Out of a Labyrinth

  CHAPTER XVIII.

  A SEWING MACHINE AGENT.

  On arriving within sight of Amora, I had reason to congratulate myselfthat I had brought Larkins along as convoy.

  Amora was by no means a city, but it was large enough to make a searchafter Mr. Dwight a proceeding possibly lengthy, and perhaps difficult.

  Larkins knew all about it. We drove past the Seminary, quite a large andimposing structure, surrounded by neat and tastefully laid out grounds,through a cheery-looking business street, and across a bridge, over ahill, and thence down a street which, while it was clean, well built,and thrifty of aspect, was evidently not the abode of Amora's _la beaumonde_.

  In another moment Larkins was pulling in his reins before a large,unpainted dwelling, in front of which stood a pole embellished with thelegend, "Boarding House."

  Several inquiring faces could be seen through the open windows, and thesqueak of an untuneful violin smote our ears, as we approached the door.

  Larkins, who seemed very much at home, threw open the street door; weturned to the right, and were almost instantly standing in a large,shabbily-furnished parlor.

  Two of the aforementioned faces, carried on the shoulders of twoblowzy-looking young women, were vanishing through a rear door, throughwhich the tones of the violin sounded louder and shriller than before.Three occupants still remained in the room, and to one of these,evidently the "landlady," Larkins addressed himself.

  "Good evening, Mrs. Cole. We want to see Ed. I hear his fiddle, so Is'pose he can be seen?"

  Proffering us two hard, uninviting chairs, Mrs. Cole vanished, and,through the half-closed door, we could hear her voice, evidentlyannouncing our presence, but the violin and "Lannigan's Ball" went on tothe end. Like another musical genius known to fame, Mr. Dwight evidentlyconsidered "music before all else."

  With the last note of the violin came the single syllable, "Eh?" in avoice not unpleasant, but unnecessarily loud.

  Mrs. Cole repeated her former sentence; there was the sound of some onerising, quick steps crossed the floor and, as the door swung inward toadmit Mr. Dwight, I advanced quickly and with extended hand.

  When he halted before me, however, I stepped back in feigned surpriseand confusion.

  "When he halted before me, however, I stepped back infeigned surprise and confusion."--page 213.]

  But Dwight was equal to the occasion. Before I could drop or withdrawmy hand, he seized it in his own large palm, and shook it heartily, themost jovial of smiles lighting his face meanwhile.

  "You've got the advantage of me, just now," he said, in the same loud,cheery tone we had heard from the kitchen, "but I'm glad to see you, allthe same. Larkins! hallo, Larkins, how are you," and, dropping my handas suddenly as he had grasped it, Dwight turned to salute Larkins.

  When their greeting was over, I stammered forth my explanation.

  I had made a mistake. Mr. DeWhyte must pardon it. Hearing at Clyde thata Mr. DeWhyte was living in Amora, and that he was engaged in the saleof sewing machines, I had supposed it to be none other than an oldschool friend of that name, who, when last I heard of him, was generalagent for a city machine manufactory. It was a mistake which I trustedMr. DeWhyte would pardon. I then presented my card and retired withinmyself.

  But the genial Dwight was once more "happy to know me." Shifting hisviolin, which he had brought into the room, from underneath his leftelbow, he rested it upon his knee, and launched into a series ofquestions concerning my suppositious friend, which resulted in thediscovery that their names, though similar, were not the same, and thatthe existence of a Mr. Edward DeWhyte and of Ed. Dwight, both followingthe same occupation, was not after all a very remarkable coincidence,although one liable to cause mistakes like the one just made by me.

  After this we were more at our ease. I proffered my cigar case, and bothLarkins and Dwight accepted weeds, Dwight remarking, as he arose to takesome matches from a card-board match safe under the chimney, that,"smoking was permitted in the parlor," adding, as he struck a match onthe sole of his boot, that he "believed in comfort, and would not boardwhere they were too high-toned to allow smoking."

  Conversation now became general; rather Larkins, Dwight, and the twohitherto silent "boarders" talked, and I listened, venturing only anoccasional remark, and studying my "subject" with secret interest.

  "When are you comin' our way again, Dwight?" asked Larkins, as, after anhour's chat, we rose to take our leave.

  "I don't know, Lark.; I don't know," said Dwight, inserting his hands inhis pockets and jingling some loose coin or keys as he replied. "I don'tthink I'll make many more trips."

  "Sho! Ye ain't goin' to take a new route, I hope?"

  "N-no; I think I'll try a new deal. I've got a little down on the S. M.biz., and talk of taking up my old trade."

  "What! the show business?"

  "Yes; I've got a pretty good chance for salary, and guess I'll go downsouth and do a little of the heel and toe business this Winter,"rattling his heels by way of emphasis.

  This fragment of conversation was a mine which I worked faithfullyduring our Clydeward drive, manifesting an interest in Mr. Ed. Dwightwhich quite met with the approval of Larkins, and which he was veryready to build up and gratify.

