Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-21
DAILY SHORT STORY
THEIR WEDDING CARD.

IOriginaLl
II once Lad a case" said the consta-
Bile, that was unique. I was called
upon TO arrest Frank Hickox. steeple-
jack
The listeners laughed and declared
that the finish of the story was plain
enough. The steeplejack climbed a
spire and thus avoided arrest.
Not at ALL the constable proceeded.
Anthony Carver Il small merchant,
had missed articles from his store and
purported 10 have found some of them
in Hickox's room. He had sworn out
the warrant on which / was TO make
the arrest. Before l could get my fin
gers on the young man lie had either
left the place or gone into hiding. l
had conference with Carver, who was
very bitter against the steeplejack. He
admitted that the young man had often
been at his house and had accepted of
his hospitality. Carver gave that as a
reason for his having turned SO mSrci-
lessly against HickoX. Indeed he Of
fered me 500 In case l succeeded in
making the arrest
l hunted the town high and low. but
if the steepleiack was in ii l couldn't
find out where he was concealed The
next day | heard of him in Paramount
and. telegraphing the police to hold
him. took train TO go there. When I
reached the place the police reported
that they had been too late, but had in-
formation that HickOX had taken q
train for the junction. ten miles dis
tant. | went there. but he had gone on.
After spending a day following him
from one point to another without get
ting any nearer To- him l suspected his
pals We're misleading me. l returned
to my starting point, called on Mr..
Carver and reported my i'll success.
His daughter. II young woman of TWEEN
ty-One, was in the room at the time
She listened TO my account somewhat
contemptuouSly and when 1 got
through said snappislly:
Il saw him in Buckthorne yester-
day"
You? Saw him? How did that hap
pen2"
Il went over there TO visit friend"
I looked Mt the girls father inquir-
ingly. but he made no comment on his
VA III AANtA - AAiAOA illdAlOii
why didn't you call a policeman"
l asked, and have the fellow held?'
I'm the first place, there was no pO-
liceman about. and, in the second, l
wouldn't know what rights l have in
such case And, turning on her
heel she whisked out of the room.
Had il not been for the reward of !
fered l would have given up the job |
1t seemed 70 me that the members of
the family had some grudCe against
the steeplejack and wished to get
him in limbo However. a hundred dol |
lars was not to be made every day, and |
early the next morning I went over to !
Buckthorne. | had telephOned the po- |
lice of that town among others TO keep |
a sharp lookout for my man and on ar
irving went to the police office to score !
them for not getting him. They had |
kept watch of incoming and outgoing |
trains and We're sure the accused had |
not either arrived or departed. Since |
they were especially sure that he had |
not departed I remained in the town |
all day. expecting that he was there !
and would show himself. But he |
didn't and that night l went back |
home discouraged. l arrived after |
when the town was asleep. |
Happening to east my eye up at the |
spire of st. Marks church, near my |
home. l thought | saw something white |
ut the very apex. l was a good deal |
puzzled. for,I had never seen anything |
up there Differentiated. nobody had |
been there SO far as l knew, since the |
church was built. | was so interested |
that for the dime being l forgot my Ill |
success in arresting Hickox. However. |
since it was too dark for me to make |
out the curious thing, there was moth
ing for me TO do but wait for daylight, |
so I went home and to bed.
The next morning on going to the /
window l noticed q knot of people |
opposite the church. They |
were all peering up at the spire. some
II them with field glasses. l saw
nan lower his glass and laugh. He
handed il to another. who looked up |
md also laughed. Some appeared TO be
lstonished and serious. but nearly ev-
Try one laughed. Burning to get at a
solution OF the mystery, l dressed hur-
'iedly and, seizing n field glass, ran
downstairs and across to where l could
,ce the church. There. dashed to the
cry summit of the spire. was an OBJ
ong. white. signlike looking thing
iwayinS in the wind. There were let
ers on it. and, raising my field glass,
cad: