The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-09-29

BY BRYANT c. ROGERS

one was receiving $40 when it was
discovered that some employee was
carrying goods out of the store Tho
detective from headquarters spent .
week and did not get a clew.
Here is where | get a raise tn
W. said Miss Oracle to herself; and
she showed back from her machine
ana wandered about for an hour and
then said to K. & K:
Your assistant bookkeeper has
just gone out to lunch"
he goes every day at this hour, /"
was the calm reply.
And the missing goods 20 with
him"
What! You can't mean it,"
Come with me! know where he
! feeds at this hour"
She led X. & X. to a ouick.lunch
room three miles away, and they
walked In upon the assistant Just as
ne mad ordered his usual spring chick.
en-
Has the firm failed?" he asked as
ne looked from one to the other.
NO, but you have!" replied the
smart girl with little giggle Of tri-
umph' Hand over quietly and you
may not get over 25 years In the
Jug"
The young man, who was the sole
support of widowed mother and six
fatherlcss sisters, and who firmly be.
lieved that the moving picture shows
were filling the jails to overlooking,
smiled gladstone smile and began
to hand over bolts OF silk, yards and
dozens of real pearl buttons, until he
had deposited enough on the table to
stock department store in the
Bronx
George, what tempted you7" asked
the senior member Of X. & X.
Il wanted to sell the stuff and buy
Bibles for the heather.
When the thief had been tucked
away in a nice little cell in prison
Miss Oracle was told by the firm:
For your smartness you NOW get
sl2 per"
Thanks"
And during your spare time you
can watch others"
She did and she brought the por-
ter, the janitor and two elevator men
to justice. They were in a conspiracy
to rob the store Of thirty shirtwaists
per week. Then Miss Oracle was
raised to $14 per week, and the senior
partner said to her:
Such smartness | never saw be-
fore, and X. & K. are sure proud OF
you, but you needn't do any more
watching for time. It is only
strain on your brain, but you might
catch me trying to beat the other
X. or vice versa"
Miss Oracle Hollands stuck to her
real duties, but she imbibed the idea
that she was a born detective. She
began to look at all men and women
as suspicious characters. Even when
q young man tried to flirt with her
on the street her detective intuition
was so strong that she almost laid
hand on his shoulder as she Kissed at
him:
"You are a safe blower, and | know
1t, and you make your hike or I'll run
you in"
He was a minister's son and
salesman In large jewelry house,
and had just organized a Bible class,
but he made his hike" just the same.
When Miss Oracle began her pro-
fessiona career she went to board
with Nanny Jones. 1t was hall
bedroom and a starvation table, but
as the salary went up things improv-
ed. When it reached $40 per week
Miss Oracle took the best front room.
and became the star boarder. She
did not leave when the salary became
$14.
Strangers came and went. II sud-
denly occurred to the stenographer
that she was most favorably situated
10 continue her detective work and
she went right at It, She suspected
the two actors out Of engagements;
she suspected the old maid who had
her hall bedroom; she suspected
grocery clerk who had room In the
house, and she almost suspected the
landlady herself.
One evening, when an old-clothes
man called to see if she had any Sec
ond hand garments to sell, the word
villain" stood out so plainly on his
that the girl laid hand on
him and said;
"Retribution has overtaken you at
asst"
What ish dot?" was asked.
Your crime has found you out!'
81 lick my wife ten years ago, but
the don't go by der police"
Other callers we're put through
heir PAGES. but none of them was
into confessing murder or
bomb explosion The day must come,
however. and it did come. II came
.hree days after a little incident on
he street. A bare-headed young man
With a pencil behind his ear, and who
seemed to be a clerk In store, ac-
,osted Miss Oracle at corner and