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Detective Downey

Detective Downey image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
January
Year
1890
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

UOIíN LODGE, situated in a felicitously choscn part of an erninently gen teel suburb, w li i c h 8hall be cal led "out of" its proper name for obvious reasons, was a desirable residence. lts designation was preposterous, but thatdid not matter; suburbs have a chartered right to silliness in the matter of names. There were admiring friends of the bandeóme Mrs. Morrison who held that it was au equally original and sweet idea of hors to cali the brand new villa, with all the modern improvements and the day-after-to-morrow's fasliion in decoration, Quorn Lodge, for among the glowing reminiscence of her unmarried estáte wil h whicli Mrs. MorrisOD was wont to entertain the elite of Riverside feats ín the hunting Beid flgured conspicuously. it is well known tliat there is no more effectual ineans of conveying a suggestion that one is of "county" antecedente than frce and familiar use of the jargon of hunting, especially when tlie listenera know nothing at all about packs and meets, runs and blanke, and are baslifully dubious concerning the difference between a pad and a brush. The handsome and dading Mrs. MorriBon was somehow understood to have "como down" in position by her marriage with Mr. Morrison, who had nothing of the county, Imt a gooé deal of the counting house, about him, and the impression was mainly due to that sweet idea of calling the villa Quorn Lodge. "As a tributo to the incmory of my dear hunting days - 1 hopo you don't think it foolish?" she would say, with a glance from her dark eyeï and a ftash of her white teeth, which lorgely aided the male auditor to think it a capital notion. As a matter of fact the neighborhood knew nothing about Mrs. Morrison, while all that anybody could want to know about Mr. Morrison was easily to be learned. He was a good looking, well dressed, prosperous man of about 45, in whose manners the observant might have foimd a certain watchfulness and guardednesa, combined with rather laborious politeness - something like the manner of the obsequious yet peremptory persons who "walk" the great shops - very clever in business and notoriously devoted to bis handsome wife. His actual position was that of manager of the Uphill and Downdale bank iu Jlagog Btreet, E. C, a trusted and flourishing concern, although not of very old standing as the longevity of banks is counted, to whose prosperity the experience and ability of Mr. Morrison had largely contributed, and he liad occupiod that well paid post ior five years previous to his ruarriagu and the setting up of his household gods at Quorn Lodge, an event now five years old. The brand new villa had been improved and beaulifïed with each succecding year, for Mr. Morrison liked comfort in its most adranced forms; Mrs. Morrison too was a person of refined tastes; and it was now as nearly perfect a residenco of its kind and pretensions as could be found within two hours' drive of Hyde Park Corner. The house was largo and commodious; the tastefully laiil out lawn and gardens, the modest show of glass, the admirably contrived stable and coach house, not to be suspected from the front of the house, the well kept shrubberies, had a general air of coinpleteness and order which implied vigilance and taste on the part of theownersof all these good tbings; but also rneant money. Mrs. Morrison's pretty littlo open carriage, her pair of ponies, the neat brougham which conveyed lier to dinnors and theatres in town, "her unimpeachable toilets, concerning which she would observe, with the glauce and the flash before mentioned, "I always dress so simply, you know; I lovo simplicity" - these also meant money. It had happened once that a man who had been dining at Quorn Lodge, where very good dinners were given and capital Saturdayto-Momluy house partios were an institution during the season, remarked with languidand transient ouriosity to a f ellow guest that be wondered how Morrison did it, for it was well done, good forrn all round, must cost a deuco of a lot, and they had never heard that Morrison had money. To this it had been suggested by the other party to the conversation that it wasadeucedgood thing to bo in a bank, because you could always get to know what was goiag on, don't you know-, and thero were windfalls to be had perpetually. His companion looked doubtf ui of the soundness of this observation, but propounded the bright idea that no doubt Morrison had got money with "her." And