Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-09-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
NOTHING BETTER TO DO.

nay 1rienQ Harry hunting case WAS
common one. 1t was one OF the In
Vulnerable cases OF young men in love
and with nothing on which 70 support
wife. He had not even position.
He had seen IT announced that GER
tain bank had offered a reward of $50
900 for the capture OF a man who had
perpetrated forgery upon 1t and fed.
Harry knew nothing of detective work.
but for the want OF something to do
applied for information relating TO the
case with view to taking hold of 1t.
The forger's rooms in an apartment
house had been taken possession of by
the police and were open TO inspection.
Harry sauntered around there as much
from idle curiosity as anything else
and was admitted by the person in
charge. He found everything as the
fugitive had left it even to soiled linen
on the floor. The caretaker permitted
him TO open drawers. closets and such
other places as he fancied might CON
tain some clew. though the man kept
sharp watch over him. There was
nothing that especially attracted his
attention. though he noticed from n
number of newspaper clippings in Il
paper box on an upper closet shelf that
the runaway had been addicted to
their collection. Harry obtained per-
mission to look them over at his lei
sure
They We're mainly incidents, some
of them hairbreadth escapes and the
rest on scattering subjects. One was
an account of the escape of a spy
during the civil war in woman's dress.
ANY connection between this incident
and the method Of escape chosen by
the criminal was rather forced, but
since Harry had nothing better TO do
he thought he would try TO find such
connection.
Calling on theslandlady of the apart
ment house. he had a long talk with
her. at the end of which she called TO
memory that the evening Oh which the
criminal was supposed to have left the
house she had noticed strange woman
passing through the halls. Women
were not lodged tin the house and were
not expected to come there. The land
lady had followed the intruder. who
got out before she could catch her.
She wore a dress of green cloth which
had been fashionable n few years be-
fore, the bodice covered with n fine
braid Her hatiwaS ornamented with
profusion of beads and two large
ostrich feathers. Harry went with the
landlady to the entrance of the build
ing and asked which of three possible
ways the woman had gone. The an
swer indicated the way to the nearest
railway station, only n few blocks dis
tant.
Going 10 the bank officer who had
the matter in charge. he asked a
number of questions and learned that
one of the principal clerks of the bank,
who had been inn innate with the forger.
lived In bachelor quarters at a suburb
on the railroad the woman in green
had supposedly taken.
Harry's next move was visit to the
suburb in question. Opposite the bank
clerks house was a little red brick
dwelling with green blinds. Harry
rang the bell, and il was answered by
n little pale woman with very black
eyes. Harry asked if she would rent
him n room. She declined, but when
he offered her as much per month for
one front room as she paid for the
whole house she agreed to move out of
her own room and let him move into it.
Harry kept an eye on the house OPP
posite. but. though he watched for a
week, saw nothing suspicious. Then
he laid a plan to get information from
the postman. He would listen for the
mans whistle. go TO meet him and
ask if he had any letters for him. The
man would look over the letters about
4 .Ix.ls AI II
his shoulder. This Harry did quite
often, and every time gave the man
half a dollar. Harry had specimens
Of the fugitive's handwriting and was
watching for a letter from him. One
day he saw in the postman's hands q
letter which at once attracted his at
tention. The handwriting was nothing
like the criminals, but the postmark
was that OF q small town in Canada.
That afternoon Harry paid his land
lady and took train for Canada.
On the way he studied a photograph
OF the forger, but studied more the
probable disguise he would assume
He made up his mind that, having
had good luck as woman, he would
stick to woman's dress. When Harry
reached his destination he found vii
lage of a few hundred people. On
inquiring If any strange woman had
lately come TO town he was disappoint-
ed at the negative replies. He inter
viewed the postmaster and learned that
man recently arrived at a farm in
the neighborhood was receiving letters
which were called for by the farmer
with whom he lived. Harry hired a
horse and wagon and drove TO the
farm. AS he drove up to the house
the only person visible. sitting on the
porch reading a newspaper. was the
counterpart OF the photograph in Har-
rvs pocket.
Hunted men dread every one they