CHAPTER II.
A DARING AND SUCCESSFUL TRAIN ROBBERY.
The train was just approaching Stamford, and from the window in thesection which he occupied Mr. Barnes was watching the sun glowing redover the hilltops, when he heard approaching him the guard who hadassisted him to jump aboard the night before. The man was makingmysterious gestures, from which Mr. Barnes understood that he waswanted. He arose and followed the porter to the smoking-room.
"I think you called yourself Barnes," said the man, "as you jumpedaboard last night."
"Yes, what of it?"
"Are you Mr. Barnes the detective?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because, if you are, the conductor wants to see you. There was a bigrobbery committed on the train during the night."
"The devil!"
"Exactly, but will you come into the next coach?"
"Wait a minute." Mr. Barnes went back into the main part of the coachand tip-toed towards number eight. Gently moving the curtains, he peepedin and looked long and earnestly. He saw two men undoubtedly sleepingsoundly. Satisfied therefore that he could leave his watch for a briefperiod, he followed the porter into the next coach, where he found theconductor waiting for him in the smoking-room.
"You are Mr. Barnes the detective?" asked the conductor. Mr. Barnesassented.
"Then I wish to place in your hands officially a most mysterious case.We took on a lady last night at Boston, who had a ticket to SouthNorwalk. As we were approaching that point a short time ago she wasnotified by the porter. She arose and dressed preparatory to leaving thetrain. A few minutes later I was hurriedly summoned, when the woman,between hysterical sobs, informed me that she had been robbed."
"Of much?"
"She claims to miss a satchel containing a hundred thousand dollars, injewelry."
"You have stated that adroitly. She claims to miss! What evidence haveyou that she has met with any loss at all?"
"Of course we cannot tell about the jewelry, but she did have a satchel,which is now missing. The porter remembers it, and we have searchedthoroughly with no success."
"We have stopped at New Haven and at Bridgeport. How many persons haveleft the train?"
"No one has left the sleepers."
"When you say that no one has left the sleepers, I suppose you mean yousaw no one leave?"
"No! I mean just what I said. I have sent the porters through thecoaches and they report that all our passengers are in their berths. Buthere we come to a point. If no one has left the train, then the thiefmust be aboard?"
"Certainly!"
"The woman when she discovered her loss concluded to remain aboard andgo on to New York. All the other passengers, save one, are booked forNew York. That one is a man, and he is now dressing, as his destinationis Stamford. If he leaves he may take the jewels with him, yet what am Ito do?"
"State the facts of the case to him. If he is innocent he will willinglysubmit to being searched. If, however, he refuses,--well we can beguided by circumstances. Call him in here now."
A few minutes later a foreign and distinctly French-appearing manentered. In speech he disclosed his origin, but the accent was slight.He was of fine appearance, dignified and gentlemanly.
Mr. Barnes sat at the window looking out. The conductor withconsiderable hesitancy explained the case concluding with:
"You see, my dear sir, this is an awkward business, but we are so surethat the thief is still aboard, that----"
"That you hesitate to allow me to leave the train, eh, Monsieur, is itnot so? Yet why should there be any trouble? An honest man must never behurt in his feelings when he is asked to assist the law, even thoughfor the moment he is himself a--what you call it--suspect? In this caseit is so simple, if only the honest men will make no trouble. They willsay to you--'Search me.' You do so, and at last one comes who says, 'Youinsult me.' That one is of course the thief, eh, Monsieur, do you notagree with me?" He turned towards Mr. Barnes, addressing this lastremark to him. The detective looked at him a moment steadily, as was hiswont when he meant to remember a face. The Frenchman returned the gazeundisturbed.
"I said almost the same thing to the conductor before you came in," saidMr. Barnes.
"Exactly so. Now then with your permission I will disrobe. Look, if youplease, most carefully. My honor is at stake. The more carefully youexamine, the less suspicion can attach to me hereafter."
