Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1902-12-13
SERVING A SUMMONS.

in a downtown law office. Talk about
troubles, did you ever serve a summons
No? Neither did /. But one morning
the managing clerk said to me:
: Ever serve a summons
NO said /.
cts easy said be. Here take this,
and give to the MIR. Jones mentioned. You
must be able to swear you gave it to the
right man, though
IAN right | answered. So / put the
ummon in my pocket and started. The
Mr.. Jones in question had an Office on the
East side about an hours ride from the law
office. His house is nearby, and he Is con
tractor for SOME work in a suburb, we1l
call Goshbink, about Is miles from any
where. ] didn't know that then.
That day | thought I'd find him inn
mediately. / went to his office, where
was told that he was out. They didn't
know when he'd be in, so | went to his
house. Out / was told by one Of these
colored persons who give you apprehen-
hons lest they revert to their original state
Of savageness at any time. So | went back
downtown.
"About one o'clock | went again. At
his office, Out AT his home, Out. No
body knew where he was. I'd been told
not to let him know what | wanted SO l
refused 10 tell, and his clerks grew sus-
picious Of me. | went downtown, and
after dinner tried again. Mr.. Jones was
out and hadn't been home to dinner. l
waited until nine o'clock on his doorstep
and then left.
Next morning | was at Jones's house
at half past seven. He was out; nobody
knew where. At his office they hadn't
seen him. BY this time everybody grlnned
when they saw me, even the eb~ony-haired
savage. | sat down in his office and waited
for two hours. Finally a clerk said:
Here's Mr.. Jones on the phone, now
Il grabbed a receiver and a voice said:
Hello, who are you"
My name's-
HIN, what do you wanty'
"fSee you about business personally
"Then Mr.. Jones became very curious
about my business. Finally in desperation
! said, IN come now if you'll tell me where
you are. Wait for me-
"tAll right. Pm in Goshbink looking
after some contracting, he answered.
al jumped on a car and rode TO the end
Of the road. Then l took a trolley and rode
some more, walked two miles and found
ny eSfl az pdAb u OLt oSlphs ehiNh
was three miles in length. To get to part
of it | had 10 cross a railroad trestle ten
feet high, over water, with the ties about
two feet apart.
II went to two offices in shanties,
climbed around rocks, walked the t~restle,
which was quarter of a mile long, and
learned that Jones hadn't been at Gosh
blink all day. Then | began to smell a rat.
/ walked the three miles of excavation
carefully, though, aud then went back to
his house.
Mr.. Jones is in Goshbink,' l was told.
by that time l was guessing, 30 | retired
TO a neighboring drug store and bribed a
small boy there to go around and see
Wheeler Jones was at home. No. he'd gone
out of town, they told him.
IL got Il sandwich and came along by his
house eating it. just then a man came
down the steps, so l braced up and said:
DO you know a Mr.. Jones'
Why, yes. I'm your man. he replied.
Mr.. Clark Jones?' l asked, elated at
my approaching triumph.
"'Oh, 40, he's my brother. You'll find
him in at about eight O'clock he said.
"Cursing Jones and everything connected
with him, back to the drug store | went.
At eight o'clock | sailed forth.
Mr.. Jones went out of town tonight
the savage said.
SIS he a tall man, black hair and mus
tachs? ! asked, and she said be was, l
went home swearing mad, for / thought
that Jones was the man who came down
the steps.
Il dreamed of Jones that night and a
sign with that name on it made me rage.
Next day was Sunday. You can't serve
a man on Sunday, so l was thankful. Mon
day morning at the office the head OF The
firm asked if I'd served Jones.
"'No. l answered, he's out Of town,
they say
well, get him. That's your job /
was told. So i started ont again.
There was nothing doing at his office
or at his house. Then l went to Goshbink
0gajn and walked the excavation. From
everybody who knew Jones / gathered
descriptions of him. At noon | sat on p
fence and turned things over IN my mind.
Seven people had gwen me seven different
descriptions, | scanned every face / met,
and Intercepted four cops, two saloon.
keepers, one druggist, two station agents.,
two gatekeepers and one boy. None of
them had seen Jones
Next day / went straight to Goshbink,
Ny faithful allies hadn't seen him. / tele-
phonsd, you understand, to his office reg
ularly. One old foreman told me Jones
aad been there that morning, but / didn't
really believe him. However, l walked the
three miles of excavation and the ~trestle.
and after having dinner in the back Of a
saloon with a number Of the great I'M
washCd, left for Jones's house again.
HE was out, Of course, / thought Of
buying false whiskers and Disgusting my
Felf, but this Sherlock Holmes business
didn't appeal to me. l chased around to
his club, but they hadn't seen him for days.
Next morning | reached the Jones house
at 1880. He was out, so l walked up and
down the block. An hour or so later
saw ole Of Jones's clerks across the street.
! went over and asked automatically for
Mr.. jones.
Sag, what do you want him for? he
asked.
Thea l told him. / was tired of the
hide-ani-seek game by that time. He said
he'd tell Mr.. Jones and telephone me on
appointment. This wasn't very s~atisfac-