IV. A PRIVATE INQUIRY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 352, 20 March 1889, Page 6

IV. A PRIVATE INQUIRY.

Mr John EixmTox, late In^pcotoi of tho Criminal Investigation Depait nontof Scob laiul Yard, sab « txirspr dwcon-ol itcly into the emoci.- of a ihin; lit o towards the close of u gloomy >»'o\ ember aftcrhoon. Tlicic weie plenty of Chinas besides the weather Lo maUo MrEl'eiton take a melancholy view of the situation. He had left Scotland Yard to 'butter' himself. He had made a splendid reputation a= an active and intelligent detective. His knowledge of Ftcnch and (It-rniau, a knowledge aequiied in bin childhood, had enabled him to advance rapidly from the ranks to a hi^h petition in the detecti\o force, and hh gentlemanly appeal a.i^o and manners had cause I him to be employed upon doUcato foreign ini>bion?. lie h-d also succeeded in mailing to eaith tome of the l.iosb despente t criminals in the kingdom. But lcputation, unless it Leais solid liaib in the shape of honoiuc and rewards, is not a thing th.-ib one can -nond one's v\ hoe life in cultivating. Joiin Lllciton, aftei some ton yeais ot active tetvice, duiirg which he had'iUked his life again and a^am in aider j to bnng some ue^perate maieftictor to justice, found himeclt t-till in the irecipt ot the magnificent income cf tlucc pounds nei ■week, and heavily in debt. He had been ' too active. In hunting ciiminals down he had been too cagei, and in !)is ctij>einy*£> he had exceeded the allowance for expenses made by the authoiities. A detective who has to gallop across Europe after a ciimmal with plenty of money iind& himself perpetually thwarted by the insufficiency of the allowance made to him from headquarbars. If he wishes to push on, to o\ereome diiliculties, to b;ibe servants and buy information, lie must put his hand in his own pocket. If ho chained the items on liio expense sheet they would not be allowed. Nob long ago one of the principal detectives of Srotland Yard was sent for by his superiors to explain an item in his return of expenses in connection with the hi rest of a, murdeier who had evaded pursuit for six weeks. The item was thiSj ' 'Bus, 2d.' ' Air ,' exclaimed hi-s superior, with a stern expression of countenance, ' there ia an error in yoiu charge*. The 'bus from such a place to such a place is one penny. What do you mean by charging twopence ?' ' Sir,' replied the detective, ' I regret that you should imagine I would endeavour to defraud the Commissioners of a penny. I paid the twopence because that was what the conductor demanded. Being in a huiry I j imped into the first 'bus that came along, and ib was a pirate 'bus. If I had stopped to dispute with the man I should have lost the person I was following.' 'The penny cannot be allowed,' was the reply. 'It you choose to geb into a pirate 'bus and submit bo er tort ion you must pay for it youiself.' And with that a penny was deducted from- the detective's bill of expenses. You may easily imagine that under such circumstances as these a detective whose heart is in his profession very frequently has his hand in his pocket, and that a laige portion ot his pay goes in expenses which he cannot chaige in his bill. So it was with John Elleiton. and at last he found that in his endeavour, to be a good detecti\e, a good hutband and a good father, he was coining rapidly to guef. He had been compelled to borrow money to meet his household expenses, and being in difficulties he found himself exposed to a hundred temptations , and clangers in his profession. Ab last;, finding that he had no chance of improving his position or getting an adequate income in tlie force, he determined to stait on his own account as a pi hate detective. He ielt confident that his reputation would soon bring him customeis, und that by giving hio entiie time and attention bo the busine^ lie would be able to HUiteiially impio 1 . c his financial position. In dus time, theiefore, he shook the dust of 'the Yard' fi.ora his feeb, and ha\ing taken a couple of rooms on the second floor of a little house in a side street running oil the Strand, he blo.