The conductor made a thorough search, emptying every pocket and takingevery precaution. He did not expect to find anything, but it wasessential that extreme care should be observed. Nothing was found, andthe man resumed his clothing.
"Now, if you please, I have with me but two small satchels. If theporter will bring them I will unlock them for you. I have no trunk, as Ionly went to Boston for a day's trip."
The satchels were brought, examined, and nothing found.
"Now, gentlemen, I suppose I am free, as we are at my station. I shallonly remain here a few hours and will then go on to New York. If youshould wish to see me again I shall stop at the Hoffman House. Here ismy card. _Au revoir._"
Mr. Barnes took the card and scrutinized it.
"What do you think?" asked the conductor.
"Think? Oh, you mean of that fellow. You need not worry about him. Thereis not a shadow of suspicion against him--at present. Besides, should weever want him, I could find him again. Here is his name--AlphonseThauret--card genuine too, of French make and style of type. We candismiss him now and turn our attention to the other passengers. Do yousuppose I could have an interview with the woman?"
"You shall have it if you wish. We will not consult her wishes in thematter. The affair is too serious."
"Very well then send her in here and let me have a few words with heralone. Don't tell her that I am a detective. Leave that to me."
A few minutes later a tall woman apparently about forty-five years ofage entered. She was not handsome yet had a pleasing face. As she seatedherself she looked keenly at Mr. Barnes in a stealthy manner whichshould have attracted that gentleman's earnest thought. Apparently hedid not notice it. The woman spoke first.
"The conductor has sent me in here to see you. What have you to do withthe case?"
"Nothing!"
"Nothing? Then why----"
"When I say I have nothing to do with the case, I mean simply that itrests with you whether I shall undertake to restore to you your diamondsor not. I look after such things for this road, but if the loser doesnot wish any action taken by the road, why then we drop the matter. Doyou wish me to make a search for the stolen property?"
"I certainly wish to recover the jewels, as they are very valuable; butI am not sure that I desire to place the case in the hands of adetective."
"Who said that I am a detective?"
"Are you not one?"
Mr. Barnes hesitated a moment, but quickly decided on his course.
"I am a detective, connected with a private agency. Therefore I canundertake to look up the thief without publicity. That is your mainobjection to placing the case in my hands is it not?"
"You are shrewd. There are reasons, family reasons, why I do not wishthis loss published to the world. If you can undertake to recover thejewels and keep this robbery out of the newspapers I would pay youwell."
"I will take the case. Now answer me a few questions. First, your nameand address."
"My name is Rose Mitchel, and I am living temporarily in a furnishedflat at ---- East Thirtieth Street. I have only recently come from NewOrleans, my home, and am looking for suitable apartments."
Mr. Barnes took out his note-book and made a memorandum of the address.
"Married or single?"
"Married; but my husband has been dead for several years."
"Now about these jewels. How did it happen that you were travelling withso valuable a lot of jewelry?"
"I have not lost jewelry, but jewels. They are unset stones of rarebeauty--diamonds, rubies, pearls, and other precious stones. When myhusband died, he
left a large fortune; but there were also large debtswhich swallowed up everything save what was due him from one creditor.This was an Italian nobleman--I need not mention his name--who diedalmost at the same time as my husband. The executors communicated withme, and our correspondence culminated in my accepting these jewels inpayment of the debt. I received them in Boston yesterday, and already Ihave lost them. It is too cruel, too cruel." She gripped her handstogether convulsively, and a few tears coursed down her face. Mr. Barnesmused a few moments and seemed not to be observing her.
"What was the value of these jewels?"
"A hundred thousand dollars."
"By what express company were they sent to you?" The question was asimple one, and Mr. Barnes asked it rather mechanically, though he waswondering if the thief had come across the ocean--from France perhaps.He was therefore astonished at the effect produced. The woman arosesuddenly, her whole manner changed. She replied with her lips compressedtightly, as though laboring under some excitement.
