The evening world., 1903-01-16

DO you think he swallowed the calcium tank7
From Layt By The Limit"
Gfsten, 70 students Of Gaboriau and
gheFsock Holmes; hearken, ye lovers OF
. p1Ublem stories. and when the facts Of
THIS strange mystery are laid before you.
tell the police and Frank McManus what
actually happened. At present the story
savors OF Arabia.
II IL not the mystery oil a hanson cab.
but OF a junk wagon which sailed along
Mghth avenue in search of bargains in
u Iron. Frank McManus was driver
and boss.
Frank had his eye on a pile OF old iron
ak the Circle Theatre. Thtther he
steered the old skate which drew the
junk wagon At the theatre he made a
hne bargain, and left with a big pile Of
the precious rusty stuff.
Felt 1t in His Bones.
Frank drove up Amsterdam avenue
At No. 40 he brought the old skate to
Q standstill. Something told McManus
something was going to happen. Some
strange instinct prompted him to look
among the old iron. He did so, and
found an elongated, i~ron-plated sort OF
thing, shaped like a cigar.
McManus scraped some mud of the
biz iron cigar and discovered that It
was a calcium tank, such rs is used in
theatres. The iron was quite good, and
the junk dealer congratulated himself
On MIS- luck.
Frank looked up and noticed O three
year-old boy standing beside the junk
wagon on the sidewalk. At that moment
1EnManns was engaged in screwihg the
top or the calcium tank.
Hold, Gentle Reader!
Don't stop reading. please. This ia
where the mystery begins to grow as
thick as syrup.
The little boy was singing and laugh
ing. Frank was trying to get the top
or the tank.
Something exploded with q fearful
crash, and q cloud of dust made affairs
more mysterious than ever. McManus
Selt sure has was blown to atoms. He
bad also an idea that the little boy was
somewhere up around the Palicades. In
0dentally the old skate dldn't bulge at
the fearful explosion.
When the dust-Frank doesn't think
1t was smoke, but ''ghostly vapor"-
cleared away. McManus found he had
escaped without injury. His hands.
even, were not burned.
"The Boy! oh, Where Was Hef"
There were no signs OF combustion OF
explosion in the junk wagon. On tho
ddewaig stood the little boy with .
queer look on his face.
Gee whiz!" cried Frank, did a bit
of iron hit your" But the little boy did
% answer. only looked.
People had heard the big explosion
and q crowd gathered. Policeman
Brown, Of the Sixty-eighth street sta
tion, came along and demanded an ex-
PLANTATION.
MoManus could only scratch his head
and humble something about ''some-
thing doing, b'gee!'
He managed to say. however, that no
thought q gas tank had exploded In the
funk wagon and that the little boy might
have been hit.
: "Was LIST Lost EtvasW
A window on the third floor Of No. Ito
dew UP and some one cried:
.'Why, it's my little Hyman!"
Then little Lyman Abrams father
came and took the boy in his arms.
Ibid anything hit you. sonny?'
Little Lyman said nothing - only
looked queer.
There ought to be bits Of that iron
tank around" said one OF the crowd.
..If the boy Is hurt. there SHOULD be
some marks on him." said another.
Had Hymnn Held His n
A search was made for the fragments
Of the calcium tank. A vain search
was also made for wounds on the boys
body. There vas not a fragment, not a
scratch; In fact. there was nothing 10
,how that anything had happened ex-
sept the fact Of there being a crowa
md also that little Lyman mad sud-
denly become dumb.
then said obviously to the
With his prisoner, McManus. and the
father Of the injured" boy as witness,
Brown entered the West SADIE Court an
.sWeil2" asked Magistrate Mayo.
Mystery of Mysteries.
, Tue oficer scratched his head;
"There's a mystery here Your Honor
he said at length.
Isl don't know exactly; something
.'Somethin' busted" said the prisoner
WAS n one hurtH'' asked the Judge.
-. ..w don't I s1SSsS replied Brown
sci think 1t was the junk wagon re-
piled the prisoner. "It was full or old
IRON"
I"Where did the bits go tor.
That's the mystery said the oficer,
s-There was this mans little boy stand
ing beside the wagon when the thing
happened. Now he can't talk"
Problem for the Judge.
FOR n moment the Judge looked as II
ne wanted 10 send the lot 10 Bellevue
Insane Pavilion. Then he wiped his
Npeetaelss inonSht fby and said;
rol d until tomorrow. ofhcer. nnd out
what happened"
I1ne oficeE walked out OF court with
NcManus- The junk dealer scratched