Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-27
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Detective Story by j. S. Fletcher

Is really of the greatest importance in
this case; she certainly has something
to tell. And, as Spargo says, she'll
probably drink herself to death in about
as short time as possible. Come back
let's hear her story" So they re-
turned to the gin. scented atmosphere,
and formal document was drawn out
by which the proprietor of the Watch.
man bound himself to pay Mrs. Clutch
the sum of three pounds week for
life Mrs. Clutch insisting on the in
sertion of the words every Saturday
morning, punctual and regularly and
then Mrs. Clutch was invited to tell her
tale. And Mrs. Clutch settled herself
to do SO, and Spargo prepared to take
1t down, word for word.
which the story, as that young man
called 1t, Is not so long as monkeys S
tail nor so short as Manx cats, gen.
tlemen," said Mrs. Clutch, "but full Of
meat as an egg. Now, you see, when
that Maitland affair ut Market Mil
caster came off, was housckeeper to
Miss Jane Bayiis at Brighton. She
kept boarding house there. in Kemp
very good thing She made out of it
and had saved u nice bit, aud, having
like her sister, Mrs. Maitland, had a
little fortune left her by her father,
as was at one time a publican here
in London, she had a good lump Of
money. And all that money was in this
here Maitland's hands, every penny.
very we'll remember the day when
the news came about that affair OF
Maitland robbing the bank. Miss Bay
lis, she was like mad thing when she
saw it in the paper. and before she'd
seen it, an hour she was OF to Market
Milcaster. ! went up to the station
with her, and she told me then before
she got in the train that Maitland had
oil her fortune and her savings and her
sisters. his wife's, too, and that she
feared all would be lost"
"Mrs. Maitland was then dead" OBJ.
served Spargo without looking up from
lis writing block.
She was, young man, and good
thing, too" continued Mrs. Clutch.
"Well, away went Miss Baylis, and no
more did l hear or see for nearly u
week, and then back she comes, and
brings little boy with her---which was
| Maitland's. And she told me that
night that she'd lost every penny she
had in the world, and that her sister S
money, what ought to have been the
child's, was gone. too, and she said
her say about Maitland. However. she
saw well to that child; nobody could
have seen better. And very soon after.
when Maitland was sent to prison for
ten years. her and me talked about
things. What's the use.' says t.
her. of you letting yourself get sc
fond of that child. and looking afte'
it as you do. and educating it. AM
so on?' I saws. WHY not?' saws she
''Tisn't yours I SAYS, you haven
no right to it. I saws. AS soon a.
ever its father comes out says I, 'hen
nothing tn stoo him. Well. gentlemen
il vou'll believe me. never did I Sc
woman look as she did when I say
all that.
"And she up and sworc that Mait'an'
should never see or touch the child agai'
NOT under no circumstances what
evcr."
Mrs. Clutch paused to take n, littl
refreshment from her pocket flask. wit
an apologetic remark as to the state o
her heart. She resumed, presently, ap
pa""~t'v refreshed.
"Well, gentlemen. that notion abou
Maitlands taking the child away fro"
her seemed to get on her mind. and sh
used to talk to me at times about IT
always saving the same thing--tha
Matt land should never have him. An
one day she told me she was going t
London to see lawyers about 1t. and sh
went and she came back. seeming NOR
satisfied. and dav or two afterwar
there came u gentleman who looked lik
lawyer and he STONED Il day or two
and he came again and again. until on
day she came to me and she says. No,
don't know who that gentleman is that
come so much late'y?' she says. Not I
] SAYS, unless he's after YOU 'Afte
me = she says. tossing her head: That
the gentleman that ought to have mar
. ried my poor sister if that scoundre
Maitland hadu' tricked her into throw
ing him over.' You don't say so"
SAYS. Then by rights he ought to hav
been the child's pa He's going to be
father to the boy she says. He
going to take him and educate him il
the highest fashion aud max" II gentle
man of him. she says. 'for his mother
sake Mercy on us = says J. What !
Maitland say when he comes for him
'Matand'n never come for him. sh
SAYS. for I'm going to leave here, anC
the boy'll be gone before then. This Il
all being done she says. 50 that th'
child'll never know his fathers shame
he'll never know who his father was.
And true enough. the boy was takcr
away, but Maitland came before she {
gone, and she told him the child wa'
dead and ] never see man so cut up
However, it wasn't no concern OF mine
And so there's so much of the secret
gentlemen, and ] would like TO know /
] ain giving good value
- ,-@,.~-r~u\