The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-30

done everything you could to hnd him
I've heard men like you talk before
well, I've done all I can to fnd him.
anyhow. and at the next meeting Of the
Town Council there's going to be . big e1-
pense bill to think over. too. Only ysstsss
day I spent 81 in livery hire"
what did that news amount to that come
from acknowledgements"
"Oh. they had a lost boy. all night, and
sent me his picture. but II wasn't the
squire's kid. That's the trouble about look
ing for a stray boy-you keep getting I'M
formation about hundreds OF otherS that
you amt interested in until you think
every family had lost q child II were
going to start a new business I'd 30 IN for
the absent children profit
You've got q good chance to t1y your
hand right here" the reporter declared
significantly. a. he rose from the chair and
adjusted his collar and necktie. He ala not
hold the local police In very high estfma-
ton.
i've done a. much a. you nswspapse
fellows have the Chief returned sharply.
''The trouble with your kind II that you
think you're all born Pinkertons. II you're
20 smart. why don't you find the boyr'
1T isn't my Job" was the laconic reply.
and the reporter left the shop
The disappearance Of the boy continued
to be an all absorbing topic Of conversation
for weeks. and the search was posecuted
With all the earnestness and skill that the
Sduire's money could buy. but II failed to
unravel the mystery. Finally. at the ChiefS
suggestion. the river was dragged for sew
eral miles, but nothing was found but logs
stumps and refuGe from the steamboats,
and the reporter wrote q squib in his news
paper to the effect, II told you So" As
the weeks heightened into months and nc
| Hight was thrown on the affair. the excite
ment among the townspeople naturally sub
sided. but the Squire and his wife were in
consolable.
change Of scene would relieve somewhat
| the tension Of his wife's mind and repair
her shattered health. the Squire took her
| away and began q series Of visits to seaside
| and mountain retreats
The detective agency was cautioned to
keep the case in hand and to wire tho par
| ents Immediately If any clew to the where
abouts of the boy was found.
For the Squire's friends and neighbors
the misfortune became an academic subject
| Of discussion, the town being about evenly
divided in Its opinion One side favored the
| abduction theory. while the other stuck to
the notion that the boy vas dead.
But no one ever came to tell either side
which was in the right. and the AFFAIR re-
mained a. puxziing a. during the first dsys
Of the investigation.
Hello Whitley"
The speaker was Salt Lake Lengthy,
alias the Burlington KID, and the one ad-
dressed was his quondam locker. The meet.
Ing place was An infrequently visited hang
out near Pacific Junction. on tho Missouri
River. The time was little over a year
after the ex-Prushun's emancipation day.
The man had changed very little and looked
just a. bronxcd and roadliks as when they
had last been together. The ex-Prushun had
developed into . full-nedxed hobo. and his
face and manner showed It. There were still
. few traces Of the KID in his counte-
| nance. but there was also an Independent
look. which told Only too plainly that he
had made use Of his emancipation according
to hobo customs and privileges Whitley did
not recognise him at first. and for a second
was at . loss to place him. but he soon
remembered who the young man was.
why. KID" he cried at last, standing IN
and srasping his old Prushun's outstretched
hand. where did you blow In from? I
thought you must a gone home"
Il did start home Whitley" Lengthy az
planned. taking Q seat on ios and mo-
tioning to q boy ct his side to do likewise.
"but I didn't get far. was afraid couldn't
stay"
rs that your revenge?" and Whitley
jerked his head.in the direction Of the young
boy :