The Mystery of the Scar-faced Beggar - M. V. Carey [30]
“There’s a young man named Ernie who works for the Denicolas,” said Jupe.
“Is
s tha
h t so
s ?
o Whe
h n my so
s n
o and I went fi
f s
i h
s i
h n
i g,
, the
h re was
s a you
o ng man named
e Tom
o
or
o Hal
l or
o som
o ethi
h n
i g li
l k
i e tha
h t.
. The
h y pr
p ob
o a
b bl
b y
l cha
h nge pr
p e
r tty of
o t
f en
e .
. It’s the kind of job
bo
b y
o s
s ha
h ve w
he
h n the
h y
e ’re st
s il
i l
l
l in
i sc
s h
c o
h o
o l
o .”
“You
o ha
h ven
e ’t be
b en
n to
o D
enic
i ol
o a
l ’s
s recently
l ?” sa
s id Jupe.
“No.
o ”
“So
o you
o don
o ’t know
o Er
E nie
i .
. Wha
h t a
bo
b u
o t the
h
e bl
b i
l n
i d man?”
Mr.
. Bon
o est
s e
t ll
l
l lo
l o
o k
o ed bl
b a
l nk.
. “A bl
b i
l n
i d man
a ?” he said. “Wh
W a
h t
a
t b
l
b i
l n
i d
n
d m
a
m n
a ?
n ”
“You
o ha
h ven
e ’t se
s en
n an
a y
n on
o e nea
e r th
t e
h ba
b nk—or anywhere else—wh
w o
h
o is
i
s bl
b i
l n
i d
n ?
d
? A
A ma
m n
a
wit
i h
h a sc
s ar
r o
n
o hi
h s
i
s fa
f ce?
? He t
aps
p
s hi
h s
i
s way wit
i h
h a
cane
n an
a d w
ears
s dark
k g
la
l ss
s e
s s.
s ”
Mr.
. Bon
o est
s e
t ll
l
l sh
s o
h o
o k
o hi
h s
s he
h ad.
“The
h re’s
s a pr
p etty gir
i l
l who
h
o talk
l ed wit
i h
h you
o
u thi
h s
i
s mor
o nin
i g whe
h n yo
y u
o were pl
p a
l yin
i g
g
sh
s u
h ff
f l
f e
l bo
b a
o rd,” sa
s id
i Ju
J p
u e
p .
. “Wha
h t a
bo
b u
o t he
h r?”
“Grade? Gr
G acie
i Mon
o to
t y
o a? Wha
h t abo
b u
o t he
h r? And ho
h w
o di
d d
i you
o know
o tha
h t I talk
l ed
wit
i h
h he
h r thi
h s
i
s mor
o nin
i g?”
“We just
s
t ha
h pp
p e
p ned t
o
o s
e
s e you
o ,” sa
s id
i Jupe
p ,
, “an
a d we
w sa
s w
w M
is
i s
s
s Mon
o toy
o a.”
Mr.
. Bon
o est
s ell
l
l lo
l ok
o ed at Jupe
p in
i a defi
f a
i nt way.
y
. “Wha
h t abou
o t it
i ?” he demanded.
. “A
pr
p etty gir
i l
l c
o
c m
o es
s alo
l n
o g and
d I t
alk
l to
t
o he
h r.
. I may
a be
b ol
o d
l ,
, bu
b t I’m
m n
o
n t
o
t d
e
d a
e d
a
d y
e
y t
e !
t ”
“I did
i n’t thi
h n
i k you
o wer
e e,
, Mr.
. Bon
o est
s ell
l ,
l
, bu
b t
t we ha
h ve to
o che
h ck every
r thi
h n
i g ou
o t.
. Do
o
you
o know
o he
h r well
l ?
l ”
“I’ve talk
l ed
d to
o he
h r qu
q it
i e
t a lo
l t
o ,” sa
s id
i Mr.
. Bon
o e
n st
s ell
l .
l
. His
i
s ton
o e was
s st
s il
i l
l
l defi
f a
i nt.
. “She
walk
l s
s he
h r dog
o arou
o nd the
h bl
b o
l c
o k all
l
l the
h tim
i e.
. I thi
h n
i k sh
s e
h doe
o s
s so
s m
o e kind of work for
the
h mov
o ie
i s.
s
. She
h ’s
s a nic
i e
c gir
i l — alw
l ays
s wil
i l
l i
l n
i g
n to
o st
s op
o
p and
n sp
s e
p nd
d a fe
f w min
i ut
u es.
s ”
“Doe
o s
s sh
s e
h know
o tha
h t
t yo
y u
o wor
o k at
t t
he
h ba
b nk?” Jupe
p ask
s ed
e .
“I’m not
o su
s re.
. I may ha
h ve mentio
i n
o ed it
i .
. But
u sh
s e
h ’s
s ne
n v
e e
v r
e
r ma
m d
a e
d
e a
a po
p i
o n
i t
n
t of
o
f fi
f n
i di
d n
i g
n
g
ou
o t any
n thi
h n
i g
n ,
, if
i
f tha
h t’s wha
h t you
o ’re
e gettin
i g at
a .
. S
he
h ’s
s just
s fr
f i
r e
i ndly
l .”
“I se
s e,” sa
s id Jupe
p .
. “And wha
h t abo
b u
o t you
o r ot
o he
h r fr
f ie
i nds,
s
, Mr.
. Bon
o estell
l ?
l Have you
o
talk
l ed w
it
i h
h t
he
h m abo
b u
o t
t you
o r job
o ?
b ”
“I su
s pp
p o
p s
o e
s I ha
h ve.
. But
t I