White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1923-08-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INSTALLMENT NO. u.

INSTALLMENT NO. IL.
What the scoundrel who was
struck of the roll of attorneys years
since? Is he still alive?"
ALIVE and prospecting. He lives IN
a court or lane running out OF Long
acre, and he offers advice to persons
interested In recovering missing OBJ
jects of any sort Whether you have
lost your wife or lost your cigar-case,
Old Sharon is equally useful to you.
He has an inbred capacity for reading
the riddle the right way in cases of
mystery. great or small. In short, he
possesses exactly that analytical fac
ulty to which 1 alluded just now. l
have his address at my Office, if you
think 1t worth while to try him."
"Who can trust such MANI Mr.
Trop objected. HE would be sure to
deceive me-"
You are entirely mistaken. Since
be was struck off the rolls Old Sharon
has discovered that the straight way
Is, on the whole, the best way, even
In -nan's own interest. His consulta-
ton fee is a guinea; and he gives a
signed estimate beforehand for any
supplementary expenses that may fol
low. can tell you (this is, of course,
strictly between ourselves) that the
authorities ut my Office took his ad-
vice in a government case that puz-
zled the police. We approached him,
of course, through persons who were
to be trusted to represent us without
betraying the source which their in
structions were derived, and we found
the old rascal's advice well worth pay
ing for. 1t is quite likely that he may
not succeed SO well in your case. Try
the police, by all means, and il they
fail. why, there Is Sharon as a last
resource"
This arrangement commended itself
to Mr.. Troy's professional caution He
went on to Whitehall, and he tried
the detective police. They at once
adopted the obvious conclusion, to per
sons Of ordinary capacity-the con-
clusion that Isabel was the thief
Acting on this conviction, the au-
thorities sent an experienced woman
from the office to Lady Lydiards house
TO examine the poor girls clothes and
ornaments before they were packed
up and sent after her to heraunt's
The search led to nothing. The only
objects Of any value that were dis
covered had been presents from Lady
Lydiard. No jewelers. or milliners' bills
were among the papers found In her
desk. Not sign of secret exerava-
gance In dress was to be seen any
where. Defeated SO far, the police
proposed next to have Isabel privately
watched. There might be prodigal
lover somewhere In the background
with ruin staring him in the face un-
less he could raise five hundred
pounds. Lady Lydiard (who had only
consented to the search under the
stress Of persuasive argument from
Mr.. Troy resented this ingenious idea
as an insult. She declared that If
Isabel was watched, the girl should
know of 1t instantly from her own
lips. The police listened with perfect
resignation and decorum, and politely
shifted their ground. A certain sus-
picion (they remarked) always rested
In cases of this sort on the servants.
Would her ladyship object to private
inquiries into the character and pro.
ceeding of the servants? He ladyship
Instantly objected in the most positive
terms. Thereupon the inspector" ask
ed for a minutes private conversation
with Mr.. Troy. THE thief is certainly
q member Of Lady Lydiard's house
hold" this funtionary remarked in his
politely positive way. IF her ladyship
persists In refusing to let us make
the necessary inquiries, our hands are
tied, and the case comes to an end
through no fault of ours. If her lady
ship changes her mind, perhaps you
will drop me line, sir, to that eff
fest. Good.morning."
So the experiment Of consulting the
police came to an untimely end. The
only result obtained was the express
sion of purblind opinion by the au.
thorities Of the detective department,
which pointed at Isabel, or at one of
the servants, as the undiscovered theft
Thinking the matter over in the re-
urement Of his own office, and not
forgetting his promise to Isabel to
leave no means untried of establish
ing her innocence, Mr.. Troy could see
but one alternative left to him. He
took up his pen and worte to his friend
at the government office. There was
nothing for it now but to run the risk
and try Old Sharon.
CHAPTER TX.
The next day Mr. Troy (taking
Robert Moody with him as valuable
witness) rang the bell at the mean
and dirty lodging-house in which Old
Sharon received the clients who
stood in need of his advice.
They were led upstairs to back
room on the second floor of the house