Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1905-10-19
The Prina
Donna'S .JewelS

"T HE meanest man ever saw
said Spike McGunn, Of Detroit,
who used to be a swell hotel sneak,
was a mug l falls in on in a room in
the Palace hotel, San Francisco.
II studied the makeup of the hall
mems platoon in that house for a week
or ten days, watching for of duty ones,
before got a chance to do anything.
Then the third floor front mailman
turned up missing one afternoon.
S'pose he was sick or on drunk, or
something like that.
Il figured that they couldn't get an
other mailman to take his place before
the next morning, and so decided to do
a little business along the line OF the
third floor front right quick. l hap
pened to know that there was some
good people located in that part Of the
house. and l took rubber at the key
rack and found that lot Of them were
out, their keys being pigeonholed.
"All l had to do was to take the front
elevator, ride up to the third floor, step
off. and the third front hall was mine
for operations. / went up, and there
was no third floor front mailman. 1t
looked too easy.
"'This is like cunning souse, /
thought, as l gumshoed down the hall
in the direction of a certain suite Of
rooms that had in mind-a prima
donna's suite.
"The number of the entrance door 10
this suite was g. It was kind o.
shadowy down that way, and I'm bit
nearsighted anyway, and so instead OF
getting a hold of the knob Of No. &c
door-feeling of my bunch of skeletons
with the other hand--what do do but
give the quiet twist on the handle OF
No. sc.
THE door was not locked, and knew
right off that somebody was inside the
room. l was all ready with my Beg
pardon-made a mistake, when l
heard Come in given out by some guy
with deep bass voice.
"Well, it was up to me, and in l
stepped. 1t was a handsome room, and
over by one of the windows big, good
looking duck was standing in his shirt
sleeves in front of small hand glass
shaving himself.
HE didn't turn around at all as en-
tered, but l felt that he was piping me
off, all the same, in that little shaving
/ ~1ono III xr,opk xfOhf On c0ra MING hia
map, though.
"T'll have to ask you to excuse me,
began, standing up straight and throw
ing out the Sandow chest for bluff.
The twists and turns in this
1.-The bloke lowers his razor and
wheels around and hands me the win
some smile.
"'Cut that, PAL says he, wiselike.
Don't pass me that kind
"What do you mean p I asked him.
ct looked from his style that he was
on the get, himself, but didn't intend
to be baited into any trap with my
lamps open.
HE stood grinning at me.
"'Guess you were after the singstress'
stuff, hey, Bud?' says he to me, and in
the dark you got mixed on tie rooms?
Well, she's out, all right, and SOS her
maid. I'd ha' gone after her gear myself
but that kind o. works bit out o. my
line. and I'm some clumsy at it. Sill
down. She's singing at matinee, and
you've got plenty o. time. Much doin'P
We'll this looked pretty much like
he was a member of the craft in some
branch or other of it. He had the pattel
down all straight enough.
Moreover, his grayish hair was
clipped right short, and it struck me thai
he might be a lag who'd just finished
stretch over the road, so that his hemp
hadn't had time to shoot out to the right
length for such good locker. But
didn't propose to nibble until had his
game copied dead to the right.
"Look here, my friend says l, do
ing a heavy I'm-nct-wise gag, what the
deuce are you talking about?'
"Well, sir, he just threw his head bach
and hollered.
you've got your business down y
pat, pail says he when he's able to tall
through his chuckling. But don't make
me giggle. I've got the earache. JUS
flag that parson end of it and deal from
the middle or bottom. You're working
the halls. Well, that's not my lay, blu
every man to his own graft. Have
bal?
lie went over to the dresser, picket