A Fire and a Talkative Fireman--Mrs. Edwards Receives a Letter.
After dinner operative Everman called upon the chief of police, and
acquainting him fully with the nature of his business in the city, he
enlisted his services in our behalf. Men were detailed to watch the
arriving and departing trains, in order to discover if Edwards either
paid a visit to Woodford or attempted to leave the place. This step was
taken as a mere precaution, for the detective as yet felt confident that
Mrs. Edwards was entirely ignorant of the movements of her husband or of
the crime which he was suspected of committing. This was continued
without result for three days, but on the afternoon of the fourth, the
chief sought Everman at the hotel and informed him that he had
important news to communicate.
"What is it?" inquired Everman, when they were alone.
"Well," said the chief, "it is just this. Last night, one of my men
informs me, Mrs. Edwards received a letter from her husband, and to-day
she appears to be in great trouble and distress of mind. There can be no
doubt that she has been informed of his crime, and also that she now
knows his present whereabouts."
"She will never tell any one where that is, unless I am very much
mistaken in her," interrupted Everman, "and we must look elsewhere for
the information we desire."
"Just my opinion exactly," replied the chief; "and I have thought of a
way in which we might get what we want."
"Let me hear what it is," said Everman.
"It is just this--Mrs. Black has an intimate friend and confidante, to
whom she tells everything she knows, and there is no doubt that she
will soon, if she has not already done so, inform this lady of the
letter received yesterday. Well, so far, so good. Now, this lady has a
husband to whom she tells all she hears, and so he is apt to be as well
informed in a short time. This man is Tom Nelson by name, a carpenter by
trade, and a jovial, easy, good-natured fellow by nature. This man you
must work up, and if you touch him correctly, you will find out all he
knows."
"Very good," replied Everman confidently; "now point out Tom Nelson to
me and leave me to work the rest."
At this moment an alarm of fire was sounded, and in a few minutes the
street in front of the hotel was alive with people hurrying to the scene
of the conflagration. Men and boys were running at the top of their
speed, and shouting at the top of their voices; women were gazing from
doors and windows, and the merry jingle of the bells of the fire-engines
were soon heard, as the brave fire laddies were rushing to the rescue of
the burning building.
"The very thing!" ejaculated the chief. "I must go to the fire, and do
you come along with me. Tom Nelson is one of the most active firemen of
the city, and I will point him out to you. After that you must work your
own way, for if I was to approach him upon the subject, he would become
suspicious at once."
So saying the chief hurried out of the hotel, closely followed by the
detective. Turning a corner they saw, not a great distance off, the
flames leaping from the windows and roof of a large frame structure,
which was blazing and crackling like a huge pile of kindling prepared
for the torch. Already the department was upon the ground, and when the
chief and the detective reached the scene, several streams of water,
shimmering like ropes of silver, were pouring into the burning building.
With a noble self-sacrifice and a disregard for their own safety which
was truly admirable, the brave fire laddies battled with the flames, and
exerted themselves to the utmost to prevent the fire from reaching the
adjoining buildings. At last, yielding to the almost superhuman efforts
of the firemen, the fire was extinguished, leaving only the bare and
blackened walls standing as monuments of the destruction that had been
wrought. Foremost among the brave fellows who were performing their
self-appointed and herculean duty was a man about thirty-five years of
age, stout and muscular in form, and with a good-humored, honest face,
that would attract your friendly regard at a glance. He was the most
active and energetic man upon the ground, and it could be seen at once,
that his whole heart was in the work in which he was then so earnestly
engaged.
"That's your man," said the chief, pointing toward him, "and now you can
commence upon him as soon as you please."
"All right," answered Everman; "I will see what I can do."
The firemen had by this time, gathered up their hose and were preparing
to return to their various houses, and Thomas Nelson, after assisting in
this labor until it was completed, left his companions, and proceeded
along the sidewalk in the direction of the hotel. Everman walked on
slowly behind him, and seeing him enter the building, he followed
closely after him. Nelson proceeded to the bar-room and had just tossed
off a cooling glass of beer, when the operative made his appearance.
"You seem to be thirsty after your hard work this morning," said the
detective, in a laughing tone.
"It was pretty hot work, and no mistake," replied Nelson; "and we were
mighty lucky in saving the adjoining houses. I was afraid once they
would certainly go."
"Fill up your glass again," said Everman; and Nelson graciously
acquiesced. "Yes," continued the operative, "you boys did excellent
work, and you deserve great credit for it. I suppose your fire
department here is composed entirely of volunteers?"
