The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-02-27
The Beat Of.
the Y ear
BY Robert LiviGgston Beeeher

mimeographed bulletin Of the Cit
| News Association and whistled q bal
! OF popular song Then he looked
over the City Room at whose numer
| GUS desks the reporters were sitting
awaiting their assignments Of sto
ries for the day. It was not yet two
o'clock, and none of the q star space
men had yet been sent out.
Mr.. Connors. the editor called Al
last.
a short, stout. specialized man,
whose hair was beginning to turn
gray at the temples, rose from a desk
ia the middle Of the room and came
forward.
Mr.. Corners" the Day City con-
tinued crispsy. " a young mans body's
been found floating In Newtown Greek.
Clear case of murder Head missing.
Been In the water only a few hours.
No clue TO identity. Looks like a
corking good mystery
The reporter took the bulletin and
| half turned away.
You may need help the Day City
went on. You might take Bruce
along
The star man :" raised his eyebrows
slightly.
OIL know" continued the speaker.
Hes a cub yet, but there may be a
good deal Of leg work. He'll do Just
as you say. Ill put him under your
orders
An hour or so later, the short, stout
man and companion whose long legs
and boyish face offered a humorous
contrast, emerged from a dismai-look-
Ing undertaker's shop in Long Island
City.
No use wasting time at this end
the older man was saying impatiently.
You hurry round and cover the police
| station. Iii call up the drug store
next door when l want you-you be in
the store from i've minutes of until
five minutes past each hour. Don't
leave the station until say 60. Do
you understand!
The cub " reporter moved his long
legs uneasily.
Yes. understand" he said slowly.
The older man started away
Just minute. Mr.. Connors," the
see any clew to its-to his identity? !"
The star man shrugged his
shoulders.
Certainly not" he replied, rather
brusquely. No birthmarks or any
thing of that kind. Laundry marks
on undershirt are cut OF. Shirts
rather poor uualitF-like those labor.
ers wear-bnt one doesn't need to play
up that fact. Missing head makes
Identification impossible. It's good
for two-column mystery yarn any.
how
He paused. Then something in his
companions manner attracted his at
tention.
suppose you picked up a clew in
there, my boy" he said. with just the
suspicion Of a knocking tone in hiz
voice
The cub " took his right hand out
OF his pocket and opened 1t, palm up
ward
Only this he said.
The older man snorted.
What of it? he asked, picking ur
a small, white button through which
ran irregular streaks OF black, after
the manner of certain varieties OF
marble
Bruce's voice took on a deprecatory
shade.
1t just occurred to me-" said be,
that the fact there there were four
buttons on the undershirt, and that
three of them were just alike and
white. whereas that this one is quite
different from the others, was rather
peculiar So | Just shipped this one
off for future reference"
A lot of good it viii do me =
snapped the older man. Il suppose
you're thinking Of that trouser-buttor
and the Identification of Uncle Russell
Sage's bomb friend, Norcross We'll.
that was piece Of fool luck thar wont
occur again in million years, more OF
less. I've played button, button, who
wore the button before. You just
jump over to the station. my boy, and
keep on the job
The cub pocketed the curiously
streaked button and departed for the
local police headquarters, where he
found corps of feilow-reporters
grouped on the steps crossquestionine
every new arrival as to whether any
thing new had turned up" Bruce
stepped into the drug store next door
where he began calling up the liver.
stables in the neighborhood. At tins
fifth call, he struck what might OIL
might not be fire"
Yes, O'Brien 4 Dorlan's had rented
a tTo4eated runabout, the night be
fore, to young man who had driver
away about seven O'Clock He had not
returned and the horse and runabou
had been found wandering through
the streets by the police about thres
O'Clock the following morning. Whs
had seen the man? Only Mike Nc
Ginnis, the head stableman. Wat
he there now? No. but he would
be on duty again at four o'clock. Wht
was II speaking? Why, there was an
other man from the same paper in the
stable now asking the same questions
He'd put him on the wire.
Never mind" Bruce began, but tht
stableman had already gone.
In the interval. the young man wat
tempted to hang mp the receiver bui
while he hesitated, wellknown voice
came over the wire.
Hello, there. Who are Jou:"
Bruce frowDed slightly.
rs that you, Mr.. Connors7" he re
piled This is Bruce
nuttered ejaculation reached TIT
speakers ear
See here. Bruce came back tht
reply. I'm handling this case. Tn
in charge. I want you to stay at tha'
IL T.