Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-12-24
M. THE AMATEUR sLEuTH.

III. THE AMATEUR SLEUTH.
| Dredging the past for the truth
about Priscilla's mother brought to
light nothing that seemed helpful. In
twenty-odd years New York itself had
changed almost beyond recognition
and the constitution of it's society had
been made over again and again till
few of the original elements remained.
Then, too, the memory of man is pc
culiarly brief concerning the troubles
of others. Henry Hobart Maine, one
OF the most successful of American
portrait painters and in his day con-
spicuous figure in the social life of
the city, nevertheless had made few
close friends, and of these only one
had survived him by year or two
Philips father. Priscilla's "aunt,"
Mrs. Trowbridge, being duly pumped,
proved to De as ignorant as the girl
had said she was concerning the mar
riage of her kinsman. She knew in
definitely that "there had been trou-
bic" its nature, its cause, its outcome,
were alike outside her knowledge and
alien to her interest. Apparently she
had never been anything more than
she was today. an amiably self-cen-
tered soul, comforted and sustained by
those delusions of personal importance
which are so essential to the insignifi-
cant.
From other sources by, dint of guard
ed and seemingly casual but persistent
gossiping in the lounges of clubs fire.
quented by the elder generations, Fos-
dick learned that Maine had been re-
grettably guilty of a romantic indis-
cretion in marrying a woman of a
world outside his own. But her very
name had been forgotten. He found,
indeed, nobody who remembered Mrs.
Maine, and but few who recalled the
tradition of a hot-blooded, high-spirit-
ed creature whose hopeless impatience
OF restraints and conventions defied all
Names half-hearted attempts to rec.
oncile his wife with his friends and
mode of life, till, discouraged, he dis
appeared with her and for some years
absented himself utterly from New
|
life nothing definite was known
, there was suggestion that he had de-
voted it to travel in South America
But 1t was certain that he had re.
. turned with a girl child and without
wife. This last was presumed tC
: have died, though there were whispers
to the contrary, that ''incompatibility'
/ hn infn oA
made any explanation but, it appeared
: quietly resumed his place and thence
) forth devoted himself steadfastly tC
] bis profession and the care of his
, daughter. Philip remembered hin
D well. He lived to see Priscilla give
! promise of carrying on the torch of his
? genius, even as her dark loveliness
E foreshadowed something of the furort
? II was destined to create.
5 Disappointed but not discouraged
Fosdick turned to other avenues of in
[ vestigation.
] Bound by his pledge to Priscilla moi
4 to consult the police, discreet employ
4 ment of channels of information pro
$ vided by wide acquaintance anon.
e newspaper men nevertheless brough
$ him all police headquarters knew
a about the Bielinsky affair. Nothin,
: was known concerning the party in tn,
;, room at Ristori's by way of which tn,
/ Russian escaped after adding tw,
l. murders to his score. The name O
d Red Carnehan had not been mentioned
f in connection with the crime Their,
was, however, such a person, a notori
e Gus gang-leader of the lower East side
= Considering it essential that h
J. should learn more of Mr.. Carnehal
r and his friends, and perceivng bu
i one way to gain that information
( without breaking his promise to Pris
n ella, Philip adopted it without NOR
f hesitation.
c On the following morning Priscilla
, calling up his office, was informed tina
: Doctor Fosdick had been suddenl,
= called out of town on a case of vita
|