Pittston Gazette

              1 *"A x'ilvit"!?Vs } Oldest Newspaper in the Wyoming Valley. PITTSTON, LUZERNE 00., PA., FRIDAY. M vRCH 26, 1897. * Weekly local and Family Journal. I*1- OO PEK TUB IN ADVAfDK 11 covet op |)ia ing and even * boat wbiob, tb Mrs. Bmr- I have already of inquigpr. if, so longjM t be had^lfft one, as, mr proclaimed (fee ie baudiwgrk a rieCflalp in a bottle body. | more explicit, aa another label announo- - ed that the price of tickets was sixpence, and that they were "to be obtained of the professor." I was, however, more concerned at the moment in ascertaining what had beoome of the letters, so I scanned the room carefully, shifting meanwhile the outspread jm(1 interposed broad sheet of Tbe Dafly Telegraph, like a yachtsman Betting hia canvas close to the wind, ao as to keep myself ont of reach of the professor's too inquisitive glance, and switching my eyes from object to object until they diaoorered the miasing letters plaoed upon a rack which hung upon the wall near the window. "It's very dark here, or else my eight'a getting bad and I shall have to take to glasses. I'm hanged if I can read this small print," I said aloud, standing up and moving toward the window, as if to get a better light For half a minute I pretended to read, and then I leisurely shook out the newspaper to its fullest extent, in order to reverse the sheet, thus hiding myself completely from tbe professor's eye. As I did ao I took the opportunity to snatch the packet of liters from the rack. It was no easy matter to shuffle through them with one hand and without attracting attention, but I accomplished the task successfully, and not without result, for the bottom letter of tbe packet was for Mr. Henry Jeanes and was in the handwriting of the barber at Cotley. The reader will remember that I had prepared two envelopes bearing the Cotley postmark and addressed to Jeanes in as close an imitation of tbe barber's handwriting as possible. Into one of these envelopes I had that morning slipped a sheet of blank paper on which was pasted the newspaper cutting about the finding of tbe body of poor Green (I had a reason for doing ao which will/ ahortly transpire), and this envelope I was at that moment carrying just inside my sleeve. To abstract the original letter and replace it by the dummy was the work of a few seconds. It was well that I had come thus prepared, for in the next instant tbe professor had snatched tbe packet from my band and was asking, in a voice quivering with fury, what tbe dickens I meant by such impndence."What's the excitement?" I said as calmly and unconsciously as possible. "I was only looking if there was one for me? There's no harm done." "Oh, isn't there?" he said. "But there soon will be if yer get meddling 'ere again." And with (me swiftly searching and darkly suspicions glance at my face he fell to examining the letters, and, aa I could aee by the movement of hia lips, counting them one by one to see that none was missing. My heart, I must oonfesa, jumped a bit when he came to the forgery with whioh I had replaced the letter I bad abstracted. But tbe result was apparently satisfactory, for he put the packet back upon the rack without further oomment and took up the discarded shaving brush to continue his task. I did not feel at the best of ease, when, after the customer had paid and deputed, a surly "Now, then!" summoned me to tbe operating chair, for it was not altogether reassuring to have a razor in the grip of such a ruffian at one's throat. But, though the shave was accomplished with none that Green was Inquiring about him, and what was more natural than that, seeing a notioe of Green's death in the papers, he should send it on to bis principal. But all the same tbe sooner I get tbe dummy back into my own hands tbe better, for I don't think"— CHAPTER XIX Jeanes for certain I'd 'ave 'elped yer— for a consideration, of course. I only took yer into tbe shop because I meant to find out who yer was after. Jeanes ain't notbink to me, but there is some of my pals as I wouldn't have no 'arm oome to, not for a pot of money. And I knew if I 'ad yer there I could find out who it was yer wanted and give 'iin tbe tip if it was a pal. . Why, I've been a-playing with yer all this time—a-playing hoff first one name and then another to see if it was yer bloke. Then when I began to suspect it was Jeanes I planned the little game I played yer terday. And didn't yer tumble prettily? Ha, ba, ha, ha!" And off the professor went again into a paroxysm of laughter at my expense. tuin Shannon, 1 was as cool and collected as ever I was in my life. hia brother-iii-law to Jeud hiin t Lie Odd Trick for a cruise. Whom has he got ou board?1' reader it at i».. 77~, l~. his movements was to traces. He could be da reokless at times—as witness his having gone away ir should his connection w goyne leak ont, would, a( said, be the very first object It would seem, in fact, ar he had satisfied himself tha. _ no "spoor" behind, he preferred ing a bold coarse to a timid instance, when be openly' murder of Green to be of Captain Shannon by let ration to that effect folded which was attached to the "ABE THERE ANY LETTERS FOR HENRY JEANES, PLEASE?" Were it not that they have no immediate connectiepi with my story, I should like to describe here some of tbe curious and amusing experiences which befell me while I was acting as assistant to a barber and betting agent But in a narrative like tbe present it is perhaps best that I should confine myself to the incidents and adventures whioh have direct bearing upon my search for Captain Shannon. The next moment the professor came hurrying out, with a face on wbioh dismay was plainly written. "No one, sir. Mr. Cross was sailing ber himself; said ho w:w only going as far aa Sheerness, where he expected a friend to join him who would help him to handle her.'' "'E's been there right enough," he said all in a burst, and with a horrible oath, his features working meanwhile with agitation, the genuineness of which there was no mistaking. "But instead of 'aving lunch, as 'e told me 'e should, the 'ad aglasa of aherry and caught the 12:16 express to London, and 'e's more than got there by now. rot 'im!" At this point I broke off my meditations abruptly. I had been sitting in fnll view of Professor Lawrance's door, and just then I saw him put his bead out, look up and down the street as if to see whether he could safely be away for a few minutes without the probability of a customer popping in, and tben cross the road in tbe direotion of the nearest publio house. "He's a good sailor, isn't he?" "No, sir, that's just what he isn't, and that's why I wanted him to let me go with him until his friend turned up. That the professor would betray me to bis clients I did not think at all likely, as to do so would necessitate hia admitting to tbem that be had been bribed to allow a apy, if not a detective, to enter hia service under a disguise and to have access to the correspondence of the establishment. At tbe same time I did not think it advisable—at all events for the present—to take him into my confidence by telling him wbo was tbe object of my search. Hence I bad to pursue my'investigations in a more or less indirect manner, inquiring first about