"That is not essential. Perhaps I am telling too much to a strangeranyway. Come to my apartment this evening, and I will give you furtherparticulars--if I decide to leave the case in your hands. If not I willpay you for whatever trouble you have in the interim. Good-morning."
Mr. Barnes watched her leave the room without offering to detain her ormaking any comment on her singular manner. Without rising from his seathe looked out of the window and strummed on the pane. What he thought itwould be difficult to tell, but presently he said aloud, though therewas no one to hear him:
"I think she is a liar."
Having relieved himself thus, he returned to his own coach. He found twogentlemen in the toilet room allowing themselves to be searched,laughing over the matter as a huge joke. He passed by and entered hisown compartment, which the porter had put in order. One after anotherthe few passengers arose, heard of the robbery, and cheerfully passedthrough the ordeal of being searched.
At last his patience was rewarded by seeing the curtains of number eightmoving, and a moment later a fine-looking young man of six-and-twentyemerged, partly dressed, and went towards the toilet. Mr. Barnessauntered after him, and entered the smoking-room. He had scarcelyseated himself before a man entered, who was evidently the otheroccupant of section eight. Whilst this second man was washing, theconductor explained to the other about the robbery, and suggested thathe allow himself to be searched. By this time the conductor wasbecoming excited. They were within a few minutes of New York, and allhis passengers had been examined save these two. Yet these two lookedmore aristocratic than any of the others. He was astonished therefore toobserve that the young man addressed seemed very much disturbed. Hestammered and stuttered, seeking words, and finally in a hoarse voiceaddressed his companion:
"Bob, do you hear, there's been a robbery!"
His friend Bob was bending over the water basin, his head and facecovered with a stiff soap lather and his hands rubbing his skinvigorously. Before replying he dipped his head completely under thewater, held it so submerged a moment then stood erect with eyes shut andreached for a towel. In a moment he had wiped the suds from his eyes,and looking at his friend he answered most unconcernedly:
"What of it?"
"But--but--the conductor wants to search me."
"All right. What are you afraid of? You are not the thief, are you?"
"No--but----"
"There is no but in it. If you are innocent let them go through you."Then with a light laugh he turned to the glass and began arranging hiscravat. His friend looked at him a moment with an expression which noone but Mr. Barnes understood. The detective had recognized by theirvoices that it was Bob who had made the wager to commit a crime, and itwas plain that his friend already suspected him. His fright wasoccasioned by the thought that perhaps Bob had stolen the jewels duringthe night and then secreted them in _his_ clothing, where if found thesuspicion would not be on Bob. Mr. Barnes was amused as he saw the youngman actually searching himself. In a few minutes, with a sigh of intenserelief, having evidently discovered nothing foreign in his pockets, heturned to the conductor who stood waiting and expectant.
"Mr. Conductor," he began, "I fear that my conduct has seemedsuspicious. I can't explain, but nevertheless I am perfectly willing tohave you make a search. Indeed I am anxious that it should be a thoroughone." The examination was made and, as with the others, nothing wasfound.
"Here is my card. I am Arthur Randolph, of the firm J. Q. Randolph &Son, Bankers." Mr. Randolph stood a trifle more erect as he said this,and the poor conductor felt that he had done him a grievous wrong. Mr.Randolph continued: "This is my friend, Robert Leroy Mitchel. I willvouch for him."
At the name Mitchel, Mr. Barnes was a trifle startled. It was the sameas that which had been given by the woman who had been robbed. At thispoint, Mr. Mitchel, a man of forty-five, with a classic face, spoke:
"Thanks, Arthur, I can take care of myself."
The conductor hesitated a moment, and then addressed Mr. Mitchel:
"I regret very much the necessity which compels me to ask you to allowyourself to be searched, but it is my duty."
"My dear sir, I understand perfectly that it is your duty and have nopersonal feelings against you. Nevertheless, I distinctly refuse."
