Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-08-27
THE DOUBLE CHANCE
Fsrg Romance Wrongly Aeetd Hero and Loyal Ssfhe0''
BY J. S. FLETCHER
|T Antho, OF "Royn~-Siadf Amaigama'on." etc.

ticular signs or personality or 1or
things which a bachelor likes to
gather about him. Everything was
very neat, formal and precise.
Il expect everything in here Is
your property" he said, turning to
the woman who stood in the door
way holding the corner Of her
him wonderingly as he looked about
him. Furniture and SO on, j
mean"
"Oh, yes. sir" she answered. AT
least, all but that desk there in the
corner. Mr.. Stead brought that with
him when he came. All else is ours
my husbands and mine"
Then I'll look at the desk" said
Inspector Cortelyou. And as l see
it's your washing day, l won't de-
tain You. I'll leave the door open,
so that can call you IL want you"
The woman looked at him wonder
ingly again, and went off down the
passage. Inspector Cortelyou drew
out q bunch of keys which had been
taken from Steads pocket during
the search, and approached the
desk-an American roll-top desk OF
good make and some capacity, which
Was fitted with n patent lock. He
found the key and threw the top
back, and began his search.
At the end OF an hour Inspector
Cortelyou. relocking the desk again
Rad to. confess to himself that, with
the exception OF one object, he had
found nothing. The desk was a
model OF neatness, and whatever
and arranged in the most precise
order. But those papers threw no
light on the matter which concerned
the detective.
There were private letters from
friends; there were receipts for ac-
counts paid; there were memoranda
relating tn church and Sunday
school matters-everything was of
this simple sort. There was nothinS
that gave him any clue.
The object which he thought
worthy OF attention was the deer
stalker hat. of which Stead himself
Lad told him. He looked 1t over
and found that 1t correspondent ex-
actly to Stead's description of It
Yes-just the thing that Stead said
II was. and there was the makers
name which he had mentioned
Heath. oxford Street"
He told me the truth there, any
way" muttered the detective, and
laid the hat aside to take away
with him.
Then he looked around the room.
With the exception OF sideboard
there vas nothing in which anything
could be hidden. and that contained
nothing but the usual silver, gla IS
and china necessary for a bachelor
In deep thought. Inspector Cortel-
YOU approached one OF the French
windows and looked out. 1t gave
upon kitchen garden in which
things were looking bright and
promising. He passed on to the next
Nwindow; that opened on a. little
orchard with a tumbledown wicket
gate. q wealth of much too over
grown grass. and an old draw well
surrounded by low. moss covered
wall.
Pretty place. pretty old place"
unused the Inspector: but I'm do
ing no good here"
He went out into the passage and
called for the landlady, who at his
request took him up to Stead's bed =
room. He looked all over that. ex-
amined Stead's personal belongings.
looked into drawers and cupboards.
and came out no more enlightened
than when he went in.
Saving good day to the landlady.
and taking the deer stalker hat with
him. he went off to the cottage
where Stead had told him the man
whom he had rescued from the
quarry was lying III. He was re-
volvipg certain problems within his
own mind as TO that matter and he
wanted to ind out two or three
things for himself.
From his first observations there
was no doubt that Stead had told
him a true story with respect TO the
beginning of this second mystery.
For here was the deer stalker hat in
his hand. and there was the quarry
from which stead said the man had
been carried.
He went TO the edge at the spot
where the broken fence was, and
Looked over; II was a fairly deep
drip to the bottom OF the quarry,
and It seemed to him a wonder that
the man had not been killed out
right, until he espied an outgrowing
bush OF bramble. which had doubt
less broken his fall.
Still Illuminating on the event, and
wondering IL stead really did find
the hat in the library at the Castle.
he went forward to the middle cot
taks in the little row OF three
rs Inspector Cortelyou had found II
a fairly easy task TO enter StCadS