Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-11-09
CuAprEK NV

"IIow are You. Mr.. Cllcatham? / hope
you're yer. well. and YOU must eNcusc
my for calling. But you know business
* business. and you and me being good
friends. ! thought I'D call. for I'm sure
that yo,, ought to know all about it,
The person who ratified this off shook
Ehcatham's hand. threw open the Win
dow shutters. AM! sat down with his long
legs crossed and II watch and chain rest
in.: carefully in his hand, like IL boy with
u birds nest.
Mr.. CiicAtham pushed his feet into IL
hig pair Of carpet slippers. and fixing his
eyes IN the icwclry. he took n scat near
his visitor.
Are Won in a box again, friend l1li?'
he asked.
'Oh. no. not this time laughed the
~pawnbrokrr. 'itut lrt me- tell YOU all
about IL
He changed the watch and chain to the
other hand. and succeeded in commune
eating to chcat!iam the fact that two
ladies came To his Office that day and
pawncd II watch and chain. As they look
ed respectable he did not examine the
articles carefully. Then great was his
surprise TO read on the inside case of the
watch: "prcscntch To Miriam Hermann
by her father"
On hearin. this Chcatham's eyes lit up.
aud the folds on his checks seemed TO
tremblc with joy. Reaching out his
hand. he asked:
is thai inscription on that watch?'
YES replied Mr.. Eli. but let me
explain. You soc. i knew that Won had
charge Of the Hermann estate. and that
Miss Hermann didn't have no need to
part with her watch. So the thought
strikes me, them women has stole that
watch. l can't charge them at once. so
Iii make Il small advance. and then come
and tel, my friend Chcatham="
.'Iou acted nobly-nohly. my dear fell
low. How much did you advancc?"
"Omly sixty-fivc DOLLARS" said tho
shrcw,l Mr.. Eli. I'D have advanced
twice that if | thought it was IL straight
job. That watch and chain are worth
eight hundred dollars if they're worth
n cent. lust see. the initials on the case
are sri with diamonds worth twenty-five
dollars apiece. And that chain-just feel
the weight and look ut the workmanship!
III couldn't be duplicated for two hundred
aoilarS-it couldn't be matched in this
city,
Mr.. Cheatlinm took the watch and
toyed with it affcctionately. He said at
length:
'.rhe watch was stolen: of that there
can he no doubt. Why did YOU not get
some one to follow UP the women"
'Ah!" cliucklcd the shrewd Mr.. Eli,
tapping The side of his big nose, that is
just what L did,.
who lid YOU send?'
My hoy Jake. You know. Mr.. Cheat
ham: he's Il nice boy"
II know, but tell me what he did"
We'll. he watched them so to a eating
house and get some lunch. and then they
came ont and went to Pue!la street. But,
just when Jake was looking for IA minute
at /, tisi.t in the street. they disappear
ed"
An, that's too bad. too bad" exclaim-
cd Chratham.
Get the detectives aftcl. them. l can
describe them just as well as il 1 had
their photographs. J have Il great mem
DRY for faces"
NO: ! want none of that. Leave it
to me. Does your son remember where
about on the block he lost sight of them"
"A half block from the Bowery, and he
thinks they went into 4; very high build
ing that has an alleyway OH the east
SIDE" rc!lied the pawnbroker.