then, in the unaccountable way in which impressiono do get taken up and statements spread, it became accepted in the Morrisons' society that Mrs. Morrison had a good deal of money, presumably of "county" origin, and expectations as welL No distinct assertion on these points was ever traced to either the husband or the wife, but when, at the height of one London season, the hospitalities of Quorn Lodgo were suspended and Mrs. Morrison canceled her engagement for three weeks, appearing at church only and inaravishing mourning ostume, those people who troubled themselves at all about the Morrisons' affairs assumed that the expectations had probably fallen in. This notion wa3 confirmed when, from Mrs. Morrison's temponuy eclipse, she emerged with the added brilliancy of sevcral diamond ornamentsol' remarkable beauty and valuo - and admitted to an early caller that the Btones formed part of a ïej "My poor unele, Count Walsh- you may have geen the announcement in the papers - died at Vienna, having remembered me most generously in lus will. A.n Irish name? Yes, dear Mrs. ham, the Walshes were of Irisb origin, but ono branch of the family has been settled in Austria for generations. Of course tlie dianionds are only wliat I like to tliink of as the sentimental portion of my dcar uncle's legacy. " "Vcry gratifying indeed," said Mrs. Denhain, reflecting the hile on tlie presumable Batisfactoriness of the eubetantial portion. "ïlien you were j. Walsh?" "Oh, no," replied Mrs. Moirison, witfa a broad, calui sniile of explanation, "the Waishea are r.iy motlier's people - I am a Prothero." Mrs. Monison "s way of saying this conveyed soagreeable an impression of fcankness that Mrs. Donham feit thereafter sho knew all about the Walshes and Protheroes. She, howeTer, together with the rest of the Morrisons' society, had to take both families en trust: for never were people so free frorn ties of kindred as tlie fortúnate owners of Quorn Lodge. Of all the números; visitors to the villa at Kiverside, not one claimed relationship with its genial masterand his handsome wife. The early sun has rarely shone upon a more comfortable spectacle than the dining room at Quorn Lodge presented on one line summer's morning in 1885, with Mr. and Mrs. Morrison seated at thcir inrariably early breakfast; one at eithcr side of a luxuriously spread round table placed in the deep bay of a window whieh opened upon a tenace garden rich vvith roses. The handsome Mrs. Morrisorj was one of those exceptional nomen who look well in the moroing; she always slept soundly, she never fretted about anything or anybody; her style of morning dress was perfect, and remarkable for its cosjly simplicity; she invariably began the ilav with entire self complaoency, and we all know that there i.s nothing more becorning. Sunshine outside, and sunshine insidc, an atmosphere perfumad with rose soents, everything good to eat at breakfast that could be wished for by a pair who held idéntica! views on the rank and importance of eating among the pleasurea of life, some agreeable matters to talk over, postponed from y. Bterday on account of last night'a dinner party, a charming scheme for Mr. Morrison's very short vacation to be elaborated- it was quite idyllic, after the marmer of the modern idyll, in which the poetry is niostly left out. The conjugal talk was very cozy and confidential. and Mr. Morrison started to catch his train in due course; only a slight deviation from custom had distinguished the morning from its predecessors. It was Tuesday morning. Mrs. Morrison had not glanced at "What the World Says," and picked out little bits of information for the benefit of her husband, who reserved his serious newspapers for railway reading. When Mrs. Morrison took up The World, after Mr. Morrison's departure, she found that it olTered its readers the tempting primeur of a romance in real life; it was not a story without an example; but it was striking enough. A man of old family and long descended estáte, having been persistently robbed during the whole of his minority by his guardián - who, when accounts had to be rendered, squared them with a revolver - had beteken himself to the colony of Victoria with the startlingly small sum of ready money which could be rescued, and had been lost sight of and forgotten for many a year. What The World had to say of Charles Barrington was that after a long period of patiënt, but not highly remunerative industry, he had suddenly become wealthy by a vast legacy. He had been in the employment of one of the great squatters, a childless man, had won his confidence, and now found himself his heir. The