Democratic Sentinel, Volume 22, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 June 1898 — PAYING THE PENALTY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PAYING THE PENALTY

Chapter xvi.-ccontinued.) "But this young man you desire to confer with, Mr. Sellars?” “Right here let me say, ‘Do not become familiar with the nah|e Sellars; it might fall from your lips at a time when it would thwart my purposes. I shall soon assume the role of John Thorn.” “I"shall address you as tlwit gentleman. But tins young man?” “Is the cashier of your father’s bank, Lawrence Terry. I think Dr. Strong informed me that your elder sister is his intended wife.” “Very probably. This marriage will take place the first of September. On the same day, I suppose, my father will lead his brother’s widow to the altar.” “You ‘suppose!’ It seems that the idea of the union is not agreeable to you.” “I hardly know why I referred to it, but to tell the truth, it is not. Surely, Elinor Kellogg is but an aunt by marriage. She was very attentive to my mother in her fatal illness. By night and day she was at Janette’s side. But somehow lam not pleased at the prospective union.” “Humph! And your sisters?” “I think they are not.” “We will take the cashier into our confidence. Will you accompany him here at seven this evening? Caution him as I have you.” “You may expect us.” After some further conversation, the young man left the hotel and as he walked northward thus communed with himself: “Intuitions?! ' That man has eyes calculated to read one’s soul. I fail to" understand why he should wish father kept in ignorance of his movements; but no one could fathom his motives.” After Robert had taken his departure, Sellars lighted his favorite pipe and thus mused: “The countenance of that young man is as open as day. I can trust him. Through him I will be able to inspect the contents of the three trunks that constituted the baggage of Elinor Kellogg on her trip from Wilmington. Much time has elapsed, but there may be papers, letters, photographs, phials with labels, or something that will enable me to take up that back trail. Possibly something that will help determine as to how tenderly the widow was administering to Janette.

“Consult your father? Oh, no, my boy. Lovers, young or old, are blind—blind as bats. Stephen Kellogg would upset all of my plans and marry the woman who, if Dr. Strong is right, murdered his brother, perhaps his wife, and brought one daughter to the brink of the grave. “I can devote little time to the robbery case until I have fathomed this more important matter. I must visit the banker’s residence. To Robert it must'appear that it is with a view to ascertaining something that will aid me in regard to the robbery case. What could I be supposed to learn there? I have it!” And the right hand of the detective descended to the surface of the table before him with a startling force. “I wish,” he resumed, "that Dr. Strong could have remained longer in the city. He failed to find a thing criminating—not a phial even. Well, I have promised to leave no stone unturned; nor shall I.” A half hour later, John Thorn of Georgia descended the stairs. He was au elderly looking man with a full, irongray beard, dark gray hair, and considerably stooped at the shoulders. His suit was dark gray. He wore a frock coat, carried a heavy cane, and the luster of his piercing eyes was lost behind a pair of green tinted spectacles. He had the appearance of being a substantial old farmer of the Southern dime—one, perhaps, retired from business; and as he leisurely made his way up the street, one would little have dreamed that he was the noted Southern detective. So great, indeed, was the change in his appearance, that when, at the stated time, he opened the door of his room to .the summons of Robert, that young man remarked: “I beg your pardon, sir; I fear I have made a mistake.” “Not a bit of it,” responded the stranger. “I have but just returned from an inspection of your city and have not had time to divest myself of the apparel of John Thorn.” Robert uttered an exclamation of amazement, but soon recovering himself, presented the cashier. “Pray be seated,” said Mr. Thorn. And turning to a bureau, in a trice, spectacles, flowing beard and gray hair were deposited in one of its drawers, and Sellars the detective, smilingly seated himself by the side of the young men. The conversation that followed merely brought from the lips of Lawrence Terry facts already known to the reader. The cashier stated again what parties were in the bank at the time the money package was made up and their location in that institution. “Not a bill in the package would I be able to identify,” he said, “for the reason that not of one had I kept a record of the number. Of the banks of issue I can furnish you a complete list. I furnished a list to Inspector Hunt of our city, but I think it did not aid him.” “Have any private detectives taken up the ease?” asked Sellars. “Oh, a number, I presume. The last one I have a knowledge of was”—and here Terry gave an account of the Incident relating to the gentleman in blue, fully describing him, but stating that he had not appeared at the bank since leaving it on that occasion. The detective questioned him and requestioned him in regard to the appearance of this man, until he was satisfied that of him he could learn no more. “Very much of the build and appearance of the teller,” he said; “wore glasses, smooth face, seemed hardly as dark-com-plexioned as Earl, questioned you as to whether you had a record of the bill numbers. Humph! Another man after the ten thousand reward, I suppose. W’ell, I am extremely obliged to you for calling, and for to night I will detain you no longer. However, I wish to arrange a little matter with my young friend here. You understand, I think, that you two alone are in my confidence. Much more depends on your discretion than I now divulge. Please, not a word of this interview, or of a knowledge that you ever heard of such an individual as he who is seated before you.” “You may rely on me,” said Terry; “and Itnist you may succeed in your mission.” A moment later and Sellars and Robert were the sole occupants of the room. A consultation of a half hour’s duration followed, after which Robert proceeded homeward. “Strange are the methods employed by detectives,” be mused. “And especially so, I fancy, are those of Lang Sellars. I can see nothing to be gained by the step proposed. He will never fathom the case if he proceeds in that manner. Oh, well, I am pledged. There will be no harm done; but it is a sure loss of time.” The musings of the detective were of a somewhat different nature. His features wore an expression of extreme satisfaction as he sat, the sole occupant of his room. “The initial step gained,” he thought. “A ready opening to the solution of a crime, or crimes, that may place the halter about a neck now probably encircled by a corflhstnunl, ij slkeii cord, or ft gutterUm fiecklacfli” '