-somed forth in the advertisements as the head of Ellerton's Piivate Inquiry and Detective Agency. He commenced business in October with a gieat floiuish of trumpeto He sentciiculars broadcast, and bis adveitisements appeaicd daily in the leading London and Paris journals, bub Six weeks hnd jrone by, and the middle of November found him gazing disconsolately into the naice the, and wondering what on earth could have induced him to give up jt3 a week certain and ' makings ' toi the privilege of paying otliee rent and a big weekly bill to the advertisement agents. He had had several application for liL service?, ib is true. Old ladies had called tioon him and icque?tetl him to make inquiries as to large turns of money to which they felt sure they weie entitled, because they had seen somebody of the same name advertised for many yeais ago. A gentleman called and requested an interview, and drew large bundles of papers oub of all his pockets, and undid them, and commenced to rtsad. extract?, all of -which, he explained, went to prove that he was the rightful heir to the throne of England, and he wad willing to place his case in Mr Ellei ton's hands on the understanding that nothing was to be paid until the Crown was actually in his client's possession. A young man, who lefnscd. bo give his name, b ib who stated thab he was connected with the best- families in bhe bhiee kingdoms, offeied to pre&cnb Mr Ellerton with ten thousand pounds if he would discover and break ud an ingenious mechanical contiivancc for simulating the sound of human ■voices m Inch his enemies kept concealed in a subbeuanean passage for the purpose of diiving the young man mad; oncl an tinhappj green-grocer, who had fallen a victim to the gieen-eyed monster, wished to engage Mr Elleiton to watch his wife, if Mr Elleiton would in consideration of the bad nets of tho times take his fees and expenses out in potatoes, cauliflowers, and turnip-top?. Ib may be gathered from these fact 3 thab Mr Ellerton passed a good many bad quarters of an hour as he sat in hi 3 offices and waited for the clients who were/Vorth having, bub who didn'b &eem in any hurry to come. ■> • I On the November afternoon menbioned ab the commencement of bhis narrative, while Mr Ellerton sab looking disconsolately into the dying embers of his office fire, things looked very. black indeed. - One or two little jobs had come -in, it is true, bub they were nob jobs oub ot which money couid be made, and Mr Elleiton was beginning to think that he would have to turn his attention to something more lucrative than a private inquiry office and do-

teotive agency if ho wanted to pay his creditors twenty shillings in the pound. Tno clerk had gone lor the day, for it was past office houis, and presently tho neighbouring clock striking six lcminded the ex-detective that he had promised his wife to Lake her to the theatio that evening, having leccived an order from an old friend, a theatrical manager, and it was time for him to make his way homo and put himself into evening dres-D. Ho rose from his chair with a weary bi»h, look his hat, and was just putting on his overcoat, w hen there came a gcntlo knocking at the outer door. ' Come in,' .-aid Mr Ellorton. , The door slowly opened, and a lady, deeply \eiled, entered tho room. ' L am afiaid 1 am coining at an incon\enicnt time," said the lady, noticing tho ' hat and oveicoa*, 'but I wish to see Mr Ellerton on a matter of business.' ' I am Mr Ellerton, madam.' paid the detective, motioning the lady to be seated, and taking" a chair himself. ' 1 am at jour sen ice.' Tho lady sat down, and after a moment's hesitation raised her veil. The agent was hardly abo to contiol the e\clamation of admiiation which lose to his lips. - 'What a bcautilul gi«l !' he thought to himself. ' 1 won-lcr whom sho Avants watched. A hueband or a lover ?' The lady, ay ho v, a- about four and twenty, was a daik beauty of the Spanish type. Her features weic perfect, and she had tho mo«t beautiful eves, the detecti\e thouglit, he had ever s>een. As she Jived them upon him ho felt an extraoidinary sensation, which in lelating the occmrenco afterwaids (o hi^> m ife he found it almost impossible to describe. It aams half admit ation, half fear. The eager, almost iierco glance of his beautiful Aisitor, i;nner\ed him ior a moment, and he k-weied his eyes? as one does after gazing at the sun, and looked down at the lloor. But, reco\ering himself, and assuming an air of indilleience, he speedily looked up auain and said : ' You wish to see n:o on business, madam ? If I can sei\e you in any way I shall be delighted. Anything that you may say to me I shall, of course, treat as strictly confidential.' 'Of course,' leplied the lady. 'I have heudol your gieat talent^, Mr Elleitor, and I Mb sine that 1 could lely upon your discretion or I should not have come to you. Let me state my busine.-s as briefly as possible. 