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Speaker 1: The Nameless Man by Rodriguez Atto LINGI. Mister Barnes was

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sitting in his private room, with nothing of special importance

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to occupy his thoughts, when his office boy announced a visitor.

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What name, asked mister Barnes, None was the reply. You mean,

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said the detective, that the man did not give you

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his name. He must have one, of course, show him

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in a minute later, the stranger entered, and, bowing courteously,

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began the conversation. At once mister Barnes, the famous detective,

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I believe, said he. My name is Barnes, replied the detective.

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May I have the pleasure of knowing yours? I sincerely hope,

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So continued the stranger. The fact is I suppose I

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have forgotten it, forgotten your name. Mister Barnes scent it

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an interesting case, and became doubly attentive. Yes, said the visitor.

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That is precisely my singular predicament. I seem to have

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lost my identity. That is the object of my call.

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I wish to discover who I am, as I evidently

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am a full grown man. I can certainly claim that

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I have a past history, But to me that past

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is entirely a blank. I awoke this morning in this condition,

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yet apparently in possession of all my faculties, so much

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so that I at once saw the advisability of consulting

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a first class detective, and upon inquiry I was directed

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to you. Your case is interesting from my point of view,

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I mean to you. Of course, it must seem unfortunate,

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yet it is not unparalleled. There have been many such

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cases recorded, And for your temporary relief, I may say

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that sooner or later, complete restoration of memory usually occurs.

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But now let us try to unravel your mystery as

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soon as possible, that you may suffer as little inconvenience

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as there need be. I would like to ask you

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a few questions, as many as you like, and I

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will do my best to answer. Do you think that

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you are a New Yorker? I have not the least

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idea whether I am or not. You say you were

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advised to consult me by whom the clerk at the

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Waldorf Hotel where I slept last night, Then of course

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he gave you my address. Did you find it necessary

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to ask him how to find my office? Well? No,

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I did not. That seems strange, does it not? I

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certainly had no difficulty in coming here. I suppose that

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must be a significant fact. Mister Barnes. It tends to

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show that you have been familiar with New York, but

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we must still find out whether you live here or not.

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How did you register at the hotel M J G.

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Remington City. You are sure that Remington is not your name?

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Quite sure? After breakfast this morning, I was passing through

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the lobby when the clerk called me twice by that name. Finally,

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one of the hall boys touched me on the shoulder

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and explained that I was wanted at the desk. I

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was very much confused to find myself called mister Remington,

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a name which is certainly not my own. Before I

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fully realized my position, I said to the clerk, why

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do you call me Remington? And he replied, because you

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registered under that name. I tried to pass it off,

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but I am sure that the clerk looks upon me

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as a suspicious character. What baggage have you with you

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at the hotel? None? Not even a satchel. May there

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not be something in your pockets that would help us letters?

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For example? I am sorry to say that I have

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made a search in that direction but found nothing. Luckily

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I did have a pocket book, though much money in

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it in the neighborhood of five hundred dollars. Mister Barnes

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turned to his table and made a few notes on

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a pad of paper. While he was so engaged, his

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visitor took out a fine goal watch, and, after a

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glance at the face, was about to return it to

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his pocket, when mister Barnes wheeled around in his chair

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and said, that is a handsome watch you have there

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of a curious pattern too. I am rather interested in

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all watches. The stranger seemed confused for an instant and

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quickly put up his watch, saying there is no nothing

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remarkable about it, merely an old family relic. I value

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it more for that than anything else. But about my case,

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mister Barnes, how long do you think it will take

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to restore my identity to me? It is rather awkward

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to go about under a false name, I should think so,

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said the detective. I will do my best. No clue

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to work upon, so that it is impossible to say

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what my success will be. Still, I think forty eight

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hours should suffice at least. In that time I ought

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to make some discoveries for you. Suppose you call again

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on the day after tomorrow at noon precisely? Will that

