Final Proof

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1898. Excerpt: ... PREFATORY.. Y'V. ! The first meeting between Mr. Barnes, the detective, and Robert Leroy Mitchel, the gentleman who imagines himself to be able to outdo detectives in their own line of work, was fully set forth in the narrative entitled An Artist in Crime. Subsequently the two men occupied themselves with the solution of a startling murder mystery, the details of which were recorded in The Crime of the Century. The present volume contains the history of several cases which attracted their attention in the interval between those already given to the world, the first having occured shortly after the termination of the events in An Artist in Crime, and the others in the order here given, so that in a sense these stories are continuous and interdependent. R. O. Mercantile Library NEW YORK. FINAL PROOF THE PHCENIX OF CRIME I Mr. MlTCHEL was still at breakfast one morning, when the card of Mr. Barnes was brought to him by his man Williams. "Show Mr. Barnes in here," said he. "I imagine that he must be in a hurry to see me, else he would not call so early." A few minutes later the detective entered, saying: "It is very kind of you to let me come in without waiting. I hope that I am not intruding." Not at all. As to being kind, why I am kind to myself. I knew you must have something interesting on hand to bring you around so early, and I am proportionately curious; at the same time I hate to go without my coffee, and I do not like to drink it too fast, especially good coffee, and this is good, I assure you. Draw up and have a cup, for I observe that you came off in such a hurry this morning that you did not get any." "Why, thank you, I will take some, but how do you know that I came off in a hurry and had no coffee at home? It seems to me that if you can tell tha...