The Press., 1912-09-11
A Detectives
 Singular Experience
He Located His Quarry, but
 Lost the Game
By HELEN ArwATER

"Mr. Hawkins" said my chief, "yol
 lave the name of being the slickest de
 tective on the staff I wish you to tr!
 to catch the slickest adventures thC
 country has ever been troubled with She has called herself Mrs. Wainright
 Miss Thorpe, Margaret Vane, and it i suspected that she has masQueraded a:
 a man calling herself Edgar Martin dale"
 "What crimes has she committedw
 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 holC her. What we are expected to do is tC catch her, and there is a good $15,O0(
 for doing it. Now, I'll tell you what | I'll do. If you snare her I'll give you
 the lions share, $10,OOO."
 "I suppose you have located her." "I have A telegram has come from
 an agency in Chicago stating that she
 was seen in that city yesterday, and by my order a shadower has been put on | the case with instructions to keep her | in sight till we can send a man there | to bounce upon her. 1 wouldn't trust
 one of their men, for I 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"
 "I see," I replied, and after some
 more talk as to details 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 1 reach ed Chicago I reported at the detective agency that had put the shadower on her, and a man was sent with me to the house where she was staying, a
 family hotel, where on looking over the register I found her entered as Mrs.
 Thorpe. I asked the clerk if a Mir.
 Rowland was staying at his house, and when he said no I told him that I had come there to meet him and that I 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, l could not we'll do so without requisi- tion papers, which I had not. 1 must proceed very differently. Indeed, could form no plan, but must be guid- ed by circumstances. l had descrip- ton of the woman was after, and the first one I spotted turned out to be the lady herself I call her the lady because to look at her and on hearing the well bred modulated tones of her voice no one would take her for any thing else. She was about twenty-twO years old, comedy and either to the manner born or had the faculty of per sonating one who was. It occurred to me that the work I was engaged in might be dangerous. I couldn't get 1t out of my head that she was not an ad- venturess, but a typical lady. I did not wonder that the chief had admOn- ished me to exercise caution.
 I kept Miss Vane under my eye ex- cept in the middle of the night by put ting a woman in the hotel to post me at the slightest sign of any intended move. The day after my arrival my watcher told me that my quarry had been visited during the day by gen tleman of professional cut. She had followed him when he went away. and he had gone to a law office. Inquiry about him there resulted in discovering that he was the junior partner of the firm of Whitney, Johnston x Gregory.
 lost no time in finding out the standing of the firm and learned that they were not criminal lawyers. but did a general law business of the most respectable kind. What they could have to do professionally or otherwise with a woman whom had understood was wanted for some heinOus Offense I was at a loss to imagine. MT. Greg ory, who had visited her, was good looking young man, and l thought 1t possible, even probable, that she had got him under her thumb, as I infer red she had got other men under her thumb, and despite the fact that he was a lawyer would relieve him of his surplus cash.
 My spy reported day or two after I reached Chicago that Miss Vane had called for her bill. Where she was go- ing was not known, but felt it neces- sary to remain at her hotel that night till the last train had left for any where and be there in the morning in time to take the first. The lady did not depart that night but about 8 in the carrying only light suit case. she took carriage. l called another and followed hag to the Union station.
 I was next in line behind her when she bought a ticket. which was for Philadelphia, and I purchased one for the same place. was delighted at the change. for it would be beneficial to get her nearer home. Shortly b~Fore l the train started young man came into the car where she was and where | had followed her and up to the time | the train left they were engaged in conversation. I had not seen | Gregory, but he had been minutely de 1 scribed to me. and was sure this per- l son was he and that he was giving her | instructions on legal matters in which | she was deeply interested
 When he left her I saw their hands finger in clasp and believed that the woman was playing him. She nodded mother goodby to him from the win low, and he turned just before they Ost sight of each other and threw her
 kiss. From the moment of his de- 'arture her face took on a troubled ook, but 1t was nothing compared with he agOnized expression that came over when her glance lighted on me. The tart she gave led me to believe that. aving seen me at the hotel and being onstantly hunted, she had at once as- tuned that I was after her. At any ate I did not believe that she had cen warned against me, though as to