THE STOLEN CIGAR-CASE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1510, 7 February 1901, Page 9

THE STOLEN CIGAR-CASE.

BY C N D--LE. (Author of “Rodney Stone, and other . Light Weights.”) This is the latest of the Later Condensed Novels written by Bret Harte in imitation of the style of well-known writers of fiction. I found Hemlock- Jones in the old Brook street lodgings, musing before the bre. With the freedom of an old friend I at once threw myself in my old familiar attitude at his feet, and gently caressed his boot. I was induced, to do this -for two reasons; one that it enabled me to get a good) look at his bent, concentrated face, and the other that it seemed! to indicate my reverence for his superhuman insight. So. absorbed was he, even then, in tracking some mysterious clue, that he did not seem to notice me. But therein I was wrong —as I always was in my attempt to understand that powerful intellect. “It is raining,” lie said, without lifting his head. “You have been out then?” I said quqickly. “No. But I see that your umbrella is wet-, and that your overcoat, which you threw off on entering, has drops of water on it.”

I sat aghast at his penetration. After a pause he said carelessly, as if dismissing the subject: “Besides, I har th rain on th window. Liten.”

I listened. I could scarcely credit my ears, hut there was the soft pattering of drops on the pane. It was evident, there was no deceiving this man ! “Have you been busy lately?” I ask, ed, changing the subject. “What new problem—given top by Scotland Yard as inscrutable—has occupied that gigantic intellect ?”

.. ‘Ha drew back his foot slightly, and seemed t<> hesitate ere he returned it to its original position. Then he answered wearily: “Mere trifles —nothing to speak or. The Prince Kopoli has been here to .get. my advice regarding the disappearance of certain rubies from the Kremlin .; the Rajah of Pootibad, after vainly beheading his entire bodyguard, has been , obliged to seek my assistance to recover a ©welled sword. The Grand JDuchess- of Pretzel-Brauntswig is : desirous of discovering where her husband arraa on the night of the 14th or February, and last night”—he lowered his voice slightly—“ a lodger in this very bouse, meeting me on. the stairs, wanted to know ‘Why don’t, they answer his bell/’

I could not help smiling—until I saw a irown gathering on his inscrutable forehead.."--: v. V yno

“Pray to remember, hei said coldly, “that it was through such an apparently trivial question that I found out, “Why Paul Ferroll killed his Wife,’ and' ‘What Happened to Jones!” I became dumb at once, He paused for a moment, and then suddenly changing back to his usual pitiless, analytical style, he said: “When I ,say these are trifles —they are so in comparison to an affair that is now before me. A crime •has been committed, and, singularly enough, against myself. You, start,” he said; “you wonder who would have dared to attempt it 1 So did I ; nevertheless, it has been done. I have been •robbed!”' /. " “ “You robbed— you, Memlock Jones, the Terror of Peculators!” I gasped in

amazebent, rising and gripping the table as I faced him.

“Yes ; listen. I would confess it to no other. But you who have followed my career, who know mv methods ; yea, for whom I have partly lifted the veil that conceals my plans from, ordinary humanity; you, who have for years rapturously accepted my confidences, passionately admired my inductions and inferences, placed yourself at my beck and call, become my slave, grovelled at my feet, given up your practice except those few unremunerative and rapidly-decreas. ing patients to whom, in moments of abstraction over my problems, you have administered strychnine for quinine and arsenic for Epsom salts ; you, who have sacrificed everything and everybody to me—you I make my confidant i” I rose and embraced him warmly, yet he was already so engrossed in thought that at the same moment he mechanically placed his hand upon his watch chain as if to consult the time. “Sit down,” he said; “have a cigar?” “I have given up cigar smoking,” I said.

“Why? 1 ' he asked. I hesitated', and perhaps coloured. I had really given it up because, with my diminished practice, it was too expensive. I could only afford a pipe. “I prefer a pipe,” I said laughingly. “But tell me of this robbery. What have vou lost?”

He rose, and planting himself before the fire with his hands under .his coat tails, looked down upon me re' reflectively for a, moment. “Do you remember the cigar-case presented to me by the Tiukish Ambasador for discovering the missing favourite of the Grand Viizer in the fifth chorus girl at the Hilarity Theatre ? It- was than one. It- was incrusted with diamonds. I mean the cigar-case.” “And the largest one had been suoplanted by paste,” I .said. * - “Ah,” he said with a reective smile, “ you know that ?” “You told; me yourself. I remember considering it a proof of your extraordinary perception.. But, by Jove, you don’t mean to say you have lost it.” He was silent for a moment. “No ; it has been stolen, it is true, but I shall still find it. And by myself alone! In your profesion, my dear fellow, when a member is severely ill he does not prescribe for himself, but calls in a brother doctor. Therein we differ. I shall take this matter in my own hands.” “And where could you. find better?” I said enthusiastically. “I should 1 say the cigar-case is as good as recovered already.”

