The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1910-06-04

The policeman assembled the steps
of one of the many duplicated brown
stone fronts at little past two o'clock
in the morning. The door opened to
his ring and an excited head of the
house explained that burglars had car
ried away the family plate and his
daughters jewels.
81 awoke suddenly" corroborateo
the daughter. "at two o'clock. and
found that my jewels had been taken
and also little gold alarm clock
There has been lot of burglart-
4 zing in this neighborhood." observed
the officer What awakened you?"
81 don't know. The big CLOCK on
| the stairs struck two as / opened my
eyes"
The officer called up police head
quarters and asked for a couple OF
| policemen. Then he went outside to
find the policeman on the beat
IAN alarm clock seems an unusual
thing to take" he remarked as he was
leaving.
This wasn't a usual clock. The
alarm is the reveille-the bugle call,
you know 1t is gilt. and in the shape
Of a soldier"
The officers first glance outside
showed the policeman on duty ap-
preaching with a man in custody. The
man wore dark trousers, coat but
toned up to the chin. with no evil
dences of linen underneath, and
cap pulled over his eyes. His next
glance revealed a glimmer from the
mans coat pocket. In a second the
officer held in his hand gilt clock
in the shape of soldier.
Caught with the goods!" he ex-
claimed. Where did you find him,
Kelly?"
HE was watching this house and
grabbed him on suspicion"
"You did well. I'll take. him inside
and identify the clock"
He escorted the prisoner up the
steps and rang the bell. AS they were
entering the unlighted hall, the man
in custody suddenly snatched the
clock from the officer. deity tripped
him up. lodged past the frightened
! head of the house and went into the
reception room where the lights also
had been extinguished. The room was
! dimly lighted from the library. AS
! the man rushed through the room a
strain of the reveille rang out from
the clock. Then suddenly the library
was in darkness.
In the meantime. the officer had
picked himself up. and with the head
of the house CROPPED his way through
the rooms until the lights were turned
on again.
which way did he go?" demanded
the officer of the startled girl.
Through the library and out into
the back hail." she answered.
AS they continued the chase to the
servants quarters. a figure glided
from behind screen in the library
and passed through the reception
room into the hall. After a thorough
search Of the house, the crestfallen
officer had to admit that he had been
outdone.
81 found him." he explained. lin the
custody of the policeman on this beat.
1 saw the gilt clock sticking out of
his pocket and 1 brought him in to
have you identify it,
The telephone rang, summoning the
officer After a brief colloQuy with
I headquarters lie luInSO " Tie ldluSI
and daughter.
Its all right The two policemen
! called caught couple of men enter
ing a basement They found your sill
yer and the jewels all right, but no
clock There must have been three
thieves"
Make another search. Silvia said
her father. Maybe you were mis-
taken about the clock"
She went upstairs and returned
carrying the clock.
"It was there. after all. In my ex
element ! had overlooked it."
Its a dead ringer for the one the
fellow had" said the officer.
"Only in form. doubtless. This was
made to order"
She slipped bank note into the Of
ficer's hand, and he departed well sat
isfied with his nights achievement.
The Owen house returned to dark
ness and quiet save in Silvia's apart
ments. She paced the floor, vainly
seeking a solution to the mystery
The alarm clock had been given Il
her by her lover. Valentine Lorme
They had been wont to take early
/ morning rides. and her fiance had sug
gested an alarm clock for Silvia's use
Being Of an inventive turn of mind h
had devised a clock with a rich
musical alarm. Mindful of his day
in the Spanish-American war he hat
chosen the reVeille. Two long months
ago had come their first quarrel
Neither would make the overture 70
reconciliation. Yet every night, 70
old sake's sake. she had wound tn
} alarm.
She didn't know when she had re
ceived her first subconsciousness tina