The San Francisco call., 1908-12-12

An even more vigorous twist of Skin
MES head caused q feeling of intense
surprise and qualification. for reflected
upon the mirrors within the striped red
and gold pasteboard box he saw "a
clear and vivid picture" of all trans
piring behind. Ole Pop Sturges leaned
forward and sought to quietly acquire
a copy OF the New York Detective which
had fallen from Bronsons pocket
Carefully poking it beneath his own
chair, after several minutes of adroit
shifting. he slipped the pink sheet in
side the folds of his own coat.
The sudden clang OF hrebeii dis
PEELED any further thoughts from Bron-
sons mind He grabbed an enormous
red helmet. jammed it far down over
his ears and rushed madly across the
street to the engine house. Some 10
minutes later other brave firemen COM
Drising II. Y. +. d. hose company .
resplendent in red shirts, white leather
belts. green trousers and hig topped
boots, disappeared amid a cloud of en-
veioping dust which hid the hose truck
and the crowd Of small boys who fol-
lowed in its wake.
Pop Sturses, returning in company
with Skinnie from the source of the
alarm little later descended from
the somewhat uncomfortable seat which
After remarking: "Pesky shame it
want but a false 'larmw he viewed
not without interest a rapidly increas-
ing group Of stra ggiers and bystanders
surrounding a street fai1er husilv en-
gagged in selling his wares. He sought
a place by the side of Glen Bronson.
whose face, quite as fiery in hue as the
helmet he still wore, gave evidence of
the afternoons heat
The fakers oily voice held the crowd
as though IL were in a wise Again a
quick glance darted between the faker
and the young man of ratlike coun-
tenance, who quietly edged his way to-
ward Pop Sturges and HinkleyviiIe's
chief of police. The faker grew elo-
quent, the crowd more interested in his
words.
barber pole, with Chimera handkerchief
draped carelessly over the little Pa
risian crime deteetor, seemingly
watched some object of great interest
on the weather beaten clapboards of an
adjoining wall he narrowly escaped
sudden heart failure on viewing the
miTrored reflection of the rat faced
young man deftly taking. gold watch
and chain fFom the pocket of Hon.
Glenworth r. Bronson 1t was not
until he saw the same young man take
a Iamlisar and much used leather wal
let from the pocket of Pop Sturges that
SSinnie recovered his elf-possession
sufficiently TO permit his descending in
a somewhat hurried manner to the
ground. After proving to both Pop
Sturges and the chief of police the
necessity of having guardians ap-
pointed should either party wander
afar from homo. the heavy arm of the
law descended upon the faker and his
aceomplice. the rat faced young man.
Safe in the depths of a handbox set
high on closet shelf, Miss Soldiers
silver teapot reposed for many months
until on one memorable house cleaning
day it was discovered by Skinnie just
where the estmable old lady had
placed ii for safe keeping
In the fingers of Skinnie's mother the
silver steel, nonbendab Bile, nonbreakable.
crystalline eyed needles snapped as fast
as they were threaded. the gen-u-ine-
Chimera handkerchief turned lazy and
assumed a faded hue. but often alone
in his own room. boyish hand care
lessly draped the faded cotton folds
over a little pasteboard box of red and
gold. Needles might snap and hand
kerchiefs fade. but in the golden boy
hood hours OF long ago no doubt
existed in Skinnie's mind of the possi-
bilities of the little Partisan eriWe de-
tector.