CHAPTER XVII. At 2 p. m. on the twentieth of July two men entered the gate leading to the banker’s residence. “You are quite sure, Robert,” said the elder man, as they passed up the walk, “that the madam is not at home?” “Quite certain, Mr. Thorn. Each day since my sisters’ departure she has been absent from the house for the greater part of the afternoon. She will bardly return before four o’clock.” “The intervening time wHI be ample. In what direction does the widow take her drives?” “Oh, she does not always take the carriage. She sometimes prefers, to walk, as she has to-day. She often goes northward through the park. She finds it lonely in the house at this time, I presume.” Robert unlocked the outer door, and the two men were soon on the second floor. “This room,” said the young man, as he paused before an open door, "is occupied by Earl. Opposite are the apartments of his mother. I see she htus left the door ajar. Here,” he continued, throwing open a door, “are the rooms formerly occupied by my sisters. On this 1 side,” pointing toward the street, “are the rooms to which my mother was so long Confined. They have not been occupied since her death. These roams opposite, lam the tenant ot.” “Then right here, Robert,” said Mr. Thorn as the two men entered the apartments, “I will divest myself for the time being of some of the articles of make-up of John Thorn. On account of the heat, I find them quite oppressive, and if I am interrupted I can seek refuge here.” “While you are conducting your investigations,” the young man said, “I will be on guard against surprises. I think it impossible that you find anything beneath this roof that will aid you.” “Time will tell,” said John Thom. And a moment later it was Sellars that entered the apaj-tmenta of the widow. “Door ajar. Bureau drawers unlocked', closet door open; everything open to inspection,” mused the detective. “But where are the trunks? They are not in the,closet. Ah, here! This door will lead to them. It is locked. Right here evidences of the widow’s precautions begin to be made manifest.” In a moment Sellars produced a bunch of skeleton keys, and in another the door swung open. “As I expected. The madam’s dressing room. And here are one, two, three trunks. This largest one—ah, it opens readily. Why, there is nothing here but winter wearing apparel and ladies’ gowns. This one, what? The lid raises as readily as did the first. Why, it is half empty. Let me see. I must use caution naw. These things must be removed with care. But I hardly think I will find anything that will repay me for the trouble. More wearing apparel, books, odds and ends, more books, letters, but the postmark shows them of a too recent date. This package all addressed to Elinor Kellogg. Here is another —yes, and addressed to Bttnor Newberry. I will glance at some them. And the detective seated himself beside the ppen trunk.

