The Meeker herald., 1913-09-27
A Detectives
Singular
Experience
He Located His Quarry. bat
Lost the Game
By HELEN ArwArR


.Mr. HAWKINS said my chief. you
have the name Of being the siickest de
tective on the sfan. ! wixL you t0<ry
to catch the sIickest adventures the
country has ever been troubled with
She bus called herself Mrs. Wainrigbt
Miss Thorpe. Margaret vane. and II Is
suspected that she has masQueraded a.
. man calling herseif Edgar Martin
dale"
what crimes has she committedy"
That's a secret. We are employed
to produce her by a private party who
agrees Ms soon as she Ii 10 Our power
to furnish the necessary papers to hold
her. What we are expected to do In to
catch her. and there IL . good Sl5.OOC
for doing It. Now. I'll tell you what
I'll do. IL you snare her Ill give you
the lions share. $1,000"
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 a 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 believe she
would be too sharp for him. Besides.
It will require one to whose judgment
We can trust not to put rs in position
antagonistic to the law"
II see," replied. and after some
more talk as to details left the Office
and that evening was speeding on a
train to Chicago.
will cnll my quarry Margaret vaDe.
sincq.that II the most attractive Of her
various aliases. The morning ! reach
ed Chicago reported at the detective
agency that had put the shadower on
her. And a man was sent with me Ia
the house where she was staying. a
family hotel. where on looking over the
register found her entered a. Mrs.
Thorpe. I asked the clerk II Mr..
Rowland was staying at his house.
and when he said no ! told him that
had come there to meet him and that
presumed be would appear either that
day or the next That gave me an ex-
cuse to 20 to the hotel frequently and
loitef about there II found 1t expedi
ent to do 80.
There was no photograph Of the lady
to be had. and my nrst work must be
to locate her among the guesh.
could not well do 20 without requisi-
tion papers. which l had not. must
: proceed very differently. Indeed.
could form no plan. but must be guild
ed by circumstances. had descrfp-
ton Of the woman was. after. and
the FIRST one spotted turned out to
be the lady herself. 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-five
years old. comeIy and either to the
manner born or had the faculty of per
sonnting one who was. 1t occurred to
me that the work ! was engaged in
might be dangerous. ! couldn't get 1t
out OF my head that she was not an ad-
venturess. but a typical lady. ! did
not wonder that the chief had admon-
ished me TO exercise caution.
kept Nils Vane under my eye ex-
cept In the middle of the night by put
ting 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
tieman Of professional cut. She had
followed him when he went away. and
he Ind gone to law ONCE. Inquiry
about him there resulted in discovering
that he was the Junior partner Of the
firin Of Whitney. Johnston 4 Gregory.
= lost no time in finding out the
standing Of the frm and learned that
they were not criminal lawyers. but
did general law business of the most
respectable kind. What they could
have to do professionally or otherwise
with woman whom I had understood
was wanted for some heinous ofYense
was at loss to Imagine. Mt. Greg
Org, who bad visited her. was a good
looking young man. and I thought 1t
possible. even probable. that she had
got him under her thumb. as ! infer
red she had got other men under her
thumb. and despite the fact that he
was lawyer would relieve him Of his
surplus cash.
Ny spy reported day or two after
reached Chicago that Miss vane had
called for her bill. Where she was 60
ing was not known. but felt 1t 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 tnke the first. The lady did not
depart that night. but about 8 in the
morning. carrying only light suit cnse.
she took carriage. | called another
and followed her to the Union station.
was next In line behind her when
she bought ticket. which was for
Philadelphia. and ! purchased one for
the same place. was delighted at the
change. for II would be beneficial tn
get her nearer home. shortly before