Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1913-05-19


in the memorandum
she always carries.
was watching the roofs as they WHIT
cd mast. Neither of us had spoken lor
some time. 20
AT last. I ceased my occupation OIL
,dleness to turn to the little woman
and found her staring absently aheau.
The little notebook was closed anu
clasped in her hands.
..Well?" l asked at last
Just thinking, that's ALL she an
swered "This is little anniversary
with u.s."
"Birth. marriage or death?' jested.
"The last" came the answer. ITS
the anniversary of my first murder
case. don't have those very olten,
Won know. In fact, it's only when
stumble into a thing of that KIND that
lam allowed to take any interest In II.
But. then, in this case ! could DO as
pleased, for was not working on the
force under orders.
She glanced up at me with twinkle
In her eyes. Sometimes it's good not
70 be working under orders" she said.
"a person can take any risks that are
10 be taken, and do just what seems
hest-even if it turns out all wrong.
And it's really nice to know that
Miss Clement looked rather hastily
around to see that no other passengers
were near us. Then, turning the lit
tle notebook playfully about in her
hands. she smiled to herself.
"a person never knows what's 60
ing to ensue from the smallest kind OF
happening," she began. MY case
came from waiting for car. You
see. that was in the days before went
on the police force regularly, and
was selling candy for living. Every
evening would take my car for nome
from one of the corners in the loop
district. near the Office Of an after
noon paper 1t would be just ABOUT
time for the last editions to come
ont. and 1t was favorite diversion
of mine to watch the circling, yelling
newsboys as they hurried in every oil
rection from the building, each in
contest of who could sell the first pa
per. And watching this way one nigh
stumbled onto my undiscovered
crime"
your WHAT" interrupted.
1.-THE undiscovered crime. Any bill
city is full of them. Not that they re
main undiscovered for all time, be
cause they don't. Some little thini
will always give the criminal away.
may be even the crooking of tinge
at the wrong time. In this case
was the buying Of paper.
For three nights l had seen him,
short. shifty eyed, heavy proved mai
who seemed to Turk in the shadows
the building in wait for the whlrrln
of the presses. At the first shout
the newsboys he would dart fort
hand out his penny. buy his pape
and then scan the first page. once
a while he would look inside; NJ
often. It did not impress me so muc
the first night, nor even the secon
But the third began to wonder i
tie about the person, what his motr
was in being so anxious to get his
per. and why he should read only u
first page, then throw 1t away.
81 spent a night wondering abo
that man, and then things began
form themselves in my brain. q
termined to watch him. 1t was no.
of my business, l knew that l n
no right to play detective and to ia
chances-but | guess when the
sire to hunt persons gets into on'
heart, there isn't anything that W
take it out | like to discover thing
was always person to be nndl
out, finding out, and so-well, sta
ed in to learn what the gentleman WI
the shaggy eyebrows had in mi
when he bought his paper every mig
and then quickly threw it away
"The next day reported to
candy company that was i'll, and II
I didn't believe | would be down
work for several days. Then, Il
night, there appeared at the news
per corner a poor woman, dressed
clothing that was out of date, a
lame. and not very good of sight.
cidentally that same person was
self. l had started on my work
finding out the message of the ne
paper. / had hired a girl for a
DAYS to take care of my little Kid
out at the fiat; had kissed the CT
a long goodby, in case my passion
detective work should carry me aV
from her forever, and now was re;
for anything.
1.-THE homegoing crowds began
lam the street cars. Dusk had CO..
then darkness. Fifteen minutes W
ed. twenty, and then from the bi
ment | heard the whirring of the PR
es. A few moments later, there ca
the shouting newsboys, and with Il
first appearance my heart gave Il
Seemingly from nowhere my man
poared, pushed forth his penny, clu
ed his paper, and was greedily scam
theNfront page. watched him as
threw the paper to the pavement
turned down the street. Then
lowed
at was a long road we traVe
down Fifth Avenue. then turning