  I remained in Clyde that night, and before retiring to rest in the tinyroom assigned me in the "hotel," I made the following entry in mynote-book:

  Ed. Dwight, sewing machine agent, living at Amora, is taller than the medium, but slender, and of light weight, being narrow of chest, with slim and slightly bowed legs, and long arms that are continually in motion; large, nervous hands; small head, with close-cropped curly black hair; fine regular features, that would be handsome but for the unhealthy, sallow complexion, and the look of dissipation about the eyes; said eyes very black, restless and bold of expression; mouth sensual, and shaded by a small, black mustache; teeth, white and rather prominent.

  He is full of life and animation; an inveterate joker, his "chaff" being his principal conversational stock in trade. He is loud of speech, somewhat coarse in manner, rakish in dress, and possesses wonderful self-confidence. He is considered a dangerous fellow among the country girls, and gets credit for making many conquests. Is fickle in his fancies, and, like the sailor, seems to have a sweetheart in every port.

  He is a singer of comic songs, a scraper upon the violin, and a some time song and dance man.

  Has sold sewing machines for nearly three years in Amora and vicinity, and is now preparing to return to the stage and to go South.

  Early the next morning I bade Larkins a friendly farewell, and turned myface toward Trafton.

  Nothing noteworthy had occurred during my absence. Blake and Dimber Joehad observed Sunday in the most decorous fashion, attending divineworship, but not together, and remained in and about the hotel all therest of the day and evening, treating each other as entire strangers,and, so far as Carnes could discover, never once exchanging word orglance.

  One thing Carnes had noted as peculiar: Jim Long had haunted the hotelall day, manifesting a lively interest in our city birds, watching themfurtively, entering into conversation with one or the other asopportunity offered, and contriving, while seeming to lounge ascarelessly as usual, to keep within sight of them almost constantlyduring the day and evening.

  Dr. Barnard was still in a critical condition; Carnes had not seenBethel since Saturday.

  "And what elephant's tracks did ye's find till the south av us?"queried Carnes, after he had given me the foregoing information. "Any'nish' lairs, quiet fences, or cosy jungles, eh?"

  Whereupon I gave him a full description of the journey over the southroad, reserving only the portion of my yesterday's experience thatconcerned, for the present, only Mr. Ed. Dwight and myself.

  "So there's nothing to get out of that," said Carnes, after listening tomy recital with a serious countenance. "What do you think _now_, oldman? If they don't
run their booty over that road, where the mischief_do_ they take it?"

  "That we must find out," I replied. "And in order to do that we mustinvestigate in a new direction."

  "How?"

  "Think a moment. We decided at the first that these systematic thieveshad, _must have_, a rendezvous within half a night's ride from Trafton."

  "Yes; an' I stick to that theory."

  "So do I. All these robberies have been committed at distances nevermore than twenty-five miles from Trafton; often less, but _never more_."

  "Just so."

  "Within a radius of twenty-five miles around Trafton, east, north, andwest, and at all intermediate points, it has not been safe to own a goodhorse. There is but one break in this unsafe circle and that is to thesouth. Now, that south road, one day, or _two_ days, after a robbery,would be anything but safe for a midnight traveler, who rode a swiftgoing horse or drove with a light buggy. Carnes, get your map and studyout my new theory thereon."

  Carnes produced his map and spread it out upon his knee, and I followedhis example with my own.

  "Now, observe," I began, "the south road runs straight and smooth fortwenty miles, intersected regularly by the mile sections."

  "Yes."

  "Until a little north of Clyde, two miles, I believe they call it, amore curving irregular road runs southeast. Now, follow that road."

  "I'm after it."

  "It continues southeast for nearly ten miles, then the road forks."

  "Yes."

  "One fork, running directly south, takes you straight to some coal bedsat Norristown--"

  "Aye, aye!"

  "The other runs beyond the county line and it is not on our maps; ittakes an easterly course for nearly twenty miles, terminating at theriver."

  "Ah! I begin to see!"

  "From Trafton to the river, then, is a little more than forty miles.You cross the river and are in another State. Up and down the river, formany miles, you have heavy timber; not far inland you find severalcompeting railroads. Now, my belief is, that after the excitementfollowing these robberies has had time to die out, the horses arehurried over this fifty miles of country, and across the river, and keptin the timber until it is quite safe to ship them to a distant market."

  "But meantime, before they are taken to the river, where are theyambushed, then?"

  "Under our very noses; here in Trafton!"

  Carnes stared at me in consternation.

  "Old man," he said, at last, drawing a long, deep breath, "you areeither insane--or inspired."

  "I believe I have caught an inspiration. But time will test my idea,'whether it be from the gods or no.' These outlaws have proventhemselves cunning, and fertile of brain. Who would think of overhaulingTrafton for these stolen horses? The very boldness of the proceedinginsures its safety."

  "I should think so. And how do you propose to carry out your search?"

  "We must begin at once, trusting to our wits for ways and means. In someway we must see or know the contents of every barn, stable, granary,store-house, outbuilding, and abandoned dwelling, in and about Trafton.No man's property, be he what he may, must be held exempt."

  "Do you think, then, that the stolen horses, the last haul of course,are still in Trafton?"

  "It is not quite a week since the horses were taken; the 'nine days'wonder' is still alive. If my theory is correct, they are still inTrafton!"