The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-10-04

! acutSntsS at tDlS time.
'Oh," said Ruth, lightly, "do not fear
that l mean to rob you Of any OF the
laurels of your profession. / am anx-
ious, in this case, because fathers
money is at stake, but l hardly think
should want to make detective work
my profession"
at would not trouble me if you did"
said Mr.. Dixon, for l believe this to
be my last case. For that reason | am
particularly anxious to succeed. have
formed a law partnership, and my
whole time, from this on. must be given
to my chosen profession"
Day after day, Ruth and Mr.. Dixon
worked upon their various clues, each
trying to excel the other in obtaining
desirable information, and both en-
joyed the work more than they real
lied The days heightened into weeks,
and soon an entire month was gone.
Early one morning Ruth startled
her parents by rushing into the Ii
brary, her face all aglow with excite
ment.
1--WE found it!'' she exclaimed.
Here it is, the box--the papers-ev-
erything!"
"Where-where? began Mr.. Ar
mold, who was too excited to form an
Ineligible sentence.
"Out in the summer house, on that
little shelf, which is only a trifle
higher than my head-why, we might
have seen it at any time, had we only
thought to look there"
Mr.. Arnold opened the box. The
papers were found to be undisturbed.
When Mr.. Dixon called, that morning.
Ruth met him with a smiling. tri-
umphant face, and led the way to the
library.
Mr.. Detective" she said, pointing
to the box, confess yourself outwit-
ted"
Have YOU also discovered that the
tall woman with the black hair was
possessed of blue eyes?" said Mr. Dix
on, jestingly.
"Oh, you may make fun of me all
you like" retorted Ruth. ut is your
only resource. but ! can afford to.
overlook it,
We'll" said Mr. Dixon. 81 am glad
the papers are safe, but the case is
not concluded until the thief is
found"
80 long as we have the papers, we
do not want the thief" replied Ruth;
I'VE shouldn't know how to entertain
her properly, if we had her" And
then. nike an excited child, she told
him how she had found the papers.
THE recovery of the property does
not end the obligations of the law"
said Mr. Dixon; and | am more de-
termincd now than ever to find the
guilty party. | have one more clew,
but it will take me away from here,
unless"
Away from here! You are going
-away?"
81 must
Il am very sorry" It was all she
said but a woman's voice is often her
surest betrayer.
"Would you like our. case to last
little longer?" he asked, coming
closer to her. 81 confess that |
should"
What she replied does not concern
us. 1t is enough for us to know that,
before the interview ended, Ruth and
Mr. Dixon had decided to enter into
life partnership at no distant day.
"And now" said Mr.. Dixon-was il
an hour later, or two hours ~ must
see your father"
s., L
Ruth, laughing. what funny idea,
isn't It'll"
YES" said Mr.. Dixon, when we
consider the fact that ! should take
you anyhow But it's better to go
through the customary proceedings in
such matters, isn't it? Besides there
is my clew-"
"Oh. John, you must tell me about
that. Remember. | am more your
partner now, than ever! Have you
found the guilty one?
81 think So
minute" and Ruth got much closer
to him than was really necessary,
considering that the couch was long
enough to hold three persons. "Was
| right in any of my conclusions?"
1.-The robbery was certainly commit
ted by a tall, dark haired woman; she
has brown eyes, by the way, and her
hair is curly only when she makes
it so. / have reason to believe she
went into the room overhead as you
said, and descended the stairs in her
bare feet; but must differ from you,
Miss Detective, regarding her en-
trance into the house, She did not
come in through the roof. She was
member of the household"
Excuse me, Mr.. Detective. but do
not believe it, The cook is short, and
her hair is light. And Jane, our only
other servant. is not only short, but
has very red hair"
"There is nothing in detective work
so bewidering as the unexpected.
This robber, after securing the box,
placed 1t in the summer house; then,
unlike most w-breakers. she re-
traced her steps, reentered the library,