"Yes, sir," answered Nelson, quite pleased with the encomiums which his
pet hobby received; "and a better organized fire department is not to
be found anywhere."
"Well," said the detective, as he raised his glass, "here's to the
health of your fire laddies; may you never miss a run, and always have
as good luck as you did to-day."
"Good," said the delighted fireman; "I don't know your name, but you're
a good fellow, and I am glad to hear you speak so favorably of us."
"My name is Everman," answered the detective frankly. "I only arrived in
Woodford yesterday, and expected to meet a friend whose family resides
here; but I regret to say I have been disappointed."
"May I ask who you were waiting to meet?"
This was the very question the detective most desired to be asked, and
he answered at once.
"Yes. I expected to meet Newton Edwards here, and I have some letters
for him from his employer, which he ought to receive."
At the mention of the name, Nelson started in astonishment, and then
gave vent to a long, low whistle.
"I am afraid you won't find him here," he said at last.
"Afraid, Mr. Nelson! Why, what's the matter?" quickly inquired the
detective.
"Well, sir, I am afraid your friend has turned rascal, and has run
away."
"What do you mean?" sharply asked Everman. "Surely, you have no
reference to my friend, Newton Edwards?"
"Yes, I mean him exactly. He is a damned thief, that's what he is; and
he has broken his wife's heart!"
This was enough for Everman; and in a short time he had learned all that
the honest carpenter could tell him. On the evening before, it appeared,
Mrs. Edwards had received a letter from her husband, the contents of
which had made her frantic with grief, and to-day she was unable to
leave her bed. In this letter he had informed her that he had been
connected with the robbery of the bank at Geneva, and that he had
succeeded in eluding all pursuit, and was now hiding in some obscure
place in the state of New York.
"This is all I know about it," added Nelson, "and I suppose I ought not
to tell this; but when a man turns out a damned rogue like that, honest
people cannot afford to shield or uphold him in his rascality."
"That's my opinion, exactly," rejoined the detective, "and I am sorry,
indeed, for Edwards' wife, although I am free to confess that I have no
further sympathy for him."
"I ought not to have told you this," said Nelson, with some compunctions
of conscience at his garrulity. "And if my wife was to hear that I had
done so, she would take my head off."
"Well, she won't hear of it from me, I can assure you, and I am too much
disappointed in my friend to speak of it unnecessarily to any one."
Their conversation was continued a few minutes longer, and then Nelson,
promising to see my operative again, took his leave.
Here was a revelation, which amounted to a direct confirmation of our
suspicion regarding Edwards, and was convincing testimony of the fact
that he was hiding from the officers of the law. The information about
his location, while indefinite, was a surety of the fact that he had not
gone west, according to his previous arrangement, and that he must be
looked for in the state of New York.
One thing, however, was necessary to be done at once, and that was to
keep a sharp lookout for any letter which might be mailed by Mrs.
Edwards or any member of her family. There was no doubt that this lady
would sooner or later attempt to write to her husband, and that too
within a few days. It was therefore of the utmost importance that a
close watch should be kept upon all the movements of the members of Mr.
Black's household, and then to endeavor to get at the address of any
letters which they might attempt to mail.
Everman immediately sent his report of what he had learned to me, and
then sought the chief of police in order to enlist his further aid in
such efforts as were now necessary to be taken.
When the chief had listened somewhat incredulously to what Everman had
been enabled to learn in the few minutes' conversation which he enjoyed
with Tom Nelson, he was overwhelmed with surprise at the rapid success
he had met with, and he readily proffered all the assistance in his
power.
Everman resolved to see Nelson again, and endeavor to induce him to
ascertain the exact locality in which Edwards was hiding. The carpenter
could not recollect it at the first interview, and was not sure that he
had heard it, but Everman concluded to try to jog his memory upon that
point still further. He did not have to seek an opportunity for meeting
his man, for that evening he received another call from Nelson, who had
evidently taken a great fancy to my affable operative. During the
conversation that followed, Everman was informed by his new-found
friend, that as well as he could recollect the name of the place from
which Edwards' letter was posted began with a "_Mac_," and that was all
that could be elicited from him.
Everman gave as his reasons for desiring to learn this fact, that he
wanted to write to him himself, and convey the letters which had been
intrusted to him.
After spending some time in the vain endeavor to refresh the carpenter's
memory, they at length parted for the night.
"Remember, Mr. Everman," said Nelson, as he left the hotel, "if I can
find out for you what you want, I will surely do so; but for heaven's
sake don't let my wife know it, or I will be scalped alive."
The detective laughingly promised to beware of the sanguinary Mrs.
Nelson, and the carpenter went his way.