Show THE n COINERS yids e a WIFE asL I y BY AX KOLISH KXDETECTITK I shall never forget the 13tb of December De-cember 1879 The streets of the great city of Manchester had grown depressingly depress-ingly desolate and a dense black fog prevailed over all the town I was hurrying as fast as the night wouj allow from Victoria railway station along the then old and dingy Veanf ate in the direction of my office just as the Cathedral belts were chiming chim-ing the hour of twelve Benumbed with cold I found to mv great joy a cheerful fire blazing in my room which thanks to my comrade who bad retired for the night was considerately conoff siderately prepared for me I took off my great coat and muffler drew a chair close to the fender and began thinking over the incidents of a case I had that afternoon brought to a successful issue when with the suddenness of a startled nightbirds scream I heard a piteous and prolonged shriek issuing from beneath be-neath the unshuttered window I sprang to my feet and gazing in the direction of the sound saw a sight I shall never forget while memory holds a seat in my brain A wild white face with lone dishevelled hair hanging over an illclad form was gesticulating in a beseeching manner close to the fire ht panes Cool and collected as I usuallyam under extraordinary circumstances I must confess to a feeling of terror taking tak-ing of my whole frame at tbat instant and I sat there rooted to the spot It was only for a moment thoughor perhaps as long as it would take one to count tenbefore the apparition ap-parition as it seemed to be vanished as suddenly from ruj transfixed gaze as I it had in coming upon me with all Its ghastly whiteness This is very strange I involuntarily involuntar-ily exclaimed and puzzles me not a little What can it mean 1 Then striding toward the door I flung it wide open but there was nothing noth-ing before meonly the black choking fog and the dead silence of the street For a little while I stood like one bewildered be-wildered I strained my ears in the anxious hope of catching the sound of some ones footfall but it was all in vain the quiet remained unrro ken Pushing back the door I turned to reenter re-enter the room when my eyes caught sight of a piece of white paper that lay upon the wide sill of the window Ah thought I here then is the explanation of this deep mystery I took it to the light opened it and much to my astonishment found a message of deep anguish addressed tome to-me in almost undecipherable characters charac-ters The note was wet in places as If with tears and it bore indubitable evidence evi-dence of havingbeen hurriedly written This is what it said If YOU would atop more crime perhaps murder come at once to 13 Tomsons COUrt Am followed Heaven save me and me h dftOUo I 1t net shall I do Rescue ua and Got bless you LIZZIE THOBNLKV Be careful Conceal yourself Watch Top rcom at back Thornley Thornley The name appeared ap-peared familiar to me I went to the diary turned to the letter T and found following entry November 24 1S78 Bill Thornley alias ipilnger alias Saxley oiner wanted Could this then be the man Who for nearly eighteen months had successfully success-fully eluded our most vigilant pursuit TIt T-It teemed more than probable Was the information howeer contained in tbat mysterious message of a genuine character Or was it meant to lead me into a fatal trap lobe promptings of my heart answered me and that answer was Bill Thornley desperado you are In Tomsons Courtand t will have you my slippery beauty before another day is over I was very late or rather I ought to say the day was young when I put out the office lights for the bell of St Peters had just rung out the hour of one I had decided whatever might be the consequences to my unknown visitor to go home and sleep over the matter and then report the circumstances circum-stances to the inspector so as to receive his sanction to the step before putting my plans into execution With this resontion strong upon me 1 started upon my journey home My way lay in the direction of Greengate and several times ere I reached Ulackfriara Bridge I saw the vision of that whiteface white-face with ita look of unutterable terror fixed immovably upon me < yj Late in the forenoon of thtftame dav I returned to the office and deli reported report-ed my experience of the previous night This looks like a serious job for you Lomax said Inspector Jones as toon as I had finished my report Just turn to the album there and looks at Sand S-and T for a portrait of Springer or Harley or Tborndyke He has done seven years bnt has not accounted for himself for a long time past Is that it Ah good I Take it with you and if you get a chance of comparing it with the original