one of the parties for whom letters came and tben about another, aud so getting an opportunity to refer to Jeanea without appearing to be more curious about him thau about tbe others. In reply to my casual question aa to who Jeanes was, tbe professor replied with apparent indifference that the party in question was young and good looking and that be did not suppose tbe correspondence which was being carried on meant aay more than a foolish love affair. COPYRIGHT 1896- BY-DODO MEAD AND COMOVKY. CHAPTER XXI. ing when obtained, I oonld not see how to get over the difficulty of the postmark. A postmark is not an easy thing to forge without specially prepared tools, and until tbe idea occurred to me at posting at Cotley a letter addressed in pencil to myself at Stanby, and then nibbing out the address and readdressing it to Jeanes, I was rather at a loss to know bow to effect my purpose. However, the difficulty was now satisfactorily surmounted, and, armed with my dummy letters, I set out to make the acquaintance of Professor Lawrooe. "If I'm to make tbe exchange, it's now or never," I said, snatching up the letter from Mrs. Burgoyne which, after copying, I had put hack into its envelope and resealed. In another half minute I bad crossed the road and was ascending the stairs which led to Professor Lawrance's bair cutting establishmentHOW I STRUCK JAMES MULLEN'S TRACK. How be bad accomplished ticular crime I did bad tbe best at reason# that be bad left no hindi Carefulness traces was indeed tbe criminal code, and perhaps cret of tbe Boocesp hitherto carried out any fresh move on b canning scheme for trail be had left bebint for (rarely and inevi mat p§r- know, bull sign of himself fata covering up tjm ley word to Ka . - was the fbwith which he had lis designs. Ghwn is part, and some obliterating Cpe - might be looMd tably. than by snbtlety o the boatyard at T lost sight of hhn aken the Odd Trick dame evening, I was down the river, tmt of him afterwasd ghtest evidence |o the river in search natural and only leginning by this nsight into my qdfelt that befC$re has Mnll* crasly consider t|te has he adopted » f CHAPTER XVTL ON TBE HEELS OF JAMES MULLEN. Whether Jeanes, alias Mullen, bad noticed any signs of curiosity in regard to his movements on tbe professor's part, and had intentionally misinformed that worthy; whether his suspicions had been aroused by his discovering that he was being shadowed to the hotel, or whether hia change of plans was entirely accidental, I bad no means ot knowing, but that my adversary in the game of chess I was playing had again called "check" just when I had hoped to come out with tbe triumphant "mate" was not to be denied. Tbe only additional information I succeeded in eliciting from the professor was that Jeanes had visited the shop a month or so ago and had arranged that any letters sent there for him should be kept till he came for them. He had left half a sovereign on account and had called four times, receiving three letters, including that whioh had been handed to him by tbe professor. It suited my purpose to humor him, so I joined good bumoredly in tbe laugh against myself, but as a matter of fact I had not been quite such a "pigeon" as the professor supposed. Up to a certain point the scoring had been in my favor and not in bis, for I had succeeded not only in intercepting an important letter which bad been sent to his care, but also in returning that letter— after I bad made myself acquainted with its oontents—to the place whence I took it, so that it might reach the hand of the person to whom it was addressed.I bad already decided that my next destination must be Stanby, where it would be necessary to pay a visit to Professor Lawranot s hair cutting establishment. But first I had to read the letters I had secured, so I turned into a small, quiet looking hotel and, having ordered dinner, asked that I might have the use of a bedroom. Then I rang for a jug of boiliug water, and on its arrival I dived into the folds of my umbrella, and having brought up tbe two epistles which were there secreted I proceeded to hold them over the steam until the gum was so moist that it was possible to open them. CHAPTER XVIII. To teplace "the dummy letter by the original and to pocket the former did not take long, and aa no atep upon the atair announced the professor's return I thought I might as well avail myself of the opportunity of. ascertaining anything that was to be learned about bis other correspondents. With this end in view I put out my hand to take down the packet again when a voice behind me said: I BECOME A HAIRDRESSER'S ASSISTANT. I bad—more by luck —traced Mullen ' Gravesend, bat there completely. He bad away with him the told, and bad gone what had become there was not the s show. To go dowi of him seemed thf course, bat I was time to get some versary's methods, and asking myself, "Where gone?" I should  question, "What method for covering up bis traoesf He was an extremely unprepossessing, not to say villainous, looking man and regarded me with what I could not help thinking was asnspicioua eye wben I entered. I submitted to be shaved and shampooed, both of which operationa he performed badly, though he regaled me meanwhile with his views in regard to the winner of tbe Derby, and also of a prise fight whioh was coming off that day. But I knew very well that should the professor's suspicions be once aroused—as must have been the case after be detected me in the act of examining the letters—I should not only never again be allowed to go within the reach of tbe rack where he kept them, but should in all probability be refused admission to his shop. Hence I had no ohoioe but to adopt tbe somewhat daring course of openly offering him a bribe to take me into bis service. If he really were Mullen's confederate, be would already have had cause to suspect my motives, but if, on tbe other hand, Mullen and the professor had no other connection than that the former was having his letters addressed to tbe latter's shop, it was quite within the bounds of possibility that the worthy professor would, for a consideration, be prepared to tell me all he knew about tbe customer in question. That the object of tbe leading questions he bad from time to time put to me was to discover whom I was in search of I bad been well aware, although I freely admit that I bad been, as I have said, "let through" in regard to the man who bad oalled for Jeanes' letters. "Ah, yet,".!said. The letter for Green was, as I bare said, directed to himself in hie own .writing. It contained nothing more important than a sheet of blank note paper, which, as the reader will already hare surmised, bad evidently been sent as a "blind," its purpose being to afford the inquiry agent an excuse for oalling at the shop where it had been delivered. But, bless yon, sir, he got that huffy there wasn't no holding him. And him a very pleasant mannered gentleman in the nana) way, and free with his money too." "Wot a binterest he do take in correspondence, to be sure. Be d——d if be ain't at 'em again!" And as I turned round I saw the professor in the act of closing the door, locking it and putting the key in his pocket. Several days went by, and tbe letter fcr Jeanes still remained uncalled