The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-13
WOMAN'S DETECTIVE WORK
A SECRET GAINING NOT At ALL
THAT OF AN ADVENT URESs.

| She Must BE Able to Play Many Parts, he
| Patient and Discreet and submit to Dis
| cipline - Cases Where Women DO Bet
ter Than Men-Mnny Fail at the Business.
No statistlcian. however digent or pains
| taking, can count the women who are private
| detectives as he might the women who are
| teachers boarding house keepers or feather
| makers. Women detectives are useful and
| much used indeed. they are as indispensable to
| the successful conduct of n detective agency
| this on the authority OF n man manager OF
such an agency-as love Is to tho world or
| water to tho sea: but they are elusive. they
| work in secret. the public never hears OF them.
| and theirs Is one vocation and performance
| that must get along without the vanity balm Of
praise and recognition. The average woman
| detective, outside OF those who work In the
stores. has another calling to her name; in
fact, the more callings she has at command
the more helpful she is as detective.
| There is something wrong at the Heigh-
| uptop Hospital Patients have had their jew
| elry stolen from time to time, and some OF the
| nurses have lost money and valuables," says
the Helghuptop Superintendent on enisting
detective aid.
"Humph! Suspect anybody on the prem
isesp" inquiries the head OF the agency.
Not a soul. All trustworthy people. It's
| mystery" came the answer. and the first step
| toward the clearing UP VI tho myo''iy 10 iOi
| the head detective to send telegram to his
| right hand woman auxiliary.
| Ever been trained nurse?" he asks as she
| comes In, bag In hand
| The right-hand woman smiles. Il guess
can get certificate" she says. "and the cap
and uniform are rather becoming. Where tor
| What's upi"
That is what she Is to find out, she Is told.
| and next day there is a new nurse taken on at
the Heghuptop Hospital. and in three or four
weeks discoveries are made that astound the
| hoodwinked hospital officials and turn good
money into the Golfers OF the Up-to-Snufr De-
| tective Agency. The amateur nurse did not
| study her Materia Medca and probe into hos
| ptal and sckroom ethics for nothing. mere
| man would have been OF no use in this emer-
| gency.
sharp & Willy are suing us for injury to
that Krobes girl last winter. They say she
was famed In getting of the car and want big
damages" says the lawyer OF the railroad
| company to the detective he employs. There's
a screw loose somewhere. Find out what their
game is"
| The right-hand woman. or the one next best.
| IL she Is detailed else where is set to work on
this trail. The injured girl Is q seamstress
who worked in the family OF her lawyer. There
is reason to suspect that her injury did not re-
suit from the railroad trip: but Sharp d
Willy are hard to cope with and have carefully
covered up their tracks. The woman detec.
tive bethlnks her that she needs seam
stress. and sets about securing the injured
girl for the Job She succeeds in this.
but fails to find out anything worth while.
| further than to get an insight into the Cir! 5
| character. Her report as to the progress
OF the case. written and submitted at stipu-
lated intervals to the head office. is interesting
reading. Several months after Just when the
railroad counsel are about giving up hope.
there being no clue to work on the injured
girl. In moment OF conscience stricken emo
ton induced by several visits to clarvoyant.
owns to having been suborned by Sharp II
Willy to allege injury and sue for the damages.
half OF which were to go to them.
And who was the clairvoyant you took the
girl before 2" the head detective asks Of his
successful employee
Mrs Starseer. the great know your-fate
expert" is the answer. and the head detective
shakes hands with Mrs Starseer. and says she
is a great one. with resources all unexpected
and invaluable
Sometimes it Is as demure hard working
secretary. n stenographer diligent but not
overclever. that the woman detective works
one so thick SIX ulled and unnoticing indeed
that the business man at whose elbow she sts
talks out his plans lutte naturally to his COLI
ndential helpers. and is more than glad to pay
the woman and let her go at the end Of two
weeks trial Afterward. perhaps in puH2nI
how the Up-to-Snuff people could possibly have
got hold OF his business. Miss Thickhead's EN-
ployer may half suspect that the young womal
was brighter than he took her for. but he can
prove 1t. nor can any one else prove it.
The detective sometimes works in the guis,
OF a nursemaid. again as the telephone girl in 4
hotel lobby. or as the captivating demonstrate,
at q county fair. showing how delightful FrOtl
d Bubbles preparation tastes made withou
milk. or how tapioca custard can be made with
out boiling. Jack of all trades and mistress
OF one" might be inscribed on the woman de
tective's letter paper. with a mask and domino
as eXempars. but then she uses 50 many DIFF
ferent shades and qualities III her varou
characters.
Go down to New Paradise by the Sea an
get in with Mrs. RichaScream," comes wor,
from the Office ono summer day. It's JUS
possible that this may not be the right tra
but it's worth while to find out. lou'll have t
60 slow; hurry would spoil everything"
Then Mrs. Righthand puts on her think inl
I cap and incidentally looks over her wardrob
First Of all. though. she writes some letters re
Gardng board and facilities to various land
lords in the Rchascreams neighborhood.
{ takes time to decide whether to appear in tn
! vicinity as u hard working governcss taking
|
e | rich widow from the West with time hangin
Z heavy on her hands and longing fer con
, genial companionshIp. Perhaps it might do bet
= ter to 30 as II massage professor or hair sham
rooer. as agent for burglar proof jewel box o
an accident Insurance. company The rich wide
role is finally determined upon and the actrcs
4 makes ready for the part by reading NJ on II
d the current, public and semi-publlc matter
apt to interest the Iiichascrcam type. lavIn
;, been chambcrgir IN a city hotel on her la
case her hand is somewhat out in the igl
society, but she skins over a new novel [
Il two and practices with her new name by wr
= ing it repeatedly on her various belonging
n and getting a set of handkcrchiets with III
r. correct initial.
O The detectives life is rs full Of incident as a
5 egg OF meat. thousand dollars worth
!; silks and satins have been stolen from II whole
IT sale house and womans services are needc
=, In the investigation. The owner of fine di;
~ mond rings and ornaments wakes up ono ia