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4 C* *0404040*C*0*C*?^0^C*0< I EQUAL P *x m ll By HOWAR o2 Copyr.'ght, 1901, b; CHAPTER VIII. MAKING TROUBLE. HILE Elmendorf vru JSR?"S|i?V^ speakiug Alden reT/ 1 mi u l/f- turDfsl- Soaring a i'( WuvM/r bunch of violets wrapj)\ mm f|/p pod in such paper as jAn florists use. IblT/^V^Tw "I W!IS longer ^than I bad expected," he said. "I did not know Just where to find a florist hereabout They are all covered up. you poo. It is an evening tbat might wither a flower with one breath."* He passed the bouquet somewhat awkwardly across tl>e big table to Brenda, who in the net of reeeivlng it wa6 so startled by the sudden appearance of the ward detective, Barnes, upon the threshold that she let the flowers fall. With due allowance for Its general lack of Intelligence. It may be said that the countenance of Barnes was full of meaning. The man looked self a? sertlve. confident and pleased. "1 beg your pardon,"* said he. "Who Is In charge here?" *1 am for the moment," replied Kendall. Barnes hesitated, looking sidewise at Aldcn. Then bis glance shifted to the bouauet UDon the table and rebounded In tlie direction of the doctor. "I'd like to have a word with you," be said. "Speak up." said Kendall. "What la tt r "Those flowers are for the Miller girl, of course?' said Barnes. "Well, you'd better take a look at 'eni before you, end 'em fa. Oh, they're all right, I. guess, but you can't be too carefuL" ! "What do you meau?' demanded Kendall.Barnes pointed a finger at Alden. "That man put something Into them." he said. "I saw him do ft. I don't know what It was. but there's drugs that, if you smell of thorn, why. It's your finish." Kendall was too much surprised to speak. Alden took a hasty step toward Barnes and collided with ElmeDdorf, tv*o courteously begged bis pardon. Meanwhile Breuda picked op the bouquet from the table, aud as they all turned toward her she opened the paper over the violets and pressed them against her lips. "'J Ifi'y nrv VtT| imgiom, VIIC ram. "That's all right," returned Barnes doggedly. "but be put something In there. What was It?" "This bit of paper. 1 suppose," said Brenda. taking it in her fingers. "Your message. Clarence?" "I think somebody ought to read It," said Barnes, looking at Elinendorf out f the corner of bis eyes. Alden thrust Elinendorf aside as If he had been a paper dummy and then ebecked himself. Barnes was already In the hall. "1 can have no quarrel with this creature." said Alden. "As to my mestn.ge. 1 appeal to Dr. KendalL" "This is more than absurd." rejoined the doctor. "Miss Miuiaoe. whenever von are ready"? As Brenda stopped forward tbe Nt >( ):?jx r slipped out from among tbe flowers and fell to tbe floor. Elroenplorf picked It up. "1 hope you won't misunderstand mo." be said. "Bet-haps 1 see farther ahead than you do. If I was In Mr. Aldeu's place, I'd let somebody read this," He gave the message to Brenda, who . glanced ut Aldcu as Kbe took ft. He raised bis hand In a gesture of negation. "Now. loot here, all of you," exclaimed Iiuraes. "Ilife's this girl hi the"? and he polntPd wtth his thumb hi the supposed direction of Elsie's room? ' who's hiding what she know*. I don't ay it's In thia mun's Interest, but tt's in somebody's Interest; that's sure. Flic wouldn't be tbe liret woman that's bad the nerve to get tbe knife and say BOlElng. 1 aoirc BO UW MIf uuu;. topocially not this man. for I ain't got a thing against him. He's all right so far as I know. Bat what 1 soy la that the girl ought not to be getting messages on the quiet." Alden's face was white as paper, and his eyes were afine. It ts probable that every bone In Barnes' body ached with anticipation, but be had been kicked too often !n *be way of bnshxwa to flee before the actual contact. "I've stood all of this that my aystern can absorb." said Kendall, with a erlvusueaa that Scarcely fitted with the p^nlinr phrase whleh hi*l come Into his mouth. "After, this dime novel noLscnse of poisoned bouqoete I Gout care to hare aaytfcln# tDfltt <yqp> pro. 4*?tout!" ARTNERS j n rrri niwr, f5 u r ibbi/uiv uv y Charles W. Hookc, fO "You're making a rotstakei" snM Barnes and then hacked out of the room. grinning like a tnonkev, m Kendall Bdcanced toward the door. Brendn replaced the note among the flowers and gave