for, until one afternoon the professor asked me, as he had asked me on previous occasions, if I would keep an eye to the shop while he ran over the way to get half a pint I nodded assent and, promising that he would not be long, be disappeared down the stairs, only to return immediately afterward for his pipe, whioh was lying on the mantelshelf. As he passed tbe rack be took tbe letters down and ran throogb them as if to see how many there were, and then giving me a look, whioh I took to mean that it would be no use my tampering with tbem in his absenoe, be .tgain descended the stairs in searoh of the desired r» fresbment. Our conversation was interrupted at this point by the entrance of another waterman with the key of the shed where a boat that was for sale was laid up. The craft in question was a pretty little cutter named, the Pastime,' and I of course made a great pretense of inspecting her narrowly and was careful to put the usual questions about her draft, breadth of beam, findings and the like which would be expected from any intending purchaser. As for that precious rascal, I need scarcely say that I plaoed no relianoe whatever upon what he said, and had seriously considered whether the story of his giving Jeanes the letter on tbe stairs and tben shadowing his customer to the hotel might not be an entire fabrication. I did not for a moment believe that be knew who Jeanes really was, for had he done so he would, I felt suqb, have lost no time in securing the reward by handing the fugitive over to tbe polioe. But I quite recognised the possibility of his being in Jeanes' pay, and bad seriously asked myself whether the statement that Jeanes would not be having any more letters addressed to the shop and would not be visiting Stanby again might not be a ruse to get me out of tbe way. But that the professor's surprise and dismay when be found Jeanes gone from tbe hotel were genuine no one who had witnessed them could have doubted, and as the circumstances generally tended to confirm bis story I was forced to the conclusion that he had, in this instanoe at all events, told the truth. "By the bye," I said as I was drawing on my gloves, "can one have letters addressed bare?" The letter addressed to Mr. Henry Jeanes—that which had attracted my attention from the fact of its bearing the postmark of the very town in Norway where I had reason to believe Mullen's sister was staying—promised to be more interesting, and it was with no little eagerness that I opened it and read as follows: "Nov" be replied shortly, "yercan't It don't pay—on tbe usual terms." "Now, then, Mr. 'Enery Watson,"be said, with an ugly fook upon bis face, "yer and me 'as got to oome to a hunderstanding. Yer comes here very haffablelike a-wanting to back a orse, with a hintroduction from Mr. 'Enery Morrison of Doncaster. Tall man, clean shaved, small heyes, wore a fawn coat and billyoock 'at did be? Abl I knows 'im—Valker'a 'ia name. 'Orses!"—this with acorn too withering to be expressed by means of pen and ink. "Yer know hanythink about 'orses! Wby, yer sneaking goat thero ain't a knacker in tbe oats' meat yard wot wouldn't put 'is 'eels in yer face if 'e 'eard yer talk about a gee-gee!" "I know that" I said, "or I should not have asked you. But I'm willing to pay special terms." CHAPTER XXIL OF " Wh t method has Mullen adopted for covering op bis traces?" I Mind myself, and as I did so a passage from tfce letter which had been sent to him Mrs. Burgoyne—the letter which I had Fortunately intercepted—flashed info my mind. "I do not see any necessity," she  written, "for doing as yon say in regard ;o oending the present crew back $o England nnder the pretense thai we are iot likely to be nsing tbe yacht for some :ime, and then, after getting the ship's ippearance altered by repainting anil 'echristening her the name yon mention, Dngaging another crew of Norwegians." If Mnllen had considered it neoeasaiy o take snch precautions in regard to the team yacht, he woulcL beyond all qnwion, consider it even more necessary kD lis safety that a similar oonrse should De adopted in regard to the boat which, intil opportunity came for him to leave ;be country, was to carry "Onsar and "Is it •orses?" be inquired gruffly. "Ye* horses," I said, taking up the one whioh he had given me, "but it's a fool's game, and I've lost a lot of money over it already." "Isn't sbe rather like the Odd Trick?" I said casually, being desirous of getting a description of that vessel without appearing to be unduly inquisitive. "Jakes—Your letter to hand. I cannot reply at present, as Stanley baa gone to Bergen, but I will write you "Ah!" with a grin. "And yer'vegot a hintroduction, of course. I don't take on customers of that sort without a hintroduction. It ain't safe.'.' on hit, rr?n-» ~ v " "Lord bless yon no, sir!" answered the honest Qannell. "She's about the same size right enough, but the Pastime ia cutter rigged and the Odd Trick's a 'yawl. Besides, the Pastime is painted chocolate and the Odd Triok is white pioked out gold." Tbough short and unimportant as regards contents, this letter was of the highest importance in other respects— firstly, because it was evidently from Mrs. Stanley Burgoyne and intended for the eye of James Mullen, and so in every way confirmed the genuineness of the letter I had found in Green's cigar case; secondly, because it disclosed some information that I might otherwise have bad much difficulty in discovering name under which Mullen's correspondence was being addressed to He had been gone about a quarter of au hour when a man, muffled up to the nose with a big "comforter," and with The affair was panning out beyond my reckoning, but from what bad transpired I felt sure that I should be safe in assuming be was more of a betting agent than a barber, and that tbe wisest thing for me to do would be by bluffing boldly to lead bim to suppose I knew all about bim, so I nodded assent aa airily as possible and as if hia question had been a mere matter of oourse. He looked me up and down contemptuously for a moment and tben with a sudden accession of fury, and with tbe sneer in bis voice changed to a snarl, said: When the professor had had his laugh out I asked bim quietly if be knew that the letter for Jeanes was gone. This was just the information I required. So after telling Gunnell that £• would let him know my decision when I had seen another boat which was in the market I slipped half a sovereign into his hand, as "consoienoe money" for taking up his time when I had no intention of becoming a purchaser, and bade him "Good day, and thank you." The result of my inquiries, though by no means unsatisfactory, bad, I must confess, put me somewhat out of my reokoning. I had all along been of opinion that Mullen's biding place was on water, as the reader is aware, but I had not supposed he would be so rash as to trust himself on a vessel which, if his oonneotion with the Burgoynes should reach the ears of the police, would be almost the first object of their inquiries. I could only aocount for his doing so by presuming that he was convinced that the secret of his relationsfHp to Mr. and Mrs. Burgoyne—being known only to them and to him—could not by any means come to light, and that, taking one thing