The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-11
A TRYING POSITION.

Matters had come to q 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 Q
peremptory demand for payment.
Not being ready or having the ready
to comply with her requirement, / had
nothing for it but to vacate my room
and surrender my night key, the former
being wanted, / was given to under
stand, for Mr.. O'Bosh, AN old customer
of Mrs. Ringwoodie whom she was
under o standing promise to accommo-
date and whose arrival was hourly ex-
pected. Nh. O'Besh, I may here say,
was Mrs. Ringwoodie's Mrs. Harris, q
convenient myth, who never came,
but was always coming when a 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
had not proved over successful.
Down to my last dollar, with no i'm
mediate prospect of another. and wearied
with a long search for a cheap boarding
house whose terms were not Invariably
In advance, " / sat me down In an ont of
the way restaurant to face a 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
arei' said the gentleman, whose tome
left it doubtful whether bespoke to hin-
self or me. q IS
Why" re continued, answering my
look, ''here's that bank robbery, nearly
q week old, yet with every clew to
guide them and the stimulus of o hand
reward besides, those who should
have been hot ON the scent within am
hour still stand gaping, with their fin
gers in their mouths. Things were man.
aged differently in my day" -.
"You were a detective once, / VEN
tured to surmisa "
He nodded. p
This rewards it very larger" /
asked.
Five thousand dollars" he IN
swered, ''for the recovery of the proper
ty and capture of the thief" -
"'Twould be a quick way to make
money" said ]. '.if one knew how TO go
about it"
Would you like to go halves in max
ing the effort2'' he queried, summing
me up with q scrutinizing glance.
II fear / should be of little service"
I returned. II have no experience I'm
such matters and ann almost a stranger
in the city"
1.-THE very thing to render your aid
This crime is evidently not
the work Of a novice, and to your pro-
.fessional thief every detectives face is
as familiar as a pals. The mere sight
Of one puts the game to fight. Under
skillful guidance You could work unsus-
Now, IL You'll put yourself in
my hands for SO hours, I believe we can
bag the prize What say you-is tia
bargain?"
1t was not exactly the road 90 fortune
I had set ont i'm, but il looked like a
cut ut starting. At any rate, my
circumstances were desperate, andI saw
no better chance 10 mend them.
81 accept your offer, !" I said
Come along, then, = said the strau-
ger, rising. and having settled our scores
we left the place together.
In the street he took my arm, and aft
er q long walk through unfrequented by
streets my companion called o halt be-
fore . somber looking house, into which
he admitted us with q latch key. He
led the way up stairs TO q shabbily fur
nished apartment, in which o dim light
was burning.
We seated ourselves, and myc ompan-
ion was beginning to unfold his plans
when q knock was heard at the door.
He held up his finger in token Of 81
The knock wal three times repeated
In o peculiar manner, when my host got
up and cautiously opened the door.
A man stood outside with his hat
over his eyes
Excuse me a moment, - said nv
companion, stepping ont and closing the
door.
i heard low and earnest voices in the
passage. but only distinguished the
Train for Boston at 10. San
Francisco train at 1880"
Soon there was q sound of departing
footsteps, and the door of the room OPEN
ed and the proprietor entered
i've no time to explain further
now y he said. Meet me al the depot
In time for the 10 O'Clock train to Bos-
But / have no money" I answered.
''I'll see to that, he replied.
There was little time to lose, and I
rose to 60.
Would you mind carrying this
satchelf'' said he. 81 have d short stop
to make by the way, besides having q
20 look after"
/ received from his hand the article lin
question. which was small and light
In the waiting room of the depot my
attention was drawn 10 the clicking Of al
.telegraphic instrument.
Ihad once been an operator and had
learned 20 read messages By tho ear. III.