / u.s.
sert it positively-when he took his
seat in the omnibus he blushed!
The man with the gray suit stopped
the omnibus and got out in Oxford
street. We followed him again. He
went into a chemists shop.
Mr.. Bruff started. "NIy chemist!'' he
exclaimed. II am afraid we have made
a mistake"
We entered the shop. Mr.. Bruff and
the proprietor exchanged a few words
in private. The lawyer joined me
again with a very crestfallen face.
"1t's greatly to our credit" he said
as he took my arm and led me out
that's one comfort!'
"What is to our credit:" I asked.
"Mr. Blake, you and I are the two
worst amateur detectives that ever
tried their hands at the trade. The
man in the gray suit has been thirty
years in the chemists service. He was
sent to the bank to pay money to his
masters account-and he knows no
more of the moonstone than the babe
unborn"
l asked what was to be done next.
"Come back to my Office" said Mr..
Bruff. "Gooseberry and my second
man have evidently followed somebody
else. Let us hope that they had their
eyes about them, at any rate"
When we reached Gray's Inn square
the second man had arrived there be-
fore us. He had been waiting for
more than a quarter of IN hour.
We'll" asked Mr.. Bruff, "what's
your news"
II am sorry to say, SIR replied the
man. that l have made a mistake. I
could have taken my oath that l saw
Mr.. Luker pass something to an elder
ly gentleman in a light colored paletot.
The elderly gentleman turns out, sir,
to be a most respectable master iron
monger in Eastcheap."
"Where is Gooseberry?" asked MI.
Bruff resignedly
The man stared. II don't know, sir.
I have seen nothing Of him since left
the bank"
Mr.. Bru1f dismissed the man. zone
Of two things he said to me. Either
Gooseberry has run away or he is hunt
ing on his own account. What do YOU
say to dining here on the chance that
the boy may come back in an hour or
two? I have got some good wine in
the cellar, and we can get a chop from
the coffee house."
We dined at Mr.. Bruff's chambers.
Before the cloth was removed the man
who had been employed to follow Mr..
Luker when he left the bank was an
nounced.
The report in this case presented no
feature of the slightest interest. Mr..
Luker had gone back to his W house
and had there dismissed his guard.
"Do you think Mr.. Luker has taken
the moonstone homo with him." l ask
ed.
mot he," said MI. Bruff. "ue would
never have dismissed his two police
men if he had run the risk of keeping
the diamond in his wv house again.
We waited another half hour for the
boy, and waited in vain. 1t was then
time for Mr.. Bruff to 60 to Hampstead
and for me to return to Rachel i'll
Portland place. l left my card, in
charge of the porter ut the chambers,
with Il line written on it to say that l
should be ut m lodgings at half past
10 that night. The card was to be Civ
Ell to the boy il The boy came back.
NV servant handed me Il mOrsel of
paper when he let mt in.
read, in a neat, legal handwriting,
these words: IF o please. sir, | am
getting sleepy. l will come back to-
morrow morning between 8 and TO-"
Inquiry proved that Il boy, with very
extraordinary looking eyes. had called,
had presented my card and message,
had waited an hour. had done nothing
but fall asleep and wake up again, had
written Il line for me and had gone
home-after gravely informing the
servant that The was fit for nothing
unless he got his nights rest"
At 8 the next morning l was ready
for my visitor. At half past Q l heard
steps outside my door Come in,
Goosebcrry." l called out. 'Thank
you, sir" answered a grave and mel.
ancholy voice. The door opened.
started to my feet and confronted
Sergeant Cuff!
Il thought l would look in here, Mr..