“I shall remind you of that again,” he said lightly. “And now, to show you my confidence in your judgment, in spite of my determination to pursue this alone, I am willing to listen to any suggestions from you.” He drew a memorandum book from his pocket, and, with a grave smile, took up his pencil. I could scarcely believe my reason. He, the great Hemlock Jones! accept, ing suggestions from a humble individual like myself! I kissed his hand reverently, and began.in a joyous tone: “First I should advertise, offering a Toward; I should give the same intimation in handbills, distributed at the ‘pubs’ and the pastry-cooks. I should next visit- the different pawnbrokers ; I should give notice at the police station. I should examine the servants. I should thoroughly search the house and my own pockets. I .speak relatively,” I fTclded with a laugh, “gf course, I mean your own.”

He gravely made an entry of these details.

“Perhaps,” he returned enigmatically. “Now, my dear friend.” he continued, putting the note-book in his pocket, and rising—“would you excuse me for a few ■moments? Make yourself perfectly at home until I return; there may be some things,” he added with a sweep of his hand towards his heterogeneously filled shelves, “that may interest you, and while away the time. There are pipes and tobacco in that corner and whiskey on the table.' And nodding to me with the same inscrutable, face, he left the room. I was too well accustomed to his methods to think much of his unceremonious withdrawal,, and made no doubt he was off to investigate softie clue which had suddenly occurred to his active, intelligence. • ... - -- . ... Reft to myself I cast a cursory -glance .over his shelves. • There were a, number of small glass jars, containing earthly substances labelled “Pavement and roadsweepings,” from the principal thoroughfares and suburbs of London, with the sub-directions . “For identifying foot tracks.” There were several other jars labelled “Fluff from omnibuses and roadcar seats,“Cdcoanuf fibre and rope strands, from mattings in public places,” .“Cigarette stumps and match ends from floor of Palace Theatre, Row A,. 1 to 50.” Everywhere were evidences of this wonderful man’s system and perspicacity. I was thus engaged when I heard the slight creaking: of a'- door, and I looked xtp as a stranger entered. He" was a rough-looking man, with a shabby overcoat, a still more disreputable muffler round his throat; and a' : cap on his head. Considerably annoyed at'his intrusion I turned upon him rather sharply, when, with a' mumbled, growling! apology; for mistaking the room, he shuffled out again and Closed the door; I followed him quickly to the landing and saw that he disappeared down the' stairs. With my mind full of the robbery, the incident made a singular impression on me. I knew my friend’s habits of hasty

abscences from his room in his moments of deep inspiration; it was only too probable that- with his powerful intel. lect and magnificent perceptive genius concentrated on one subject, he should be careless of his own belongings, and, no doubt, even forgot to take the ordinary precaution of locking up his drawers. I tried one or two and found thatI was right—although for some reason I was unable to open one to its fullest extent. The handles were sticky, as if someone had opened them with dirty fingers. Knowing Hemlock’s fastidious cleanliness, I resolved to inform him of this curcumstance, but I fotgot it, alas! until—but. I am anticipating 'my story. His absence was strangely prolonged. I at last seated myself by the fire, and lulled <jy warmth and the patter of the rain ori the window, I fell asleep. I may have dreamt, for during my sleep I had a vague semi-consciousness as of hands being softly pressed on my pockets—no doubt induced by the story of the robbery. When I came fully to my senses, I found. Hemlock Jones sitting on the other side of the hearth, his deeply concentrated gaze fixed oil the fire.

“I found you so comfortably asleep that I could not bear to waken you,” he said with a-smile. I rubbed mv eys. “And what news?” I asked. “How have you succeeded?”

“Better than I expected,” he said, “and I owe much to you.” Deeply gratified, I awaited more. But in .vain. I ought to have remembered that in his moods Hemlock Jones was reticence itself. I told him simply of the strange intrusion, but he only laughed.

