Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-09

began 10 grow linen he started In to md
out all he could about Ellington OKsefe.
Day after day he logged the latter's foot
steps, followed him here, there and every
where; made mental note of all his
naunts ana haplts. For Constitutional
Smith was nothing if not systematic and
businesS-like. .t-E
Time went on apace, and with 1t grew
the beard. Somewhere on the continent
several of the most astute detectives were
securing city after city, with a view to lay
ing hands on Mr.. Constitutional Smith And
the trail was getting hot and hotter as they
went.
denizens of the underworld the whole earth
over. Constitutional Smith was not proud
He was New Yorker with an enviable
record. but he was willing to believe that
there were some of 4 fair sort in the city
of Monroe.
One day in an obscure part of the town.
In an obscure grog shop, Constitutional
Smith sat in back room holding con-
fabulation with two of the citizens of Mon
roe. The names of these two gentlemen are
immaterial. 1t is enough to say that they
usually worked together, and that the Won
derful art of photography had enabled them
to be known and recognized in one of the
more famous picture galleries in Monroe as
No. 800 and No. 400.
Now" said Mr.. Constitutional Smith to
these gentlemen, now you know who l
am, and that l mean business, and that L
can swing anything 1 undertake. You I'M
derstand the whole scheme and just what
there IS in it for you? Is that right?
They nodded in unison You see, went
on Mr.. Smith. there can't be the least
danger. Nobody in Monroe knows me, and
if I'm showed aboard a vessel nobody Will
be the wiser. In the meantime everybody
will be passing this Klondike king on the
street here, and bowling and scraping to
him" He grinned he said 1t. SO he
certainly won't be missed. Nobody Will
be missed. That Is. excepting me- And
nobody, as l said, will miss me, except the
plain clothes gang from the east. And
"a
And if it's all right say so and we'll put
her through
Nos 800 and 400 indicated. with an assur-
ing flow of words, that the whole thing was
to their liking. So Mr.. Smith whispered
into their respective ears the details of the
whole thing, presented each with a crisp
bill as a token of his earnestness of pur-
pose, and left them to their own devices
Two nights later Mr.. Ellington y heele
having been summoned to distant part OF
town by note purporting to come ron ron
one of his many friends, left his spacious
house, where he lived bachelor, and
struck out for his destination. HIS course
lay through some poorly lighted streets. Oh
one of these streets an old shed.
In front of this old shed, on that memoir
able evening, something happened, anu
happened in the tWnkling of an eye.
Just as Okeefe reached it sometnlng
long and strong and powerful shot out lh'o
the air. This something smote Blllinstoh
OKeefe just behind the ear. At that IN,
slant for Ellington O'Keefe, the world
went out in darkness. He fell down IKE
dog, and where he fell down there ne lay
Something had struck him, and that
something was nothing less than the terri
BILE right" of Mr.. Constitutional Smith.
The rest was easy. Mr.. Smith dragged
into the shed the unconscious hguEe Oh
Ellington O'Keefe. Once inside, he mols-
tened q small rag with something tnat
smelt sweet and heavy upon the evening
air and held it for some moments upon the
nose and mouth of Ellington Okeefe
with considerable raDi1itV. and In
a very business-like way, Constitutional
transformed the shed into dressing room:
For he was not only a strong-arm man and
a swindier, too; he was lightning chanse
artist in the bargain.
Across the street two young men with
numbers, that did quite as well as names
sat in a dark alleyway. They We're waiting
for a low whistle. In a short time they
heard it. They emerged from the dark
alleyway, looked carefully up and down the
narrow street, and then glded noiselessly
across. They entered the little shed.
As they did so a man standing In the
center of the floor showed a Eight for
brief space of time.
Holy gee! they exclaimed under their
breaths as they looked upon him. Who'd
although it?" The man who held the light
smiled good naturally.
Then he frowned and pointed to the figure
on the floor. There am" he said, right
as trivet. I'm not likely to wake up till
morning. but you can take the rag and the
dope along with you for prudence sake.
Now call your little old cab out there. and
bundle me in and take me down to the
wharves and dump me into any outward
bound old hulk that's goin' to sail at once.
He pulled out a couple more bills. This
now he said, ''and the rest when the
things all done"
He waved his hand after the manner of
Ellington OKeefe, carefully adjusted his
watch chain about his neck, cautiously
opened the door to the little shetland
strolled away.
At the corner of the street he paused just
long enough to see a shabby fly draw up
to the curb and to see two figures step In
side with a heavy burden swung between
them. Then, with a heavy load lifted from
his mind and conscience, he swung on up
the street.
If he had an appointment with a friend
that night he may have kept it, and he
NAV not: but certain 1t is that at about
half-past that night he passed up through
the brilliantly lighted main thoroughfare
of the city of Monroe. bowling right and
left to many people on his way toward his
home. Certain it is that once he reached
the house he swung up the steps with an
air of certainty, adjusted the Key INTO lts
proper hole, nodded to his housekeeper In
side-and then passed on up to the den and
smoking room of Ellington O'keefe. There
was lust one man in the whole world who
could have done these things with certain
ty; just one man who could have arranged
everything beforehand as 1t had been ar
ranged-and that man was none other than
this man.
stuck his head out of the window and adj
dressed the driver.
Now, Billy" he said. drive like fire to
YOU know where" You know where" was
a long distance off. 1t was matter of miles
Finally the old wheels of the fly went clat-
| tering over the loose boards of superan-
nuated dock-almost the last dock in the
| vicinity Once more No. 1893 stuck out his
head There she is he said, making out
| at the end of the pier through the thin fog
| the haZy outlines of saller. Drive to the
| forward gangway, Billy That's the ticket
| Now
The cab came to a stop. One Of the two
| gave vent to a low whistle. He was an
| swered from the deck of the vessel.
| You. Jenks?" asked the cabman.
"Me, all right" answered the man on the
| boat. ~
| well. here's how answered No. 400,
half dragging the figure Of a man from
| the cab. "We've got him right and tight.
jerks. and he's your meat and the Sally
Mays to boot
| The man they called jerks leaped to the
dock, fetching a lantern with him AS he
| reached them he paused, stretched his legs
| wide apart and viewed the figure at their
| feet with the air of connoisseur. Then
| with one foot he felt of it.
Hell do, / guess. He's got bit too
l Ill t1nt