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suit you very well? Indeed, if you can tell me

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who I am at that time, I shall be more

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than convinced that you are a great detective, as I

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have been told. He arose and prepared to go, And

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upon that instant mister Barnes touched a button under his

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table with his foot, which caused a bell to ring

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in a distant part of the building, no sound of

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which penetrated the private office. Thus anyone could visit mister

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Barnes in his den and might leave unsuspicious of the

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fact that a spy would be awaiting him out in

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the street, who would shadow him persistently day and night

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until recall by his chief. After giving the signal, mister

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Barnes held his strange visitor in conversation a few minutes

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longer to allow his spy opportunity to get to his post.

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How will you pass the time away, mister Remington said

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he We may as well call you by that name

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until I find your true one. Yes, I suppose so,

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as to what I shall do during the next forty

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eight hours, why I think I may as well devote

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myself to seeing the sights. It is a remarkably pleasant

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day for a stroll, and I think I will visit

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your beautiful central park, a capital idea. By all means,

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I would advise occupation of that kind. It would be

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best not to do any business until your memory is

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restored to you. Business why, of course, I can do

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no business. No, if you were to order any goods,

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for example, under the name of Remington later on, when

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you resume your proper identity, you might be arrested as

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an impostor by George. I had not thought of that.

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My position is more serious than I had realized. I

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thank you for the warning. Sight seeing will assuredly be

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my safest plan for the next two days. I think

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so call at the time agreed upon, and hope for

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the best. If I should meet you before then, I

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will send to your hotel saying good morning. Mister Barnes

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turned to his desk again, and as the stranger looked

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at him before stepping out of the room. The detective

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seemed engrossed in some papers before him, yet scarcely had

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the door closed upon the retreating form of his recent visitor.

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When mister Barnes looked up with an air of expectancy.

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A moment later, a very tiny bell in a drawer

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of his desk rang, indicating that the man had left

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the building, the signal having been sent to him by

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one of his employees, whose business it was to watch

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all departures and notify his chief. A few moments later,

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mister Barnes himself emerged, clad in an entirely different suit

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of clothing, and with such an alteration in the color

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of his hair that more than a casual glance would

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have been required to recognize him. When he reached the street,

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the stranger was nowhere in sight. But mister Barnes went

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to a doorway opposite, and there he found written in

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blue pencil the word up, whereupon he walked rapidly uptown

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as far as the next corner, where once more he

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examined a door post, upon which he found the word right,

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which indicated the way the men ahead of him had turned.

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Beyond this, he could expect no signals for the spy shadowing.

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The stranger did not know positively that his chief would

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take part in the game. The two signals which he

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had written on the doors were merely a part of

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a routine and intended to aid mister Barnes should he follow,

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but if he did so, he would be expected to

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be in sight of the spy by the time the

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second signal were reached, and so proved in this instance,

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for as mister Barnes turned the corner to the right,

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he easily discerned his man about two blocks ahead, and

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presently was near enough to see Remington also. The pursuit

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continued until mister Barnes was surprised to see him enter

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the park, thus carrying out his intention as stated in

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his interview with the Detective. Entering at the fifth Avenue gate,

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he made his way towards the menagerie, and here a

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curious incident occurred. The stranger had mingled with the crowd

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in the monkey house and was enjoying the antics of

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the mischievous little animals when mister Barnes, getting close behind him,

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deftly removed a pocket handkerchief from the tail of his

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coat and swiftly transferred it to his arm. On the

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day following, shortly before noon, mister Barnes walked quickly into

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the reading room of the Fifth Avenue Hotel. In one

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corner there is a handsome mahogany cabinet containing three compartments,

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each of which is entered through double having glass panels

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in the upper half. About these panels are draped yellow

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silk curtains, and in the center of each appears a

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white porcelain numeral. These compartments are used as public telephone stations,

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the applicant being shut in so as to be free

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from the noise of the outer room. Mister Barnes spoke

