The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-12-17

wnlcn swung over the center table.
Ralph sat ON divan. tho chain Of his
handouts hanging between his knees.
The tall, heavily built policeman leaned
| IN the doorway.
Ralph laughed as Hendricks entered.
Il can't complain at this treatment.
Hendricks" he said, land, as to the
cab, I'm glad you are not going to haul
me off in the black maria. AS it is open
at both ends, one would be liable to sit
in draft
Hendricks smiled, but did not reply.
he turned to the policeman.
10 get glass of beer and wait on
the stoop." he said.
Ralph began to tumble in the pocket
OF his waistcoat and produced quarter
Of dollar.
Il say, Hendricks" he said, rising
and tossing the money on the table,
you won't mind if I stand treat, will
your
Not at all, was the answer. The
policeman grinned as he picked up the
coin and touched his hat to the young
man, who had resumed his seat on the
dlvan. Hendricks sat down and drum
med on the table with his fingers.
Lampkin and Kola stood near the door.
Il say, Hendricks, all jokes aside,"
said Ralph, "are you detectives-you
fellows with names that are household
words, as it were-are you ever badly
mistaken?''
"Seldom when we get along as far
as have with you," answered the de-
tective. AT any rate, you are an agree
able prisoner. You make it pleasure
instead of task. may say you fill
the bill Ideally"
The fire of Ralph's wit seemed to die
out. His face grew serious.
There is no use going further with
this" said he. "Tell me frankly what
evidence you have against me.
Hendricks took cigar case from his
pocket He passed it first to Ralph,
then to Lampkin and the adept. Ralph
was the only one to accept, and he be-
came amused again when he tried to
get a match from his pocket and was
prevented by the handouts.
"You may as well unchain me-" he
said. 81 promise not to break away. 1t
would be folly for me to try to down
the man at the door, you three and
your hosts of hidden demons, who are
the genii of the masters dark lantern. -
II don't think shall run any risks"
said the detective, striking a match and
holding it to the end of the young mans
cigar. "A bird in hand you kl)Dw,
lis worth two OH the roof, as the Ger
mans put it,"
Ralph nodded.
"The only thing that puzzles me-"
he said, lis my arrest. 1t is incongru-
Gus. / am the stone that spoils the
mosaic. ought not to be in it, but it
seems that / am. Hendricks, I have
had a queer sort of admiration for you
in the past, but I have never thought
you could be stupid enough to arrest
the wrong man under any circum-
stances. If you don't unchain me before
I explain, you shall cease to be my ideal
detective"
81 should dislike that" answered
Hendricks, 'but presume my pride
must suffer-that is, if you are the
wrong man."
Ralph pulled two or three times to
keep his cigar alight. Suddenly he bent
his puzzled gaze again on Hendricks.
''Tell me exactly why you have ar
rested me-" he demanded. lyon are
woefully off the track. Honestly, that's
fact"
Gam I?' Hendricks shrugged his
shoulders and glanced s1yly at Lamp
kin, whose eye he caught. IT know
that on the night of the murder you
came in at the side gate and crossed the
grass in bee line for the north walk.
/ found your tracks, the only footprints
not explained by others, near the body
of your father. These tracks traced to
certain point on the walk, where"-