Page 4 Advertisements Column 3

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8027, 13 January 1906, Page 4

The Story of a Detective.

ft was ft dull, rainy day—one of tlioso davs' When earth and sky are gi»jy and dreary. • I waa musing about Gracie Elton, and wondering how long before I nhould bo abic to marry her. Dear litHe Graoie, slie was as sweet and as patient as it waa in the nature of a woman to be; but I knew it was a ha •■<] 1 life for her in that overcrowded milliner'! tvorkroom. day after day, and month afici ; month, and I ionged to set her free from tbo ' monotonous captivity. 1 And it was thus I was thinking when th« • loor opened and Mr. Clenner came in. Mr. Clenner was our "chief." He sal down beside rue. "Meredith," he said, in a quiet, subduci' I tone, that was naturai to him, " didn't yot 1 Bay you were getting tired of doing nothing'." "Yes sir." " Well, I have something for you to do.' : "What is it, sir?" Bending his head towards me, and speaking scarcely above a whisper, he told me the special business on which I was to be sent. There had been, it seems, a series of very skilful forgeries lately committed, with a boldness and audacity that fairly seemed to set the authorities at defiance. For some time he had been in doubt as to the exact perpetrator of the crime; but after much investigating and casting hither and thither he had detected the hidden spring—one Petley Mattison—who had skilfully eluded .ill pursuit, and was now somowlicre in hiding. His whereabouts had been ascertained as nearly as possible, and it was for me to go quietly up and apprehend him beforo ho should become aware of our knowledge of all his movements. "Do you think you can do it?" Mr. Clenner asked, after the whole thing had been laid before me. " Yes, sir. When shall I start 1" "Now; within half an hour." ..; "So soon?" '■' "Yes: why not?" "Just as you decide, Mr. Clenner, of course," I said, rising. "It I take the OSpress I shall be there early in the morning." The rosy dawn was just flushing the east era sky when I alighted, stiff, weary and jaded, from the train. "Can you direct me to Mrs. Mattison's place ? " I asked of the sleepy stutionmaster. "Mattison Mrs. Mattison? I don't know her, but I can tell you where she lives. Just you follow the main street of the village about half a mile and yo'll 'come to a wood with a footpath running through it.. Get over the stile, follow the footpath and in a little while ye'll see a yellow house—the last place in the world where you'd expect to see a dwelling. That's where Mrs. Mattison lives." I thanked my informant and set out at a brisk walk, carrying my travelling bug in my hand. A decent - looking, elderly woman in widow's weeds, came to the door, "Is Mr. Mattison in—Mr. I'erley Mattison?" "No," she answered quickly with, as I imagined, rather a contused look. I did not believe her, and asked quietly! " When do you expect him hotue? " "Notat present." Apparently she expected mo to go away; but instead, 1 slipped into the passage. " Mother," said a soft voice at the head of the stairs, "who is it?" " Some one to sec your brother." " Perky is not at home," she said hurriedly. "He has gone away. We do not know when he will return." Evidently this mother and daughter were in the secret of Mattison's villainy, and doing their best to screen him from its consequences. Speaking as briefly as I could, I told them it was my duly to compel them to remain where they were while I searched the house. •» Mrs. Mattison sat down pale and trembling. Her daughter coloured high. "Mother," she said, "why do you stand by and listen to such slanders ? It is false I Let this man search the house if lie will; my brother is as innocent as I am ! " The same afternoon Clara Mattison came in as I sat by the window, keeping a silent watch on all around. "Mr. Meredith," she said softly, "mothci thinks I have been rude to you. She says it was not your fault, personally, that you were sent here on such a mistaken errand—and, perhaps, she is right. lam sorry if I have hurt your feelings." This twilight talk was one of the pleasantest episodes of my by no mmns pleasant life, and I was not n little annoyed when it was broken in upon by the arrival of the constables, who were to watch through the night. • At the sound of their footsteps, Clara rose up and sal down, confused aud frightened.: " Oh, Mr. Meredith, those men " "Beeasy, Miss Mattison," I said; "you shall in no way be annoyed by them. Your privacy shall not be broken in r->on, believe me." My orders to the men were simple and succinct. I stationed them as seemed best to me, and then returned to spend the ovening with Mis 3 Mattison. And whon I was at length left alone, [ could not help thinkingGod forgive mo—how much more winning and graceful sho was than poor Graoie Elton. At last an answer camo to my report to Mr. Cleuner. It was short and to the purpose: " Come back. You are only losing time. If the bird has flown, we must look elsewhero for him."-, I read the missive with a pang. Clara Mattison's cheek deepened in color as I announced my departure to her. "You have been far kinder than we dared to hope, Mr. Meredith," she said, as I held hoi hand in mine. Mr. Clenner appeared to be a good deal annoyed when I got back to town—rather an unreasonable thing on his part, for leer tainly did all that man could do under the oircumstances. "We have been mistaken all the wa; through, it seems," he said, biting his lip. " Strange—very strange. I never was mistaken beforo in my calculations. Well, wa must try again." I went to Gracie Elton's that night. When I took my leave there were teara 1 fcer eyes. " Gracie, you are crying." " Because you are changed, Edward. Yo to not love me as well as you did." " Gracie, what nonsense I " I was vexed with her, simply because tnew her accusation was true. But I kisse ter once more, and took my leave, mood »nd dissatisfied. When I reached tho office next mornin Mr. Clenner was not there. I was sitting at my desk two dnys subs< qucntly, when the door glided noiselessl open, and Clenner himself entered. "You are back again, sir. And what luck? 1 "The best." " You dnn't mean to say you've got him ? "I do moan to sayit, Edward Meredith I knew I could not be entirely mistaken Ferley Mattison is in the next room—hal an hour from now he will be in prison." "Wlmtdoymi mean, sir?" For reply Id opened the door of the pri rate inner room-.his own special sanctum • slight, boyish figure leaned against tin Window smoking a cigaroilee, with blacl mrlj tossed back from a marble white brov end brilliant eyes. He mockingly incline! hi»hw<<. to I stared at him withamotiw at/I mtur/Mar to ma

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