The Meeker herald., 1913-04-19
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A Detectives
Singular
Experience
He Located His Quarry. but
Lost the Game
By. HELEN ATwATER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


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"Mr. Hawkins said my chief. you
have the nanie OF being the sllckest de-
tective on the stan. ! wish you to tr!
to crltch the siIckest adventures the
country hns ever been troubled with
She has called herself Mrs. wainwright
Miss Thorpe. Margaret Vnne. and 1t Is
suspected that she hus mnsquenided as
q man calling herself Edgnr Martin
dale"
"Whnt crimes hns she committed"
"rhut's secret. We nre employed
to produce her by u private party who
agrees as soon rs she is in our power
to furnish the necessary papers to bold
her. What we are expected to do Is to
catch her. and there is good $4,000
for doing 1t. Now. Ill tell you what
I'll do. II You snare her III give you
the lions share. $1U.UD."
II suppose you have located her,"
II have. telegram has come from
an agency In Chicago stating that she
was seen in that city yesterday. and by
my order sbadower has been put on
the case with instructions to keep her
in sight till we can send man there
to pounce upon her. wouldn't trust
one Of their men. for ! believe she
would be too sharp for him. Besides.
1t Will require one to whose Judgment
we can trust not to put US In position
antagonistic to the law"
more talk as to details left the office
and TINT evening WINS speeding on
train to Chicago.
will cnlt my quarry Margaret vane.
since thut is the most attractive of her
various aliases. The morning ! reach
ed Chicago reported at the detective
agency TINT had put the shadower on
the house where she was staying. q
family hotel. where on looking over the
register found her entered as Mrs.
Thorpe. asked the clerk II Mr..
Rowland was staying Mt his house.
and when he snid no l told him that
had come there to meet him and that
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 II found 1t expedi
ent to do 40.
There was no photograph Of the lady
to he 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 well do SO without requisi
ton papers. which | had not ] must
proceed very differently. Indeed. !
could form no plan. but must be guild
ed by circumstances. hud descrfp.
ton Of the woman ! WIS after. and
the first one | spotted turned out to
be the lady herself. ! call her the lady.
because to look Mt 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. comedy and either TO the
manner born or had the faculty Of per-
sonating one who was. 1t occurred to
me that the work | was engaged In
might be dangerous. couldn't get ii
out of my head that she WIS not an nd
ventures. but typical Indy. did
not wonder that the chief had admOn
Ished me 10 exercise caution.
kept Miss 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 inter my arrival my
watcher told me that my quarry had
been visited during the day by n gen
tleman of IL 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 WIS the junior partner of the
firm of Whitney. Johnston 4 Gregory.
lost no time in finding out the
standing OF the firm and learned that
they were not criminal lawyers. but
did n general law business Of the most
have to do professionally or otherwise
with woman whom had understood
was wanted for some heinOus offense
was nj loss to imagine. Mr.. Greg
DRY. who had visited her. was good
looking young man. and Thought 1t
possible. even probable. that she had
got him under her thumb. ms ] infer
red she had got other men under her
thumb. and despite the fnct that he
was n lawyer would relieve him Of his
surplus cash.
My spy reported day or two after
reached Chicago that Miss Vane had
called for lier bill Where she WAS go
ing wns not known. but felt 1t neces-
sary to remain ut her hotel that night
till the last train hnd LEFT for any
where and he there In the morning In
time to take the first. The Indy did not
depart thnt night. hut about 3 In the
morning. cnrrying only n light suit cnse
she took II ctrringp. ! called another
and followed her to the Union station.
! was next in line behind her when
she bought ticket. which wns for
Philadelphia. and I purchased one for