Nine-day Wonders

Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 47, 17 February 1894, Page 5

Nine-day Wonders

[all MIGHTS RESERVED.] A WRONG RIGHTED—BY POST. (Continued.) I should like very much to be able to give you the story exactly as B • told it to me, but that is impossible —my pen has been too long accustomed to the necessarily severe style of a alw office to adopt that of the novel writer, and even if I could, it is extremely probable that you might, in your present frame of mind, prefer an abbreviated versionB commenced, then, by informing me that amongst his acquaintances in Invercar gill, is the manager of a branch establishment ■ of a Dunedin firm, Messrs Allen and Styne, who carry on business as clothiers and general outfitters. The gentleman referred to —Mr Greenhouse—has only recently taken over the charge of that branch : he went there from Dunedin, and was acquainted in the latter town with both Kearsage and your sonNaturally therefore he took a keen interest in the events I have chronicled. When Bfirst went to Invercargill on his search for the runaway, he called on Mr Greenhouse, and knowing that he could rely on his friend’s secrecy, mentioned the task he had in hand, and begged his friend to forward at once any information which he might be able to obtain and which he thought might, prove to be of service. In answer to an inquiry of mine, B said he never neglected to enlist the services of trustworthy acquaintances, for hi* experience had taught him that clues to the detection of crime very often turned up in the most unlikely quarters. The wisdom of iiis policy was fully established, in this case at all events, for very shortly after his return to Dunedin he received the following letter from Air Greenhouse : Invercargill, 188 . Dear Mr B- ■ I expect you little thought when speaking to me about Kearsage a few days ago, that you Bad come to the right shop for the information you wanted. I never thought so, anyhow ; but so it is. About, an hour ago a lady came into my place for some collars, as she said, for her husband, and when they were handed to her she had to hunt about in the little hand-bag she was carrying for a pound note. Her hand-bag was like the proverbial midshipman's chest —what was wanted in a hurry couldn’t bo found without turning everything else out. Amongst other odds and ends capsized on to my counter was a type-written letter, my attention being particularly drawn to it by her evident desire to prevent me from reading any portion thereof. To effect this she kept one hand on it while she rummaged awkwardly with the other for the missing note. Now, I don’t know whether jnay counter is a more mysterious counter than anybody else’s, but one thing is certain, you can’t press printed characters of any kind on the top of it without leaving a fac simile of those characters behind you. I suppose there is something in the varnish that absorbs something else in the ink, but whatever the reason, th efact has given you, I think, a clue to what you want. When she had gone I examined the spot where that letter had rested, and found this: “ ectionate brother, Jas. Kearsage.” You know best what value to put on the discovery, but it would seem to me that the young woman who has that letter must tie Kcarsage’s sister, and the one Rowney was -walking with that morning. If you agree narith me you had better come back at once, Because she is to come in again on Thursday • or Friday morning for some other things she has ordered. I have only two or three .minutes now to catch the post, so excuse this

hasty scrawl, for it is a case of “no flies.” Yours truly, Jas. Greenhouse. B got this on a Wednesday morning and caught a train going south the same afternoon. It was not a through train, but by staying at a place called Clinton that night, he was able to reach Invercargill some hours earlier than he could have done by waiting until the Thursday. It was lucky for us that he didn’t wait, for he proceeded to Mr Greenhouse’s place of business directly he arrived, and who should be there but the very woman he was so anxious to become acquainted with ? B says that he knew that the young woman before him was the one Mr Greenhouse had written about, by the look of comical confusion exhibited on that gentleman’s face when he walked in, but he is loud in his praises of his friend’s presence of mind in an unexpected difficulty, for Mr Greenhouse passed off his confusion capitally by apologising, in a flurried but business-like tone, for bis inability to supply some goods that were supposed to have been ready. B made an appropriate reply, and left the shop, in order to follow the woman when she should complete her purchase and make for home. He was successful in tracing her to a small cottage in the eastern part of the town, as he thought unobserved, and having satisfied himself that she was safely housed for a time, be hurried back to Mr Greenhouse for confirmation of his suspicions, and then to the police authorities for their assistance. Not an hour elapsed before he was back at that cottage again, in company with one who was armed with the proper authority for Kcaj(| sage’s arrest, but in the meantime that individual had once more vanished. In answer to B ’s knock the woman he had followed came to the door and at once informed him that he was at liberty to search the house as much as he liked, for the man he was looking for had left it. B said, “ You are his sister,” and she replied, “ Well, what then?” “ Only,” said B , “ that I have been looking for you as well.” To this Miss Kearsage said, “Looking for me! What for?” B answered, “Because you were with young Mr Rowney when he was arrested, and you are supposed to know a good deal about the stolen money.” “I knew nothing about it then, but I know now that he did not take it,” replied Miss K , “ I had nothing to do with the money, though.” B said he would talk about that later on, but in the meantime he would go over the house. This he proceeded to do, and was assisted by the officer who accompanied him, Miss K following their movements closely. On the kitchen table B saw the handbag which Mr Greenhouse had referred to. He appeared to take no notice of it, however, but asked the constable to search in Miss K ’s bedroom, feeling sure that she would follow the man there. It was just as he thought; she did follow him and gave B his opportunity. He quickly possessed himself of the letter, which was inside the bag, and shortly afterwards left the house with his companion, cautioning Miss K-- not to go out until she had seen him again. First of all arranging for the house to be closely watched, B went after the fugitive, and took the first chance of freedom from observation to peruse the letter taken from the bag which read as follows : (to be continued.)