The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, September 11, 1902, Image 2
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