The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-04-17

| house little distance. and all at once
they stopped. Come on and I'll show
you"
They followed the big footprints
around into Baldwin street and thence
over block to the north, and then sud
/ denly the trail ended at place where
the snow had been kicked about as il
rlen had scufied there.
This is where it started said John
/ son. Now. let's see how far we can fol-
! low it the other way"
They went back along Baldwin street
to where the tracks led over to MortoDs
| house. the same as they had at the
Eaton and johnson places. but strange
to say. the trail divided. one set OF
| tracks leading over to Morton's house.
! the other continuing south on Baldwin
STR H.
At Chester avenue the trail turned
toward the Eaton house and continued
to the east, although there was side
trail leading over 70 the Eaton house
and another TO MIR. Jo1lnson's front win
dow.
The two men followed the main line.
from Chester avenue it turned into
Miller street and came to an abrupt
end near the Methodist church. There
we're other tracks of ordinary size 10 be
seen. but at the point where the trail
ended the man with the giant feet had
evidently gone uD into the air. The
snow was badly kicked about. Perhaps
there had been another struggle.
according TO the size of his feet"
fr4f1
"that man should have been Il feet'high.
What Go You thinl: Of it?'
Il simply give II up" said Mr.. John
son. Il never in all nay life ran across
anything like il. These are real tracks.
you can see the marks of the nails and
tie print Of the heel. But they begin
1,owhere and end nowhere. Here's a
single trail and suddenly il splits into
t.-o trails N5ing in different directions
Gre sci Of tracks goes right mp to Il
;udow. and yet there's nothing t.
show shat the man turned around and
came back lie didn'f 60 in the window
though Vow what the
"Don't ask me" said Mr.. Morton.
1t the station that morning the men
I'ed OF tie strange tracks and not
.ne could explain them except by bring
~ fl = supernatural agent. And they
never did find ont.
And now for the solution of this story
Of mystery
Bertrand Thompson, one OF the
litelier spirits Of the quiet suburb. had
leen to town on the evening Of the
s.owfau At q small frec-and-easy club
,shich he often visited he had become
acouainted with 2 well-known min
strcl performer. The minstrel gave
Thompson pair of huge shoes such As
are often worn in hullesque pieces. He
had promised them 70 Thompson long
lcfore and cn this evening he brought
1hcn 70 the club.
Thompson reached Morton's Grove
on the last nfght train He started for
lone. the shoes wrapped mp under his
avn.
Tie snowfall had ceased and it wa
clear night. He had taken few
drinks and was in an imaginative and
creative state of mind. He saw the
unmarked snow and il occurred 10 him
t3at il might surprise people in the
morning if they saw tracks Is inches
long.
He leaned against fence and
changed his shoes after some difficulty
and then marched homeWard.
When he came in front of Morton's
house a brilliant idea came TO him. He
walked over to the front window of the
house and then with extreme caution
hacked his way out to the street again.
taking care to put the big shoes back
in the footprints already made.
Then he took up his homeward jour
ney again, but he thought of the Eaton
girls. so he favored them with a special
set of footprints. and afterward did as
much for Mr.. Johnson, whom he dis
liked very much.
When he reached the Methodist
church corner he realized that he might
bo tracked TO his home, so he changed
shoes again, with a great deal of hop
ping around in the snow to keep from
losing his balance while he was stand
ing on one foot.
When be learned how successful his
experiment had been he kept quiet, and
allowed the tale of the monster foot
prints 10 become suburban classic
Chicago Record.