Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-09-03
A STEP IN THE DARK.

mer, but 1t seemed to be foDDlng Ethei
of everything-of hope, of energy and OF
the life of her child-just as last sum
mer had robbed her of Jack.
Nothing had been heard of him. No
news had come to her, and bad luck had
logged her all the time. She had had
to move lodgings again and again, every
time little poorer, every time taking
rooms d little cheaper; and the only
work she seemed to have even a chance
of getting was in the office Of private
detective agency
She had applied there on an impulse,
and had been told that work was some
times given to outsiders, and that if she
cared to call every morning at 9 o'clock
there might some day be : claance fof
her.
So she had ealled-day after day, week
after week, and no chance had ever
come; and day after day her money
dwindIed and she went from bad to
worse until now Dickie was i'll and she
had reached her last penny.
She knelt down by the mattress upon
which Diclzie lay upon the floor and
bent low over him.
"Oh, Dickie! Oh, Dickie!" she said,
Il don't know how to go oni ! think if
we were both dead''-and she took his
little wasted hand in hers-"I think if
we had both died with daddy in the sea
it would have been better for US. Oh,
am so tired! / am so tired!'
She would make one more effort she
would try once again before she gave
up. She hurried through the streets to
the office that had become so familiar
to her now. She pushed open the swing
doors
"Is there anything for me this morn
ing?' she asked.
On the answer depended the life Of
her little child.
A clerk, busy over some letters, looked
up and began to shake his head. At that
moment someone came out from an in
ncr office. He was talking to another
man
"A woman7" he said IT'S woman
we want for this job. Who's that yon-
der?''
"She's Mrs. Mayce," the other an
swered "but she's never had any work
from us yet"
"Send her in to me- I'll see what she
is made of" He stepped back, and
Ethel turned with beating heart. Work
at last
The man who had spoken. whom she
knew as the manager, looked at her
sharply.
You're Mrs Mayee?n he said. We'll,
sit down. We've little thing here that
YOU may be able to undertake for us.
Anyhow, you can try. Here are the
facts: client of ours, Godfrey Homer
merchant in the city, has lost dia-
| mond ring valued cas-. He left it lying
on his desk, and while it was there it
was stolen. The only person who had
access to his room was a young man,
| son of a friend of his, whose name he
| will not give and whom he refuses to
believe guilty. The young man leaves
the house nightly at about o'clock.
We want you to get his name and adj
dress and any other information you
can about him. Here is his description,
/ furnished by our detective. You will
have to follow him, of course. You can
| get your days expenses from the cashier
| here's memo for 81, for which you
| will account to us later--and, of course,
any reliable information you bring wen
pay for"
She went out treading ON air A pound
in her pocket meant food and medicine
for her little Dickie
At o'clock she put on a black skirt
and blouse, which had been too shabby
to pawn, and over an old black hat she
put thick veil.
Ten minutes later she was ON her way
TO Godfrey Horner's house
She walked up and down. She crossed
the road, she went up to the corner and
back. she rounded the square And now
as 6 o'clock came and passed, and she
dared not 90 far from the house. she
grew alarmed She fancied that the
policeman looked Mt her suspiciouslv
and twice she had to risk losing the
man she had to follow in walking around
the square out of the polieeman's sight
But it seemed she was in luck at last
Just as she rounded the corner again
the door of the house opened and some.
one came down the steps. She followed
him breathlessly. waiting an instant a.
he stood at the bottom of the steps To
take out his latchkey and then followed
boldly.
In the dingy window was a small card
with the word Apartment upon it. An
idea came to her instantly-she would
engage room there and then, and
search his next day while he was out.
In moment she was standing level
with him upon the top step. and eagerly
she looked at his face. 1t was bent and
turned from her in his effort to fit the
key and open the door, but something
about it made her heart throb sharply.
1t was thin and white; it looked
drawn and sad-it-good heavens! He
turned, and the key dropped from his
fingers and rang sharply, springiug from
step te step to the pavement beneath
them.
He uttered one word brokenly;
Ethel"
81, - - L.. III - il - - -