The Cotton Factory Times. — 1902-02-14 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

CHAPTER XIX. POOH TIMOTHY.  Harold and Mabel were some hours alone together in North-street before Mr. Smith and the others arrived. The detective had given them his latchkey, as otherwise they would have been unable to get into the house. Telegrams had been sent to Rose Villa and Scotland Yard to say that Miss Blount had been found. The message to Captain Blount had been despatched by his daughter, and informal him that she was safe and well, aud would be home shortly. The telegram to Sergeant Pinto had been sent in Smith's name by Harold. It seemed a strange anomaly that young Merlin, who was so much wanted by the police, should be communicating with them. Matters had thus been hurriedly arranged by Mr. Smith, who wished to have some conversation with Mabel before she returned home, but had bean unable to do so at Gravesend, having neither the opportunity nor sufficient time, as he was eager to return to poor Timothy. Harold and Mabel very naturally talked about their mutual sorrow—the murder of Wilfred Merlin, and the agony of mind they had both en• doted owing to the doings of the desperate villain, Larron. _  Their matnal sympathy and grief did not express themselves in tears or faintings, as had been the case at their first meeting in that loathsome room at the back of the Waterwagtail. The afternoon had far advanced before a fourwheeled oab, cantaining Mr. Smith, Sarah John, the boy in buttons, and the wounded Timothy, arrived in North-street. The cab had only come the short distance from Westminster Pier, to which place the detective and his party had been brought by the steam launch. Entrance to the back room of the Waterw.lgtail had been, effected from the riverside. -  Everything had been done in as quiet and orderly a way as possible. The owner of the boat and Timothy had bad their wounds attended to at Westminster Pier by the divisional surgeon. Thu man, whose arm had been broken, was handsomely recompensed by Mr. Smith fur the loss of his boat and the injuries he had received, and a prornisa that he would get a further reward if he held his tongue about the affair, was given him. He went on Ins way rejoicing. Much to Mr. Smith's annoyance, he had to explain to the police how he and the others had been , mixed up in the affair. But in telling his story he held back one or two points. He still kept his own identity a secret, simply saving that he was Mr. Smith's agent; and he made no mention of the " Merlin Murder Mystery." His being on the river, he said, was only for the purpose of discovering the whereabouts of Miss Blount, and of taking her home to her father when found. Even the name of the celebrated amateur detective had an effect, and fewer questions were asked than would otherwise have been the case; nevertheless a constable escorted the cab to North-street, and Smith knew that inquiries would be sure to be made, which would end in the authorities at Scotland Yard wanting Louis Larron not only for having abducted Mabel Bloant, but for the graver crime of murder.  He was right in his enrmises. Sergeant Pinto had begun to turn his attention more to Larrou than be had already done. This man had been mixed up in the Merlin Murder ease, had been living in the house from which the boy in buttons had disappeared, and had now run awe. with the girl