ber free band to Alden. bkldlag Wra pood nlgbt **1 shall not he far away." he wvtd as the woman preceded Kendall out of the room. "There's a lodging house ncrt door. I shall get a place to sleep there. Sleep? Well, nt least I shall t>e there. ' You will not fail to summon roe tf?tf I there shoukl be auy n-uhog for K?" "Yon may cV^xhxI upon roe," sakl ! Brendn from the threshold, where she i bod paused a moment while bo spoke. Kendall went with her to the mouth of the k.ng corridor and tbeo returned i, to the reception room. | "That man urn** be hisaDo?" be said to Klrtketxlort "What did be mean by i coming lK'tv wfth such nbeordttVe?" "lie didn't believe In tiKKii any more j than you do." replied the detective, i "Ho hud no Wlea that there was any' thing wrong with tho rkdet# or with the note. lie was simply obeying orders." j "Orders?" echoed ICeoduiL "Who , could haw ordered him to do soeb a thing r "I gwss Mr. AJdeo tnowH," respood1 ed Eitneodorf. "And, between oorselves, I think Mr. Alden abookl have j permitted the Dote to be read right bore. I hope Mlse Miller won't destroy ; it." Kon<lnll looted at Atdeo as tf to Inquire whether soch a thing was likely, hot gleaned no answer. AJdeo'B ?ace had resumed its rigidity. and the es| presskm which It wore was Intense. bot j difficult to read. | "However." continoed Elmeodorf, "If j It hadn't been that It would have been ! something else. You're going to see a : good deal of this sort of thing In the ' next few days, Mr. Alden." | "A good deal of what?" sold Alden. "It is technically known as "making I trouble* for a man." replied the dbe; tectlve. "1 don't know why I should pat you oa,' btrt Tm doing *t Joet the > same." "Do you mean to toll me," demanded Alden, "that Captain NeoJe experts to ! extort an important secret fioro mo by > childish tricks of annoyance aoch cm thlsr* "Certainly not,"' answered Etoeodorf. "Joe Neale te do such donkey, t ' Why. he's worth a Quarter of a mil! boa dollars, and H*s a wise man who can save as much as that hi a few years out of a salary of twenty-free i hundred. By simple arithmetic ft ! wuukl take a roan just a century to do ft if be bred meanwhile on what. | the neighbors sent in. as they used to say tn Massachusetts, where I was iff w J "That man pat eomcthimj tnio them.* I brought' up. Joe Nealo know* that j wbeu a man fa vrorrkxJ' he talk*-, he mutt talk to aoroebody. And the cap i would Just as ?ooa get your aerrvt out of Job a I>oe as out of yoo?a I ft tie rather, hj fact, because thee you wouldn't know that be hod K. Now, Fee said eoough to cost me my job.**j "Nothing you say to me will ever *- ?Pi iaLI A Linn mT*rr\ TOBI JTJU tui/iuiu^t mm Dot a taRrtng iimkv By the wup? whoj . are you?* "Introduce me," mM Khwodorf to ! Kendall, and the doctor eocvplted"1 am pleased to meet- yoa" said j Akten. offering bt> band. *ff you find j out anything Important tn thia case. I; want you to toll too fbet FT) mate It. , worth yooc white.* ! "No. thank you," nM Etorodort | hastily. **Aa a rote rm aa oorropt j m the dertV-hot not thte thnfc* Mean white Bread* had defleeied the poefce tp gKte Ion whlfe 'r eood from a ltttk' &k>cj>? with tho geatiopt poaelWe words and waca Slw bad tin* r.t nil fSo fnm>rw?r nf A nursti. but rotlne that of an exec*nil ugly tactful i and wvO l>red young doctor. Ebu'e took the bouquet and very Qctetly cried over It for some minutes without dlerovering the note .. hlch K contained. She dhl not say uuytbinc' she did not ask a question about trbftt Aldcn bad said or done, whether be bod gone away or was still waiting ; or wt>eiber be had seemed much distressed by her misfortune. Brenda bad mervly sak! that he had called, end thot be had sent the violets txenuso ; they woro Elsie's favorite flower. This seemed tr> satisfy the girl completely, i Bremia hod suppoetsl that she wouM! see the nx'esoge nt the first glcuce and j iDdod believed for some little time. tbnt she bwl done so, but did not wish i to reed K Immediately. Finding this ' on error ami tearing tbot tlH* sudden discovery of It might startle Ih?t, Bren-; da told Elsie that there was a message and pointed out Its idam Then she turned away. 09 If nnwlll- j tng to accept tbe chance of guessing : from Elsie's face what tin? note might contain. Wben sho Judged that tbe, proper Interval had