Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-01-20
Two Hundred Pounds
Reward. .
HTwo HUNDRED POUNDS
BY b. z. Young.


1.-TWO HUNDRED POUNDS re-
ward! Now. here's your chance,
Jimmy" raped out my chief one
morning. Camden Town-your own
nDighborhood. The police up there
are making a confounded mystery of
it; it ought to be as simple as clock
work. Ha, ha! Twenty bales of rare
silk, worth thousands, consigned all
the way from Lyons to Jowetts, the
big West end diapers. Jowetts' agent
ashes off to the station to meet it
and finds that some smart rogues have
got there one hour before him, pre-
rented forged credentials aid driven
',ff. with the stuff in van IN broad twi
light. Now! Soon after midnight
constable noted just such a van as de-
seribed suspiciously rounding the cor
ner of Windygate street, Camden Town.
ADD at that very minute mark you,
some one ran up and led him off with
a1pgus tale of murder going on at the
ether end of his beat. When he got
back-van gone and all beautifully
quiet.
Here are two days gone and no de-
Neloprents. Jowetts, half mad because
the kind Of silk spoiis in no time I'M
less kept very dry, have been here and
Offered e20O for immediate recovery.
There you are! Windygate street is a
cuI de sac, with about so or GO houses
IN it. The silk may be slowed in any
one of. them, and all the local police
have done is to put an extra man on
watch at the open end, on the chance
that there will be an attempt to re-
move the bales. Off you go! give you
PA hours!"
1 hurried out with u confident smile.
In less than an hour had got to Win
iygate street-a quiet double row of
houses of a featureless three-story
type-and was in time to see the "spe-
cial' man exchanging chaff with a serv-
ant girl at the opposite corner. He
said something, and she tripped off.
Another stare. and then he passed me
with a confidential whisper.
Thought I knew you, Mr.. Girdle-
stone. It's all right-a bit of business.
That's the girl at house half way
down-knows nearly everyone in the
street, and ready to talk all day. Oh.
I'm careful. sir; we don't want 'em to
take fright and destroy the silk. No,
not a ghost of clew so far, sir, eX-
cept the van business. There's the rut
by the curb where it turned, and then
n much lighter one where it was turned
back. unloaded, no doubt; there's been
no rain since. Saucy! But, bless you,
sir, it might be done every night
there's not soul stirring here after
H."
"Humphi Shift your point dozen
L. e ,s~.l~K La
me know anything that happens.
There'ii be a rag-and-bottle man along
here presentiy-you understand"
hurried home-it was barely ten
minutes walk. Half an hour later I
was leaving again by the back entrance.
so dirty and disreputable that my own
wife had given a start. To hire bar
rev and stack some rubbish on it was
simplicity itself; within the hour I was
wheeling it into Windygate street,
shouting hoarsely record price for
rags and old bottles. At every area
door / had the inpudence to knock and
reiterate the statement; and at one
likely-looking house even contrived to
trip over the step, bring down some
glass with an unnerving crash and
sham a giddiness. No use; it merely
provoked the remark: Served him
right'l' At the end of my arduous
round I was only richer by barrow
load of unconsidered trifles. Until
nearly dusk 1 hung about the place,
and then, with few whispered instruc-
lions to the constable on watch,
,rudged back home to think out a more
definite plan of action.
It must have been about eight o'clock
when, as I sat studying the Camden
Town directory, the most curious, I'M
xireamed-of coincidence occurred. The
bell rang hesitatingly; a pause, and
then my wife tapped to say that a
young person, apparently in trouble.
wished to see me upon private bust
ness. Next moment a young lady in
widows weeds had fioated impressively
into the room and was raising her veil
from white, worried face.
Mr.. Girdlestone-the police inspect
Gr?'' she qreried, quickly, in a voice
rs singuIarly sweet as her expression,
snd ! bowed-her description was near
enough for the nonee. Then I hope
you won't think me silly, but, really,
felt 1 could put up with it no longer
Oh. if my dear husband were only
herel" A touching pause, broken by
half sob. then: My name is varney
live at No. Windygate STREET.
you know it, sir. 1t may sound strange