The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-06

1
jectively the articles are not worth
much, nevertheless, Mr. Higinbothau
has engaged Farley of ThiePs detec
tive agency and the Denver police de
partment in the quest after the hobt
who is wearing them; besides doing
some detective work in the same linz
himself.
Already three tramps in whose pos
session the shoes have been since they
left the Higinbotfam residence, $50;
Downing avenue, have been overhauleC
one by one by the authorities, but none
! of them gave the real estate man the
Information he wants relative to his
lost foot-gear. So there are still other
tramps for him to find, and his case
bids fair to keep the city detectives
busy during the remainder of the WIN
tier.
What makes Mr. Higfnbotham take
such a deep interest in the old shoes
Is the fact that his over-caution in
things financial gave them derived
value, and that his wife afterward
gave them to a tramp. When the shoes
! left the hands of Mrs. Higinbotham
! they were worth SIS exclusive of leather
nails and laces.
When her husband reached his home
/ late Saturday night he had Just that
| amount in greenbacks on his person
| For some reason he did not care 10
| leave the money in his pockets while he
! slum bered So he quietly slipped in
| to the kitchen, took the bills from his
! pocket and stuffed them into the toe
of an old shoe. one of a pair he had
cast aside as out-worn several weeks
before. Next morning, in his haste to
attend church service, he forgot all
about the money and left in the toe
space of the shoe.
Now, the morning was frosty and
cold, and when Mrs. Higinbotha am, who
did not go TO church. looked out of her
parlor window she was struck by the
dangerous condition of the sidewalk in
front of her dwelling. It was covered
with frozen snow. which travel had rem
dered slippery as skating rink The
good lady thought il would be too bad
II some pedestrian slipped and fell at
her doorstep, and just then a seeiy-look-
ing individual came along the sidewalk.
Just the thing" CALCULATED Mrs.
Higinbotham TO herself. and tapping
on the window she beckoned the "Wea-
~ Willie" to her door. On the rfhresh
hold she met him with an offer so cents
If he would chop up the frozen snow
and brush il off the sidewalk. The
cold and hungry hobo gladly accepted
THE job. and with Mrs. Higinbotham
watching him through the window,
ne soon had the elmenI OF danger re-
moved from before the dwelling. While
paying him his wage the kindly souled
matron noticed that his shoes were out
at toe and down al heel, so she Offered
him an old pair Of her husbands. BY
an evil chance her eyes fell frs. or
the shoes Mr. Higinootham had con-
verified tnuo a private bank on the pre-
vtous night, The tramp gratefully
accepted the gift, but being a modest
tramp he declined 10 put them on until
he got around the next corner
An hour after the tramp was gone A
A Higinbocham returned from church
and without even delaying 20 tell his
wife whae the text had ben. he sneakei
TO the kitchen His wife heard him
rlnaging around for about five min
utes and then he came Up stairs three
steps al a stride and bounced INTO the
pa-ioC. crimson in the face.
''W-h,st became OF the old Shoes left
IN the kitchen >" he asked. out OF breath
-Oh. those old shoes you threw away
Why, gave them - poor tra MP 1ris
morning" answered his wife. somewhat
surprised az his anxiety over 2 pair OF
nearly worthless shoes
You did" fe7ceiy exclaimed NJ
II sginbochar. and then he -alked
-SpoopeDdyke'' dialect and -ranpei
the fioor in emphatic disgust He knew
Mrs. Higinbotharu wa not 20 blame
for tire loss OF his So. and did not dare
reveal 20 her the secret that was bar
rowing his soul He spent the greater 4
part OF the sabbath hunting around FOR 4
a tramp thar would answer 20 Re d. 4
Sc-ip1ion his wife gave him OF rae ore
who took away his treasury shDes.
Next day he told his Zsoes % John p L
Fsgrl=sr. and there was more sieu-at1x
That evening she combined f07ces
succeeded In discovering Ms HiEsn-
b0tham's tramp. but he did ao< have
The shoes They did oo- 4; hin Re
sasd. 50 b. had traded OF wiki another
for a larger pair he Gzs-
claimed having explored TIE roe % e.
-he- shoe. b1t Offered 70 lead tie 5>te-o-
tives and E.gt15o:hzm 20 The mar win
Tasara he had made the excas-7S>- Tbs
tramp esd n<s, have TIE shcss. strhe-.
Tor they pinohet him a. the tnStep. and
ne had snapped vfs5a brother tramp
to- . PAIR % roo11y hiucAers. Ee