Northern Weekly Gazette. — 1903-02-14 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

NORTHERN WEEKLY GAZETTE.  evita.ble COMM) of thing'. Fatality would guide hint. Norman was guilty, and Glassington, presently, would hold all the proofs of his guilt., and would place them in the hands of his chief, who would apply for a warrant against the murderer; and he, Glass ington, would be complimented by his chief, by the public and the press, for the able way in which he had brought the mystery to light. Was not the whole thing unutterably horrible! No wonder that he stumbled along as he walked, so that. people who passed him thought that he had been drinking. He wandered about restlessly hour .fter hour, snatching brief moments of rest upon the benches of the boulevards. It seemed to him as if he were the criminal, fleeing on, ever on and on, away from his crime.  the desk which *bore the legend, Preliminary Correspondence Mr James Inglewood," written in a pieturesqu.e round hand.  "I have such good eyesight!" he added with a smile—as pleasant as that of M. Jacques Menhault. " Ah! but, I have so many English clients," retorted the little Fre.nchinan carelessly. " See here, on my desk— M. Robinson, M. Jones, M. "Thank you," said GlasKington, as he rase to take his leaxe. "I have learnt all I wish to know."  And with another pleasant smile he bowed himself out of the room. He had learnt all he. wished to know. Another link--a tiny one—had been added to the chain of evidence which he was forging against his friend. Aye! the crime had been cleverly concocted. Even in the midst of the overwhelming sorrow which filled the old man's heart., the detective gave ungrudging admiration to the clever criminal. The subtle way in which he had guided the su_spicions of the police against Lord Pulford or Lord Heslington was a masterpiece. The murder which he had committed for his own ends appeared as the ruin of all his hopes and a dastardly blow aimed at his just claim by his relentless enemies. He Glassington, the unerring tracker of criminals—he himself had been deceived. How could it be otherwise? But for Duchatel's confession no pogsible "motive" could ever have been imputed to Norman, whose every hope appeared to be bound up in the old woman's testimony. And now what remained?  Very little—a few more proofs, some circumstantial evidence, Lord Fulford's testimony, one or two more witnesses easily unearthed, now that the murderer's track was found, and then the arrest, the dock, the verdict of "guilty," and the sentence ! It would come. Glassington felt sure of that. He had never failed yet in bringing home a. crime to a criminal. Norman—his friend—in the dock! And he, Glassington—the man who would bring him there ! Was it not monstrous ?—horrible ?—a thou.sand times more horrible and more monstrous than any murder? The old detective stood upon the Pont Neuf and looked down upon the turbid waters of the Seine. His nervous fingers toyed with the two papers in his pocket--Duchatel's confession and his affidavit. Two bits of paper small and light—and the river seemed to whisper of eternal silence and absolute discretion. How easy it would all be----one moment's determination, and these proofs would be destroyed. M. jacques Menhault refused to speak. He would swear upon oath that he had forgotten to whom the letter was written which was found on Mrs Butt's doorstep. Glassillgton would go back and admit to his chief that, he had been baffled, that he had failed to find the slightest trace of the criminal.  Then Norman could go away. Oh, yes, of course he must go—far away to the Antipodes, and there commence a now life. He could go. and no breath of suspicion would follow him. He could live amongst honest men, and retrieve tho past by a new and a better life, and he, Glassington, would be spored the pain of seeing the boy arrested, co ide nth ed , perhaps—No! no! that would be too horrible! Impossible! Duty could not demand so monstrous a thing. And yet in spite of it all he did not throw the papers into the Seine. The ruling passion was strong throughout all his sorrow. He wouid not denounce Norman. No. But he would collect every proof first. He had suspicions which amounted to a certainty, hut he longed for the proofs. Ho would not use t,litm against Norman, save to force him, to go away; but he must have them, for his own sake and that of his conscience.  kiTo be wneluded.l