with another, he considered it safer to make useof Burgoyne's boat than to run the risk of purchasing or hiring what he wanted from a stranger. Or it might be that as no fresh outrages bad occurred for some time the vigilance of the police had become somewhat relaxed and that Mullen—knowing it to be so, and that the hue and cry had subsided —felt that his own precautions might be proportionately lessened. "Do I know it's goue, yer bally fool?" be said. "Wby, of course I do. Wasn't it me oame and called yer for it juBt now when I had such a bad korf and didn't yer Bay there wasn't any letter?" "Yer oome 'ere, do yer, a-spying and a-prying, and takes rooms over the way to keep a watch upon me and my customers. And yer want to get yer 'and on them letters there, so as to find some hevidence to lay hinformation ag'in me, do yer? Think I didn't know yer was a-watching me through the korfey palis winder? That's wot I went out for. I knew as yer'd be slipping over 'ore dlreckly my back was turned. But I copped yer, yer slinking toad, and yer ain't got nothing to lay hinformation on, and I'll take care yer don't!" "Wbo is it?" he asked point blank. "Morrison," I replied without a moment's hesitation, "Henry Morrison of Dcooastsr. You recollect him—tall man, olean shaven and small eyes; wears a fawn ooat and • brown billycock. He said any money I pot on witb you would be quite safe." Tbe barber nodded. "Like as not, though I don't rekerleot him from yer description. Well, wot d'yer want me to back?" In that case I should be wasting time by remaining longer at Stanby. So after arranging with tbe professor that if Jeanes called again, or if any other letters arrived for him, the word "news" should at once be telegraphed to an address which I gave I packed my bag and caught the next train to town. him. It was of the highest importance if Mullen was to fall into the trap wbloh I was preparing for bim that he should have no cause to suspect his correspondence was again being tampered with; so. as it was possible that Mrs. Burgoyne might refer to this epistle in a later letter, I carefully reseated the note snd handed it to the postman, whom I saw delivering letters in tbe street where the shop whence I had obtained it was situated. "Yes, yea," I said, lookhg rather foolish. "Of course I know that you came and asked for a letter and that I told you there wasn't one; but I didn't know that you knew that the letter was really gone." lis fortunes." That boat bad been described to me by Gunnell as a live too yawl, painted white, picked out with gold. She had by now, no doubt, been entirely metamorphosed, and before I set out to continue my search ft* Mullen it was of vital importance that I should know " " anoe of the look. According nell, Mullen when be and indeed unlikely that toward London Every mile would rende.' cramped and _ „  observation, whereas down the river meant the open sea, with aooees to the entire seaboard of the country, and, if neoessary, of the continent. But should the authorities by anj chanoe discover Mullen's connection with the Burgoynes and learn In the course of their subsequent inquiries that he had (rone down the river in a five ton yawl, painted white, belonging to Mr. Burgoyne, it would in all probability be down the river that they would go in search of a boat answering to that description. Mullen was not the man to omit this view of the case from his calculations, and, knowing as I did the methodical way in whioh be always set to work to cover up bis traces after every move, I felt absolutely sure that he had taken some precaution for setting possible pursuers upon the wrong taek. The very fact that be bad told Gunnell he was to call for a friendntSheeTuess and had started off in that direction made me suspicious. What was to hinder him, I asked, from running baok past Gravesend under oover of darkness and going up the river in search of a place where be could get the boat repainted or otherwise disguised? The more I thought of it the more certain I felt that to go in search of the Odd Trick before I had satisfied myself that nothing of the sort bad occurred would be to start on a fool's errand, and I decided at last to hire a small sailing boat from a waterman and to sail down the river as Mullen had done and then to beat back past Gravesend and toward London. Mullen had called "check" at Stanby, it is true, but I was not without another move, by means of which I hoped eventually to "mate" him, and what that move was the reader who remembers the contents of tbe intercepted letters will readily surmise. "Well, considering as it was me took it when I came back to get my pipe, I ongbt to know," he answered. And tben, with a sodden change of manner: "Look, 'ere, Watson, or whatever yer name is, I think us two can do a deal together. Yer want to get 'old of 'Enery Jeanes, don't yer?" something of the appear, boat for which I was to „ to the waterman Gun. bad gone down the river left Gravesend that evening, it was in the highest degree he had gone up the river _ in a small sailing veaseL ♦reversed in that direction his movements mora more likely to oome under "Ah, that's what I wish yon to tell me," I said—this time at least with absolute truthfulness, for as a matter of fact I did not know as much as the name at one of the horses or what was tbe race which we were supposed to be discusdng. "My good man," I replied quite ooolly, "don't distress yourself unnecessarily. I know very well that yon are oarrying on illegal transaction*, and I oould make things uncomfortable if I chose to give the'police a hint. But I'm not a detective, and I don't concern myself one way or the other with your doings, legal or illegal. What I came here to find oat is parely a private family affair, and baa nothing in the world to do with you or yonr betting business. A man I know has disappeared, and his family are anxious to get news of him. I've got an idea tbat he is in Stanby and that he ia having letters addressed to yonr care under an assumed name. Now look bere. You've got it in yoar power to spoil my game, I admit, and I've got it in my power to give the police a hint tbat might be inconvenient to yon. Bnt why should yon and I quarrel? Why shouldn't we do a little business together to oar mutual benefit? I can pay for any help you give, and if you'll work with me I'll guarantee that yonr name shan't be mentioned and to keep my mouth shut about any little business transactions of yonr own wbiob you're engaged in. Well, what is it to be? Will yon accept my offer or not? Yon get nothing by refusing and gain a good deal by accepting. Yon ran this show to make money and not for pleasure, I take it, and I'm ready to put a gooid deal more money in yonr pocket than you'd make in the general way and not to interfere with yonr nsnal business either. I shouldn't have supposed it wants much thinking about" "What's this?" he said when be had looked at it. In one of those letters the person to whom It was addressed was told tbat the steam yacht by means of which he was to escape would be lying just off the boatbuilder's yard, wbere the little yacht was laid up. Any one who did not know from whom the letter was or under wiat circumstances it had been written would not be any the