El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-01-31
The Herald's
Daily Short Story

I The carving having been successfully
negotiated the meal went on merrily.
Miss Lucy talked 19 to the dozen to
distract her young mans attention
from his hosts too obvious peculiari-
! ties in the matter of eating
The cheese and celery demolished,
Mrs. Leggatt suggested an adjournment
to the 'droring room" a hint which
the policeman was acting upon with
indecent haste when a deftly aimed
bread crust conveyed that it was in
tended only for Lucy and her young
man.
But by this time he was already in
the hail The knob of the little clothes
cupboard caught his sleeve as he
stumbled by: the door flew open, ana
out rolled Leggatt's official headgear
straight at Mr.. Pelhams feet
Lucy gave a little squeak of dis
gust, Mrs. Leggatt made a swift SNATCH
TO try and capture the shameful thing,
but too late. Mr. Pelham had already
seen 1t and was staring at It with un-
mistakable confusion.
"a policeman's helmett" he gasped.
-'Yes-it must belong to father"
painted Lucy, on the verge of tears.
Yes. one Of his curosities." chimed
in Mrs. Leggatt, graphing desperately
with the situation.
DO you hear, WilIiam?" she de-
manded furiously. turning on her dazed
husband. Il say it's one Of your silly
old curiosities. Why don't you tell Mr..
Pelham how you came by it,"
"Oh, quite so. No, Of course. How
came BY it. eh?" giggled Mr.. Leggatt
vaguely. Why, was like this, you
see The misses and was coming out
of the Coach and 'Orses-'
Another of those disconcerting little
shrieks of Lucy's brought him up with
a round turn. He glared helplessly
at his wife.
We'll. go on" she snapped. Wed
been in there to the telephone. Now
say what 'appened next
Why, policeman come up
An showed me-" prompted Mrs Leg
gait And you knocked i'm down.
Yes. and I Knocked i'm down. re-
peated the luekless constable. with a
sickly grin.
An thrashed i'm, and then took rs
'elmet 'one with you as trophy.
That's ii, amt it?' demanded his wife.
Well, what is there to be ashamed
OF in it? You don't think Mr.. Pelham
would go and split on you, do you?"
The slamming OF the front parlor
door in policeman Leggatt's face cut
short the remainder of the explanation
so far as he was concerned Rather
relieved than otherwise he took down
his cap, picked his stick out of the
hand-decorated drainpipe. and slipped
quietly out OF the front door.
A hundred yards walk. Aand he was
at the police station. It wanted few
minutes yet TO muster" SO he stepped
into the office to have a word with
the station. sergeant as to the particu-
lar duty he was detailed for that
night.
There's aagang working the Prim-
rose Hill side that we've got to mark,
said this officer. slapping down a
sheaf Of documents for his inspection.
They proved to be the official descrip-
lions of certain "old hands who were
suspected of being responsible for this
latest crop OF burglaries.
Primrose Hill, eh?"
Leggatt looked interested. Lucy was
parlor maid at a big house in that
neighborhood
That's three OF them you'll Rave to
keep your eye open for" said the ser
geant pointing to the photographs.
And there's fourth. we think. a
young, smartish looking chap. who
makes up to the servants beforehand"
Leggatt stared.
Any descriptions he asked b1untly
Not much. As usual. the gals won't
let on they've been had. But he's dark,
medium height and build, and has been
wearing q tall hat"
The week passed and the Thursday
afternoon found Leggatt again indulg-
ing in mild bassoon practice in the
front parlor, the clock OF which had
been purposely set forward half an
hour by his vigilant better half
Suddenly. after many half-hearted
attempts, he laid his instrument aside |
and listened. Mrs. Leggatt was filling
scuttles in the coal hole and now was
his chance.
Hastily smuggling three portraits |
out of his breast pocket, he tip-toed |
to the what-not beside the sofa. A
fretwork photograph frame confronted |
him. with three panels occupied by |
Mrs. Leggatts paternal relative. and |
two oWlish loonlng uncles.
Evicting these, the policeman slipped |
his own mysterious photographs into J.
their places, and returned the frame |
to its niche on the shelf. A few min |
utes later, arrayed in the panoply OF |