and yon find they agree nab him thats all Woald YOU like Schofield with you 7 No I answered Well in any case be quite prepared to face rough work for If your man should turn out to be the one I suspe t look sharp I advise you After these and other timely hints I retired to the wardrobe adjoining Jones room I went in a clean shaven goodlooking man of twenty seven and in half an hour afterward came out again in the character of a middleaged woman dressed in rather seed suit of black I had on a faded dress cashmere a long circular cloak of the same mater ial and a matronly lookinc bonnet I from beneath which hung longish locks of iron gray hair while a thick veil drooping down in front completed the trans ormatlon I must not forget to mention though that I took with me a small wallet of pins needles and tape under the pretext of having these for sale My letup was perfect I looked i to all the world like one who had seen better days but was reduced now to a state of genteel poverty It was close upon 3 oclock in the I afternoon when I sallied out oCAlbert Street and a drizzling rain was making matters u most ancheerfnl I had no I difficulty in finding Tomsons Court It as situated in Little Peter Street and I in that djrection I turned mv footstep 1 must confess my mind wis not with 1 outcome misgivings as to the snccesa tni accomplishment of my plans Still I I had before played two or three bold Jams as a detective with jramesasa considerable I credit and why should I fail In this Proceeding along the dark and narrow nar-row yard of Tomsona Court I noticed a knot of unkempt women of most ra nulsive appearaace standing talking together and by their earnest demeanor knew they had some serious business hand Sudden as thought my wallet on before them let was out and I stood before them cringingly beseeching them to buy my wart But of co rse it was all to no purpose I neither sold anything nor Heard a word tbat would give me the faintest clue Watching my opportunity opportun-ity I got away from them and passed into No 13 unseen by any one The room was s tuated at the end of a long dart and winding lobb and tile stench that met me was almost overpowering I paused a moment listening but not a sound did I hear Then I knocked at the door very feebly at first then louder loud-er and louder and yet there came no response re-sponse to me Surely I am the victim of a hoax I thought to myself The room is evidently evi-dently tenantless Stooping down I peered through the keyhole and by the very dim light that shone within saw what I thought was a chair upset I knocked again so as to be certain there was no one in the room and still received no answer Hv curiosity curi-osity was now aroused I took from my pocket a small bunch of skeleton keysI never went out without them and noiselessly opened they door As soon as I entered I stood aghast at the sight tbat met my eyes In one corner of the room stretched upon a heap of straw I saw the form of a woman bal naked and motionless with her eyes cloed as if in death I stacgered toward to-ward her lu ied her face to the light and merciful heavens recognized in her the mysterious midnight visitor whose wild look had so possessed me I turned her head more to the light and was horrified to see a thin stream of blood oozing from her snowwhite brow down upon the face and hands of a little babe tbat nestled to her breast 1 knelt beside them and placing mv ear to the heart of the woman found ft was still breathing In an instant I requisitioned re-quisitioned my brandy flask and after considerable difficulty succeeded in pouring a few drops of the liquid down her throat and was soon rewarded by perceiving signs of returning consciousness conscious-ness Her eyes opened and her lips began nervous twitching at the cornets cor-nets A few moments afterward she fixed a steady wondering gaze on me then tried to speak Pray do not for the present agitate yourself I exclaimed in a wellas sumed female voice Yon will feel better presently and then we will speak a little Her beautiful black eyesexpressed their gratitude to me then she relapsed into a fitful slumber This was a very opportune circumstance for me because it enabled me to take stock of the miserable mis-erable surroundings Three chairs an old deal box and adilapidated table formed the pr ncipal articles in the room Two other things however attracted at-tracted my attention more than alt besides be-sides They were long wooden bench such as is used by carpenters and from tha nature of the tools I saw lying about with dies and moulds of various vari-ous sizes my suspicion became confirmed con-firmed The other object which arrested my attention was a strong capacious wardrobe ward-robe in the