elapsed, she op- , proaclied tbe bed once more. Elsie's ejtw wore shut. The tears j were drying on ber cheeks. that were j as delicate as rose leaves, and bor right I band was agnlust ber breast, tightly j dosisl. Thus she remained until she : fell osicep. CHAPTER IX. A FTTW WORDS WTTft ilR. TK>m*S05. ETBOTIVE EL3IEN-1 WftS a mftD yt I Jjl who considered h!m- ' ^VS U JjL\ self to bo the simple 1 y% B I,rO'luetof chnixv. IIo ' {\Jk2S%vKI was bom In Dnnbury, : Conn., r.nd at the age ! of rim* yours he was ' left an orphan and pennlicss. Immedl- ' atcly nftcr this misfortune. as ho ?lkl not like tin? people with whom ho was p;: ported to liw, he walked oat of : town. There bupponod to be a high j wind that day. and the boy walked , with it because the contrary course | \eoukl hove boon disagreeable. No oue tr.nde any attempt to brim; J Wm bock, and so l>e tramps<1 for alior.t! a week, ootlng nothing one day and six good meals the next, according to the varying charity of the people along the j road. Unnlly an eccentric old doetor ! in a certain small town found the 1/oy ( 111 oft his doorstep o:k' morning, and i that woa a great piece of luck for | young Elmendorf. 11** h:nl a good 1kmik? hi tin* doctor's house f jr eight, years. without care or I:i!>or: enjoyed the advantages of the excellent schools o/ the village, nod was nearly ready to enter college when his benefactor died. The doctor left a good property, but do will. Relatives swooped down like a fioek of birds. Elmendorf bad notbeen adopted. lie bad no legal status. : and one day lie dlswovered that be had nothing nt al.i except a tmnkful of de-1 cent raiment and the suui of $3.(50. j The coincide nee that this was the exact fnre to New York d.ndded ElmeDdorfs course. lie arrived In the metropolis u-ttliout a i>eniiy. hunted up a ' boarding bouse near the station, car-; ried his trunk tJiere on his shoulder , and tl>en went out to look for work. j He had many occupations' In the next live years, but noue to bis liking, j Finally be became a clerk In a small hotel which was a haunt of wafd politicians. Yielding to tl?e temptation > thus thrown Into his way. he developed luto a lieutenant of the district leader, learning nx>ro tricks than he had the hardihood to piny and prospering the let?9 becuuae of bis scruples. !t becnine a delusion with him. however. that he was one of the n>ofit die-! honest of created beings; that he1 would do anything for money, and that only bis bard lock prevented lilm from selling bis soul tit a good figure. Once wl?oo hie affairs were at o low ebb bis putroo suggested the police, and Elnwodorf becutue a member of the force In tl>o firm belief that a corrupt \ man like bhnself could make money : therein. Bnt he had a perverse way of being dissatisfied with temptation, and he gained a reputation for honesty which his best friends deplored. It was pure chance, a matter not worthy of mention, which secured his transfer to the. staff of the detective " - ?-- ? ?hu Durvuu. lit) nuu mi u^|rviuc ?vi iuv work, yrt be must have possessed a oertain fitness for it. Perhaps the ad-, vantage of early mental training, add?, ed to an unfailing memory ami a pet?*' eeptk? of little things that was due to the German Wood In him. helped to make it reel detective of him. Yet there is no money in detecting alone am! but small advancement, as Elmendorf well knew. What" one needs Is the Skill to construct a good, strong -poU," coupled with the capacity t*> torn the Incidents of the pro-., fesslon to one's personal advantage. In these Important particulars Elmendorf was a dire failure. He secured do. ptill. and be was forced to.live almost entirely upon Mf salary. Indeed his. continuance oo the staff was due iursrely to tbe favor Id wbl^h be wai, beki by certain o>en comveeted wttb. th<? press. The feeling tbat If 111 men- J dorf should be sent back to patrol duty i somebody would get "roasted" for It, long sod herd to at least two of tbe Mg papers was tbe deciding factor to m_caga m . He was useful however. In affaire! like that with which the present rec- J ord has to do. where early rumor con- j nected persons of prominence and wealth with criminal cases and it was desirable to have a prompt and honest report as a basis for subsequent action. In the matter of the murderous at tuck upon