The Jasper news., 1907-03-29
CHAPTER VII.

WdnC you 10 explain yourself, anu
mighty quick. You can't come into
my presence in this manner"
Bah! You have just permitted the
cleverest rascal in the state to slip
through your butter-fngers. I am Hag-
gerty."
The chief of police sat down sud
denly
The consummate daring of it! Why
the rascal ought to have been in com.
mand of an army. On the Board OF
Strategy he would have been incom-
parable!
There followed a tableau that I
shall not soon forget. We all stared
at the real Haggerty much after the
fashion Of Medusa's victims. Present.
ly the tension relaxed, and we all
sighed. sighed because the thought
of Jail for the night in a dress-suit
dwindled in perspective; the girl
sighed for the same reason and one or
two other things; the chief of the vii.
lage police and his officers sighed be-
cause darkness had suddenly swooped
down on them; and Hamilton sighed
because there were no gems. Hag.
gerty was the one among us who
didn't sigh. He scowled blackly.
This big athlete looked like de-
tective, and the abrupt authority of
his tones convinced me that he was.
Haggerty was celebrated in the annals
of police affairs; he had handled all
sorts of criminals, from titled i'm
posters down to petty thieves. He
was not a man to trifle with, mentally
or physically, and for this reason we
were all shaking in our boots. He
owned to keen but brutal wit; to
him there was no such thing as sex
among criminals, and he had the te-
nacity of purpose that has given the
bulldog considerable note in the pit
But it was quite plain that for once
he had met his match.
II don't see how you can blame me-"
mumbled the chief None of us was
familiar with your looks, and he
showed us his star of authority, and
went to work in business-like way
By George! and he has run away with
my horse and rriage!"-starting
from his chair.
"Never mind the horse. You'll find
1t safe at the railway station" snarled
Haggerty. Now, then, tell me every.
thing that has happened, from be-
ginning to end"
And the chief recounted the adven.
ture briefly. Haggerty looked coldly
at me and shrugged his broad Shout
ders. AS for the girl, he never gave
her so much as single glance. He
knew a gentlewoman without looking
at her twice.
"Humph! Isn't he clever one,
thought" cried Haggerty, in a burst
of admiration. Clever is no name
for it. I'd give year of my life to
come face to face with him. 1t would be
an interesting encounter. Hunted him
for weeks, and today laid eyes on him
for the first time. Had my clumsy
paws on him this very afternoon. He
seemed SO willing to be locked uI
that grew careless. Biff! and he and
his accomplish, an erstwhile valet, had
into the clothes-press: Took my star
credentials, playing-card, and invita-
ton. 1t was near eleven o'clock wher
reused the housekeeper. tele
graphed two hours ago."
"Telegraphed!" exclaimed the chief
rousing himself out of a melancholy
dream. (There would be no mentor
of him in the morrow's papers.)
Eyes, telegraphed. The despatch
lay unopened on your office-desk
You're a good watchdog-for a hen
coop!" growled Haggerty. Ten thou
sand in gems tonight, and by thi,
time he is safe in New York. You are
all pack of blockheads.
Used the telephone, did he? Toll
you to hold these innocent persons til
he went somewhere to land the &C
complete, Ell? The whistle of tn,
train meant nothing to you. Well
that whistle ought to have told yol
that there might be a mistake.
good officer never quits his prisoners
If there is an accomplice in tolls else
where, he makes them bring him in
he does not go out for him. Ant
now I've got to start all over again
and he in New York, bigger cata
comb than Rome ever boosted OF. He'i
not common thief; nobody knows
who he is or what his haunts are
But 1 have seen his face; I'll neye
forget him"
The chief tore his hair. while hi
subordinates shuffied their feet I'm
-o.kl,, nrIap thou oil ,taa a.