World had further to say that Mr. Barrington was eager to apply a portion- it woold not really be a very serious portion- of his great wealth to the redemption of his ancestral estáte, and would probably make the ancient and picturesque, but long uninhabited manor house of Draxton his principal residence, inuch to the advantage of the county of Norfolk, which had suffered for several years from the oxtinetion of a former foyer of refined hospitality and Conservativo influence. "What a lucky fellow," thought Mrs. Morrison, as she laid down the nowspaper and took up her flower basket and scissors, preparatory to her daily raid upon the roses. "And what a prize matrimonial! There's nothing about a wife. The chase of the colonial Croesus wiil be as funny as a New York competition for a live lord." And then she forgot all about The World's primeur. Mr. Morrison had a busy day of it. The Uphill and Downdale bank had been turned into a limited liability cotnpany on the death of one of the partners in the original firm, in whose employment Mr. Morrison had been from his early boyhood. One of the drawbacks of a limited liability concern, from a certain point of view, is that it implies a directorate; for directors, especially if they are f ussily disposed and new fangled by their functions, are apt to make themselves obnoxious to the responsible employés, just as an in-coming minister may bothcr the permanent officials in an office of tlie state, who naturally know a great deal better than he how its business ought to be done, or left undone. Mr. Morrison had been 6ingulaiiy fortúnate in his directors for some years; they had every reason to be satisfied with results as these were laid before them; some of them knew nothing about banking business, and did not want to exposé their ignorance to a nominal subordínate who was an expert; others had so much to do of greater moment that their attendance at the board meetings of the stable and steady going "U. and D." was merely perfunctory. The chairman, too, was a very comfortable person, who made unctuons speeches, liked ;i florid tone in the reports. and wa3 rnmensely popular with the sluireholders. In fact, up to a recent period, thingsat the "U. and D." had been, like Mrs. Gamp's alumbere at The Buil, IIolborn, too comfortable to last; but a death vacan, v :i the directorate had occurred Darly in 1885, and .Mr. Morrison was bezinning to regard the director who had been electeti in tho place of the entirely harmless deceased, as a pestilent fellow. If Mr. Trehfcj-ne had Uien as well fmned as lie was inquisitive, he might have induced Mr. Morrison to make up his niind upon a point which lie was in the habit of revolving, but in this respect the manager had the adv&ntage of the director, and beyond inspiring Mr. Morrison with intense dislike of him, Mr. Treherne had not as yet seriously discomposed tliat cautious and long sighted person. He had, however, made hitnself particularly obnoxious to the manager at the board meeting held on the particular day at which this simple story has arrived, and it was with an ill regulatcd sensation of irritation that Mr. Morrison saw Mr. Treherne step into the compartment of the train in which he had alreadv taken his place, and heard his cheerful remark that he was going out of town for a week. Of course the two men had their evening papers, and Mr. Morrison settled himself to his Pall Mali immediately, while Mr. Treherne, who would have liked to talk, resigned himself to The St. Jarnos'. The primeur of that morning'a World had alrcudy lust its freshness and its start: the story, of Mr. Barrington, of Draxton, flgured in the columns of both journals with comments and moralizings after the respective fashion of each, and Mr. Morrison and Mr. Treherne, having simultaneously discovered the romance in real life, looked at each othcr on reaching the end of the paragraph. "Read this - about the young fellow out in Melbourne?" asked Mr. Treherne. Mr. Morrison nodded. "Lucky dog! Seenis to have deserved it, too. Odd sort of experienco in a inan"s life - to be born to wealth, and lose it through a precious rascal; then to have it tlirust upon him like this. If I were in h3 shoes I shouldn't encumber myself with an old house and a lot of land in a dreary country, especially now when every wise man's object is to get rid of property of the kind; but each one to his taste. I know what I should do if I carne in for such a good tliing; I should," etc, etc. Thus Mr. Treherne talked on in an animated strain. Mr. Morrison did not interrupt the ilow of his remarks by a single word, he merely fanned himself very slightly