-THE— DUKE OF ARCANUM.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 278, 24 November 1898, Page 10

-THE— DUKE OF ARCANUM.

By^CAUEETON LONG.

CHAPTER XXl.—(Continued).

' Morton made no effort to sell his potatoes untilhe reached the street upon which Imogen resided. It was about seven o'clock when he turned into it and began to call at the houses, offering his stock by the bushel or peck but confininghimself to one side of the street." Under other circumstances he might have been discouraged at his success, but the lack of it probably arose from the fact that he was not as persistent and persuasive as those itinerant tradesmen usually are. At length he stopped before the cottage ■which he had seen Jarmyn enter, ■while ensconced in the shrubbery. Casting his eyes cautiously about, and perceiving no one, he opened the gate and went around by the side passage to the rear of the house. His knock at the door was answered without delay, and he stood face to face with Imogen. . Can the reader imagine the emotions of this man who had searched so long and faithfully to find his wife, as he stood before her then, after a separation of several years? Morton was a man of wonderful self-control, or else he had given way to those emotions, if not in a spasmodic burst of affection, at least in a manner which would have betrayed his identity. As it was, his composure and noncha" lance was such that the character •which he had assumed was proof against the suspicion of its genuineness. Without giving Imogen a moment for inspection, he asked: 'Would you like to buy some potatoes to-day, ma'am ?' 'No; we are supplied, Imogen answered, giving him a mere cursory glance, such as she usually gave to pedlars or hucksters who called at her door. ■■..-.>' 'But I have a load of fine ones which I am selling cheap.' 'I don't think we need any, sir.' 'Fifty cents a bushel, ma'am; that's very cheap, you know,' Morton persisted. And then little Geryl came running up, and standing by her mother's side, looked shjdy up at him. 'Wait a moment and I will see how many we have on hand,' and leaving Geryl clinging to the door knob, Imogen went into an adjoining room. The father looked at his child. He could not resist the temptation, and bending forward he stole a kiss from her lips. Geryl looked at him in a frightened way at first, but when she saw his pleasant smile she felt assured that he would not harm her, and her face brightened again. Then he pat^ ted her on the head, and running his fingers through her long brown curls," asked: 'What is your name, dear? 1 Geryl,' answered the child, scarcely yenturing to look at him. Morton was about to ask her another question, but Imogen returning, he remarked to her: 'That's a • fine little girl you have, ma'am. I expect her father is very proud of her, isn't he?'

'I haven't any papa!' exclaimed the child, before her mother could reply.

'No; she is a poor little fatherless girl,' said Imogen, adding, after a pause, 'Almost motherless, too, now; aren't you, darling?'

'Motherless? How so, ma'am; are you not her mother?' asked Morton. . 'Oh, -yes; but I'm away at work all day, and she sees so little of me. Did you say your potatoes are fifty cents a bushel?'

'Yes, ma'am; how many would you like?'

'Are they good and sound at that price? My housekeeper says she has paid a dollar a bushel of late.' 'I don't doubt, it at all, ma'am. They Bie perfectly good. I'll warrant them If they are not all right I'll give you your money back when I come again.' 'Very well, tlien; bring me in two bushels.'

Morton returned to the waggon, took the. empty basket, and carried it in, holding it awkwardly before him. In a little room adjoining the kitchen stood a barrel in which the potatoes were emptied. On leaving this room the second time he drew art envelope irom his pocket, and while passing through the kitchen dropped it upon the table, unseen by Imogen, who stood with the money in her hand near the door. Morton took the dollar note, thanked her, and went.back to the waggon.

'^ Jarmyn had been shadowing the house since the receipt of the anonymous note, principally in the morning and evening,. to see who came and went. He was there that morning, standing- by a tree, which was.' protected by lattice woxk, not far from the cottage, and on the opposite side of the street. He saw the huckster turn into the street, but it was.not an unusual sight, even at that hour in the morning. Soon, however, his attention was called to his singular method of vending his produce, and he became convinced that his occupation was new .to him. He noticed that he did not startle the neighbourhood in the usual stentorian style— 'to-ta-toes!,' .On the other hand, he ■was exceedingly modest about it. Moreover, he observed that he went to the doors without the customary sample—usually the largest and finest potato on the load —to further his success; and altogether there was ah apathy and lack, of persistence about him. Instead ,of controlling the horse's movements with a 'g'long,' and a 'whoa,' he took hold of her ttit and led her along from house to house as silently as if he were approaching a hostile "region and feared that the least noise would arouse its denizens. And further, he kept to one side of the street, instead of crossing' and recrossing. Altogether, he thought him to be a very peculiar huckster, and he began to mistrust his opera* tions. , ■ , . : . With bis suspicions thus aroused, Jarmyn kept well' out of view, and watched Morton's every movement. He saw him enter the Edgcumbs' yard and go to the rear v of the house; and he thought he was gone unnecessarily

long. He saw him return to tiej -waggon and carry the potatoes in, j holding' the basket stiffly before him, ; instead of sliding it on to his shoulder from the waggon as he had seen other hucksters do.