Elsie Miner, Eimenaorr receive orders, on the morning of the (lay following that upon which the crime was committed, to "look np" John Robinson. It appeared that Rob- j lusou had left the hoube on Thirtyeighth street Immediately after Alden's departure, which he had viewed with every indication of intense and painful excitement. Jto obstacle was put in the way of'l his departure when he desired to go; j but an unobtrusive young man of Cap- j tain Neale's retinue walked upon the I other side of the street. Robinson did J Dot see this young mun?which is sometimes a great misfortune for the person thus attended?but it happened, in tills instance, that after a considerable amount of podestrluu exorcise of a s?*euiiugly ui'.ulcsfl sort the young man did not see Itobluson. and this was undoubtedly a aerknis misfortune for the "shadow." lie was roundly sworn at by his superior, when, after a fruitless search, he was obliged to announce his failure to that Individual lie did n.i* .n, >,!* nf ,wiir?u-. until lie had waited a Jong time iu front of the house where Kobluson lived. Ilad ItoblusoD returned there the "shadow" would have given, iu his subsequent report, a full statement covering every detail of Robinson's moveiuents and every minute of the time, and would cheerfully have sworn to it In court had later events made such a proceeding necessary. But. fulling lo "pk*k' up" Robinson, there was no escape from confession Tbe laiMllady of the boarding house where Robinson lived said that be wae somewhat irregular in his habits and that be did not always come borne to dinner; but when at 2 o'clock In the morning it was reported that he had not appeared Captain beak? Ix-gan to be uneasy. As lie expre3s<xl it. "If Robinson tas skipped, there'll be nothing doing." Translated this meant that if a humbk' ck>i"k of unknown antecedents bad stained his soul with crime for $T<00 there remained only tbe profitless task of catching hint und sending him to JUlk. ? Elinendorf had no Idea that Robinson bad "skipped," principally becntosc there was no apparent reason for It. The clerk had delivered the note to Elsie and had then left the house, as the testimony of the servant a reliable woman Ions in Mrs. Simmons' employ, satisfactorily proved. That Robinson bad immediately returned and committed the atrocious crime for a reward so small was, in ElmoiidotTs opinion, a wild hallucination, though he bad heard such a hypothesis stated. But that itoblnsou's extreme agitation when nought to the scene was due to a more Intimate knowledge of the affair than l>e had disclosed was a much more reasonable proposition. As to the money in the note. Elraendorf was far from rog.'ml'ng it as the j motive for the crime. lie believed that the money had been there, for that was one of the few points upon which Elsie , had made a j>osltive d*-claratlon in her' first resjK>nse to questions, as Elinen-! dorf bad been Informed by Kendall !n j their earliest Interview at the hospital. She had said that she had removed the moDey and bad luhi it, wnn iw utue. upon tlio table. It bad been stolen. but probably n* a "blind.** unksy. Indeed, some jH'rpon ccaucctrd with tin* police bad comforted an Itching palm with it. Uj>on receiving his oidvrs in rvpardj to Robinson tbe detective went <iown j town to the building in which Ahlen'sAi offices were situated. lie took tip ?u | inconspicuous position Dear by and after half an hour of wuiting had the pleasure of wishing Mr. Iiobioaon good morning upon the sidewalk at a point about one hundred feet from the build-1 ing. Tills W08 unfortun.i te for Captain j Xeaie's man. I la rues. who whs waiting i in tlH> ?loorway. Elmendorf mode no secret of lite i identity or of bis errnnd. and Robinson { seenuKl quite undisturbed. "I wos pretty badly iij>sot yesterday | afternoou." he said. "It was nil so sud-i den and shocking. Of course I had no | I special Interest in .viiss .uuier. ? roi?bly I haven't seen ber more than three or four times In my life. Bat to think that this should hare happened so soon aft<y I. bad left her! 1 tell you It gnw me a.turn. 1 didn't frcl much like being alone, so I went to see a felkrw whom I know and spent the night In his rooms. Bow Is Miss Miller this morning?" Elmendorf replied that his advices were altogether fnvorablc, and little more