nt, 'but I wish to speak
with him a moment on a matter of importance, and cannot wait.'

Mr. L---- came out, evidently annoyed at the intrusion.

'Have you such a person in your employment?' said I, describing him.

'No, sir, I have not.'

'You had such a person?'

'I have not now.'

'Did you discharge him?'

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'What business is that of your's?' he asked, rather huffily.

'My name, sir, is M----, of the police. I am after this fellow, that's
all. Tell me, if you please, why you discharged him?'

'Oh, I beg your pardon,' said Mr. L----. 'I took you for one of his
rascally associates. I discharged him a week or ten days ago. He was a
dissipated, good-for-nothing fellow.'

'Was he your bookkeeper?'

'No, he was a junior clerk.'

'Have you any of his handwriting that you can show me?'

He fumbled in a side pocket and drew out a pocketbook from which he took
a memorandum of agreement, or some paper of the sort, to the bottom of
which a signature was attached as witness.

'That's his writing,' said he.

It was a stiff schoolboy's scrawl.

This was not my man then. I apologized to Mr. L---- for the trouble I
had given him, and withdrew.

Lost time, said I to myself. I am on the wrong track. I must back to the
eating house, and begin the chase again from the point where I left off.
I saw the same waiter.

'I want you to think again,' said I, 'Try hard to remember whether there
was never any other man here with Hawes on any occasion.'

After reflecting for a little while, he said he thought he recollected
his going up stairs not long ago, with another man, to a private room.

'Did you wait on him yourself at the time you speak of?' I asked.

'No--most likely it was Joe Harris.'

'Will you send for him, if you please.'

Joe Harris came.

'You waited on Mr. Hawes a few days ago, when he dined with another
gentleman in a private room up stairs, didn't you?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Who was that other man?'

'He is a young man who is clerk in a livery stable in Sullivan street.'

'What are his looks?'

'He is tall and light haired.'

'Do you know his name?'

'His name is Edgar.'

I hurried up to Sullivan street, went into the first livery stable I
came to, inquired for the proprietor, and asked him if he had a young
man in his stable of the name of Edgar.

He said he had.

'Does he keep your books?'

'Yes, he takes orders for me.'

'Let me see some of his handwriting, if you p