As-Morton, was returning- to the waggon he caught a glimpse of a man's head which was suddenly drawn behind the latticed tree. He felt certain that it was Jarmyn, and that he was suspected by him. He did not manifest any uneasiness, however, but' determined to go on vending his potatoes until he saw something in the detectives attitude which would warrant a belief that he intended to mo-, lest- him. Accordingly he proceeded from house to house, keeping a sharp lookout for him; and once or twice he saw him dodging under cover. Then he became convinced that Jarmyn was only awaiting a favourable moment to pounce upon him. To prepare for such an emergency he took the basket containing the coat and hat, and filled it with potatoes, thus, covering and concealing them thoroughly, after which he placed the basket in an available position on the waggon. At the next house he went to the rear door as usual, and upon returning found Jarmyn standing by the waggon, pretending to examine the potatoes. It was a tentative position, but with singular presence of mind, he put on a bold front, stepped to the waggon, seized the basket containing the coat, hat and potatoes, and swinging it off, remarked in a natural tone: 'Them's fine pertaters, sir; I'll.be back in a minute.' It waa all done so coolly and quickly that Jarmyn scarcely knew he was there before he was off again with the basket in his arms.

, Hurrying to the rear of the house Morton turned the potatoes on the ground, seized the package, and running to the end of the yard leaped over the fence into the alley, through which he ran a few steps, then leaping into a neighbouring' yard he entered . a shed. A moment later he emerged, but in the character of an elderly gentleman, wearing a long white beard, completely concealinghis own, a patriarchal wig and a pair of spectacles, and passing out upon the street, he reached the walk, where he saw Jarmyn still waiting for him by the waggon. With an infirm step he moved away. Upon turning the corner he glanced back, but Jarmyn was not to be seen. He knew that the detective, having reached the con^ elusion that he had been outwitted, had gone back to look for him,, ana seizing the opportunity he hurried away as rapidly as he could without exciting the curiosity of people on the street. i

. Jarmyn had supposed that he had not been observed by the huckster, and when the latter approached and removed the basket from the waggon he did not doubt that the man hafi sold some potatoes and would return to the waggon as soon as he had delivered them. His investigations, however, revealed the basket and potatoes lying on the ground, but the fugitive was nowhere to be seem, and he was forced to admit that he had been foiled a second time in his effort to retake the delinquent.

Eemoving his disguise Morton had speedily returned to the place where he had secured the outfit. The huckster being at home and amazed to see him return so early in the day, inquired 'Sold: out hpss, waggon, and pertaters so quick as this?' 'No; I -got into trouble and abandoned the load,' answered Morton. 'Did you have a break-down and spill all the goods?' 'No, nothing of that kind. I have simply abandoned the business for a certain reason known only to myself and another. My friend, you have been pretty clever; can I trust you to do 'something for me?' 'Certainly,' the lad replied. 'I think I can, too; and I'm going to try you. It will be worth nearly two hundred, dollars to you, which is quite an object, is it not?' 'Yes; poor folks like us don't pick that up very "often,' 'Well, I gave you a hundred and seventy dollars for your horse, waggon, and potatoes. Now I'm going to make you a present of the whole out-fits-potatoes and all, for I only sold a couple of bushels of them;, but it is Upon this condition —that you will go and claim it from the authorities.' "Thorities! who's that?' asked the boy, earnestly and innocently. 'The city authorities, or the police, I mean. , You may say to them that the rig is yours aijd that you hired a stranger to peddle for you, but be careful and do not give them any description of me. You may think this is very strange, but I cannot give you any explanation of it now. I am a victim of circumstances. It will not be dishonourable in you to do this. It will spare me much anxiety, and you will be paid for your kindness. The huckster considered it an unusual piece of good fortune to make a hundred and seventy dollars in less than two hours, so he readily con* sented to do as the stranger requested without asking any questions. 'Yes,' said he, 'I won't bother about tellin' 'em anything more.' : '.That's right, my boy, and here is enough to buy you a new working suit, for I had to throw yours away.' So saying, Morton gave the huckster a ten-dollar note, and a broad grin spread over his face as he received it. He then instructed him where to find the load, and, giving him a hearty shake of the hand, hurried away. The huckster did not have to go in of the horse and waggon; Jarmyn saved him that trouble. The detective i 9 never without resources. To find them to fit the different emergencies which, arise, constitutes the art of his profession. He simply unfastened the traces, led the horse from the shafts, and told her to go home. The animal obeyed, and profiting by its instinct he followed it to the huckster's gate. Morton was scarcely out of sight when they arrived. As the huckster opened the gate Jarmyn accosted him: 'Is that your horse, sir?' 'That's my old mare, sure enough. I wonder what's come of the waggon,' the youth replied, suspecting that his interlocutor was one of the "thorities,' whom the stranger had talked about. 'Your waggon and potatoes are all right,' said Jarmyn, 'but what sort of a °man do you, trust your load with, who runs away when a gentleman Monies to examine his merchandise?' 'Is that-what he done?' asked the boy, professing surprise. 'Well, blame me if I knowed he was that kind.of a feller, or I wouldn't have hired him.' 'Who was the fellow?' demanded Jarmyn, sternly. ■ 'He came here this mornin', an'want- ! ed a job, an' as I wasn't f eelin' first • rate I let 'im go out with the load; that's ail I know of 'im, sir.' r 'Don't you know who he is—not even his name?' 'No, sir, don't know 'im at all. He

had an honest-lookin' face, and I thought he was just the man to suit me.' :'

'Don't you know where he came, from, where he stays, or what his name is?' ■'.■' . i

'I don't for sure, misterJ I never seen 'im before, an' I didn't ask 'im any questions; only give 'im the load to go and sell.'

(To be Continued.)