wiser for this piece of information. Bat to one who knew, as I did, tbat the writer was the wife of Mr. Stanley Burgoyne, it wonld not be a difficult thing to ascertain the name of any small yacht of which that gentleman was the owner and the place wbere it was likely to be laid up. "You dropped it when making your last oall," I answered. He looked surprised at first, and afterward suspicious. "I don't remember seeing that letter when I sorted my delivery," he said, "and I ain't in the habit of dropping letters in the street I've been at it too long for that How do I know this ain't a put up job?" "Give it me back at onoe, you insolent fellow," I replied, "and I'll do what I ought to have done at first—take it to tbe bead office and report you to tbe postmaster for negligence. I go out of my way to do you a courtesy and perhaps save you from getting into trouble for carelessness in tbe execution of your duty, and I get insulted for my pains. Give it me back or come with me to the bead office and we'll soon put this matter right" too light a band and the sooundrel drew blood by tbe probably intentional and malioious way in which be rasped my somewhat tender skin, he did me no serious injury, and it was not long before I was back at tbe hotel and engaged in opening the abstracted letter. There were two documents inside, the first of whioh was addressed to Jeanes in Mrs. Stanley Burgoyne's handwriting and Van as follows: "James—We are glad to have your promise and will carry out oar part of the contract faithfully. We shall remain here as you direct until you telegrapn tne word *«Jome,' wnen we snau start for England at once, and you can count on the yacht being at tbe plaoe you mention within four days and ready to start again at a few hours' notice. If there tmia letter for Mr. Ilenry Jcanea. ■A soft hat pulled down so closcly over jis brows tbat little more of bim was visible than a pair of blue spectacles, opened the door, and, without coming n, stood coughing aud panting like a onKumptive on the mat outside. As be lid not show any disposition to enter I inquired what be wauted, but shaking his bead, as if to indicate tbat be was anable to answer, be oontinned hacking «id cougbiug, with stooped head and bent shoulders, for half a minute, and then in a hollow voice, which seemed strangely familiar to me, asked if there was a letter for Mr. Henry Jeanes. I. nodded. "Supposing I knew wbere 'ewas to be found at this very minute—wot 'n'd yer give me for the binformatioh?" "Ten pounds," I answered. He snorted. "Greased Lightning's tbe lay," be said. ' 'It's a dead cert I can get yer level money now. It'll be 4 to 3 bon tomorrow. How much are yer going to "Can't be done under £20, ready money. Give ns yer £20, and I'll tell yer." spring?" I replied that be oonld put a "flimsy" aa for me, and after he bad entered tbe amount and my name—which I gave aa Henry Watson—in a greasy notebook, I wished him good morning, promising to caJl again soon to see if there were any letters. The rest of tbe day I spent for tbe moat part in ay bedroom watching the customers who patronized Professor Lawranoe's saloon, nor was my vigil without rssult in assisting me to form an opinion as to the class of business which was there carried on. Not more than a dozen people entered the estab lishment during the day, and tbe majority of them bad oalled neither to be shaved nor to have their bair cut My reason for coming to tbis oouolusion was not that I had such telescopic and microaoopio eyes aa to be able to detect In every case whether the caller had been under tbe barber's band since his entrance, bat because most of Professor lawranoe's customers did not remain inside bis shop more than half a minute, and because, too, I saw a letter in the band of more than one of those who oame out. And aa the postman never paased tbe door without making a delivery, and tbe oallers were all more or leas bony in dreas and appearance, tbe evidenoe seemed to. point pretty clearly to the fact that Professor Law ranee was, aa I bad already surmised, more of a betting agent than a barber. I looked in next morning, ostensibly tq b« ahaved, but in reality to try to get sight of any letters whiah might have oome addressed to tbe professor's care. That worthy forestalled me by gruffly volunteering tbe information that there were no letters, nor oonld I succeed in leading tbe conversation to tbe subject in which I was interested. "No," I said. "Take me to wbere Jeanes is to be found, wherever it is, and 1*11 give yoa not £20, but £50. as soon as I'm sure it is the right man. I swear it, so help me God, and I won't go back on my word." Perhaps, too, the ease with which be had hitherto elnded pursuit had tended to make him careless, overconfident and inclined to underrate the abilities of English detectives. Bnt whatever his reason, the fact remained that if Gunnell's story was to be believed—and I saw no cause to doubt it—Mullen had oontrived to got possession of the Odd Trick by means of a telegram whioh, though purporting to come from the owner of the boat, Mr. Burgoyne, bad in reality been dispatched by Mullen himself. As calmly as if his coming were a thing of the utmost indifference to me I reached for the packet of letters in order to select tbat which was addressed to Jeanes. To my dismay I found it gone, bat repressing the exclamation of surprise which rose to my lips I turned to the waiting messenger and shook my head. His eyes sparkled. Whether Mnllen intended to abandon or to carry lint the plan he had formed for making his escape by the help of his sister I had no means of knowing. If be suspected that his letters bad been in* teroepted, he was tolerably sure to abandon the arrangement, or at all events to change the scene of operations. Bnt if he was unaware of the fact that I bad taken up the thread whioh poor Green had dropped, it was possible that he might assume bis secret to be safe now Green was satisfactorily disposed of, and might carry out his original plan, in which event he would walk of his own accord into the trap whioh I was preparing' for bim. In any case I should be doing right in making inquiries about Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Rrirrw-„, hyacht, and with inis ena in view l puiv.i a a copy at the current Yachting Ik-gister. "Yer a gentleman, I b'lieve," he said, "and I'll trust yer. But yer must keep my name out of it. Now listen. When I went down the stairs to get tbat 'arf pint I met Jeanes a-coming op for 'is letters. I guessed it was 'im yer was after, and I wasn't going to 'ave no harrests nor rows in my shop. Besides, if yer wauted 'im bad, I guessed yer'd be willing to drop money on it, and if there was any money to be dropped I didn't see why I shouldn't be the one to pick it up." We shall be just off tbe boatbnilder'a yard, where onr little yacht is laid up "I do not see any neoessity for doing as you say in regard to sending tbe present crew back to England under tbe pretense that we are not likely to be using the yacht for some time, and then, after getting the ship's appearance altered by repainting and reohristening her tbe name you mention, engaging another crew of Norwegians. "This seems to me a very nnneoeasary precaution. Your connection with us is never likely to be discovered unless by your own confession. However, I suppose yon know best, and we will do as yon say. P." The other letter was on a half sheet of note paper and in the handwriting of the barber at Ootley. Here it is: ' 'Respected Sie—Mr. Green has not called since I last wrote yon. But a person named Smitbers oame and asked questions. I did not like the look of him and wonld not tell him anything, but said I did not know any Mr. Jeanes. Respectfully, James Dorley. "P. 8.