'lam a man led woman. I was mariied two a, ear? ago to a man Avhom I believed to beiichanda gentleman. I was a governess at a ladies' school at Folkestone at the time, and it Avas Avhat you would call a runaway match.' ' Pardon me," said the detective, ' may I ask if you are an Englishwoman V ' Why do you as-k the question " 5 ' ii T ou said you aa-oic a governess, and something in your appearance and manner made me think you might be a foreign governers ; and \ou ha\o a slight accent — veiy slight — but still an accent.' 'You are liffht, eir,' replied the young lady with a smile. ' I see you are a quick observer. I Avas tho French governed. I am from the south of France. But let mo proceed with my story. It Avas one aftei noon on the Lees at Folkestone that I met the man Avho became my lover. ' He was young, handsome, and appeared a gentleman. He had a bit; dog with him. I had Avitli me the dog of my employer. The two dogs fought. I was terrified and screamed ; the' young gentleman separated the dogs, and after that always bowed when we met, and hoped that my dog had not been bitten. You do notr Avant to know of our courtship. met' often. I was th'ed of the life of insultanddrudgeryl was leadir.gat the school. He offered to make me his Avife. I consentc"]. He went to London and AAi-oto to me that all was ready. I went up one night, stayed at an hotel, mat him the next day, and avg Avere mariied at> a church. After that Aye lived in a fm nished house which my husband took. He must ha» r e been tich. for he gave me jewelleiy, dresses, all that I Avantcd, and had always plenty of money. But no one came to see us ; \ac had no friends. When I asked my husband about his friends he said that he had none, but sometimes he avouKl e'o awa.y for a Aveek or a foitnight, and I thought that he had some friends someAvherc and did not like them to knoAV that he Avas mariied.' 'Paul on me one moment/ interrupted the detective. ' Was yo*ir husband in any profession — any business ?' 'No; I should think not. He a*. as always at hoffifi-excepo when he Avent an av as I ha\e tolJ*You. About twelve months agoliCAvejit away and took more luggage than usual. He said ho should be back in a fortnight. He left me plenty of money to tro on Avith. At- the end of tho foitnight I received a letter from him. It told me that hi^ absence, owing to some family iiouble, would have to be prolonged for borne time, and enclosed me a bank-note for £100.' 'Go on, madam,' said tlio detective, anxious to hear at what point his services Aveie to come in. 'After that letter I heaul no more lor three months, and then came another enclosing 1 a -ClOO not 3. and telling mo that my husband would probably he away for a \ ear, but that money Avould be sent me eveiy three months. If I moved, I wns to advertise my new address in the "Daily Telegraph " agony column with the words "Home day" and my Christian name "Louise.' I Ay-is to do this that money might reach me.' ' Have you the letter enclosing these instructions ?' 'No; unfortunately I destroyed it accidentally some time ago. 1 'I understand then, madam, that a year ago your husband left you and you liaAe not .seen him since ? I? that so ?' 'It is.' 'Sometime atfer he went away j-ou received a letter in his handwriting, ac companied by a remittance. Since then jou haA-e received money enough to live upon, but no communication as to a. our husband's Avhoreabouts. Is that so ?' ' That is exactly the case.' ' Good. I understand perfectly. Now Avhat do you want me to do ?' 1 To find out for me Avhere my husband is.' The detective thought the matter over to hnnself for a moment. Then he said, 'I will do my best, bub you must help me. In a matter of this sorb you must keep nothing back. Noav, tell me, Avhat is your OAvn idea of the matter ?' ' First tell me, having heard these iacb'-*, what is your idea ?' 'I haven't seriously thought the matter out yet,' replied the detective, • bub at the fitst blush two solutions of the mystery occur to me. The first is that your husband has left you for somebody else ; the second, tliab this " trouble " he speaks of is something which compels him 'to keep out of the waj'. Now tell mo Avhab is your own idea. 3 ' I have an idea,' replied the young Avife> 'but I shall not tell it yon, lest ib should, put you on the wrong scent. What I wish you to do is to take my case up. If you Avish I Avili bring you to-morroAV tho only photograph 1 have of my husband, a copy of my marriage certificate, and I will give you all the information I can. As to terms,

