Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-03-23
The Great
Mr.. Ord
he Turns Amateur Detective
By CLARiSSA MACKIE
HE Turns Amateur Detective
By cLARISSA MAcKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

waited impatently for the reappear-
ance of his chief clerk. Every three
minutes he consulted his watch and
compared it with the electric time
piece on the wall between the win
dows. He had an important engage
ment at / o'clock. and II was now
1890. Smithers was getting more
stupid every day
He brought his feet down from the
desk with thump as the secretary
returned with a worried expression on
his long, pale face. Mr.. Ord reached
for his hat and held out his hand.
Give me the securities, Smithers,"
he said.
81 can't find them, Mr.. ord" said
the clerk ditiidently. II thought per-
haps you might have them in here"
Here snorted Mr. Ord inpatient
lily. IF had them in here why did l
send you to the vaults after themf"
Il have looked everywhere, sir
They are not in the vaults nor any
\ other place in the office. | will ques-
ftion'-
s''No need to question anybody cut
in Mr. Ord, sinking back in his chair
and tossing his hat into the ticker
basket. Il gave you those securities
day before yesterday, with instruc-
tons 10 lock them in my private box
in the vaults. You returned the key
to me then, and | have just handed it
to you now. haven't had occasion
to 20 to the box since Thursday. Now,
where are those securitiesY
II don't know, sir" returned Smith
ers respectfully.
Give me the key TO the box. Now
come with me and show me where
you placed them
Drawers snapped open, papers rus
tied, and Mr. Ords boot heels raped
out on the metal flooring as he went
from shelf to shelf, from box to dFaw
er and from drawer to cupboard
4 Once more he opened his own pri-
yate box and ran over the papers con
tanned therein.
where the dickens are they" he
demanded sayagely when his last eff
forts proved in vain
II really don't know, sir" replied
Smithers. AS said before l thought
IL possible that you might have taken
them out and it slipped your mind
that you had done So
Huh! Perhaps you took them out
yourself and it slipped your mind, Ell?
Ever forget anything, Smi,hersT'
Not very often, sin"
Smithers faithfully followed his en-
ployer back to the private Office and
folded his long thin arms behind his
back preparatory to listening to the
lecture that he knew Mr.. Ord had in
store. And this time-well, those L.
ID. bonds were worth $4,000 today,
and it was known that tomorrow they
might not be worth the paper they
were written on because-but that has
nothing to do with this story
please call up Hughes & Carraway,
and tell Mr. Hughes shall be unable
to keep that engagement with him /
will talk with him later on the phone.
Now, Smithers, this Is the third time
this has happened securities have dis
appeared in this same way during sew
eral days until the market interest in
them has abated. It's an old gag and
won't work again. Now, who do you
think Is at the bottom of thisf"
Smithers fidgeted nervously and
looked out of the window at the blank
wall Of another building. Really, Mr..
Ord, l haven't formed an opinion" he
said rather mincingly
Haven't, eh? Well, l have" thun-
dered his employer fixing the chief
clerk with a hard stare.
Smithers jumped nervously. In
deed sir,' he said
Yes, indeed, Mr. Smithers I'm go
ing to ferret this mystery out before
o'clock See, This Office is the
worst managed affair in the city of
New York. and you are the most in
efficient chief clerk | ever employed.
/ Got that
Eyes, sir"
"Soe that row of books ON the shelf"
Mr.. Ord pointed his uler at q narrow
shelf laden wl,h cloth bound copies Of
\ Conan Dcyic's books
Smithers bowed respectfully.
/ Detective stories. every one of EN-
! I've read 'em ALL" said Mr.. Ord [
shah solve the mystery Of the dis
appearance NJ those securities by the
same methods as those employed by
\ that noted detective" went on Mr.
I Ord, forgetting IN his excitement to
compare his watch with the Hmepiece
/ on the wall His searching glance
fell on an advertising blotter that lay
/ on his desk. II had become mixed in
his personal mail and he had not toss
ed IL in the waste paper basket until
now. He threw it in and crossed his
hands on his plump waistcoat.
DO you Wear plusterg. Mr. smith
ersf' he asked coo'ly.
The chief clerk stared nj this per
sonal question, fred So abruptly from
the lips Of the great Mr. Ord great
IN the financial district
Sometimes" be said cuardedly.
Have Won one On now?" snapped
Hr Orb
"HcS. sir" huSha1 Smithers
Mr. Ord smiled with satisfaction