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to the girl in charge and then passed into the

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compartment numbered V. Less than five minutes later, mister Leroy

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Mitchell came into the reading room, his keen eyes peered

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about him, scanning the countenances of those busy with the

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papers or writing, and then he gave the telephone girl

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a number and went into the compartment numbered one. About

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ten minutes elapsed before mister Mitchell came out again, and

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having paid the toll, he left the hotel. When mister

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Barnes emerged, there was an expression of extreme satisfaction upon

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his face. Without lingering, he also went out, but instead

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of following mister Mitchell through the main lobby to Broadway,

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he crossed the reading room and reached twenty third Street

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through the side door. Thence he proceeded to the station

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of the elevated railroad and went uptown. Twenty minutes later,

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he was ringing the bell of mister Mitchell's residence. The butler,

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who answered his summons, informed him that his master was

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not at home. He usually comes in to luncheon. However,

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does he not, asked the detective. Yes, sir, responded the boy.

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Is missus Mitchell at home, no, sir, Miss Rose, Yes,

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sir ah, then I'll wait take my card to her.

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Mister Barnes passed into the luxurious drawing room and was

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soon joined by Rose, mister Mitchell's adopted daughter. I'm sorry

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Papa is not at home, mister Barnes, said the little lady.

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But he will surely be into luncheon if you will wait, Yes,

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thank you, I think I will. It is quite a

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trip up, and being here, I may as well stop

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awhile and see your father. Though the matter is not

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of any great importance. Some interesting case, mister Barnes, If so,

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do tell me about it. You know I am almost

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as much interested in your cases as Papa is. Yes,

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I know you are, and my vanity is flattered. But

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I am sorry to say, I have nothing on hand

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at present worth relating. My errand is a very simple one.

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Your father was saying a few days ago that he

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was thinking of buying a bicycle, and yesterday, by accident,

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I came across a machine of an entirely new make,

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which seems to me superior to anything yet produced. I

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thought he might be interested to see it before deciding

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what kind to buy. I'm afraid you are too late,

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mister Barnes. Papa has bought a bicycle already. Indeed, what

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style did he choose I really do not know, but

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it is down in the lower hall if you care

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to look at it. It's hardly worth while, miss Rose.

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After all, I have no interest in the new model,

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and if your father has found something that he likes,

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I won't even mention the other to him. It might

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only make him regret his bargain. Still, on second thought,

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I will go down with you if you will take

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me into the dining room and show me the head

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of that moose which your father had been bragging about killing.

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I believe it has come back from the taxidermis. Oh yes,

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he is just a monster. Come on. They went down

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to the dining room, and mister Barnes expressed great admiration

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about the moose's head and praised mister Mitchell's skill as

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a marksman, but he had taken a moment to scrutinize

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the bicycle which stood in the hallway, while Rose was

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opening the blinds in the dining room. Then they returned

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to the drawing room, and after a little more conversation,

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mister Barnes departed, saying that he could not wait any longer,

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but he charged Rose to tell her father that he

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particularly desired him to call at noon on the following day.

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Promptly at the time, appointed Remington walked into the office

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of mister Barnes and was announced the detective was in

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his private room. Mister Leroy Mitchell had been admitted, but

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a few moments before, ask mister Remington in, said mister

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Barnes to his boy, And when that gentleman entered, before

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he could show surprise to find a third party present,

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the detective said, mister Mitchell, this is the gentleman whom

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I wished you to meet. Permit me to introduce to

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you mister Mortimer J. Goldie, better known to the Sporting

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Fraternity as G. J. Mortimer, the champion short distance bicycle

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rider who recently rode a mile in the phenomenal time

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of one point five six on a quarter mile track.

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As mister Barnes spoke, he gazed from one to the

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other of his companions with a half quizzical and wholly

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pleased expression on his face. Mister Mitchell appeared much interested,

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but the newcomer was evidently greatly astonished. He looked blankly

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at mister Barnes a moment, then dropped into a chair

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with the query, how in the name of conscience did

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you find that out? That much? Was not very difficult?

