The Lamar register., 1892-04-30

NY dear sir, said /, never mind
,hat triiie; l assure you Lam perfect
ly satisfied" fei'ee'
No. sir, / don't do business that
way, he replied, with some warmth.
i owe no man penny be began
10 search for loose coin. 1t never
struck me then as strange that he did
nor give me a note to change, for he
had plenty OF small paper money.
w hiIe he fumbled and fused, and
while | partly occupied myself with
trying to look as though | was paving
no attention to him, | noticed a
rather roughly dressed, thick. set man
pass and re-pass the door. Then he
came up and ilattened his nose against
the plate-glass window. His next
move was to place his body inside the
door and close it. Then, with n sigh
OF relief and n disgustingly familiar
wink towards me, he said under his
BREATH
"ln time, after all?' and with that
ne stepped up to my elegant Gust omer,
whose back had been turned to him
all this while. and smacked him briskly
on the shoulder.
Hey, Dick, at your old trick yet,
are your"
The gentleman turned around.
turned red, turned white and seemed
to be turned speechless. As for me, |
was red hot with rage.
what do you mean?' | demanded,
by coming into this place and in
sultlng my customersg Who are you,
sirg"
Customers eh2 Been buying has
he! He's nice customer. he is; and
rs to who / am and what / mean,
there's my card rhat'll soon tell you
NIL you want to know"
81 don't want your card sir
| wont look Mt it. Get out of here.
This gentleman has bought my goods
/ and paid for them-paid for them,
slrF' and | glanced at the card and
saw the word detective thereon,
but stlll | WAS not ready to believe.
II don't care ii you were dozen de
tectives, you can't insult gentlemen in
my shop. John and | turned to
my clerk. "cnll a policeman"
Call three or four if you want to-"
said the rough intruder. but Dick, -
and be now addressed the gentleman,
twill you go quietly with me, or will
you not?"
Judge oi my nmazemeut to hear my
elegant customer hiss between his
teeth horrible oath. you've got
me dead TO rights. wot's the use o.
chinniu'f' aud then the mask fell and
! could see what sleek-looking deep
villain he was.
you see, sir, said the rough man
to me in tone OF apology, ''this is
Diamond Dick, the downiest cuss in
the business / know his lay, and saw
hun come in here, and | think you'll
say it's mighty lucky Ibid. What he
paid you may look all right, but bet
you'll find something crooked in it
somewhere. Anyhow, he's wanted
for three or four other. jobs in as
many cities"
To say | was nstonished is to draw
il very mildly. | was so dumbfound
ed that lost my head completely.
Jest let me- see the cash he gave
your said the detective, and hand
cd il over.
Jest so. said he again; "I'n Jest
take charge OF this until we get o the
Office. and" putting his hand in the
villains pocket. I'm lest take charge
Of these shiuers also, then you'll know
they are all safe. And he trans
ierred money. cheqne, and iewelry to
a portion OF his own rough jacket.
My former customer was surly and
had nothing to say. OF course had
to accompany them to the police
station, / bitde my clerk call
carriage, and we all entered. a short
drive brought us to the Central
Office, over which the Mayor or his
representative presided. The cells
were in the basement, the Office on the
first floor.
The carriage halted. Under instruc-
tions from the detective | aliehted
and entered the office to wait until he
locked his prisoner in cell down
stairs prior to making formal com
pinint. As | closed the door to the
police-court room heard the ecarriage
drive away.
| waited five minutes, ten, fifteen,
thirty, an houri No business was
iect OF curiosity through the room. |
had noticed door leading out OF it
on which was sign Chief OF Police"
Heartily out OF patience, | abruptly
made my way iuto the presence OF
that dighitary and demanded when he
or anyone else was going to give
hearing to Diamond Dick, and asked
the whereabouts OF the detective.
The chief started.
explained.
The chief laughed.
] became angry.
Then he grew serious.
''A1y dear sir" he said, "you are
the victim of as smart n pair OF
swindlers as there is in the country,
The villain and detective are pals,
and your money and diamonds are, |
am afraid, lost to you forever. | am
very sorry, and will help you all can,
though there is little chance, for these
rascals, | am sorry to say, stand in
with some of our men-they have
played the same game in nearly every
city in the country, and we have |
never been able to catch them yet"
Not Red Hot.
A little knot Of townsmen were |