Later, when I rose to go, he looked at me playfully. “If ydu were a married man,” he said, “I would advise you not to go home until you have brushed your sleeve. There are a few short, ■brown seal-skin hairs on the inner side of the fore-arm —just where they would have adhered if your arm had encircled .a seal-skin sacque with some pressure!” “For once you are at fault,”l. said ..triumphantly, “the hair, is my own as you . will perceive; I have just had it cut at . the hair-dressers, andr ijo doubt this arm projected . .beyond . the. apron.” •. He frowned slightly, yet nevertheless, on my turning to -go he embraced me warmly—a rare exhibition in that man ■of ice. He even helped me on with my overcoat and pulled out and smoothed' down , the flaps of my pockets. He was particular, too, in fitting my arm in my overcoat sleeve, shaking the sleeve down from the armhole to the cuff .with his deft„ fingers. “Come again soon!”, he said, clapping me on the back. - “At any .and all times,V I said, enthusiastically. “I only ask ten minutes twice a day to eat a crust, at my office and four hours’, sleep at night and the rest of my time is devoted to you always—as you know.”

. “It. is indeed,” he said,. with his impenetrable smile. Nevertheless I. did not find him at home when I next called. One afternoon, when nearing my own home I met him in one of his favourite disguises—-a long, blue,swallow-tailed coat, striped, cotton trousers, large turn-over collar, blacked face, and white hat, carrying a tambourine. Of course to. others the disguise was perfect,; although it' was known to myself, and I passed him—ac-

cording to an old understanding bettween us—without the slightest recognition, trusting to a later explanation. At another time, as I was making a professional visit to the. wife of . a .publican at the East End, I saw him in the disguise of a broken-down artisan looking into the window of an adjacent pawnshop. I was delighted to see that he was evidently following my suggestion, and in my joy I ventured ,to tip him a wink; it was abstractedly returned. •

Two days later I received a note appointing a meeting* at his lodgings that night. That meeting, alas! was the one memorable occurrrence of my life, and the last meeting I ever had with Hemlock Jones! I will try to set it down calmly, though my pulses still throb with the recollection of it. • "

I found 1 him standing before the fixe with that look upon his face which I had seen only one or twice in our acquaintance—a' look which I may call an abso_ lute concatenation of inductive and deductive ratiocination—from which all that was human, tender, or sympathetic was absolutely discharved. He was simply an icy, algebraic symbol! Indeed liis whole being was concent rated to that extent that his clothes fitted loosely, and his head was absolutely so much, reduced in- size by his mental compression that his hat tipped back from his forehead and literally hung on his raasive ears. - -

After 1 had entered, he locked the doors, fastened the windows, and even placed a, chair before the chimney. As I watched, those significant precautions with ahsor'- ng interest, he suddenly drew a revolver and pressing- it to my temple, said in low, icy tones: * '“iiand over that cigar-case!” : Even in my bewilderment, my reply was truthful, spontaneous, and involuntary. “I haven’t got it,” I said. He smiled bitterly, and throw down his revolver: '“I expected that reply! Then let me ' now confront you with something more awful, more deadly, more relentless and convincing. than that mere lethal weapon—the inductive proofs of your guilt!” He. drew from his pocket a roll of paper and * a note-book. - - A ' V.... ', ■' •• “But surely,” I gasped, “ your fire. jofc. . ing! You could not for a moment believe——” -. : ■ v ' ~ ' ;• “Silence!” rhd roared. 1 “Sit .downV’ I obeyed. . . “You have condemned' yourself,”- he went on pitilessly. “Condemned yourself on my processes—-processes familiar to 3 T ou», applauded by you, accepted by you for years! We will go back to the time whei% you first' saw the edgar- . case. Your expressions,” he said in cold, deliberate tones', consulting his paper, “were: ‘How beautiful! I wish.it were mine.’ This was . your first step in crime—and my first indication. From ‘I _ wish it were mine’ to -I will have it mine,’ and the mere detail* ‘How can; I make it mine,’ the advance was obvious. Silence! But as in my methods, it was necesary that there should be an overwhelming inducement- to th© crime, that unholy admiration of yours for the mere trinklet itself was not enough. You are a smoker of cigars.” ‘But,” I burst out passionately, ‘jT told you I had given up smoking cigars,” “Fool!” he said, coldly, “that is the second time you have committed your-