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Replied the detective. I can tell you more. Indeed, I

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can supply your whole past history, provided your memory has

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been sufficiently restored for you to recognize my facts as true.

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Mister Barnes looked at mister Mitchell and winked one eye

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in a most suggestive manner, at which that gentleman burst

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out into a hearty laughter, finally saying, we may as

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well admit that we are beaten. Goldie. Mister Barnes has

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been too much for us, but I want to know

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how he has done it. Persisted mister Goldie, I have

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no doubt that, mister Barnes will satisfy you. Indeed, I

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am as curious as you are to know by what

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means he has arrived at his quick solution of the

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problem which we set him. I will enlighten you as

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to detective methods with pleasure, said mister Barnes. Let me

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begin with the visit made to me by this gentleman

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two days ago. At the very outset, his statement aroused

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my suspicion, although I did my best not to let

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him think so. He announced to me that he had

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lost his identity, and I promptly told him that his

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case was not uncommon. I said that in order that

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we might feel sure. I did not doubt his tale.

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But truly his case, if he were telling the truth,

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was absolutely unique. Men have lost recollection of their past,

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and even have forgotten their names. But I have never

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before heard of a man who had forgotten his name

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and at the same time knew that he had done so.

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A capital point, mister Barnes said, mister Mitchell, you were

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certainly shrewd to suspect fraud so early. I cannot say

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that I suspected fraud so soon, but the story was

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so unlikely that I could not believe it immediately. I

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therefore was what I might call analytically attentive during the

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rest of the interview. The next point worth noting which

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came out was that although he had forgotten himself, he

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had not forgotten New York, for he admitted having come

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to me without special guidance. I remember that, interrupted mister Goldie,

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and I think I even said to you at the

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time that it was significant. And I told you that

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at least it showed that you had been familiar with

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New York. This was better proven when you said that

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you would spend the day in Central Park, and when

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after leaving here you had no difficulty to find your way.

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Thither do you mean to say that you had me followed?

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I made sure that no one was after me. Well, yes,

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you were followed, said mister Barnes with a smile. I

291
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had a spy after you, and I followed you as

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far as the part myself. But let me come to

293
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the other points in your interview and my deductions. You

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told me that you had registered as m J. G. Remington.

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This helped me considerably, as you shall see presently. A

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few minutes later you took out your watch, and in

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that little mirror over my desk, which I use occasionally,

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when I turned my back upon a visitor, I noted

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that there was an inscription on the outside of the case.

300
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I turned and asked you something about the watch, when

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you hastily returned it to your pocket with the remark

302
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that it was an old family relic. Now, can you

303
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explain how you could have known that, supposing that you

304
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had forgotten who you were? Neatly caught Goldie laughed, mister Mitchell,

305
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you certainly made a mess of it there. It was

306
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an asinine slip, said mister Goldie, laughing Offso now, then,

307
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continued mister Barnes. You readily see that I had good

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reason for believing that you had not forgotten your name.

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On the contrary, I was positive that your name was

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a part of the inscription on the watch. What then

311
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could be your purpose in pretending otherwise? I did not

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discover that for some time. However, I decided to go

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ahead and find you out if I could. Next, I

314
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noted two things. Your coat opened once so that I

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saw a pin to your vest a bicycle badge which

316
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I recognized as the emblem of the League of American wheelmen.

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Oh oh, cried mister Mitchell. Shame on you, Goldie, for

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a blunderer. I had entirely forgotten the badge, said mister Goldie.