was said until they had entered Ahien's private office. In which HoWnbod had a desk. , "I thought yon. knew Miss Miller, quite well," said Elmendorf, taking a 1 chair. "You spoke of her. by ber first name yesterday." "Did IT** said Robinson, opening his eyes wide. "WelL 1 might baro sold almost anything yesterday. L woe neryepa. and that's a,fhct." "Bow dki< It- happen that yon, took, the qotn?7' "Why. Mr, A Wen wa^ going to rtng for a messenger boy," was the reply, "and then be mentioned that there was money In the note and asked me few* SPS. of w. own .?oys, irhQ. u ~ ^;; pened to be oat at the time. So 1 said I'd take the note. I wanted to go up to my room, ami It's only a little way from where Miss Miller lived. I hadn't anything particular to do at the time." "What did you want to go to your room for?" "To get a letter 1 bad left there*" replied ltoblnson. "Nothing of any gye.it importance." , "Came for yon In the morning. I suppose. and yon forgot to bring It down." said Elmendorf. with the air of one who hastens to dismiss a subject. "Tea; that was it" "Did you get it?" n uti i ui iatuij "Where la It now?" demanded tbe detect I ve. Robinson's forebeo-d began to perspire. "I d??stroyed It," bo said. "Who wrote It?** Why. what has that to do with"? 'Who wrote It?" paid Elmendorf. tapping on the floor with bis caDe. "Fellow over In Philadelphia," replied Robinson. "But I don't see"*? "Glve uie his name and address," said the detective, tuking out a notebook and a pencil. "This Is private busin<*?f?," re>rfrwd Robinson, mopping his face. "'It has nothing to do with this affair." "My dear sir," said Elmendorf, ~tr> a case of this klmt when a man begins to We, k'a always Iniportnut. I happen to know that you haven't had a letter come to that bouse since you've t?eeu living there, so you didn't go up town to get one. In my opinion, you wont tip because you wanted to see Miss Miller. Isn't that a fact?" "You put ine in n mighty bad plooe," replied ItODiDSOn. "!>Up|XJ!W i wraI I did. Jjow wookJ that .strike Mr. Alden r "It won't strike hint at all." said Elmendorf. "because I shan't tell hltn. I don't nwon to Intimate that you had anything particular to say to Miss Mil-' ler. nut you'll seen Ikt. you knew she was a very pretty atxl agreeable girl. f 1 ' I II ""Prl I ' "IHil If" ikibJ H'ttrhmnH, opcntoio M* ei>t.? wide. ami like any other man. yon didn't ot>>< 1 to wins Iwr again evert IT It wan only for four seconds. Tlmr's nil there Is In It. So why nor toll the truthT "I don't dotty that I bad some such Idea." "It was your motive for offering to take the note, and yen had no other. Isn't tluit a fiut r "Will, yes," replied Iloblnson, "between ourselves, that's tlx* truth." **You had D\> errand at .\t>ur room?' -C f course not." iHl cwui rm fhnrrtV11 A?. manried ICImeodorf. "Why did jv?u s>) straight over there from Miss Miller's hotiseV "I thought I'd change iny cHxhes.** < ^ sakl !!ol?lnsoo desperately. "Did you change tls>?:j? Haven's you got on tin* sume suit now that you wotv down town yesterday""* "Yes." sanl Iloblusoo. "I?I changed my mind." "Instead of yoar clothes." reJoft>ed Elmendorf, wttb n smile. "By the way. wliere wi-re you born T Itobinsch's expression revealed ?onje slight relief. "In Ilotiolulu" bo said. "I fh-e'l there cutil I uus 21. Tlien my parent* moved to AflJO.v. c nmB. i came to mre country ntvoct two years ago.'*' "When* dkl you fciiKl?" "San Franc Incnx" "Dote of arrival oixl nam** ot ttcawer?" said Klmondort taking up his notebook again. Robinson w(w undisturbed thla t!tne. "I've forgotten the exact daf<\" be said. "au<l tbo steamer wan a tramp. I, can't recall Ivor name." " Asked wbat be bad done la Sbn Francisco, Iioivinson replied that be. bad drifted acroea the continent fciiuedlately. arriving In New Yorkjo. April, & year ugo. V?o; soon afterward he. bod had tbo good fortune to mate the acquaintance of Mr. Aklecw. who had token a liking to hlzn and given hhn. his preecnt position. He bad few #it(nn^c! In tK!a rvuintru TliAPO ti'ftu r?A qcm.' who knew him better than .^klen dki. "You looked to me tike a college Ifret!; cmM sold Elnjefxlorf, wberenpo? ftabin>?on replied that theiv were ejcelieatscboate Id JIoooluhL , (Continued on paste 3.) ? Don't complain of failure until you have tned your h,arde$t. farr success.. I