self. Of course, you told me! what more natural Than for you to blazon forth, that prepared and unsolicited statement to prevent accusation. Yet, - as I said before, even that who celled ' attempt to cover up your tracks was not enough. 1 still had to find that overwhelming, impelling motive necessary tc affect a man like you. That motive I found in passion, the strongestof all impulses—love, I suppose you would call it.” he added bitterlv : “that night you called! Yon had brought the damning proofs of it in your sleeve.” “But,” I almost screamed. “Silence,” he thundered. “I know what yon would, say. You would say that even if you had' embraced some young person in a sealskin saque what iracl that <-o do with the robbery. Let me tell .you then, that that sealskin saque represented the quality and cliar•acter of your fatal entanglement! Ir you are at all conversant with light sporting literature you would know that a sealskin saque indicates a love induced by sordid mercenary interests. You bartered your honour for it—that stolen sigar-case was the purchaser of the sealskin sacque! "Without money, witn a decreasing practice, it was the ouly way you could insure your passion being returned by that young person, whom, for vour sake, I have not even pursued. Silence! Having thoroughlyestablished your motive, I now proceed to the commission of the. crime itself. Ordinarv people would have begun with that—with an attempt to discover the whereabouts of the missing; object. These are not my methods.” So overpowering was his penetration, that although I knew myself innocent, I licked my lips with avidity to hear • the. further, details of this lucid exposition of my crime. “You committed, that theft the night X showed you the cigar-case and after I had carelessly thrown it- in that drawer. You were sitting in that chair, and I liad risen to take something from that sneif. In that instant you secured your booty without rising. Silence! Ho you remember when I helped you on witn your overcoat the other night? I was particular, about fitting your arm in. While doing so I measured your arm a string tane measure from the shoulder to the cuff. A later visit to your tailor confirmed t&at measurement. It proved, to he the exact distance between your chair and that drawer; ' I sat stunned- “ The rest are mere corroborative details! You were again tampering with the drawer when I discovered you doing .so Do not, start! The stranger that blundered into the room with the muffler on—was myself. More, I had placed a little soa.p on the drawer handles when I purposely left you alone. The soap was on your hand when I shook it' at parting. I softly felt your pockets when you were asleep for further developments. I embraced you when you left—that I might feel if you had the cigar-case, or any other articles, hidden on your body. This confirmed me in the belief that you had already disposed of it in the manner and for the purpose I have shown yon. As I still believed you capable of remorse and confession, I allowed, you to see I was on your track twice, once in the garb of an itinerant negro minstrel, ana the- second time as a workman looking in the window” of the pawnshop where you pledged your booty. . , _ . - “But,” I burst out, “if you had asxed; the pawnbroker yon would have seen how unjust “Fool!” he hissed, “that- wa,s one of your suggestions to search the pawnshops. Ho you suppose I followed any of your suggestions—the suggestions of the -thief ? . On the contrary, they told me what to avoid.” “And I suppose,” I said bitterly, “you have not even searched your drawer. ; “No,” he said calmly. I was for the first time really vexed. I went to the nearest drawer and pulled it out sharply. It stuck as it had before. leaving a part of the drawer unopened. By working .it, however, I discovered that it was impeded by some obstacle that had slipped to the upper paid of the drawer, and held it firmly fast. Inserting my hand, I pulled out the impeding object. It was the missing cigar-case. I turned to him with a cry of joy. But I was appalled at his expression. A look of contempt was now added to his acute, penetrating gaze. “I have been mistaken,” he said, slowly. “I had not allowed for yonr weakness and cowardice. I thought too highly of you eVen in your guilt; but I see now why you tampered with that* drawer the other night. By some incredible means possibly another thext —you took the ■cigar-case out of pawn, and like a whipped hound restored it to me in this feeble, clumsy fashion. You thought to deceive me, Hemlock Jones ; more, you thought to destroy my infallibility. Go! I give you your liberty, I shall not summon three policemen who wait m the adjoining room—but out of my sight for ever.” ■ • As I stood once more petrified he took me firmly by the ear and led me into the hall, closing the door behind , him. This re-opened presently wide enough to permit him to thrust out my hat overcoat, umbrella and overshoes, and then closed against me for ever. I never saw him again. 1 am bounci to say, however, that thereafter my business increased —I recovered much or my old practice—and a few of my patients recovered also. I became rich. 1 had a brougham and a house in the

West End. But I often wondered, pondering on that wonderful man’s penetration and insight, if, in some lapse of consciousness, I bad not really .stolen p 3 .s qigar-case !■— —f rom tne Oori-tmas Number of “Pearson’s Magazine.”