Ashton-Kirk, Special Detective. John T. McIntyre

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      CHAPTER I

       MR. SCANLON RELATES SOME PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES

       Table of Contents

      Ashton-Kirk, student of crime, sat cross-legged upon a rug; thoughtfully he drew at the big Coblentz pipe; the wreaths of smoke drifted over the tottering tower of books with which he was surrounded, and eddied out at an open window.

      “Fuller,” said he, “get me the name Campe.”

      The nimble fingered assistant ran through the cards of a filing system.

      “Campe—Mexico—financiers?” said he, at length, turning his head.

      "Right,” spoke Ashton-Kirk.

      “Volume II,” said Fuller, closing the drawer. “Shall I have it sent up?”

      “Yes.”

      In a few moments, Stumph, gravest of men servants, entered, bearing a bulky folio which he placed before his employer.

      “In a short time,” said Ashton-Kirk, “Mr. Scanlon will call. Bring him up as soon as he arrives.”

      Stumph silently withdrew; the special detective puffed at the Coblentz and nodded to Fuller.

      “Let’s see what we have about the Campes,” requested he.

      Fuller took the book, opened it at the index, and then turned over until he came to a certain page. He read:

      “This family came, originally, from Bavaria, their forbears residing in the city of Munich. The name was then Von Campe. A Frederich Ernest Von Campe made a fortune as a brewer before the French Revolution. His three sons trebled this by lending it at a high rate of interest to the various needy German states during the Napoleonic wars.

      “When Maximilian entered Mexico, the Von Campes helped to finance the venture. When he fell, they very cleverly managed to save their money by coming to an understanding with the succeeding republican government. For more than fifty years the family has been in Mexico, financing government and private enterprises.

      “Some twenty-five years ago they dropped the ‘Von,’ becoming simply known as Campe.”

      Fuller then went on to read the doings of the Campes as contained in the record; it was merely a series of “high spots” such as might be gathered about a family of the same consequence anywhere. When he had finished, Ashton-Kirk looked dissatisfied.

      “I find, from time to time,” said he, "that СКАЧАТЬ