opposite corner facing the bench Its folding doors stood a little ajar and I grew curious to know the character of its contents I was just rising from mY seat with the intention of making closer inspection when the woman opened her eyes again and beckoned me to her side Then in a voice just raised above a whisper she saidWho Wbo are yon that have found your way into this miserable dwelling I am a woman peddling a few simple wares I answered but how I managed man-aged to find myself here is more than I can tell yet 1 am thankful that I have reached you if it is only that I may be of some simple service to von for I see you need a helping hand1 Ah tis true = tis true she replied but I fear your kind assistance has come too late yes too late I hope not Tell me though how you have come by tbat wound in your temple Is it the result of a ITo IT-o no it was done by himmy husband He struck me with a hammer ham-mer because I would not consent to his taking away my child Mercifulheavenacan such things be Where is he now I somewhat eagerly inquired 11 cannot tell she answered and she appeared to be growing fainter by the exertion Lost night a little before be-fore twelve he came home in a terrible temper I saw murder larking in hIS eyes and after listening to his fearful oaths I ran to the police station pursued pur-sued by him I could not attract attention atten-tion He overtook me just as I reentered reen-tered this room andHark I What is that Instantly we were as silent as the dead and listened The faculty of bearing is remarkably rkeen withmo and I sooncane to the eonclusioathat some one was croaking behind the door 1 motioned to the woman to be silent while I crept noiselessly into the open wardrobe I closed the foldiug doors from within and as good fortune for-tune would have it discovered a large crevice through which I could see the movements of any one who might choose to enter the apartment The poor womans head sank on the pallet of straw apparently in a swoon and all was stillness again The minutes that elapsed seemed hours to me and I was beginning to think tbat alter all my cars had deceived de-ceived me when very slowly and without with-out the faintest sound the door opened and the figure of a short stout bushy bearded iiian crept in He stole to where Lizzie Thoraley lay he bent over her as if fo assure himself that she was aware of hJs presence Umlshe must have been mutur ing in her sleep I reckon I could have sworn though heardtwo voices Curse her And yon would have split on me would you be growled between be-tween hIS set teeth 1 wonder if shell croak this time As he said this his voice sank in a hoarse whisper and he tamed toward the bench A momentary fear came over me lest he should open the wardrobe ward-robe doors and with this feeling upon me I placed my hand in readiness on my revolver The rays of the setting sun were just J glinting through the latticed pane his facewas straieht before me but 1 hisj not recognise it To my unspeakable4 surprise howevere proceeded to df vestMaueUcf his AowilitIM idiu twig t-wig and UjenIt kd tehJDtUft long fr lookedfor comefBdl Thornley My first impulse at that moment was to spring suddenly upon him but his next I movement deprived me of any such in i tension I Slipping his fingers in his waistcoat pocket he drew forth a small kev With this be opened a secret i anel In I the wainscot of the wall and there I saw great piles of glittering coin which niy prctteed eyes told me were spurious spuri-ous One by one he placed them noiselessly noise-lessly in a bag beside him then re locked the panel and after closely examining ex-amining his pistol laid that on the bench preparatory to resuming Ids hirsute hir-sute disguise With the rapidity of a panther springing spring-ing on its prey I flung open the wardrobe ward-robe doors and sprang on him The suddenness of mv appearance struck him motionless and dumb He could but glare at me while I held him in a vicelike grip and his lips trembled and grew ashy pale At such a moment as this a detective needs all the coolness and determination determina-tion he can command for then it is tbat his victim is almost powerless of resistance He becomes semiparalyzed I with surprise and before he knows the meaning of it he finds the bracelets on his wrists At least such was the case with the ruffian Thornley I made short work of him As for his wife and child for such they proved to be I had them tenderly conveyed to th Royal Infirmary where for ten long days and nights of suffering she ana her baby lay and then their spirits crossed the confines of a better world Thornley was found guilty and I had the satisfaction of hearing him sentenced senten-ced to a long term of penal servitude |