The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-09-05
THE MAN WITH
A HEEL.

Copyright. 1901. by Mary McKeon.l

VI the MUSE VI 0dAOUF q Co., the
Bond street diamond merchants. fol-
a period Of fourteen years before he
was made assistant manager and given
charge of the unset stones.
For two years after he had been
given charge Of the gems James Dodd
was simply waiting. He meant to I'LL
his pockets with plumber and skip. he
was methodical and cold blooded. He
would not make the mistake SO many
others had. He would make none at
all. Step by step he prepared for the
coup. He must change his looks, his
gait and his voice. An actor taught
him the art of appearing to be ten
years older. Some one else taught
him that by holding peach stone in
his mouth he could alter the tones OF
his voice, A shoemaker made him
shoe for a deformed foot, and for
more than 300 nights he walked
the streets with it. 1t gave him
limp and a lop shoulder. He tested
these things in the severest way. In
his disguise he weRt boldly into the
store as a stranger and made pur-
chases of men who had known him for
years and years.
Three months before the affair was
ripe James Dodd had his every plan
laid. He would not fee abroad. as
others had done and been overhauled
| almost at once. He purchased a book
stand not FIVE blocks away. He pur-
chased an old house to live in. He Sc
cured a housekeeper. He had worn
his wig a hundred times. The shoe
for the deformed foot had q cavity in
the heel. The diamonds hidden away
there would always be at hand. At
closing time one day the event came
| off. Uncut and unset diamonds to the
amount Of 420, 900 were carried home
| In his pocket An hour later he had
taken possession OF his new quarters
under another name.
The diamond mystery" made a
great sensation. The house believed
in the honesty Of its employee; the po-
lice believed he had skipped. Three
or four days were lost in discussion,
and then a reward was offered and tie
sleuths let loose. They telegraphed to
| every port In the empire. They gave
notice to all the steamers that had
sailed. They had every constable in
every village on the watch. If Dodd
had committed five cold blooded muir
ders the hunt couldn't have been 1erc-
er. 1t dragged into days and weeks
and months. 1t was discussed over
and over In the press and in every
police station and barroom In the land
A young man who had lived a life
beyond reproach for fourteen years
walks out Of the house where he has
been employed and disappears from the
ken Of men. He was not even seen to
leave his boarding house that evening
No one saw him on the street. He
had not gone abroad by any sort OF
craft. He had not taken a train fol
any point within the empire. While
he was directly in charge Of the gems
the manager or either one Of the part
ners had access to them. The detec
tives figured it out that Dodd must
surely be the guilty party, but large
element of the public shook their heads
doubtfully and made comments thai
put others in embarrassing positions.
After six months the hunt was
abandoned. 1t was the general opin
ion that Dodd was dead by accident Of
suicide Meanwhile the bookstanC
fourished. It's only attendant day By
day was Mr.. Cooper, its owner. The
only one to penetrate the old house be
hind 1t was the aged housekeeper, and
she went to her own home o. nights
The public had been buying books O.
certain man for years. One day b,
dropped out of sight and q new mar
stood behind the counter. There wa
a moment Of surprise at seeing him,
question or two, perhaps, as to thu
other, and then business went on O.
usual That's the way with the pub
lie The old goes and the new comes
There were no newer or better books
There was no change in prices. Their
was nothing to call for discussion.
Detectives loafed away a quarter o
4 an hour at the stand. Employees o
the house Of Walfour s. Co. turned u
l there almost daily. All sorts Of mel
stopped there For weeks Mr.. Coope
heard his case discussed, but 1t wa
rarely that he had word to say. Sool
after the bookstand changed hands
little girl twelve years old began +
3 pass that way every day with her "a
: TIERS dinner. By and by she and MI
; Cooper began to nod and smile to eacl
9 other. Sometimes she would stop an
0 chat for a minute. and sometimes b
J handed her penny. She told her ia
Their of these things, and he wa
9 wroth, but after walking around to tn
/. stand one day and looking the ma
8 over he decided that there was n
Y harm IN him.
y A year lacking q few days had gon
d by, and 1t was midwinter again, whe
; one day as the girl passed the stan
two dogs began fighting in her pati
s Mr.. Cooper hurried out to kick theI