The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1901-02-14

| ana you have never communicated with
her former attorneys, Knowles & Vholes?"
continued Cronkite remorselessly.
mo; why should II" asked Mr.. Beavers.
! his pocket and twirled it nervously.
well, l noticed in the papers month
! ago an advertisement for some legal pa
pers left on an elevated train, and it was
signed by Knowles & Vholes.'
THAT is the worst thing about you,
Cronkite.'' said the lawyer, all flushed and
excited, your long association with crime
makes you SO suspicious"
Where did you get that pencil. sir"
Cronkite inquired.
That question is too irrelevant far an
swer, retorted Mr.. Beavers.
well, if by any chance, SIR the de-
tective persisted, 1.-The lady should have
happened to leave it here, why, 1t might
prove clew.''
Mr.. Beavers anxiety was so great that
he not only admitted that Mrs. Naughton
had owned the pencil, but delivered the
precious relic into the detectives charge.
AS straight as if the magnetic needle
pointed the way Abe Cronkite proceeded
to where the horses were running by the
seaside, only pausing to make certain
changes in his appearance not on the side of
austere responsibility. These changes, how
ever, were effective to give him
ready acquaintance with the loungers about
the bar of the adjacent hotel, and his gliu
and adaptable tongue did the rest.
By this time the tramp. tramp along
the piazz indicated that the races were
over for the day. he was generally accepted
as Mr.. Nerval, the starter for Western
track, and man worthy Of cultivation by
all the knowing ones. AS the crowd surged
through the windows Mr.. Nerval grew re-
firing. He stepped out to corner of the
piazza and watched closely. while, after
the first arid rush, the men and women
noisly and fauntingly took places at the
various tables. One couple especially SEEM
ed to attract the starters attention-a pref
ty young woman, vivid with ribbons and
ablaze with diamonds, and a tall, well-made
man, whose dress and manner revealed all
the outer signs and inner graces of a dead
game, all-around sport. They were laugh
ing boisterously, they were. ordering law
| ishly; evidently things had come their way.
| and they wanted the whole world, or at
least their half to know it.
| Soon the man, after his kind sauntered
into the barroom. and Mr.. Norval followed.
Jim Nixon" said a hanger on, shake
| hands with Pop Nerval, the Western
| starter"
! You're a good man to get next to-, said
| Nixon affably; "whatIl you have?"
You must meet her, insisted Nixon,
| after a little, indicating his fair companion
with his thumb. and for the next hour the
three over a superabundance of half-cold
! food and half-warm wine talked technically
| about the steppers, and whether so and SO s
| stable was out for the dust, and which was
! the wiser course to follow the jocks the
| colors So great, indeed, was the attraction
| of the MixOns for the Western man that
| they insisted when the city was reached
| on his accompanying them to their Harlem
| fat where a bird and a bot promised 1T
| ting ending for what yet was only the shank
| Of the evening.
| 1t was when these pleasures were culmin-
| ating, and the smoke of the heavy black
| cigars was curling lazily over the wet table
J and clinging to the glasses that MI. Nerval
! little by little brought the conversation to
a consideration Of the many monetary ad-
vantages within the grasp Of thorouehbreds
| like themselves.
| marked Mr.. Nerval with a laugh, as he
lolled back in his chair, "as I happened to
| find out once to my loss. Did you ever hear
tell of old Bill Dalton? No? Well Bill
was one of the old time lags you read about
| and his graft it was cracking safes. One
| night he did slick job at Vidalia. lifting
! whole new issue of bonds, blow me il he
4 didn't. His plan was to lay low and wait
| for an offer. but the lawyers put their heads
together and contrived law that Cancelled
| the lot, and permitted a reissue, and old
| Bill was left with a fist full Of sleepers.
After that any of the boys who wanted to
spring a game some hayseed, the old
| snide bond racket, you know, would apply
| to old Bill for the collat, and get it, too,
for thankee kindly Why, l had bunch
| of the stuff few years ago that let go
for song.
Nov here is where the joke was on me