The daily Alaskan., 1912-05-14
A Detective
 Problem
sy T. C. ARNOLD

John" sad my chief, they want man at Ruvnct station to investigate a trouble they're having there. Some one is committing incendiary acts, and they can't dnd out who is doing it. 60 down there and see ir you can do anything for them"
 I hadn't been long In the detective business and was ambitious to show some ability in the case with a view Co promotion to more important cases and hetter nav. | reached Rurnct in the afternoon and met the gentlemen who had sent for a detective. They told me that the fires invariably occurred at night never ln the daytime. | asked them why they hadn't established watch. and they said the matter did not occur often enough Go warrant thcir doing SO there having been only three or four cases during year. ThcN were only a few policemen in the town. not enough 10 light upon tho incNndi- srv except by accident; | asked them If the burujnCs were confined Co Bur. net, and they replied that a blacksmith shNn during the time OC their occur. rrnce had been set afrc In the next station below. Wharton That was tho only case they knew of. No one was susrcctcd. no stranger had hrcn scon lettering about, and they didn't believe sDv orc had come into the town Go do the damage.
 The case for mo sccmod honCl0ss ! could sec no way to solve it except ny keeping watch. and another ontrag" mich, not co,uv within two or 'hrr" months Ir ar alL Nevertheless ' didn't Ike to EO hack to report that ] hadn't made an cTort. SD | coa.luicj jo so'tIe myself In tho town for a week. The hotel was a vCry poor one and one o' tho men. NIT. NDorD. who had sent lu. me offered to take me into hlS h'wo oc>rntC5 and was In no hurry Co ge, away. for his daughter, Alice. sir, %. nineteen. took my fancy. and while pro tending Co investigate the iu,cnt81y case | was rca'ly dawdltuE about vth her
 Miss Aho~n. tt is true. took a Crc7, intcrest In the matter about which ! had come Co Euruct. or. rather. the detective features pertaining Co ' J WAS the frSt one of tho profession s"e had ever mot. and ! was Gntto S'. rJositv to her she wished Co know my methods in the ca~o ! was sup. rosed to bc working uD. bui ! told A'' that detectives had DO comadaH'S.
 At the end of tho wH"k returned to hcadouartcrs and reported no prog ress. RcSo-c leaving Eurn"t Alice AbOrn told uc that she was going over 10 Wharton Co visit a cousin for q few weeks To please her told her she mich. try to find out some thing about tho fire that had occurred there. She was dcliChted at the com mission and promised Co do all she could to fud a c)cw.
 . I hadn't hCcn away from RuTnet morr than th-ec or four days when l received a telegram that awo;h0v u'ys- terious fire had ocCurrcl at Wharton 1 I took a train for that point o' once and. entering the town inC0E. hcSan to snoop around for what l could find out. But my i0cOC didn't last long, 1 for I met A'fcn NnrrD o0 the street I asked her ir sNc N.1 loarn"3 any thing. and she a7wtri sHr h'i not . I was not 1'~ann.lu'.' for ] Naa rE. pectcd uoih.n- l-oD1 hnr.
 | After couple of days >'Hi @a ] Wharton without rcsu's ] wont u-"" to Rurnct cn train w.N A..c" ~a" told mo she Hn3 th0r~m SD w".n shout tho 1noen''arv cas'S that opp several orr, sia--s ehn had '"Nar-N- no