—Smitbers smelt of rum. He bad been drinking. He was a low looking man, and I did not like his eye." "I'm pained to hear yon don't like my eye, Mr. James—Mr. 'Truthful James,' " I said sarcastically aa I put the letter down, glanoing sideways all tbe same at a mirror on tbe wall to see if I oonld detect any sinister expression in my eye whiob oould aooount for the unfavorable opinion Mr. Jamea bad formed of that feature. "And so yon didn't tell me anything, didn't yon, yon precious rascalf Some day I may bave an opportunity of telling yon something, and then it is possible yon may find something else to dislike about me as well as my eye. In tbe meantime I'll take the liberty of detaining your letter, as it wonld put Mullen on tbe alert if I let it go on to him. His sister's letter he must have, for if I fail to set bands on him here I can take him when he keeps his appointment with her on tbe steam yacht on board wbioh he bopea to get out of the country. "Bo I mustn't lose a moment in resealing ber letter and getting it back by hook or by crook to the letter rack whence I got it. I'm not easy about the forgery with which I replaced it If ►here had chanced to be only two or hrrn letters waiting to be called for Dhis morning, and I had abstracted one .vitbout replacing it with a dummy, the professor would be bound to have loticed that u letter was missing. But Cm running a risk in leaving the forged dummy there a moment longer than I can help. Mullen might call and have it given him, or it may get sent on, and though I flatter myself that tbe forgery is so well done that even Mullen is not likely to notice any difference in the handwriting, and though it is also possible, too, thut be will think the outting about Green's death hod been sent him by tbe Cotley barber, I'd much rather that the dummy didn't fall into his hands. ♦ 'J humbly ask your pardon and hope there is no offense, sir, I am sure," be answered, with a change of manner which showed that he did not relish the threat of being reported for negligence. "I'll see the letter's delivered all right and I'm much obliged to yon, air, I am sure, and hope yon won't think no man of it" He mumbled something that sounded like "Thank yon," and tben, closing the door, toiled painfully down stairs. Scarcely had be reached the first landing before I bad made what is called in musio ball parlance a "lightning change." Here was news indeed! If the professor was to be believed—and, notwithstanding my recent experience, I failed to see what motive be could have for misleading me in this instance—the man I was in search of had been in the town and in that very house scarcely more than two hours ago I And I had been sitting there idly when every moment, every second, was precious! That be was the sender of the telegram was evident from some inquiries which I afterward made at Scarborough. These inquiries I need not here enter upon in detail, but I may mention that I was able by a little diplomacy to get a photograph of the original draft (it is not generally known that the first drafts of telegrams are retained for a considerable time by the postal authorities), and so became possessed of a piece of evidence which might one day prove valuable—a specimen of what was in all probability Mullen's own handwriting."I'm not sure that I oughtn't to take tbe letter to tbe office now," I said. "However, I don't want to get a man into trouble for an accident but keep a civil tongue in your bead another time, young man. or you'll not get off so cheaply as yon bave tbis." Tearing off my canvas coat and white apron, and tossing tbem in a beap upon a chair, I shot into, rather than got into, my reefer jacket and snatching at my hat was down the stairs and oat in the street before my yisitor was half way to the first corner, which led to an unfrequented side street The instant be had turned it I was after him like the wind, and looking warily around saw bim making for a narrow lane that ran at right angles to the direction In which he was going. No sooner was he hidden by the corner than I was after bim onoe again, but not so hurriedly as to forget to stop and peer cautiously round before exposing my own person to view. The sight which met my eyes put me, I must oonfess, fairly oat of countenance, for there, just round the corner, with the crush bat pushed to the back of bis bead, the muffler thrown open and the blue spectacles in tbe hand which he pointed derisively at me, was none other than the professor, literally rolling about with nnoontrollable laughter."Wot d'yer call a good deal more money?" he asked shortly, but not without signs of coming to terms. He touched his cap, and promising to profit by my advice slipped tbe letter in with What I supposed were others bearing tbe same address; so, wishing bins good day, I entered a stationer's shop and purchased a couple of envelopes and two sheets of paper. Each sheet of paper I folded and pnt into an envelope, whiob I then addressed in pencil to myself, at the postoffioe, Stapby. Then after posting them I made my way to tbe station and took a ticket to Stan by. Turning to the letter B in tbe list of owners, I fouud that Mr. Stanley Scott Bnrgoyne's club was the Roynl London, and tbat he bad two boats, one a big steam yacht called the Fiona and the other a little five tonner named the Odd Trick. It was no doubt in the former that Mr. and Mrs. Burgoyne bad gone to Norway and by means of which Mullen was to fly the oountry, and it was probably to tbe latter that Mrs. Burgoyne had referred in her letter. "And who is it yer after? There's some of my pais as I wouldn't give no one the bulge on and there's some as I don't oare a crab's claw about." "Five, 16 or 20 pounds." "Go on, go on!" I said excitedly. ' 'Tell me the rest as fast as you can. There's not a moment to spare. I'll see you don't lose by it." He nodded and continued, but still in tbe same leisurely way. But as a matter of fact I had good canse, quite apart from the inquiries which I instituted at Scarborough, to feel satisfied that the telegram bad been sent by Mullen, or by his instigation, and not by Burgoyne, as I knew by the date of the letter which Mrs. Burgoyne had sent to Mullen—the letter which I bad intercepted—that her husband was in Bergen upon the very day on which the telegram from Scarborough had been dispatched. "My man isn't one of your pals, I'm pretty sure, though I can't tell you his name—anyhow not for the present," I answered. "But who are tbe pals yon won't go back on?" "Well, I harsked Jeanes to wait while I fetched the letter. That's wot I came back to get my pipe for. Yer remember I took the letters down and pretended to count 'em? Well, I sneaked it then and gave it 'im. He gave me a sovereign and said there