with his Pall Mali, and thought - "He does not know. He does not know." When Mr. Morrison reached home he surprised his solemn butler by going into the dining room and asking for a little brandy: having drank half a glassful, he looked at himself in the minor, was apparently reassured, and stepped out on the lawn to join his wife, according to custom. "I'm glad we are not going out, and that nobody's coming," he said to himself, as ho made his way to the garden bench on which he sat; her dress, composed of cream colored muslin and lace, sweetly but expensively simple, making a spot of light against the background of dark shrubs. If Mr. Morrison had feit ill or been upset by anvthing during the day, the effects were not discernible, and the outof-rule half glass of brandy remained a secret between himself and the solemn butler. The tete-a-tete dinner was good, perfectly ser ved, and its progress was unmarked by any incident. Mrs. Morrison was not of a sentimental turn, er she might have remarked that her huBband regarded her with unusual attention. He was, indeed, studying her appearaucc, and after she lef t him alone for the conventional quarter of an hour, he actually but unconsciously said aloud: "She never looked better or stronger in her life. There's no fear of her." Jlrs. Morrison was reading the current number of London Society by the light of a lace shaded lamp, as she reclined in an easy ehair of the very last invented kind. Her attitude and the disposition of the light would have been favorable to a study of her. Her tal], lissom figure displayed lines of strength and firmness, the fulJ throat was a fitting support for the rather large head, the handsome regular features, bright complexion, and masses of rich dark hair, not fine enough to indícate a sensitivo organization, but of the texture that bespeaks a pleasure loving one, made up an attractive picture of its kind. This was not an elevated kind. It had once been remarked by a sylph like creature with flaxen hair and paleeyes, that "if it wero not for Mrs. Morrison"s taste in dress there would be something very barmaidish about her." The Observation was not entirely devoid of truth. When coldly surveyed she owêd her elegance to her clothes; her reSnement to her surroundings. Without these she would hardly have looked like a lady; but in any guise an observer of her unmasked face would have read therein boldness and readiness. Mr. Morrison once more regarded her intently as he entered the drawing room, seated himself, and took up a book. He was an inattentive reader, his eyes were constantly directed towards the table clock at his wife's elbow, and when the silver chime rang out ten he rose and approached her. Sha put down the magazine and sniiled - but for a moment only. He touched her on the shoulder, and said: "Will you go to your room and teil Louise that she need not wait for you, ftnd will you then come back to me, here? I have something to say, and we must not be interrupted." It was characteristio of lier that she did not ask a question. "Certainly, I will," was all she said, and in a moment she had left the room. She returned quickly, and found him still standing by her vacant chair. She put out her hand to him as she said: "Has it come? So soon'r" "I fear so. I think so." "Are you prepared?" "Yes, if I can gét time." "Now, teil me all about it." The concluding sentences of the long conference between Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are all that need be recorded in this place. The wife'a behavior had amply justihed the husband's confidence in her good sense and her strong ner "Let me goover the points once more," said Mrs. Morrison. "The discovery that the title deeds, leases and otlier securities connected with Draxtou are missing from the bank need not necessarily be made until this Barrington returns; you will ascertain by telegraph at what date lie means io reach England, and yon caí carey out the plans already formed, provided nothing connected with the Draxton business turna up before lio can possibly rit here. Tlie chief danger to be apprehended isfrom Treherne.whoeither does not know, as a director, the stake of the bank in Barrington's foriuer property, or has forgotten it. If he learns the f act, or is reninded of t, he wil want to have the deeds and documents inspected on the spot, and all must come out. In the one case you have at the worst six weeks for action, in the other you have one week. It is for the latter emergency we have to próvido. You fee! no doubt tliat tliis man Downey will be employed?" "None whatever. He has always worked for tho bank, and Treherne has a great opinión of him; lie knew of him bef ore." 