not be omitted altogether, they are still so overshadowed by startling and

the Chief had not exaggerat

ut was chafing like a caged bear, if

, and could be our own masters. Carnes had been operating in a western city, and I proposed to him a change. I told him of

o that little paradise of freeboo

hat little paradise of freebooters a

ed Carnes, who was just then in his Hibernia

en the wake

, for Carnes needed a little more strength, an

ftonites, I assumed the r?le of a well-to-do Gothamite with a taste for rural Summer sports, and Carnes made a happy h

his pallor, and the unusual length of his hair and beard, he chose to take his holiday

on this occasion to a

myself into a state of enthusiasm. Of course I made no mention of the Groveland case; we never discussed our p

a hotel may be called home, and the ring of a horse's hoofs on the p

. Did she give her true reason for wishing my revolver? Would she retu

some people think themselves, but I did believe myself able to judge bet

ns. She would return my letter. She could keep a secr

ment of Mrs. Ballou, in one pa

who was destined to cover himself with glory in the capacit

der a double guard. It is not always enough that others should not know him as a detective; it is r

hat he was just the man for the place; egotistical, ignorant, talkative to a fault, and tho

nstructed as to the nature of the case, given such points as we thought

himself more than ready to take any risk, promised to keep within

etter from Mrs. Ballou. Enclosed with it was my lost note of

did not suspect me of burglary, did you? Of course you guessed the truth when you ca

curs, it may be to your inter

service I rendered you not long since. If so, re

ly, etc.,

lease d

have meant simply nothing. From Mrs.

of apology! She wanted the letter-s

r of course, s

s straight-forward, and su

me to a clue, but was w

h the remainder of the letter. Mrs. Ballou was clever, but

ble to the average mortal, but that were very plain language to my eye, and to none other. Next I

ate of the two missing girls, and the myst

n, there seemed nothing to connect the two; I was simply, as I tho

t Trafton I was to find my clue to the Groveland mystery, and that that mystery was in its t

ers and far-fetched, Fate lov

nd with the shadow upon it. We leave

t we are en ro