Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-02-07
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Man Who Has My Name
IOriEinal1

am real estate agent. In the city
in which Illivc is man of the same
name. Myt name is Edward Arthur
Mills. Theiother fellows name is Ed
ward AlleniAIills. He is disreputable
character, always getting into trouble,
and, astwe are both known as e. A.
Mills, l., being the better known, usJ-
ally get the credit for his misdeeds.
His father many years ago was proml-
nent and was presented with a silver
service. The son pawned it, and it
was soon reported that my fathers
testimonial was to be seen in the win
dow of n pawnshop. This alone cost
me hosts of friends. The only business
Mr.. Edward Allen Mills Followed was
that of detective, at which he was very
expert. Being dishonest himself, he
knew how to track dishonesty.
One afternoon messenger came into
my office with q note for E. a. Mills.
which l opened. 1t read:
Call at once at the BingIey hotel
z. Y. BROWN.
I knew the man to be a large real es-
tate operator in a neighboring city and
hoped for an important order. Going
to the hotei, 1 found Mr.. Brown, who,
upon learning that 1 was Mr.. Mills,
told me that during the preceding
night his room had been entered and
he had been robbed of $1,000 in bills
which he had with him to make a ten
der for a piece of property he claimed
%
that it had not been sold.
Mr.. Brown was Il steady talker who
would permit of no interruption and
insisted on giving me all the facts be-
fore 1 could get in n word. BY that
time concluded to let him remain for
awhile in ignorance of my true voca-
ton, trusting that his mistake might
turn out to be of some advantage to
me. 1t was near 6 o'clock when 1
called, and he invited me to go down to
dinner with him, when he would have
plenty of time to give me the facts. It
was plain to me that 1 was supposed
to be Mills the detective instead of
Mills the real estate dealer. l resolved
to take advantage of the mistake to get
me by Mr.. Mills unenviable reputation
by eating a goodidinner meant for him.
Mr.. Brown was an epicure and set
before me n feast with plenty of wine
The consequence. was that before we
had finished L had drunk my share of
two bottles of champagne. Wine
makes me stupid and sleepy, and
asked my hosts permission to go up to
his room and lie down. He told me to
do so and said he would be up present
" himself. He gave me his key, which
inserted in the door. but found that it
had not been locked. 1 went in, felt
my way in the dark to one of two beds
in the room and, being somewhat lab
sentminded," took off my clothes and
went to bed.
Suddenly 1 was awakened by some
one in the room. 1 expected to see Mr..
Brown light the gas, but instead it
was lighted by a woman. Her back
being turned to me, had time to slip
out of and under the bed. From my
! hiding place l saw the woman take out
large bundle of bills, count them and
place them under her pillow. Then
she went to a door leading to an ad-
joining room. turned the knob stealth
lily and listened. Finally she turned out
the gas and got into the other bed.
which, fortunately for me, was farthest
| from the door.
1t was plain to me that had got into
the wrong room, which, suspected, was
| the one next to Mr.. Browns. If So
this woman was the thief and had OBJ
tanned access to his room through the
| intervening door. Waiting till L heard
her snore, L stealthiIy gathered up my
clothes and, crawling to the door, un.
locked it and went out Just as did
| so the night Waterman came along ard
| seeing me stealing out of Il room I'M
| dressed, took me in charge. However
1 succeeded in getting him to let me
prove the story told him, and after
dressing I went downstairs with him.
| The room 1 had slept in was found to
be next to Mr.. Browns, and, calling for
the police, we made the raid.
The woman told q very straight story,
which of course convinced no one, and
she was ordered to dress and come
along, but before we left the hotel the
proprietor was called up and identified
her as one of the most respectable pa
irons of the house. Then the bills were
examined and found to be no more than
necessary for her travelling expenses.
The result was that she was permitted
to go back to bed after receiving hum
BILE apology. and was taken to the sta
ton and locked up.
Words cannot describe the horror of
that night in a CELL A drunken prison,
er was brought in fighting, woman
screaming. While these people were
making night hideous without my cell
the rats were scurrying about within.
Fortunately 1 had not been imprisoned
till 2 o'clock in the morning, so the
night was short. and when brought up
for examination in the morning L found
no difficulty in proving my identity as
a prominent real estate man and was
discharged with a warning from the