Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-10
Written for The Star.

Written for The Star.
Curiously enough, the brothers Hart were
special agents-but then, also, they were
triplets
Dave Hart owed allegiance to the Great
Western John, who could boast of being
Dawes junior by a good half hour, with
monthly regularity drew an envelope from
the Atlantic Central. Jimmy, so-called
originally because he was the kid of the
combination, automatically strove to make
his services appear valuable to the c. and
n. O-short for Chicago and New Orleans.
Shortly before they had become special
agents within few months of one another,
they had been municipal policemen. For
mer policemen who can show fair intellf-
gence combined with detective ability, and
prove their good character, are favored of
railroads as special agents. Every good
policeman knows this, and makes minute
of the fact for possible future use. What
more natural for the Hart boys, when they
found themselves no longer members of
the force" than to seek and find employ
ment with the railroads, as already set
forth? Natural particularly in the light of
the monotonous sameness with which each
had lived and worked away thirty odd years
of his life. Call it coincidence, if you will; ;
the brothers and their friends had long
ceased to exclaim at their parallel existence.
They had come to look upon it as sort of
subtle punishment for daring to be triplets.
Varied Assignments.
At any rate, here was Dave Hart, sum-
moned before the chief special agent of the
Great Western, bright and early on the
same morning that John and Jimmy had
been called into the presence of their re-
spective chiefs.
Dave" said the c. s. a., with suppressed
excitement, there's been a hold-up in the
cut this side of F'lathead-you know the
Ia1 off ii inn
on No Z and they got more than we care to
lei the public know about. The sheriff and
his posse are securing the country, but l
want you to get out there and see if we
can't get results this time
John" said his c. S. A, with the drawl
Of a man telling old tale for the nun
dredth time heres a fellow who claims
that his right side was paralyzed by his
being thrown violently about in one of our
trains. He's put in a heavy claim for dam
ages-entered suit, in fact. There's every
reason, so far as I've been able to ascertain,
to set him down as a faker. Get after him
good and hard. This taking business is get
ting so prevalent that we want to make an
example of the next fellow caught al it."
Jimmy" said his c. S. A, with the pa
troniZingly superior tone of man who feels
his responsibility, Il have-ah--been watch
ing your work lately, and I-ah-have de-
cided to assign you to our terminal, in the
hope that you'll be able to nab the fellow
who has been picking pockets there-ah.''
Adventure With College Boys.
Dawes first move was to interview the
members of the train crew held up, and
the passengers, when the train pulled into
the station. John went straight from the
official presence to loaf about the house
of the suspected faker. Jmmy's first work
in his new position was to stroll leisurely
down the platform when he saw No. 1.-the
Pacific express, popularity called-looming up
n he q and n raj
Though he had never before worked
around the terminal, he was, neyerthe-
less, acquainted with all the trainmen run
ming into and out of 1t. Therefore, it did
not surprise him in the least to catch sight
of 14's conductor motioning to him as the
train was gently sliding to stop.
Jimmy was by the little cars side in a
jiffy.
''Well?" he queried; and got this reply:
''Tl point 'em out they step off. Three
college chaps raided the dining car silver
supply for souvenirs, and laughed at US
when we asked 'em to shell out. There
they are now" and the conductor indicated
two cars down.
Jimmy confronted the hilarious group,
whose pockets had failed to hide all the
souvenirs"
We'll, boys" he said. politely, don't