“I guess it will be as well not to say anything, for nine chances out of ten he would give the thing away in his manner, and defeat the object I have in view. It will be as well to let him go on for a couple of days longer thinking of her as a good, true, pure woman, instead of being in all probability the wife of one of the worst scoundrels now unhung,” Nick soliloquized.
The name of Demas Lorton meant something more to the detective than it did to Barnes.
He was on the point of departing when Barnes said something to him about the letters.
“With your permission I should like to retain possession of them temporarily. But first, I would like you to put on them some private mark so that you would be able to swear to them in case it becomes necessary.”
“You will be very careful of the letter to Miss Doane?”
“Certainly.”
“I should hate to have it lost.”
In pursuance of the detective’s desire, he put a private mark on each of the letters, and then they were carefully placed in the detective’s pocket.
Thanking him, Nick Carter left the house.
He went by the back way, and having got downstairs he began looking about him as he went. Finally he appeared to see what he wanted and took possession of it.