The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-03-01
THE ADVERTISERS
 DAILY SHORT STORY

T called in my assistants and sum- moned the constable.
 "I have & g clew, lev said, .rn The w,ary party
 "The cO,stable was astonished. Im-
 'Nevertheiess.' said I, we will raid
 About 10 o'clock we surrounded the two-story residence of the widow. The house was dark; there was no sound within. I ranG the bell vigorously several
 ss. must tnefs ee away wss hS fGom marked to the constable.
 /" She never goes away from home' he answered.
 "So I forced in the door and the con stable and l entered with dark lanterns. The house was elegantly furnished. but we found no signs of living occupant Dust covered everything.
 She is out. I said. We VIII conceai ourselves In the bushes and watch.
 50 we hid ourselves in the yard and waited Just at day-break an aged wo- man walked up the path from the street and entered the dwelling.
 T waited a few minutes through cour- tesy. Then rang the bell. but there was no response. opened the door and ent- cred, but Widow Bartlett was not in. fled the cellar and the attic. but found no living being. The house was carefully guarded and no one could have left the place unobserved. Here was a puzzle. l called the constable.
 Didn't you see woman enter this house a few moments ago? l asked.
 Yes he replied.
 Well where is she now?' demanded. garret and followed him. I give 1t up he said: would have sworn / saw Widow Bartlett come in just now
 She is in here. then,' l said, and I'm going to find her.
 From my pocket I took a two-foot rule and measured the width of the rooms on the ground floor. It was just fifty feet from one outer wall to the other. Then I measured the second floor in the same manner. It was only forty-two feet.
 There is a hidden room in this house. I said, eight feet wide
 "on the north side of the house was a large old-fashioned chimney. extending
 Let's take a look at that chimney said the constable.
 -" Cool idea said I.
 So we went to the cellar. Set in the chimney, near its base. was large ash pan. I pulled 1t out and found an open ing large enough for 8 man to crawl through. Inside the chimney was lad der extending upward.
 It's all oyer, said to the constable. Call the boys
 When the others arrived, I started up the ladder. followed by one of my as- sistants and the constable. On the sec ond floor I found a door on the south side of the chimney. Drawing my gun I kicked the door open and sprang through 1t into a small room.
 T landed in the midst of three persons who were eating breakfast. Two were men who exactly answered the descrip- tions of those wanted. The other was the Widow Bartlett, as I believed. Scat tered about were plates. paper and par aphernalia
 We had the cuffs on them in short ord 1T. Then the Widow Bartlett let out a volIey of oaths.
 " My dear Widow said I, pardon me- And I lifted a gray wig from her head, revealing the black hair of man un- derneath
 Well" resumed the old secret service man, effectively. T captured the plates and a large quantity of bad money. but the Hamilton gang were never tried for counterfeiting. The villagers found the remains of the real Widow Bartlett buried in the cellar. and they hung my prisoners that night"