The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-07
A PRETTY DECOY.

call him. Though had been detective
long enough to know him by hearsay us
one OF the best and clcvercst men that
ever hunted q criminal, still We had
not met, and ut Inst it was by tho
mercat accident that I was introduced
to him.
From the first We seemed to take to
each other, from the very oppositeness
OF our dispositions, ! believe now, and
We were Just rs contrary in appearance
and looks, for Tom was Il wonderfully
handsome chap. Everything was in
keeping; dark hair, dark eyes and
whiskers, and just enough red in his
dark skinned cheeks to give him life
! and animation. Tom had the girls on
his side, and though they often called
him heartless and made great fuss
over his sighting ways, yet they took
his part when tho old people assaiIed
him.
Tom and l were together, on and off,
Tor a little over three years. and then |
lost sight OF him, never seeing him again
until after | had married and settled
down little, and then ono day We met
in the street, and | found him Just rs
jolly and handsome as ever. l took him
home, introduced him to my wife, and
before an hour was over stood pledged
to join him in hunt for q gang OF coun-
tcriefers.
Tons and another man had been given
the case, each working separately until
the clues came together, showing them
4 little village as the probable place
where the countcriciting work was car
ried on. Tom proposed that he and
should so down to the village together,
as surveyors, and stop at the first house
near the supposed place OF counterfeit
ing that would take us in, while IIaw-
ley, the other detective, was to put up
ut another place, and have no ostensible
connection or even intercourse with
either OF us; SO that ii one failed the
other would be sure 10 succeed-for
TreEitt had recognized the hand OF an
old bird in some OF the work on the
notes-a man known as Big Bill Fury.
who had given me one or two fruit
less hunts, and one OF the sharpest
craftsmen in the profession.
He was caught ut last, though, and
got 4 sentence OF twenty years, but in n
few years he was out again, and Tom
Trevitt believed that he had taken to
counterieiting, as he had done once be-
fore when he was hard up.
Well, We started, and took the first
train that lett Tor Ramiord, both sure
that we'd never return cmpty-handed
The car we were in was pretty we'll
filled, and among the rest OF the pas
scngcrs was a pretty little fresh-iaced
country girl, with 4 pair OF innocent,
beautiful, blue eyes.
How it happened Incver quite under
stood, but the lirst1 knew Tom Trevitt
was sitting beside her, answering all
her questions by giving all the iniorma-
ton he could CLEAN from the time table,
and then | heard her telling him her
story, and where should she be going
but TO Ramford, the very place that
We we.e bound for.
She was going TO keep house for an
uncle, heard her say, and it struck me
ut the time that somehow or other Tom
would manage to make the same house
hold us. And | was not far wrong, ,
within an hour after We left the train
he had driven n pretty hard bargain
with the girls unclc-a tall, shrcwd iel-
low, who called himself Jonas futile,
but he managed to settle it all right.
We stayed at Tuttlc's nearly week be-
fore Iiawley managed to come down,
and both Tom and myself had contrived
at odd times to discover the situation Of
the countcrieiter's den, though most OF
the real work fell on my shoulders, for
Tom Trevitt's usually cleac head was
completely turned, and by that little
country girl we met in the train.
| felt sorry Tor her, for the old uncle
and his two soma made her life per-
feet hell OH earth. Mind us? Not a bit
OF it; they bnllied her just as they bull
lied and treated their horses and cattle,
and the first | knew Tom took to abus-
ing them and consoling the girl, unit!
she began to watch for his coming, and
then spoke 10 Trevitt and told him it
wasn't right.
We came rs near to q downright row
that night as Tom and l ever were, and
then saw he was in dead earnest. |
was glad for the girls sake that it hap
peEed so, for she was one OF the incest,
handicst little things that ever set her
feet in shoes, though the last one
should have picked out to suit Toms
fancy. But her innocent ways and
pretty, childish face contrastcd strongly
with the city women, and even in that
week Tom developed into the spooniest
OF lovers.
But when Hawley came at last Tom
turned his attention to businers. We
had more than once Swallowed the
game on the way to and from the cellar
in which the coming was being carried
on, and as Hawlcy had broughta friend
too, we decided on raid. We all met
just outside the house, and then it
came out that Hawlcy had left his
friend behind, though lie would give no
explanation OF his action, only saying
that there would be enough.
"But you know the man we.expect to
tind-Big Bill p Tom whispered.
Hawlcy laughed.
wondered little ut his GOODNESS.
for Tom and l had both shadowed Bill
himself only tho night before. How
ever, there way no time for argument
then, and Tom suddenly burst in the
door, leavingus to follow,
One or two harmless shots were fred,
and VIC found ourselves with two
prisoners, 4 writing table and n number
OF hali-hnished bank notes and coins
scattered on tho ground, but that was
all; no. tools or anything that could
prove tho work had really been done
by the captured men, and in the strug.
gle which followed Toms arrival 4 wig