I will be plain with you. I, do not intend to have the rcsb of my life ruined, and to be the wife of a husband of whose whereabouts lam ignoianb. (Jive me the means of • annulling or dissolving- this uianiage, and on the day that I am free you shall ha\o a thousand pounds ' It was a largo sum to be promisod, and I ho detective opened his eyes. ' Do not be atraid,' said the young lady. ' that you will, if you, fail, have dono your work lor nothing." Heie is a iifty pound note for your preliminary openseb. When that i 3 gone you can ha\e whit more you lequirc.' Ellerton took the note and looked at it mechanically. 1b was a poiicctly good one. The detective thought to himself that fo: a lady w ho only had a quaitoily lcmittance fiom her husband and had to live out ot it, she way vciy iieo with her mono}'. Something ofvh.it was passing in the detect ive's mind was gues«ed by his visitor. ' 1 must bo iiaok with yor,' the said, rising; 'there is another person s\ho ib anxioiib to ha\o evidence that will make mo a free woman. Sjmeono with plenty of money. I will call on you again to-monow morning. (Jood evening.' ' It's a mm ea«e,' said Mr Elleiton to his wife, as lie explained to that good lady the iea c on he was so late home to dicss, ' but it's a good one for me. 1 expect the peison with plenty of money is a gentleman who wants to many her ii she can get lid of h-u-band^o. I.' Mi Elleiton saw his interesting lady client again, and aimed with the infomntiun *-ho uavo him. set about hio task. lie found the maniage ot Louiic ISinestino ( Lcblanc and Ftedeiick. JNJoi i it.on duly icgibteipJ, and lie found vcty little moie. A Tow [)ii\ato inqunits in the t cighbciuhood wheio the young couple had li\ed together satisfied him lhat Mi Moiiison was what is vulgaiiy known as a ' swell.' 'I ho tiadcpeople, who lemembcicd him, f-aid he ■was quite the gentleman. But lor a year no one about the place had seen him. The hvdy paid her bills and was much l expected. It was supposed lhat the husband had gone abroad to India, or America, or some place like that. Up in London jSJ r Elleiton showed the photogiaph light and left, but could find no one who iccognised it, nor could ho anywhere find among tho Motiisons who \>eie discoverable thiough the Post Ofhce Dnectory anyone to answer the description of the missing man. One morning about a foi tnight alter he had taken the aflair up, tho young lady called upon him in a state ot gieat agitation. 'We have a clue,' she exclaimed ; 'we must follow it up quick. Can jvu leave with mo for lla\ re to-night?' ' Why for Havie?' •My husband is theie. Tho gentleman who wants to mairy mo hae aeen him theie. Look at this telegram.' The detective book the tolegiam and read it. It was as follows :— ' Behe\ o Morlison is heie on board jachb with young English lady said to bo his w ite. Saw him being rowed fiom shore to day.' ' Tray come with me,' urged the aaiiated lady. 'It is most important that you should collect the evidence. I could not. Name your own teims, but come.' Tiiat night Mr Elleiton and Mis Morrison left Southampton bv the Havre packet and an ived at their destination at nine on the following morning. The ' gentleman ' was on the quay to meet them. Alis Moriison had telegraphed to him. 'They sailed this morning,' he said. The lady's face fell. So did the detective's. 'Oh, but wo shall have them yet,' said the gentleman. 'I've ascertained vvheie they've gone. I have my own yacht here. I'm having some little repaiis executed, or I would start now. But we can stait this evening and make the run in twelve hours. We shall be anchoied close by them toil oi row morning, and by making some excuse or other Mr Elleiton can board jour husband's yacht at once.' The detective looked at the lady for insti notions. ' Oh, ye-,' she said, 'ceilainly. If they escape us now we may lo^e all tiace ot them. Are you fure that we shall find them at this place?' 'Certain,' leplicd the gentleman. 'I have made fi lends v. ith one of the sailors, and obtained full information from him.' Making tho appointment for seven that evening, the gentleman left them, and Mu Moriison went to an hotel. In the evening, to the leyieb of the two' men, Mrs Momson declared that she was unable to make the journey. She was quite knocked up, and w r a.s airiid she was going to be ill. What was to be done ? To delay would be to lose the fugitive?. Ultimately it wa« agieed that Mr Elleiton and the gentleman .should piooeed alone. At the time appointed il.i-y weie lovsed out to a small yacht which was b * n o in the rivci. There vveic two sailois on boaid the yacht and a man whom the gentleman addressed as captain. Immediately the passengers were on boaid the