“And looking for glory?”
Ashley laughs. “For my paper; not for myself.” He passes over a telegram received that day. It read as follows:
“Jack Ashley, Raymond, Vt.: Work up case at any expense, and discover murderer if possible. Chambers.”
“Now,” says Ashley, as he replaces the dispatch in his pocket, “I will tell you why I think it would be to your advantage to join forces with me.” Barker evinces some interest.
“I am in possession of some facts which you not only do not know, but are not likely to get hold of unless I enlighten you.”
“Ah!” The detective draws his chair nearer his companion and glances about to make sure there are no outside listeners.
“When I finish, if you consider my information as valuable as I appraise it, you can do as you please about the partnership idea. At any rate you will be so much ahead. Come up to my room. We will not be disturbed there.” When they are comfortably seated and fresh cigars lighted Ashley begins his story.
“I have run onto two clews. One of them I consider important; the other less so. By the way, how long have you been in town? Come in on the after-dinner train?”
“Yes, I have acquainted myself with the known facts in the case and the result of the coroner’s inquest. Deceased came to his death at the hands of some person unknown.”
“But who will be known ere long. But to resume. As you know, a man called at the house of Cyrus Felton shortly before 8 o’clock of the night of the killing. To the inquiry of the housemaid as to which Mr. Felton was wanted the man replied that he ‘did not know there were two.’ Not long after 8 o’clock that same evening a man appeared at the ticket office of the railroad station and inquired when the next train left. These incidents, while not startling in themselves, seem to prove that in each case the questioner was a stranger to Raymond. Every one around these parts knows that there are two Feltons, father and son, and the natives are also presumed to know that there is no night train through the town before 11:50.”