, to
pass for one of the genuine tribe; the plan would be so arranged that
Mrs. Thayer would voluntarily consult this fortune-teller, who would
soon gain a complete ascendency over her superstitious nature by
revealing to her all her past life; finally Mrs. Thayer could be brought
to tell all she knew of Pattmore as a means of aiding the sibyl to read
her future.

This plan seemed to me the most feasible of any, and I therefore decided
to adopt it in working up the case against Pattmore. After all, he would
be the one against whom my efforts would be directed, Mrs. Thayer being
only an unconscious instrument in bringing him to justice. In case it
could be shown that he had actually attempted to murder his wife, I was
determined that he should not escape the swift vengeance of the law.

Just as I had concluded my deliberations, the Captain hurried into my
office, the perspiration standing in great beads on his forehead.

"Mr. Pinkerton, I fear we are too late!" he exclaimed in a husky voice.
"Annie has just received a telegram from Mr. Pattmore, saying that his
wife is dead."

"_Dead!_" I repeated. "Is it possible! When did she die?"

"To-day," he replied.

"It will be an easy matter to discover the cause of her death," I said,
after a moment's pause. "We must have a _post mortem_ examination held."

"That may be possible," replied the Captain; "but you must recollect
that Pattmore has a great many friends in Greenville; that, in fact, he
is a prominent candidate for the Democratic Congressional nomination;
and, even if he were supposed to be guilty, the party would make a
strong fight to protect him, as they could not afford to have him
exposed."

"Is it possible that he has so much influence as that?" I asked.

"Oh, yes," said the Captain; "he is a brilliant speaker, and a very
agreeable man socially, so that he makes many friends. He is such a wily
scoundrel that I fear we shall have great difficulty in tracing any
crime directly to him. I do not care whether he is convicted or not,
provided I can rescue Annie from his clutches. He has apparently cast a
spell over her, and she is wholly controlled by him."

"If that is the fact, we must use strategy, and undermine his plot with
a deeper one. I will accept a retainer from you, Captain, and then we
will proceed to work up the case."

The financial part of the arrangement having been adjusted, I gave the
Captain some advice as to what he should do. I told hi