nowing the business of all others, better than their
own.

This person, partially an invalid, and much confined to the house and to
very short walks in the neighborhood,--had observed the surveillance of
the day before, still continued that morning; and he had also observed
the episode of the carriage in the midst of the thunder-storm, of which
the officer was as yet happily oblivious. Putting all the appearances
together, he concluded that there had been some accusation, a watch and
an escape; and about nine o'clock that morning he strolled out to the
sidewalk; accosted the detective; informed him, with a knowing wink of
the eye, that he understood the whole matter; and finished by advising
him that "the birds had flown," and of the particular time when they
took wing. As appendiary matter, he also informed the detective that the
house was a furnished one belonging to a wealthy grocer who had just
gone to Europe with his family--that it had been rented for a few weeks
past to some very odd people--and that he had wondered at their being no
attention paid to it before, as he was satisfied it was a receptacle for
stolen goods.

To say that L---- was surprised at the first part of this intelligence,
would be to say nothing; to say that he was mortified and enraged at
being obliged to make such a report to the Superintendent, would be to
put the case very mildly; and to say that he felt like amputating the
head of a large-sized nail with his teeth, would only being doing
justice to his feelings at this juncture.

The communicative neighbor finally informed him that he doubted whether
the house was fastened, from the suddenness of the departure the day
before; and on the hint the detective acted. The front door was found to
be secured, but only by the latch-key bolt; and the area door was
entirely unfastened. They entered and explored the house. It was a
neatly furnished modern building, with everything in its place and
nothing to mark any hasty departure of occupants, except a dinner-table
left setting in the dining-room, with food on the plates and evidence
that the meal had been left unfinished.

No clothing or other articles that could have belonged to the late
inmates had been left behind, except half a dozen books, one of which
was Simms' "History of South Carolina," another a copy of that odd
jumble of short sketches published three or four years ago by Miss
Martha Haines Butt, and a third one of Marion Harland's