Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-17

IeCIlNe on the SldU. WISH you 10 tTN
TO catch the slickest adventures the
country has ever been troubled with.
She has called herself Mrs. wainwright
Miss Thorpe. Margaret Vane. and it is
suspected that she has masqueraded as
a man calling herself Edgar Martin
dale"
What crimes has she committed"
That's a secret. We are employed
to produce her by a private party who
agrees as soon as she is in our power
to furnish the necessary papers TO hold
her. What we are expected to do is to
catch her. and there is a good $4,000
for doing it. Now, I'll tell you what
I'll do. II you snare her I'll give you
the lions share. $4,000"
Il suppose you have located her"
81 have. A telegram has come from
an agency in Chicago stating that she
was seen in that city yesterday. and by
my order n shadower has been put on
the case with instructions to keep her
in sight till we can send man there
TO pounce upon her. l wouldn't trust
one Of their men. for l believe she
would be too sharp for him. Besides,
1t will require one TO whose judgment
we can trust not to put us in a position
antagonistic to the law"
II see," l replied. and after some
more talk as to details l left the office
and that evening was speeding on a
train TO Chicago.
will call my quarry Margaret Vane,
since that is the most attractive OF her
various aliases. The morning reach
/ ed Chicago l reported at the detective
| agency that had put the shadower on
/ her. and man was sent with me to
| the house where she was staying, a
! family hotel. where on looking over the
| Thorpe. l asked the clerk If a Mr.
| Rowland was staying at his house
and when he said no l told him that
| l had come there 10 meet him and that
/ presumed he would appear either that
| day or the next. That gave me an ex,
cuse to go to the hotel frequently and
loiter about there if l found it expedi
ent to do so.
There was no photograph OF the lady
to be had, and my first work must be
to locate her among the guests.
didn't care to make an arrest. In fact
i could not well do so without requisi
ton papers. which l had not. l must
proceed very differently. Indeed.
could form no plan. but must be guild
! ed by circumstances. l had n deScrip
ton OF the woman | was after. anC
the first one | spotted turned out tC
be the lady herself. | call her the lady
because to look at her and on hearing
the well bred mOdulated tones of he
! voice no one would take her for any
thing else. She was about twenty-five
years old. comely and either TO the
manner born or had the faculty of per
sonating one who was. 1t occurred Il
me that the work l was engaged il
might be dangerous. / couldn't get i
out of my head that she was not an ad
ventures. but typical lady. l dix
not Wonder that the chief had admon
ished me to exercise caution.
/ kept Miss Vane under my eye ex
cept in the middle of the night by put
ting woman in the hotel to post m,
]
move The day after my arrival IN!
watcher told me that my quarry hat
been visited during the day by a gen
tleman of a professional cut. She haC
followed him when he went away. anC
he had gone to a law office. lnquir,
about him there resulted in discovering
that he was the junior partner of tn,
firm of Whitney, Johnston * Gregory
lost no time in finding out tn,
standing of the firm and learned tina
they were not criminal lawyers. bu
did a general law business of the mos
respectable kind What they coult
have to do professionally or otherwis,
with a woman whom | had understood
was wanted for some heinOus Otfens,
| was at a loss to imagine. Mr.. Greg
DRY, who had visited her. was a CoOC
looking young man. and I thought j
possible, even probable that she haC
got him under her thumb, as | infer
red she had got other men under he
thumb, and despite the fact that h,
was a lawyer would relieve him Of hi
surplus cash.
My spy reported day or two afte
I reached Chicago that Miss Nane haC
called for her bill. Where she was go
ing was not known, but | felt it neccs
sary TO remain at her hotel that nigh
till the last train had LEFT for any
where and be there in the morning II
time to take the first The lady did no
depart that night, but about Z In tn
morning. carrying only light suit case
she took a carriage. | called anothe
and followed her to the Union station.
was next in line behind her whel
she bought ticket which was 70
Philadelphia, and | purchased one 70
the same place. | was delighted at In
change. for il would be beneficial T.
get her nearer home. Shortly befor
the train started young man cam
into the car where she was and wher
| had followed her and mp to the tim
the train left they were engaged II
earnest conversation. bad not seel
Gregory. but he had been INFINITELY De
scribed 20 me. aud | was sure this per
son was he and that he was giving he
Instructions on legal matters in whici
she was deeply interested.
When be lett .r, saw their hand
linger In a clasp and believed that tn