wouldn't be any more letters coming for 'im, and 'e shouldn't be calling at the shop no more. Then 'e barsked me wot time tbe next train left for London, and I told 'im in a quarter of an hour, and 'e said that wouldn't do, as 'e 'adn't 'ad no lunch and was starving 'ungry. So I told 'im there wasn't another for two hours and- a 'arf, and 'e said that would do capital, and where was the best place to get dinner. I told 'im the Railway hotel, and 'e went there, 'cos I followed 'im to make sure. Then I whipped back and played that little game on yer, just to make sure it was .Teanes yer wanted. And now I guess that £50 is as good as mine. Jeanes'll be at tbe hotel now, or If 'e's left there we can make sure of Mm at tbe station when 'e catches tbe London express. Wot d'yer want 'im for? Looks a 'armless, pleasant kind of bloke, and very pleasant spoken." This I did, working the river thoroughly and systematically and missing uo boatyard or other likely place for effecting such a purpose as that with whioh I credited Mullen. It was a wearisome task, for the inquiries bad to be made with tact and caution, and it was not until 1 had reached Erith that I learned anything which promised to repay me for my pains. There I was told that a small yacht had recently put into "Is it George Ray?" "No." No one oan be led to talk "shop" more readily than your enthusiastic yachtsman, and it did not require maob diplomacy on my part to ascertain by means of a visit to the Royal London clubhouse in Savile ro«S-in oompany with a member—that Mr. Bnrgoyne's little cruiser was laid np at Gravesend, in oharge of a man named Gunnell. Aa I had to wait some time for a train, besides changing twice at junctions, it was late when I reached that town, and I had some difficulty in finding Professor Lawranoe's hair cutting establishment, which was in a side street and was already closed for tbe night On the other side of the way and only a few doors down was a not very olean looking temperance hotel and coffee palace, and here I secured a bedroom and sitting room, from the latter of whiob, aa it faced the street, I should be able to keep an eye upon every one who entered or left Professor Lawranoe's establishment."No." "Alf Mason?" " 'Appy 'Arry?" , ' F; The morning after, however, I waited until I aaw someone—who looked more like a customer in search of a barber than of a betting agent—enter tbe shop and then followed him. He was at that moment being lathered for shaving; so, after wishing tbe professor good morning and remarking that 1 was in no hurry, I took a seat close to the mantelshelf and pretended to read The Daily Telegraph. It was on this mantelshelf, as I was awan, that tbe box containing tbe letters was kept, bnt on looking round J aaw, to my d4smay, that tbe manteMbelf had been cleared for tht display of a big, ooarsely colored picture of "tbe great fight between 81ade and Soroggina." The picture was labeled, "To be raffled far, tbe proceeds for tbe benefit at tbe widow," "No." "Bob tbe Skinner?" My next business I decided must be to find the present whereabouts of the Odd Trick, but before setting out to do so I bad a point of some importance to consider. Every one who has studied criminology knows that eaah individual criminal has certain methods which are repeated with very little variation in consecutive crimes. The circumstances may so vary as to cause the features of the crime to have a different aspect from the feature of any previous crime, but the methods pursued are generally the same. "No." "No." "Fred Wright?" "Give as yer 20 pun then. I'm on. I don't oare tbe prioe of 'arf a pint about none of the others." ' 'Oh, my poor korf—it is so bad I ain 't able to speak!" be gasped between his convulsions of merriment. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Oh, yer 'ap'porth of pigeon's milk, wot thought yer could get np early enough in tbe morning to take a rise out of old Tom Lawrance! Ha, ha, bo, ha, ha! Oh, yer feeding bottle fool and rang as thought yer'd got tbe bulge on Downy Tom! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Come and laugh at bim, sonnies, for tbe biggest fool and mammy's milk Juggins and Johnny in all Stanby!" Him I accordingly visited, under the pretext of wanting to buy a yaoht, and after some conversation I remarked casually: "Not bo fast, my friend. You've got to earn the money before yon get it And it'll depend on yourself whether it's £10, £15 or £20. Now listen to me. What I want you to do is to make an ezcnse for me to atay in your shop, so as to get a look at the people who oome for letters. You must pretend to engage me aa your assistant and fix me up in a white apron, and so on. If any one asks questions, you oan say I'm a young man who'a oome into a little money and wants to drop it in atarting a hairdressing establishment and I've come to you to help me do it. You can tell them that you don't let me out any of yflur regular customers, but that I make myself useful by dropping the razors, lathering the 'shaves,' and practicing hair cutting on odd customers and schoolboys. I conld do that much, 1 think, without betraying myself. The aoouer we begin the better. Give me a white aprou, if you've get one to spare, and I'll put it on straight off. Here's £5 down to start with, and I'll give yon another £5 for every week I'm here. Ia it a bargain?" "By the bye, I think you have my friend Mr. Stanley Bnrgoyne's five tonner, the Odd Triok, laid up here, haven't you?" I then went to bed. but ra np early next morning and called at tbe postoffice, where tbe two envelopes wbicb ] bad posted on tbe preoeding day at Got ley were awaiting me. These I took with me to my room at the hotel, and, having bongbt a piece of india rubber on the way, I rubbed oat the penciled name and addross, after which I readdressed the envelope in ink to Mr. Henry Jeanes at Professor Lawranoe's hair cutting rooms, Stan by, Imitating as closely as 1 oonld the handwriting ai the barber at Ootley, of whose caligraphy I had secured a specimen. "I did have, sir," was tbe reply, "but Mr. Burgoyne he telegraphed that I was to let his brother-in-law, Mr. Cross, have the boat out That there's the telegram wot yon see slipped in behind tbe olm'nack." The criminal classes are almost invariably creatures of habit. The fact that a certain method—be it adopted for the purpose of committing a crime, concealing a crime, or of effecting the criminal's escape—has proved successful in the past is to them the strongest possible reason for again adopting the same method. They associate that method in their thoughts with what they oal) their luck, and shrink ,from having to depart from It CHAPTER XX. For the second time in the course of this curious enterprise the information I was in need of seemed to oome in search of me instead of my having to go in aearch of it I had felt when I started out to pursue my inquiries about Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Burgoyne by interviewing the waterman Ganneil that it was quite possible I might learn something of importance, but I had not expected to strike the trail redhot and so soon, for Cross, as the reader may perhaps remember, was the name by which Mullen was known to bia family. Mullen (liia ntfither's