The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-09-17
Ten Minutes
WITH THE
Short-Story
Writers
WHEN GREEK MEETS GREEK
tB William Forster BroNn.J

"a singular thing, that Naylor
ease said Bakers companion. laying
down his newspaper. =.
Baker started and withdrew his. al-
tcntion from the scenery fixing swift
past the car window.
Ills connection with that wcllknown
case was at the bottom of bis present
journey for he hoped that In Dux.
bury-ihat quiet town on the South
Shore-he would be safe from GER
tain Egie McCracken, reporter en-
the staff of the Daily Mercury. and
her persistent attempts to interview
him.
Assuring himself with a searching
glance that his interrogator--a young
fellow OF 20 or thereabouts-had no
suspicion as to his identity, Baker an.
swered ciyilly.
In what respect?"
THE stupid fashion In which Regan
acknowledged TO be one of the clever.
est scoundrels in New England allow.
ed himself TO be caught ihe detec-
tive. Baker, disguised as one of Re.
gan's associates, Leary, certainly must
have made innumerable slips, any one
OF which should have put the shrewd
old kldnaper on his guard. yet the
detective not only succeeded in faith.
oming Regans secret-w where he had
hidden young Naylor-but actually
brought the subtle criminai TO trial
without his cHn disguise being once
penetrated
How do You hEow that Baker
made lnmuncrable sllps?' Baker re-
marked.
The terrible days he had spent mas
queradlng as ''Rcd" Leary In Regan's
company were responsible for not a
few gray hairs. and the boys flippant
tone Jared on the ddectiye's
nerves.
II you will stop 10 consider, that n
single false move on the officers
part would have cost him his life, for
Regan was taking desperate chances
and would have hesitated at nothing
Baker continued. you will understand
how near perfection his Disguise had
to be-the faci that he won the game
proves that Il was so.
"Oh, we'll said the man with the
newpaper, the public Is making a
great fuss over Baker. calling him the
American VidOcd, and all that sort
OF thing; but noticed that the great
man himself doesn't say word
II Is my opinion that if he revealed
the true inwardnees of that remark.
able affair, he would have to descend
from his pedestal and admit that he
owned his success as much TO luck as
TO anything else. Detectives are an
oycrraled lot anyhow-Id back a good
live. up.to-dste newspaper reporter 10
win against the shrestlcst OF them.
the re3oubtablc Baker not excepted. e
The sarcastic fliug at his profession
eAasperated Baker beyond the limits
of forcbcarancc and hc turned on his
companion, wraihlnlly.
Young man. he said sternly.
wouldn't II be as well for you TO dis
cover what Baker really did before
you Judge him; II vas no small nor
easy task he did, can tell you"
That's just what I'm talking about"
said the boy, with tho suspicion OF a
sncer In his voice. "leaying out luck
what did Baker dc that was so very
wondcrlul--Or hard2"
IN tell you said The detective, an
grily. You're young and hope my
story VIII be lesson 10 you, not 20
criticize people and things OF which
sou know lcAt to nothing too barsbly.
Baker took mp the Naylor case az
ter everyone else had failed to 'un.
earth the slightest 1eli>>, and The
child's parents were abbut to sacri.
flee everything they had into the
clutches OF an unprineipled scoundrel
In the handwriting OF the letter that
had enticed Phil Nag lor into the hands
of his captor. the detective discovered
a likeness to that OF an old and will.
known crook. Dan Regan; but to act
promptly on is knowledge meant, in
all probability, the death OF young
Naylor.
"Of the brain racking. sleoplcss
pights Baker spent until at last he
hit lipon a plan--dangerous to him as
playing with tiger in its native Jun.
gle. but from is very boldness offer
ing at least a chance OF success OF
the personal risk he ran ! will say
nothing but he took the meager
enailce