During the messenger's absence Mr. Brooks had sought me, told me the story of the confession and the finding of the note, and would have scolded me a little I felt, because I did not think of the shrunken base board,—which I now think I noticed,—if he too had not overlooked that in the examination, although he had in fact noticed it nearly every day that the rooms had been occupied by his bank.
The still unravelled mystery of how the check got out of the drawer and under the base board, sometimes puzzles me; but it is no stranger, after all, than many things I have known. There can be no doubt of Mr. Savage's innocence in the matter. The twelve hundred dollars, with some interest thereon, was finally paid over by the priest; but Mr. Brooks took care that Father —— received, in a way mysterious to him, and for his own use, a much larger sum; so grateful was he for the restoration to his home of his innocent son-in-law, whom he had so deeply, yet naturally enough under the circumstances, wronged.
This case, I hardly need add, served to increase my caution in the examination of my future "work," though I thought I was as wary and careful as a man could well be before.
THE PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE DOCTRINE OF CHANCE—A NIGHT AT THE GIRARD HOUSE, PHILADELPHIA—AN INOFFENSIVE GENTLEMAN, MY ROOM-MATE—I DISTURB HIS SLEEP—A QUEER TALE—NELLIE WILSON AND HER UNCLE—WILLIAM WILSON, NELLIE'S DISSOLUTE COUSIN—FEARFUL LOVE-MAKING—A RESCUE—A CALL TO DUTY—A DEAD MAN'S WILL MISSING—STUDYING UP THE CASE WITH THE GREAT CRIMINAL LAWYER, JUDGE S.—FATE INTERPOSES—A MYSTERIOUS AND PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENT—AT THE CONTINENTAL HOTEL, WAITING AND WATCHING—AN "APPEARANCE"—WILLIAM WILSON AGAIN—AN UPPER ROOM, AND THE VILLAINS THEREIN—A PRIVATE CONFERENCE NOT ALL SECRET—A FLASH OF VICTORY BEFORE UTTER DEFEAT—NOTES AND DOCUMENTS EXCHANGED—BASE REJOICINGS—A FATAL NEGLECT—THE SURPRISE—COMPLETE DISCOMFITURE—THE END ACCOMPLISHED—"COALS OF FIRE,"—BUT THEY DO NO GOOD—A VIOLENT DEATH—HAPPY CONSEQUENCES—THE PECULIAR ADVERTISEMENTS UNRAVELLED.
Coincidence in life and its various pursuits are perhaps governed by some mysterious law, and are not always resolvable by the doctrine of chance. The detective is not only brought into contact with all sorts of people without the profession, but frequently finds himself in the company of his mysterious fellow-craftsmen, to some purpose. An advertisement among the "Personals" in the New York Herald had directed me to Philadelphia, in the spring of 1857; or, rather, following the thread of one by which I thought I might possibly unravel a mystery of great importance to a client of mine, I had gone to Philadelphia; and putting up at the Girard House, was compelled, on account of the crowded state of the hotel, to take room for the night with a quiet, inoffensive looking gentleman, whose appearance at times, however, betokened to me that something was pressing upon his mind.
Not a little harassed by the mission I was on, I found myself unable to sleep, and while pondering over this and that device for the next day's proceedings in my mazy work, I was conscious that I constantly changed position, rolling over in bed, etc., but as softly as possible, in order to not awaken my fellow-lodger, whom I supposed to be sweetly enjoying his dreams. The night had worn well on, when my companion addressed me:—