Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1901-05-28
THE MAGIC CASKET,
mv rAuL p. HARRIS.

Ills card, in type perfectly legible
from across the street, read: Gig
Mathis Roper, Constable" In smallcl
letters, down IN the left corner, was
the one word more than any other
calculated to set criminal hearts pal
pitatlng -"Dctcctiyc" Ignatius was
not a detective, but he was willing
10 be.
lie was angular as rail fence, but
not SO pretty; good when asleep, but
that WAS seldom. Ills expression,
I whea hc had any, was devil may
care, and it bcicd HIM not, for if his
internal majesty did care, Iguatius
didn't; aud TO give the devil his due,
he piDbaby didu't care either, for
70 hlm zig" was cinch lie only
waited the trumpet sound to gather
him iuio his fold.
Ignalius could serve a summons
which would cntai! despair with the
guijeuCeSuess Of a maiden plucking
May alrUers; or. when occasion re-
quiud. levy execution on mans last
assets. household chattels, with the
calm sweet look about the eyes char
acteyisic of a game cock in action.
He felt recouciIed TO the theory that
the plnishment should fit the crime,
but cared not whit if the measure
of punishment Stopped over; IN fact,
10 him it was infinitely preferable
thai ten innocent persons suffer than
! hat one real culprit escape; and no
= was innocent until he proved It..
So Vt process placed in "Ig.'s"
"a. go, ''rcgone conclusion. He
names %S'sa a. sufficient for him
coveted no qtchee, '''',''.H' ~. '''i'l
was his daily bread al, . an occasional I
moistening of his parcheO W. 0a a,,, o"5
The occasions came often, ""'OU
with a writ, he was formidable az,
gaNmg gun; uncompromising as al
mofher,iD-law bent on spending the
Wi@ttr His professional sobriquet
was cold Remorscless;" to the laity,
he was simply "IIades.'
lenatius was sitting at his desk one
winters afternoon, Illuminating on
the past, planning for the future.
Bushes had certainly been dull
not q penny turned during the week.
The Justice clerk came in.
"Three attachments; one for you,
Roper; one for Brady and one for
Levi; all against Mile Demorest, do
ing a sketch called the Magic CaskeP
AT Howard's. She keeps her ward
robe in a huge casket, the same one
that has the title role in the sketch.
Look out for that casket, You'll
have to levy on the wardrobe prob
ably; very little show at the box Of
fee. She's been playing in hard luck.
The management is against her, l
reckon they're back of the prosecu-
ton, bait that's no business of ours.
She expects to leave Cincinnati to-
night, but ! see her finish. Ten dol
lars on the side for each successful
levy. | told the plaintiffs that you
three are the whole thing; now if you
win, make good to me. OF course,
i know that this is Friday and the
18th, and that black cat crossed the
alley to-day, but bad omens don't 60,
See?"
Ignatius, ever prompt, was on hand
earlier than usual that evening.
There were two constables to be out
done. A clever ruse gained him adj
mission at the stage entrance,
"Mlle. Demorest's room?" he asked
very much as though he were very
well acquainted.
-'The first TO the right"
lgnatius raped a iat dumpy
woman appeared.
eyes, she isin, Oh, mademoiselle
caller"
I Ignatius served his writ and mad
emoiselle bowed her head demurely
but said not word though Ignatiu
could see that she was struggling t,
keep back the tears.
"Iam sure don't know what you'll
find Of value. Ny costumes, such a
4 hive, are in the casket, but j trus
~ lie AltCofmick and NOu tNill