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I also observed the detective went on little indentations on

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the sole of your shoe as you had your legs crossed,

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which satisfied me that you were a writer even before

322
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I observed the badge. Now, then we come to the

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name and the significance thereof. Had you really lost your memory,

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the choosing of a name Aim when you registered at

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the hotel would have been a haphazard matter of no

326
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importance to me. But as soon as I decided that

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you were imposing upon me, I knew that your choice

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of the name had been a deliberate act of the mind,

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one from which deductions could be drawn. Ah, now we

330
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come to the interesting part, said mister Mitchell. I love

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to follow a detective when he uses his brains. The

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name as registered, and I examined the registry myself to

333
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make sure was odd. Three initials are unusual. A man

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without memory and therefore not quite sound mentally, would hardly

335
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have chosen so many. Then why had it been done

336
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in this instance? What more natural than that these initials

337
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represented the true name. In assuming an alias, it is

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the most common method to transpose the real name in

339
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,680
some way. At least it was a working hypothesis. Then

340
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the last name might be very significant. Remington. The Remingtons

341
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make guns, sewing machines, typewriters, and byles. Now this man

342
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was a bicycle rider. I was sure if he chose

343
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his own initials as part of the alias. It was

344
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possible that he selected Remington because it was familiar to him.

345
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I even imagined that he might be an agent for

346
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Remington Bicycles. And I had arrived at that point during

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our interview when I advised him not to buy anything

348
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until his identity was restored. But I was sure of

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my quarry when I stole a handkerchief from him at

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the park and found the initials M J G upon

351
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the same marked Lennon on your person, exclaimed mister Mitchell.

352
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Worse and worse, we'll never make a successful criminal of you, Goldie,

353
00:19:38,240 --> 00:19:42,359
perhaps not. I shan't cry over it. I thought sure

354
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of my success by this time, continued mister Barnes. Yet

355
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at the very next step I was balked. I looked

356
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over a list of l a W members, and could

357
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not find a name to fit my initials, which shows,

358
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as you will see presently, that, as I may say,

359
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too many clues spoil the broth. Without the handkerchief, I

360
00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:04,000
could have done better. Next, I secured a catalog of

361
00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:07,039
the Remingtons, which gave a list of their authorized agents,

362
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and again I failed. Returning to my office, I received

363
00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,359
information from my spy sent by messenger, which promised to

364
00:20:15,400 --> 00:20:18,839
open away for me. He had followed you about mister Goldie,

365
00:20:18,880 --> 00:20:21,119
and I must say you played your part very well

366
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so far as avoiding acquaintances is concerned. But at last

367
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you went to a public telephone and called up some one.

368
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My man saw the importance of discovering to whom you

369
00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,759
had spoken, and bribed the telephone attendant to give him

370
00:20:34,759 --> 00:20:38,160
the information. All that he learned, however, was that you

371
00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:41,240
had spoken to the public station at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.

372
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My spy thought that this was inconsequent, but it proved

373
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to me at once that there was collusion, and that

374
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your man must have been at the other station by

375
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:53,759
previous appointment, as that was at noon a few minutes

376
00:20:53,799 --> 00:20:56,599
before the same hour on the following day that is

377
00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,640
to say, yesterday, I went to the Fifth Avenue Hotel,

378
00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,720
telephoned and secreted myself in the middle compartment, hoping to

379
00:21:03,759 --> 00:21:06,519
hear what your partner might say to you. I failed

380
00:21:06,519 --> 00:21:08,799
in this, as the boxes were too well made to

381
00:21:08,839 --> 00:21:11,519
permit sound to pass from one to the other. But

382
00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:15,200
imagine my gratification to see mister Mitchell himself go into

383
00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:19,559
the box. And why, asked mister Mitchell. Well, as soon

384
00:21:19,599 --> 00:21:22,680
as I saw you, I comprehended the whole scheme. It

385
00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,559
was you who had concocted the little diversion to test

386
00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,839
my ability. Thus, at last I understood the reason for

387
00:21:28,880 --> 00:21:31,960
the pretended loss of identity. With the knowledge that you

388
00:21:32,039 --> 00:21:34,119
were in it, I was more than ever determined to

389
00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:36,759
get at the facts. Knowing that you were out, I