anchor was heaved, and the littlu vessel staited on her voyage. The detective smoked n cigar or two on deck, and was then invited to linn in. lfc was conducted by the ccntleman to a berth in the little cabin below, and feeling sleep}' he turned in and was soon in the land ot di earns. In telling the story of his adventuics afterwaids, Mr EUcrton could not say how long ho slept. Ho remembered heaiing- a contused kind of conversation coming to him in his dreauio, and presently, feeling something touch him, he opened his eyes. He saw two men in the cabin, and o o of them had a revolver in his hand. At first he thought ho was still dream, ing, then the reality came suddenly to him. He recognised the man with the revolver. Leaping up from his beith he exclaimed, • Keel Donovan !' The man with tho revolvoi, a big. deter-mined-looking fellow of about forty with a bu°hy black beaid and shaggy overhanging eyebrows, nodded his head and laughed. ' Ye=, Mr Ellerton,' he said, ' it's mo, right enough. You didn't expect to have tlie pleasure of my company, did you ?' In a moment the full meaning of the situation burst upon the detective. lie had been trapped. He was alone and defenceless on tho high seas with a man who two years ago had sworn to be quits with him for ' putting av\ay ' his pal. This man, ISTed Donovan, and another> Jack Frampton, 'the pal' who had been 1 put away,' were the head i of one of the most desperate gangs of burglars in the kingdom. Ellerton had been the means of capturing Frampton, who had eluded the police for years. The detective had dono the job cleveilj', and had run his man dow n through a former member of tho gang who betrayed him. Every attempt had been made by the gang to squaro tho officer and get him to wink at Frampton 's escape, but he sternly refused, and after a desperate strugglo, in which three of his men weio wounded, Ellerton had made a prisoner of the redoubtable Frampton, and for the time being had broken up the whole band. Donovan was not in the job for which Frampton was taken, but it reached tho detective's ears that he had sworn to bo revenged on him for what he called ' his

treachery,' and Donovan was a man who had an ugly reputation for keeping hi? threats. Instinctively Ellerton looked roun 1 him for a means ot escape. Donovan turned to the other man, who was no other Inan JSlrs Morrisons friend. ' lie's caught ia a rat* trap himself this time, Bill,' he said,' and he don't like it.' ' What are you going to do V asked the detective with an ofloit,' niiudcr me?' 'Oh, no,' re { lied Mr Dono\un, 'we're going to help >ou to escape. You'ie not comlortablo hero and you don't like the company, fo we'ie going to let you get out and walk away.' ' Veiy well,' said the detective, tiying to appear calm, 'it's your tnin now, Ned, and f d^n't suppose you'll lob the chance slip. But what I (jid was fair and square, and I should have thought you weie too sensible a chap to have looked upon it as anything but a business Uansaction.' 'You'ie a cool hand, John Ellerton,' replied the burglar, 'and 1 admits you for it. But I swore that I'd fettle you for what you did to Jack, and I've woiked too hard to get the chance to gi\e it a •ay when it's come.' ' Is there any hurry '/' 'No ; so long as you've left the ship by day-bieak you can take it easy.' ' Veiy well ; then pethaps you'll tell mo bofoic 1 go who Mis Mouiton is, and who put her up to woik tlio game co cleveily. I'm cmious to know thai/ ' Delighted to give you the information, old follow. >h:> Mormon ib Ned Fiampton'e witc !' 4 The deuce she i»! Then a\lio is tho youn^- fellow I \c been fooled into looking after .'' 'That was her biothcr, my boy. After Ned w a^ lagged she and her brothoi took a fuinislicd hour. 1 ) at Kingston, and some ot our mob lucd it lo btow things in that cou'dn'l be put on tho market. She was Hliuuc enough at fir^t, and didn't know w hat Ned vms It «a,i quite a love a'htir, I can tell \ on. But she's got foreign blood, jou know, and dueolly wo told her that you had nailed Jack in a shabby way, she was ashoton for ic\ongeas any of us. You might have looked a longtime before you iouud her bi other, lie went to Amcuca a year ago.' ' But the maiiiage? I saw the certilicate — she manicd a man named Morrison.' 