Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1909-02-20
Copyright, by shortstory Pub. Coz
By JAMES FRANCIS DwYER

| speed. Late jewellers Joined the
group but when they asked the reason
of the chase they were told to watch
the movements of the leaders hands
Been dom that all the way from
Twenty-eighth street. gasped the
early followers, proud in the posses
sion of that much information. Hes
told the cop joke, an now the hick-
ory wlelder is hittin' the trail with
him."
At Forty-eighth street The policeman
met the officer on the adjoining beat,
and hooking him by the arm he whis-
pered into his ear as he kept pace
with the fat man. The new policeman
guffawed loudly, and again the angry
crowd looked vainly for the humor
that seemed apparent to the two
guardians of the peace. The first po-
liceman slackened speed, called out a
friendly Good luck" to the fat man,
and then returned to his own beat,
while his comrade trotted swiftly in
his place.
The fat man swung east down Fifty
third street, and new recruits joined
the procession at every yard. But
all thirsted vainly for information.
| Questions put by the newcomers were
met with the one answer: Don't
know; look at his hands. Been twist
| ing them round and round all the way
| from Twenty-eighth street"
Crossing Third avenue the fat man
halted suddenly. He knelt down upon
! the car tracks, and the officer stopped
| beside him. The crowd pressed round
| till the swiftly-swung nightstick swept
them back. The man in evening dress
crawled across the tracks and raked
the ground with his fingers.
Presently he leapt TO his feet and
| yelled out excitedly. Its all right
officer" he cried, and once again his
hands started to revolve round each
other as he dashed towards the water.
Just here a third policeman was
| initiated into the mystery that was
| troubling the crowd, and with merry
| laugh he took up a position by the
side of the fat man. The crowd
, cursed collectively. Here was
mystery that had been explained
three times to bulky policemen, yet
| they were kept in ignorance. 1t wasn't
fair. They had right to know why
| the man in evening dress was doing
the windmill performance with his
| hands, and why that stunt amused the
| policeman. Much of their breath was
exhausted in strange phrases de-
he nf fbn hIrt
| they were determined to see the end.
Near Second avenue a man standing
on the sidewalk turned when he heard
the noise of the charging squad and
| contemplated the runners. Then he
| stepped into the street and crossed
over. The fat man chuckled. He
whispered to the policeman at his
right hand, and the officer dashed
ahead. The man in front started TO
run, but his pursuer overhauled him
in a dozen strides, and they rolled on
the pavement.
'Wot's the matter?" gasped the
captured one. "Wot are yer scruffin
me for?"
This gentleman wants his rubber
door-mat," murmured the policeman,
relieving his captive of the parcel he
carried beneath his arm.
"Hully Gee!" exclaimed the pris-
oner, rubbing his eyes and staring
round him at the crowd. Where did
yer get the mob, an how did yer know
| had it, anyhow"
Il had you on a string" explained
the fat man, holding up black thread
in the light of the street lamp. I've
caught five men who have tried to
steal that mat. It's attached to
thousand yards of strong thread, and
as they generally grab it when the
streets are quiet, the trail is always
!