"You refuse?" The words came from the other three men together. It isdifficult to tell which was the most surprised. Randolph turned pale andleaned against the partition for support. Mr. Barnes became slightlyexcited and said:
"That amounts to a tacit acknowledgment of guilt, since every other manhas been searched."
Mr. Mitchel's reply to this was even more of a surprise than what he hadsaid before.
"That alters the case. If every one else has submitted, so will I."Without more ado he divested himself of his clothing. Nothing was found.The satchels of both men were brought, but the search was fruitless. Theconductor glanced at the detective helplessly, but that gentleman waslooking out of the window. One who knew Mr. Barnes could have told thathe was fearfully angry, for he was biting the end of his moustache.
"Here we are at the Grand Central," said Mr. Mitchel. "Are we at libertyto leave the train?" Receiving an acquiescent nod the two friends walkedto the other end of the coach. Mr. Barnes abruptly started up andwithout a word jumped from the train as it slowly rolled into the greatdepot. He went up to a man quickly, said a few words in an undertone,and both went back towards the train. Presently the woman who had beenrobbed came along, and as she passed out of the building Mr. Barnes'scompanion followed her. He himself was about to depart, when, feeling alight tap upon his shoulder, he turned and faced Mr. Mitchel.
"Mr. Barnes," said the latter, "I want a few words with you. Will youbreakfast with me in the restaurant?"
"How did you know that my name is Barnes?"
"I did not know it, though I do now"; and he laughed in a complacentmanner which jarred on Mr. Barnes. The detective felt that this man wasgetting the best of him at every turn. But for all that he was only themore determined to trap him in the end. Accustomed to think quickly, hedecided to accept the invitation, considering that he could lose nothingand might gain much by a further acquaintance. The two men thereforewent below to the eating-room, and seated themselves at a small table.After giving the waiter a liberal order, Mr. Mitchel began:
"Won't it be best for us to understand one another from the outset, Mr.Barnes?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"I think you do. You asked me a moment ago how I knew your name. As Isaid, I did not know it, though I suspected it. Shall I tell you why?"
"Certainly, if you wish."
"Perhaps I am a fool to show you your first blunder in this game, sinceyou are evidently enlisted against me; but as I sent my friend offalone, purposely for the chance of doing so, I cannot resist thetemptation."
"Stop a moment, Mr. Mitchel. I am not such a fool as you take me to be.I know what you are going to say."
"Ah, indeed! that is clever."
"You are
about to tell me that I made an ass of myself when I spoke inthe coach upon your refusing to be searched."
"Well, I should not have put it quite so harshly, but the fact is this:When you deliberately followed Randolph into the toilet-room, I becamesuspicious, being, as I was, at your heels. When the conductor spoke tome, I refused purposely, to watch the effect upon you, with the result,as you now see, that I had my suspicion confirmed. I knew that you werea detective, and, that point gained, there was no further reason forrefusing the conductor."
"As I said, I acted like an ass. But I did not need this warning. Itwill not occur again, I assure you."
"Of course I see now that you overheard our conversation last night, andsuch being the case you naturally suspected me of this robbery. But I amwondering, if you did overhear our talk, why you did not watch me allnight." To this Mr. Barnes made no reply. "I have one favor to ask."
"What is it?"
"That you reveal to no one the fact that I have undertaken to commit acrime. You of course are at liberty to play the ferret, and convictme--if you can."
"As surely as you commit a crime, so surely will I convict you of it,"replied Mr. Barnes. "It will be perhaps to my interest to keep what Iknow to myself, but it will not do to make any promises to you. I mustbe free to act as circumstances direct."
"Very good. I will tell you where I am stopping, and I give youpermission to call to see me whenever you please, day or night. I have asuite of rooms at the Fifth Avenue. Now let me ask you one question. Doyou think that I committed this robbery?"
"I will answer you with a question. Did you commit this robbery?"
"Capital. I see I have a foeman worthy of my steel. Well--we will leaveboth questions unanswered, for the present."