Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-10-07
CHEEKY Mr.. Sinclair.
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but a boy, and I'm forty"
Rats! Forty! You may be a few
years older than l am, but you're ten
or twelve years this side Of forty, and
it wouldn't make any difference to me
If you were fifty. AS soon as / saw
you / knew you were just the woman
for me"
The man was Algernon Sinclair, a
youngster Of twenty-five. He had
known Miss Gibson only fortnight.
but had been very persistent in his at
tentions during that time. He had APP
peared one morning at the door of her
fat and asked for Miss Gibson Il
am Miss Gibson" You're not the
Miss Gibson I'm looking for. She's a
red headed, freckled faced person, while
you-well, you're simply beautiful"
Miss Gibson snickered and asked the
good natured, CHEEKY young fellow to
step in-perhaps she could help him
in his search. He did step in and was
in no hurry to step out. From that
time forward he was devoted to Miss
Clementina Gibson.
"Tickets to the theater tonight" he
said one afternoon. Got box
Well be right In among the swells,
and you'll have to wear your best
clothes. Put on what jewelry you
have. Any diamonds? No? Well, I
think l see my way clear to get you
some before long If deal l have on
hand goes through Pearls? Oh, a
brooch set with pearls. Wear it with
out fail"
The young man ratified on in his
funny way, quite delighting the elder
~ lady, who had caught his fancy.
When he called for her in the evening
and saw her attired in a pearl silk
dress he held up his hands In admira-
ton. The brooch he pronounced "a
daisy" lone, two, three, four, five,
six, seven-seven pearls, and that big
one in the center is a hummer. I'm
not going to be ashamed Of my girl to-
night, you bet. Come on"
Whenever Mr. Sinclair took Miss
Gibson out he manifested this same
and on occasions appropriate for jew
elry he begged her to produce some
new ornament that she had not worn
before. But Miss Gibson was not in
clined to wear her best gowns in pub
lie, though she was not disposed to
have Mr.. Sinclair think she hadn't
fine gowns, and finally when he bet
her a dozen pairs of gloves that she
couldn't show half a dozen really first
class dresses she brought out the half
dozen and said she could ''go two bet
ter" Sinclair looked at them, lost In
admiration. and the next day paid the
bet.
One day he wrote her note to say
that he would call in the afternoon to
take her to ride in an automobile,
and wouldn't she wear that dress with
the green fgure-"snakes and turtles
on a jamboreeY Miss Gibson laughed
at his description and put on the dress
indicated. Mr.. Sinclair called at the
hour appointed with beautiful ma
chine, which he drove himself, and
they sailed out into the country. Dur
ing the ride a man ahead with a cam
era waved his hat. Sinclair slowed
up.
HE wants to take our picture" he
said. Lets have one."
"No, no; we don't want picture"
Eyes; we do. Fire away, Mr.. Pho
tographer."
There was click, and the picture
was taken.
The next day there was a ring at
Miss Gibson's door. She opened 1t and
there stood Mr.. Sinclair and another
man with a warrant for her arrest.
She cast an astonished look at Sinclair
and turned pale.
"WhO and what are you anyway
Robert Williams, detective"
Mr.. Williams, recently pretended
lover, now only paid hireling Of a
wealthy lady who had been robbed by
her housekeeper, proceeded to ransack
his ladylOve's premises with no more
evidence of feeling than If he had been
a savage burying a tomahawk In her
brain. The photograph Of the dress
with the figure Of Snakes and turtles
on a jamboree" had been sent to her
employer, who had identified the dress
as one of her own. Mr.. williams
found the fat filled with stolen prop
erty, all Of which belonged to the rich
lady in question. The brooch with
seven pearls was in list of jewels he
possessed lost by his client, and every
one Of the half dozen dresses that had
won the bet was on list of missing
gowns.
The detective had been given the
preface to this little story book, which
was thus: Miss Gibson, housekeeper
for Mrs. Bickford, had quarreled with
her employer and had left her service
vowing vengeance. Some time after
her departure the house was entered
when the owner was away and large
quantity of property taken. Consider
Ing Miss Gibson's threat Mrs. Bick-
ford suspected that she had given the
information that led to the robbery.
Mr.. Williams was put on the case and
by his skillful handling of 1t secured
the return of thousands of dollars Of
property and handsome fee for him
self