Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-08-18

snouAu want 10 make detective work
my profession"
1T would not trouble me IL you did"
said Mr.. Dixon. for believe this to
be my last case. For that reason / am
particularly anxious 20 succeed. Ihave
formed 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-
5oyed 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 IL
Ibrary, her face all aglow with excite
ment.
i've found itlp she exclaimed.
Here 1t is, the box-the papers-ev~
erythingi"
'Where-where? began Mr.. Ar
nolds who was too excited to form an
Ineligible sentence.
"Out in the summer house, on that
little shelf. which is only a trifs
higher than my head-why, we might
have seen 1t at any time, had we only
thought to look therei"
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 gil
only resource, but I can afford to
overlook it."
Well" said Mr.. Dixon, "I am glad
the papers are safe, but the case is
not concluded until the thief IN
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, like 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
termined now than ever to find the
guilty party. l have one more clew,
but 1T will take me away from here,
unless"
Away from herel You ere going
-away?'
az must"
II am very sorry" 1t was all she
said, but a woman's voice Is often her
surest betrayer
Would you like our case to last
a little longer?" he asked, coming
closer to her. "I confess that u
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
a life partnership at no distant day.
And now" said Mr.. Dixon-was it
an hour later, or two hours?-"T must
see your father"
Going to ask him for me?" asked
Ruth, laughing. what funny idea,
isn't FIJI"
"Yes," said Mr.. Dixon, when we
consider the fact that I should take
you anyhow But it's better to gs
through the customary proceedings in
such matters, isn't 1t? Besides, there
is my clew-"
"oh, John, you must tell me about
that! Remember, 1 am more your
partner, now, than everi Have you
found the guilty oneY'
II think So"
Tell mel Tell mel Tell me, this
minute~ and Ruth got much closer
to him than was really necessary,
considering that the couch was long
enough to hold three persons. ''Was
L right in any of my conclusions?'
'"The robbery was certainly commit
ted by tall, dark-haired woman; she
has brown eyes, by the way, and her
hair is curly only when she makes
1t 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 I 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 bewildering as the unexpected. |
This robber, after securing the box,
placed 1t in the summer house; then,
unlike most law-breakers, she re- |
traced her steps, reentered the library,
unfastened the door, but failed to |
spring the catch, and again entered |
the hail. From there this exceedingly |
bold robber returned to her room and |
went to sleep. I have been consult |
ing people who have known her all |
their lives, and have been told that |
she was given to walking in her
sleep"
John, you dare not say it was II"