name, and the only name to wmcb he had actual right) had been U8ed only in connection with the conspiraoy. Whether this was intended as a delioate way of intimating that tbe conflict bad proved fatal to one of tbe oonfliot- IlOW JAMRS MULLEN AND MYSELF AL- MOST MKT. "What'a be like?" I aaid. The professor waa in anch huge good humor at the success of bia ruse that when we returned together to the hair cutting establishment be was almost inclined to be genial, especially as I took the joke in good part and frankly admitted that I had never been ao "let through" before. So friendly waa he, in fact, that he readily agreed to my proposal that I should go over the way and bring back a bottle of aometbing to ease hia cough, and after I had pledged Downy Tom and expressed the intention of getting tip a little earlier in the morning the next time I meant trying to Hteal a march upon him and Downy Tom had pledged me in what—in delicate allusion to reoent events—he humoroualy termed pigeon'a milk, but which was in reality the beat Old Tom, we fell to discussing eventa almost confidentially."Youngish, fair and big eyes like a gal's. Wore a blue aerge suit and a white straw 'at" "Glean shaven?" I asked. "Yea, dean shaved; or any'ow, 'e'd no 'air on 'ia faoe.'' As I passed by in the small steam launch. a certain boatbuilder's yard for repairs, bat what these repairs had been my informant could not tell me. The yard in question was higher np the river, and thither I betook myself to pursue my inqniries. The man in charge was not a promising subject and doggedly denied having executed any snoh job as that indicated. Mullen—if it were he—haQ no doubt paid him, and paid him well, to hold his tongue, and I thought none the worse of the fellow for being faitbfal to his prom#**, especially as I was able to obtain elsewhere the information I needed. The boat whioh had put into the yard for repairs had come by night and bad left by night, but every water side place has its loungers, and the leal legitimate work yonr habitual lounge* does himself the more incumbent upoj|t him does he feel it to superintend is person the work whioh is being done by other people. From some of the loungers who bai witnessed the arrival of tbe boat whioh had been put In for repairs I bad no diflioolty in ascertaining that her balk Continued om Ptige Itw Most of my readers will already bave guessed why I troubled to poet these pencil addressed letters to myself at Cotley, and then, after rubbing out the dtreotion, readdressed tbdm in ink to Jeanes at Professor Lawranoe's establishment at Stanby, but as some may fail to do so I had better perhaps explain myself. "That's the man," I aaid. "Well, oome along. We'll be off to the hotel. Do you know any one there, by the bye?" Hence tbe detective psychologist should be quick to get what I may— with no sinister meaning in regard to after events—be allowed to call tbe "hang" of the criminal's mind and to disoover the methods which, though varying circumstances may necessitate their being worked out in varying ways, are common to most of bis crimes. The detective who can do this has his antagonist at a disadvantage. He is like the hunter who knows that the hare will double, or that this or that quarry will try to set the hounds at fault and seek to destroy the scent by taking to tbe water. And just as the hunter's acquaintance with the tricks of the quarry assists him to anticipate and to forestall the poor beast's efforts to escape, so the detective who has tahen a criminal's measure and discovered the methods upon which he works can often torn the very means which are intended to effect an escape into means to effeot a capture. "I knows the chief waiter. 'E often 'aa 6 bob on a 'orae with me." "All right Then you'd better go in first and aee your friend the waiter and find out where Jeanes ia. If he heard anybody asking for him by name in the ball, be might think something was wrong and make a bolt. Then you'd loee your £50 — which would be a pity." If a letter for Jeanes should be forwarded on to Professor Lawranoe's rooms from Cotley, that letter it would be my business, by hook or by crook, to abstract But to do this without attracting suspicion it would be necessary to have a dummy letter with which to replace it, and tbe dummy would have to bear the Ootley postmark and be directed in a hand as much resembling tbe handwriting on the (original letter as i possible. How to arrange all this had I puzzled me at first, for, though I did ' not anticipate any difficulty in hitting upon a pretext by which to obtain • specimen of the Cotley barber's hand- , "Ncy it ain't Ten pun down and 10 pun a week's my figger, and no leas. I ain't tf-going to injure my business by taking hittnitoers to the business on my customers out of charity. Them's my terms. Yer can take 'em or leave 'em, as yer like." Lest the man should see by my faoe how important was the information he had let drop, I stooped as if to fiiok a splash of mud from my trouaera leg before replying. The professor assented, and we started for the Railway hotel, he walking in front, as if without any connection with me, and I some 20 paces behind. When the swing doors closed upon his bulky figore, I stopped as we had arranged and pretended to look into a shop window until he shoald rejoin me. "Ah, yes," I said at length, atraightening myself and bending forward indolently to look at the telegram, which I read aloud. ' 'To have forged a letter from the Cotley barber would havo been extremely dangerous, for I didn't then know how tbe rascal addressed Mullen. And to have inclosed a blank sheet of paper would at once suggest tbe trick which had been played. The newspaper cutting was tbe only thing I conld think of that had the look of being a bona fide inclosure from tbe rascal at Cotley. He bad to dt knowledge infomaad Mnllan In the end we compounded the matter for £10 down and £5 weekly, and having arrayed myself in a white apron and a canvas coat, braided red, which the professor tossed me from a drawer, I assumed those badges of office the abeara, shaving brush and comb and took my place behind the second operating chair to await onatomera and developments."So it ia Jeanea aa yer after, aa I always auspected, though you never hanked questions about him direct, but only as if by baccident and among the others," he aaid aa he lit hia pipe. "It 'u'd have saved a lot of trouble if yer'd told me so at fust" " No, yer cann - ing parties or whether the widow in question was the reliot of the artistic genius whose brain had conceived and whose band bad drawn tbe pioture I am unable to say, as particulars were not given. In regard to tbe details of tbe raffle, however, the promoters of "To Gunuell, Gravesend: "Get Odd Triok ready and afloat Mr. Orosa will come for her. "BURGOYNK. "Windsor Hotel, Scarborough." "Of course," I went on, "Ihad quite forgotten Mr. Crosa telling me, when I aaw hi in last that be was going to aak 1 bad been nervoua and excited when we Bet out, but now that the criaia had oome, and I was ao soon to atand face to faoe with Henry Jeanes, aliaa James alias James Mullen, aliaa C'ap- " What do you mean by 'saved trouble?' " I asked. "Wbr. if I'd 'ave knowad it waa 1 need not paint pat to tbe obaaarran$