Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-05-11
A TRYING POSITION.

A TRYING POSITION.
Matters had come to crisis between
myself and landlady. My bill was sadly
: in arrears, and Mrs. Ringwoodie, having
passed from frowns to words and from
words to importantly, had ended with a
peremptory demand for payment.
Not being ready or having the ready
to comply with her requirement., I had
nothing fer it but to vacate my room
and surrender my night key, the former
being wanted, I was given to under
stand, for Mr.. O'Bosh, all old customer
Of Mrs. Ringwoodie whom she was
under standing promise to accommo-
date and whose arrival was hourly ex-
pected. Mr.. O'Bosh, may here say,
was Mrs. Ringwoodie's Mrs. Harris, a
convenient myth, one who never came,
but was always coming when delin-
quent boarder was to be got rid of.
had come to the city to be an author,
but my efforts with the pen to scrape
acquaintance with fame and fortune
Down to my last dollar, with no i'm
mediate prospect Of another, and wearied
with long search for a cheap boarding
house whose terms were not Invariably
in ADVANCE sat me down in an out of
the way restaurant to face tough beef
steak and the still tougher question of
what was best to be done.
A grave looking gentleman sat oppo-
site, dividing his attention between a
bottle of wine and the evening paper.
''What a bungling set these detectives
are!" said the gentleman, whose tone
left it doubtful whether he spoke to him
self Or me.
''Why," he continued, answering my
look, "here's that bank robbery, nearly
week old, yet with every clew to
guide them and the stimulus of hand
some reward besides, those who should
have been hot Oh the scent within an
hour still stand gaping, with their fin
gers in their mouths. Things were man.
aged differently in my day"
''You were detective once, ven
tured to s1lrmise.
He nodded.
"This rewards it very larger" I
asked.
Give thousand dollars,'' he an
swered, s'for the recovery Of the proper
ty and capture of the thief.
60 'Twould be q quick way to make
money! said /, ''if one knew how to go
about it. -
would you like to go halves in maxi
ing the effort?'' he queried, summing
me up with scrutinizing glance.
''I fear should be of little SERVICE"
I returned. 81 have no experience in
such matters and am almost a stranger
In the city.
''The very thing to render your aid
invaluable. This crime is evidently not
the work of a novice, and to your pro-
fessional thief every detectives face is
as familiar as pals The mere sight
Of one puts the game to flight. Under
skillful guidance you could work unsus
pected Now, if you'll put yourself in
my hands for SO hours, believe we can
bag the prize. What say you-is tia
bargain?'
TWAS not exactly the road to fortune
I had set out in, but it looked like a
shorter cut at starting At any rate, my
circumstances were desperate and saw
no better chance to mend them.
81 accept your offer,'' said.
ssCome along, them said the stran-
ger, rising, and having settled our scores
we left the place together.
In the street he took my arm, and aft
er a long walk through unfrequented by
streets my companion called a halt be-
fore somber looking house, into which
he admitted us with a latch key. He
led the way up stairs to a shabbily fur
nished apartment in which dim light
was burning.
We seated ourselves, and my compan-
ion was beginning to unfold his plans
when knock was heard at the door.
He held up his finger in token of 81
lence.
The knock was three times repeated
in peculiar manner, when my host got
up and cautiously opened the door.
A man stood outside with his hat
pulled over his eyes.
sfExcuse me a moment,' said my
companion, stepping out and closing the
door.
1 heard low and earnest voices in the
passage, but only distinguished the
words: fTrain for Boston at 10. San
Francisco train at 1880"
Soon there was a sound Of departing
footsteps, and the door of the room open
ed and the proprietor entered,
s'I've no time to explain further
now,'' he said meet me at the depot
in time for the 10 o'clock train to Bos-
ton"
''But I have no money" answered.
"I'll see to that, +" he replied.
There was little time to lose, and I
rose to go.
would you mind carrying this
satchel?" said he. 81 have short stop
to make by the way, besides having a
valise to look AFTER
Ireceived from his hand the article in
question, which was small and light. Z.
Tn the waiting room Of the depot my
attention was drawn to the clicking of a
Geographic instrument.
l had once been an operator and had
learned to read messages by the ear. It
is said eavesdroppers rarely hear good Of
themselves, and the present case, though
the listening was involuntary, proved
no exception.
Judge Of my amazement when I heard
clicked off, in a language to me as plain
| as speech, a full description Of my per-
son and everything pertaining to me,
down to the satchel in my hand, in
which latter it was said would be found
portion of the bonds stolen from the
- bank. did not stay to hear what
| followed, which was doubtless an order
for my immediate arrest.
The truth at once flashed upon me, 7
had been made the dupe of the real cul-
prit, who had sought to cover his own
retreat by a ruse Of which I was to be
| the victim.
I walked rapidly, avoiding public