t set?"

"It is made into a pin to be worn in the hair."

"Well, I have no further use for you at present. Go home, and be sure
you keep a still tongue in your head. You have done enough mischief
already."

"Haven't I done any good? I think you are very mean."

"Yes, you have done some good. But you will find that in this world one
failure counts against three successes. Remember that."

CHAPTER IX.

THE DIARY OF A DETECTIVE.

It was the morning of the New Year. Mr. Barnes was seated in an
arm-chair by his own fireside at his cosy home on Staten Island. In his
hand he held a diary, whose pages he was studying intently. Before
peeping over his shoulder to read with him, it will be best to give a
slight insight into the state of mind which led him to take up the book
on this particular day.

After the clever manner in which he had discovered that a young girl
existed, whose name was Rose Mitchel, and who was supposed to be the
daughter of Mr. Robert Leroy Mitchel, and after the equally clever trick
by which the girl was removed beyond his ken, Mr. Barnes had come to one
conclusion. This was, that it was necessary to keep such a strict watch
upon Mr. Mitchel, that if he had not already committed the crime, about
which he had wagered, he should not be able to do so and avoid
detection. For Mr. Barnes began to have some feeling in the matter
beyond the mere fulfilment of duty. He was being thwarted by this man at
every turn, and this made him doubly determined not to allow him to win
that bet. Therefore he had removed Wilson from the post of watching Mr.
Mitchel, and had replaced him by two men who were thoroughly skilful.
Wilson and another he set to spy upon the movements of Miss Remsen, for
he hoped to find the child through her.

Being the first of January, and therefore the last day upon which Mr.
Mitchel could commit his crime, within the conditions imposed, always
supposing that he had not already done so, Mr. Barnes wished once more
to go over the reports sent to him by his various spies, in order that
he might be assured that no mistakes had been made.

He began to read at:

"Dec. 15. Mitchel left his hotel early, and went over to Hoffman House.
Remained there two hours, and came out accompanied by Thauret. They
walked up to the White Elephant, and spent the morning playing
billiards. Lunched together at Delmonico _cafe_ and separated at two
o'clock. Mitchel then went to his livery stable and o