390
00:21:36,839 --> 00:21:39,519
hastened to your house, hoping for a chat with little

391
00:21:39,519 --> 00:21:42,400
miss Rose, as the most likely member of your family

392
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,000
to get information from. Oh Fie, mister Barnes, said, mister Mitchell,

393
00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,400
to play upon the innocence of childhood. I am ashamed

394
00:21:50,400 --> 00:21:54,640
of you. All's fair et city. Well I succeeded. I

395
00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,720
found mister Goldie's bicycle in your hallway, and, as I

396
00:21:57,799 --> 00:22:01,720
suspected twas a Remington. I took the number and hurried

397
00:22:01,759 --> 00:22:04,720
down to the agency, where I readily discovered that wheel

398
00:22:04,799 --> 00:22:09,000
number five thousand and eighty six is written by G. J. Mortimer,

399
00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:12,039
one of their regular racing team. I also learned that

400
00:22:12,079 --> 00:22:15,759
Mortimer's private name is Mortimer J. Goldie. I was much

401
00:22:15,839 --> 00:22:18,400
pleased at this because it showed how good my reasoning

402
00:22:18,440 --> 00:22:21,079
had been about the alias. For you observed that the

403
00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:24,200
racing name is merely a transposition of the family name.

404
00:22:24,759 --> 00:22:27,480
The watch, of course, is a prize, and the inscription

405
00:22:27,599 --> 00:22:30,359
would have proved that you were imposing upon me, mister Goldie,

406
00:22:30,519 --> 00:22:33,160
had you permitted me to see it. Of course, that

407
00:22:33,279 --> 00:22:36,880
is why I put it back in my pocket, I said.

408
00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,319
Just now, said mister Barnes, that without the stolen handkerchief,

409
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:42,759
I would have done better having it. When I looked

410
00:22:42,759 --> 00:22:45,000
over the L A. W List, I went through the

411
00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,279
g's only without it, I should have looked through the g's,

412
00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:51,279
J's and m's, not knowing how the letters may have

413
00:22:51,359 --> 00:22:55,440
been transposed. In that case, I should have found G. J. Mortimer,

414
00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:57,559
and the initials would have proved that I was on

415
00:22:57,599 --> 00:23:01,839
the right track. You have done, mister Barnes, said, mister Mitchell,

416
00:23:02,039 --> 00:23:04,119
I ask Goldy to play the part of a nameless

417
00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,119
man for a few days to have some fun with you.

418
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,000
But you have had fun with us. It seems, though,

419
00:23:09,079 --> 00:23:11,559
I am conceited enough to say that had it been

420
00:23:11,599 --> 00:23:14,319
possible for me to play the principal part, you would

421
00:23:14,319 --> 00:23:17,680
not have pierced my identity so soon. Oh I don't know,

422
00:23:17,799 --> 00:23:20,839
said mister Barnes. We are both of us a little egotistical.

423
00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:24,880
I fear undoubtedly Still, if I ever set another trap

424
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,400
for you, I will assign myself the chief role. Nothing

425
00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,559
would please me better, said mister Barnes. But gentlemen, as

426
00:23:31,599 --> 00:23:33,839
you have lost in this little game, it seems to

427
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:36,119
me that some one owes me a dinner. At least

428
00:23:36,839 --> 00:23:40,440
I'll stand the expense with pleasures, said mister Mitchell, not

429
00:23:40,599 --> 00:23:43,839
at all interrupted mister Goldie. It was through my blundering

430
00:23:43,880 --> 00:23:46,960
that we lost, and I'll pay the piper. Settle it

431
00:23:47,000 --> 00:23:49,359
between you, cried mister Barnes. But let us walk on.

432
00:23:49,759 --> 00:23:55,160
I am getting hungry. Whereupon they adjourned to Delmonico's and

433
00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:56,880
of the Nameless Man