“There is nothing here,” he remarked at the expiration of half an hour; and he replaced with great care the articles he had removed and closed the trunk. “Now this last one. Why, it has seen more travel and is older than either of the others, I am mistaken. Brass-bound and heavy. It has the appearance of having been made to withstand hard usage. Ah, the catches sprung forward —the trunk locked! This is the receptacle that I must study.” Another bunch of’ keys was produced, but it was no easy matter to obtain a glimpse of the interior of number three. It was some minutes before Sellars was able to raise the lid, but at last he did so. A sheet, carefully folded, covered the contents of the trunk. It was speedily removed. Beneath it was spread a shawl of variegated colors. It must once have been very handsome, but was now somewhat faded, Sellars removed the shawl, and a low whistle escaped his lips. A moment more and he was on his knees at the side of the trunk. “I expected something here,” he said in a low tone; “but this—this is beyond my comprehension.” Carefully the detective began the unpacking of the trunk. “The farther I progress the more mystified I become,” he presently remarked in an undertone. “What is this? An old album. I must examine the contents. “By the powers!” That expression was the nearest to an oath that Sellars ever approached, and when it fell from his lips it evidenced that he had encountered something unexpected, ar that his active brain had suddenly grasped some new and important feature in the case he had in hand. Page by page he turned over the pages of the old album, scanning the features of each human semblance. Presently he held the album steadfast and gazed earnestly at one photograph. “A clew that will reach beyond the broken trail,” he mused, as he removed and placed it in his pocket. “Ah, another, but different. What, another yet?”' Four samples of the work of photography now rested in his pocket. Suddenly he exclaimed: “What is this? One with face reversed. Ah, taken in Richmond. They say at home that a reversed photograph in an album indicates a breach in friendship. I will look at this one,” and the detective withdrew it. An exclamation of surprise fell from his lips. The photograph joined the others in his pocket and the album was soon closed. More articles were removed, and presently, in one end of the trunk, appeared a package wrapped carefully in what was evidently once a silk dress skirt. “I will investigate.” And soon many smaller packages were found to make up this one. The detective carefully examined them one by one. “This is no surprise,” he muttered. “I knew of her penchant in that direction. It cost her something. Ah, here is another package.” This one the defective opened. In one instant he was on his feet, and for once in his life Lang Sellars, the Southern detective, trembled with excitement. Carefully he examined the contents of this package, then as carefully replaced it in the trunk. “Ah, the bundle of letters—what is thia they are wrapped in? Oh, I will lay that aside. The letters—why, they are addressed to neither Elinor Kellogg nor Elinor Newberry—to—yes, many of them are in the same handwriting. They were mailed from different localities and addressed to different cities. I will take a few of these along. What is this so carefully laid away? A well-bound volume. Ah, ha! A treatise on vegetable and mineral poisons! This grows interesting. “Here is another hidden mystery, perhaps. Why, it is heavy.” The detective brought to view and placed on a chair beside him a nearly square package and removing the flannel covering, an ebony box in dimensions some twelve by twenty-four inches, was revealed. “At last!” exclaimed Sellars. “At last! Within this casket lie the hidden agents of perhaps more crimes than Dr. Strong even dreams of. Now to open it. The key is never from the widow’s posses-’ sion. Can I? Let me try. I have forty of these small ones.” In ten minutes the casket lid was raised. “Merciful God!” exclaimed a startled man. “Lined with velvet, studded with jewels, filled with death! There are fifty phials if there is one, and each in its tiny pocket. f • ■< • “This ope, prussic acid—instant death! This next one, acconite. then digatalis, chloroform, arsenic, utryclndue, bitter nl-

They are all there. Yea, and Imm M* boxes containing powders. Lord, Lomi Elinor Kellogg, you are standing right now in the shadow of the gallows!” Sellars closed the lid, locked the box and carefully restored it to its position. "Here is an envelope filled with newspaper clippings. That may prove of service. Ah, here is some more of those articles that were never utilized. I will take a few of those. Now to replace everything as I found it The madam will hardly examine the album or these packages soon. The contents of her deathdealing casket I have not disturbed. I may be taking chances in regard to that— I hardly think so. But I have no time to lose.” The trunk was repacked with the greatest caution, locked, the brass catches sprung forward, and Sellars turned from the room, securing the door behind him. He passed into the hall, leaving the door of the outer apartment ajar. “I will take a glance at Eari’a sanctum,” he said. He found the young man’s trunk easy to gain access to, but contented himself with securing therefrom merely one photograph, which he removed from an envelope containing several others. The photograph was of the teller of the Great Western Bank. • (To be continued.)