fellow, greatly interested at once, leaned over the
detective's shoulder and eagerly replied: "The depot at Syracuse."

Mr. Byrd nodded and made a few strokes with his pencil on the paper
before him.

"How was the lady dressed?" he next asked.

"In blue; dark blue cloth, fitting like a glove. Fine figure, you know,
very tall and unusually large, but perfect, I assure you, perfect. Yes,
that is very like it," he went on watching the quick, assured strokes of
the other with growing wonder and an unbounded admiration. "You have
caught the exact poise of the head, as I live, and--yes, a large hat
with two feathers, sir, two feathers drooping over the side, so; a bag
on the arm; two flounces on the skirt; a--oh! the face? Well, handsome,
sir, very handsome; straight nose, large eyes, determined mouth, strong,
violently agitated expression. Well, I will give up! A photograph
couldn't have done her better justice. You are a genius, sir, a genius!"

Mr. Byrd received this tribute to his skill with some confusion and a
deep blush, which he vainly sought to hide by bending lower over his
work.

"The man, now," he suggested, with the least perceptible change in his
voice, that, however, escaped the attention of his companion. "What was
he like; young or old?"

"Well, young--about twenty-five I should say; medium height, but very
firmly and squarely built, with a strong face, large mustache, brilliant
eyes, and a look--I cannot describe it, but you have caught that of the
lady so well, you will, doubtless, succeed in getting his also."

But Mr. Byrd's pencil moved with less certainty now, and it was some
time before he could catch even the peculiarly sturdy aspect of the
figure which made this unknown gentleman, as the young fellow declared,
look like a modern Hercules, though he was far from being either large
or tall. The face, too, presented difficulties he was far from
experiencing in the case of the lady, and the young fellow at his side
was obliged to make several suggestions such as:--"A little more hair on
the forehead, if you please--there was quite a lock showing beneath his
hat;" or, "A trifle less sharpness to the chin,--so;" or, "Stay, you
have it too square now; tone it down a hair's breadth, and you will get
it," before he received even the somewhat hesitating acknowledgment from
the other of: "There, that is something like him!"

But he had not expected to succeed very well in this part of the
picture, and