Robert Palmer, governed by kindly feeling
rather than hard sense, overlooked his friend's weakness for
speculation, rather counting it as honesty.
CHAPTER VIII
"Bed-Bug Brown," Detective
When Mat Bailey drove the stage out of Graniteville the next morning,
John Keeler and "Bed-bug Brown" were the only passengers. Brown had
spent the previous evening learning all that he could about Mamie Slocum
and her young admirers. He had actually learned that a young man from
Nevada City who signed himself J. C. P. Collins had paid her attentions.
He had also discovered that the young school-teacher had more than once
expressed much admiration for Mat Bailey. In view of what Henry Francis
had told him of Mat's reflections on the school-teacher, Brown resolved,
quietly and of his own accord, to keep an eye upon Mat as well as upon
Mamie.
The little man was unusually quiet, revolving various theories in his
head, and contemplating the magnificence of the ten thousand dollar
reward. But the presence of John Keeler, Cummins' old partner, suggested
the wisdom of gleaning information from this source. So, in order to
impress Keeler with his seniority and larger experience, he began:
"You don't remember, I suppose, Mr.
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