The Circular Study

ets and explain all its extraordinary features. Arrived at Headquarters, where his presence was doubtless awaited with some anxiety by those w

ition, but the expert in lunacy who had been called in to pass upon hi

r who had managed Bartow's arrest, he asked how t

urt, but very mu

res, then went through his pantomime. It's quite a specta

g was not wholly apparent. He had made it with his right hand (there was no evidence that the mute was left-handed), and he

his expression one

ep; the next he starts up in fury, shaking his head and pounding the walls.

ny may not be valid, but there is suggestion in every

ificant object while thinking. It served to concentrate his thoughts, no doubt. At all events, some such result appeared to follow the contemplation of these five sequins, for after shaking his head doubtfully over them for a time, he made a sudden move, and sweeping them into the envelope from which

d interrogatively, as the door closed be

ich made his more than plain features inter

showing any special adaptability. Now I propose to test your powers with something really difficult. Are you

r feather in my cap than if I had always lived in New York. I have been spoiling for some

nd she went-but that is what you are to find out. You are not the only man who is to be put on the job, which, as you see, is next door to a hopeless one, unless the woman comes forward and proclaims herself. Indeed, I should despair utterly of your success if it were not for one small fact which I will now proceed to give you as my special and confidential agent in this matter. When this woman was about to disappear from the one eye that was watching her, she approached the curbsto

ld have sounded less sweet, listened with deli

cribe it. I wouldn't like the fellows to chaff me if I fail; I

ribbon. I don't believe it was ever used before, and from the value women usually place on such fol-de-rols, could

t of the

his question, and was gl

ld have helpe

his lady was seen on the

oment at which the tel

I have ever undertaken, but that's not

ute. I have my suspicion that this woman's first n

an air of some confidence

. The mist surrounding this affair was as yet impenetrable to him. But

was made of his means and many valuable effects. But as if this affair, destined to be one of the last to engage the powers of this sagacious old man, refused on this very account to yield any immediate results to his investigation, the whole day passed by without the appearance of any claimant for Mr. Adams's fortune or the

by the ascetic appearance of his prospective tenant, and, secondly, by his reserved manners and quiet intelligence. But admirable as he had found him, he had never succeeded in making his acquaintance. The rent had been uniformly paid with great exactitude on the very day it was due, but his own visits had neve

asions on which he had been ushered by him into his master's presence; that he knew nothing of his character and ge

was blocked in

the huge steel plate which still blocked the doorway, and the high wi

the windows,

ms's request. Originally they ex

d been prepared and arranged as a barrier. But he could give no explanation of it

had known nothing of these arrangements, having been received in the parlor when he visited the hous

us bird had been removed to police headquart

dorned so large a portion of the wall a recognized one in New York City. Otherwise a clew might have been obtained through him to Mr. Adams's antecedents. All the drawers and receptacles in Mr. Adams's study had been searched, but no will

differing from the rest of their kind only in that they denied themselves no reasonable luxury and seemed to have adopted a shut-in life from a pure love of seclusion. The master was never seen at the stores. It was the servant who made the purchases

ent, quite unlike his former methodical bearing. He had shown an inclination to testiness, and was less easily pleased than formerly. To one clerk he had shown a nasty spirit under very slight provocation, and was only endured in the sto

unfavorably a nervousness excusable enough in one so cut off from all communication with his kind. But with the violent end of his

Gryce was about to regard the day as a lost one, when Sweetwater made his reap

ed, "you have

's any reason why I should not be given the loan of that parasol for abou

boy? May I as

act before respectable business houses shut up for the night,

ill bring you the parasol. There! bring it back soo

give me an ho

behind his flying figur

ifully been cut short by the return of Sweetwater in an even more excite

rasol has brought me luck, notwithstan

a long breath b

the detective; "a respectable

espectable than I expected to see.

boy. Is i

a look as naive in its way as

ed, I had not the courag

," he said. "If she is here, she will not go till I have seen her. Are you sure you have made no mistak

It will take only a moment. Th

How came you to light on this woman

expression took on

hen she finds her dress thus disfigured?' And the answer at once came: 'If she is the lady Mr. Gryce considers her, she will seek to restore these missing spangles, especially if they were lost on a scene of crime. But where can she get them to sew on? From an extra piece of net of the same style. But she will not be apt to have an extra piece of net. She will, therefore, find herself obliged to buy it, and since only a few spangles are lacking, she will buy the veriest strip.' Here, then, was my clew, or at least my ground for action. Going the rounds of the few leading stores on Broadway, 23d Street, and Sixth Avenue, I succeeded in getting certain clerks interested in my efforts, so that I speedily became assured that if a lady came into these stores for a very small portion of this bespangled net, they would note her person and, if possible, procure some clew to her address. Then I took up my stand at Arnold's emporium. Why Arnold's? I do not know. Perhaps my good genius meant me to be successful in this quest; but whether through luck or what not, I was successful, for before the afternoon was half over, I encountered a meaning glance from one of the men behind the counter, and advancing toward him, saw him rolling a small package which he handed over to a very pretty and rosy young girl, who at once walked away with it. 'For one of

n, indeed, I might boast of my success. So praying you for a loan of this article, I went back and rang the bell again. The same girl came to the door. I think fortune favored me to-day. 'Here is the parasol,' said I, but before the words were out of my mouth I saw that the girl had taken the alarm or that so

landing above. I listened to hear her glide away. But she did not move. She was evidently collecting herself for the emergency of the moment.

l. I did not think it

she went on, still in that strang

instructions I am here. He was anxious to restore to you your lost prope

mine; yet he certainly deserves credit for the use he has made of it, in this search. I

me than you would believe, I perceived a very stately, almost severe, lady descend the stairs. She w

,' s

n get

e, or should I trust to her integrity and the honesty of her look, which was no c

. She was awaiting me on the stoop when I got back, and at once entered the hack with a command to drive immediately to Police He

at she sought him? If so, he did not betray this in his manner, which was one of great respect. But that manner suddenly changed as he came face to face with the lady in question. Not that it lost its respect, but that it betrayed an astonishment of a more pronounced charact