'Have you a great opinión of him?" "I don't think much of any of these gentry. But of ono thing I anj quito sure; he could not fail to detect me in any disguise." "Then the sooner Downey knows me by sight, and I know Downey by sight, the better. So I shall have occasion to consult Mr. Downey, and arrange to meet him in your private room at the bank the day after to-morrow." She cast a curious, lingering look around tlie luxurious room as she left it, in the ehilly dawn, just as tho birds began to twitter; her face was palo from fatigue, not from fear, and she was steady in nerve and limb. A warm ray was striking her bedroom Windows when she laid her head on her pillow; she closed her eyes against it and feil asleep, with these for her last conscious t houghts: "Has it been worth il? I think it has; we havo always known the. smash must come, and we have made our frame for it. I think we sliall win vet. Whatever happens, I will never turn tail on my own convictions. I would rather live with a clever knave, wlio at all evento trusts me, than with tho honostest of fooi : and I would ral . . .:.' at ;il! ií;.:l ,: cj ; i j life." On the followingdayan anímate '■ conreraation on the subject of tho romance iiL iv..l Ufü i:io!v place in llie iLianager's room at the "U. and D." betueen the directors whose turn of business it was, and Mr. Morrison, who gave them a succinct account of the complicated relations of the bank with the Draxton estáte, and foretold great profits in the future to be made out of the colonial Crcesus. He had already telegraphed congratulations and an inquiry as to when Mr. Barrington intendcd to start for England. He had feit all the time as though he were standing on a powder mine, but he stood there, metaphorically, with the coolness and unconcern which only a martyr, or a gambler, displays when the hour is supreme. The spirit that inspired the knave was that of the gambler, the vilest spirit of them all, and it stood to him then, true to its damnable pact with consenting souls. That night Mr. and Mrs. Morrison were present at a crowded ball at a house in Eaton square. Mrs. Morrison, who looked remarkably well, wore "the Walsh diamonds" in a becoming fashion, the five stars being sewn upon the bodice of her gown. On her return to ,Quorn Lodge she discovered that one of the stars was missing, whereupon she declared her conviction that the jewel had been stolen from her person. She remembered to have been hustled by the crovvd just beyond the awning, when sho had walked a little way to her brougham's place in the line; she had nearly lost her light wrap, and although she blamed her own foolish impatience, she blamed Louise's ineffectual sewing onf the star much more severely, so severely indeed that the indignant maid gave her warning on the spot. Detective Downey had formerly belonged to 'the force," but he had retired and set up on his own account, in consequence of the divergence of his views from those of his superior officers, and his rooted belief that there existed in this country but one real adept in detection, whose name was Richard Downey. The man was an enthusiast in his calling, and he held none, living or dead, in such reverence as its great chiefs, even the apocryphal ones. For him M. Decoq was as authentic as Napoleon Bonaparte, and he would have given the pav of a great man y jobs to have possessecí a fat forefinger like Inspector Bucket's; but failing that, he did his best to make a lean one emphatic. He was a little dark man with twinkling eyes, a self satisfied smirk, and he had a fixed idea that at the bottoin of every crime and misdemeanor that departs from, or, so to speak, rises above the lowest of the vulgar, there is a woruan! Ho did not persuade himself that liis üxed idea was an original one; un the contrary, he rendered sincere hoinage to the promulgator of it, and regarded Uie distinguished uttcrer of the famous phrase, "Cherchez la femme.' as a wiser than Solomon, although alter all he only gave to that sage'sconclusionsanepigranimaticform. Of course lus fixed idea led him wildly wrong on smno occasions, but it had guided him straight enough on others; he had a rcspectable list of criminal convictions to his credit, and was, probalils-, as happy a man as one coulj meet in a day's walk. Whetheï lio aspired to the iuimortality of a volume of memoirs was known only to himself ; it looked like it, tor the invariable occupation of his leisure was the copying and arrangement of a voluminous niass of notes. CONTINÜED.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register