1 130-Ji ! We knew when we made up the plant for her to go to you that the lust tlung you'd ask to see was tho mariiage cerliiieate, anJ th.tt jou might goto the chinch or to Somoinet House to try and get a clue to the husband that way, and so we picked out the marriage of a cousin of her-j for you, who married a man named Morrison. They live in the noith. That's how Ned's wife came to take the name of Morrison v. hen she ■went to Kingston. She couldn't call heiself Fiampton, for vei} good lea&ons, and so the bouovved her oodtin's husband's name. We thought of all these things and made then) lit, you bet, befoie we sent the girl to you. Now, aie you satisfied?' 'Quite,' said the detective 'It was a capital plant, and it has been splendidly can ied out. It has been so successful that I don't see why you should finish it up with a muider that won't do you the sl'ghtest good.' ' It won't do me any harm, and I swore to Ned when 1 got a message to him before hn trial that you should pay with your life foi the trick you'd played him. You won't be the h'tot man l\e had to settlo in the way of business, will he, Bill V' The 'gentleman' who during the previous con\ersation had sac an unobserved spectator of the scene, smiled approvingly at his fiiend. ' No, Ned !' he said, ' nor the last, I dare say. ' 'No»v, Mr Ellerton,' said Ned Donovan 'if you're quite ready, come on deck. You ■won't like the company theie an 3' more than you do the company heie, for we're all a bad lot, 1 assure you. If yon Knew what a game we're curying on with this little vessel you'd be able to tell Scotland Yard and thcFiench police something that would open their eyo-i so wide they'd ha\o a bothci to shut 'em again.' 'lean guess,' said the detective, 'but I don't want to know — - then when I get a&hoie I needn't give any infoimation.' When you get ashoie you can give as much infoimation as you like,' was the re ply. ' Come on.' ' What am I to do on deck ?' ' Nothing ! J ust i-tep o^ or the side ot the boat and pay goodie. If you want assistance, we'll give it you.' ' You mean to throw me into the sea?' said tho detective, setting his teeth and striving to hide hib tenor. 'If you won't go without tht owing — The dctec'nc cast one wild glance round tho little cabin. Before him stood the man who irul sworn lo have his life, and that man was aimed. Heie there weie two to one. On deck there would be Jive 10 one, for Ellerton never doubted that the tvvosailois and the captain weie pait of tbo despoiate gantr into whose clutches he had been tiapped by the beautiful wife of NedFrampton. With death so imminent his courage dcsei tod him. and he altcied lii-> tone, lie detoi mined to tiy and peK->uado the men that their deed could bo discovered. lie would tell them that ho had posted his wife a letter stating that he w.ib going on boaid a yacht, and that inquiries would be made it he w eio missing. The authorities at Havie would bo able to describe the vessel, and 110 wprf maung his tale as plausible as he could when suddenly "he came to a dead stop, and utteied a cry of hoiror. There was a fearful crash, the sound of men iu.sh~ ing to and lro upstair.", and then the water began to pour into the cabin. I With a fierce oath Ned Donovan burst , open the cabin door and made a rush for ( the deck. Ellerton followed him. lie saw I a great black hull looming out of the water, s ho felt the vessel on which he stood shher i, and tiemblc, and then with one convulsive pitch it went down under the black waters of tho sea. When Elleiton opened his eyes again he was lying wrapped in blankets in a cabin, and a gentleman in tho uniform of a ships' doctor was standing over him. ' That's better,' said the doctor, 'you'll be all right presently.' ' How did it happen?' gapped the detecti\e. 'Wo ran you down. It wa & your people's fault, they carried no lights.' ' Wheto are the othors ?' ' There arc no otheis. Yon were the only one that camo to tho surface again. We waited about till there was no hope, but you -were the only man we saved.' Ellerton's Private Inquiry Oilico and Detective Agency is now a nourishing concern. The corner has been turned as last and clients are plentiful, and they are of tho right sort. But Mr Ellerton, though a bravo man, is always very cautious when a lady client commissions him lo look after a missing friend or relative. He can never quite dismiss from his mind how very nearly a lady client who wanted a missing bus baud traced caused him to be a ' missing detective' But for that lucky collision, which sank the burglars' yacht, Mrs Morrison

would-have succoecled in her endeavour to hand tho captor of Jack Frampton over to Lho vengeance of his pal, Nod Donovan. It is perhaps unnecessary to state that when Mr Ellerton went to King? ton-on-Thames ho found that the furnished house formerly occupied by his beautiful lady client was ' bo let.'