El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-07-11

3 his back and looked at MS queSLOueI-
! you've only just moved in, haven't
you2r he asked. Your front lawn has
/ been neglected for some time"
yes, I only came the other day. Ny
names PaIey-Richard Paley- I have
I heard YOU spoken of already as Mr..
/ Smith-police corporal smith. I think
! Several peapIe have told me about your
! skill as a gardener. and / have had a
peep or two on the sly They told
me the truth. anyway But IL IS the
I grass that takes my eye so much I've
never seen a plot look so smooth and
/ green-sO velyety, / might say
I "Oh, I'm proud of that grass It's
really very simple when you get q
! start. 1t takes time, of course; but
1 careful sowing and plenty of rolling
viii work wonders If you have any
thing like a decent bit of ground to
begin with
Z L must have a lesson or two said
PaIey, smiling 1T would JUST SUIT
me to have a bit Of green like that in
front of the window
I'm sure I shall be pleased to help
I you" said corporal Smith
III make start tomorrow, then
May I borrow your mower and roller
{ for day OF two%'
Certainly"
For the next few days Mr.. Paley
paid great attention to his garden
'I don't see much difference in my
lawn YET he said. after about
week had passed do you think the
roller IS heavy enough for my lawn %
Don't make q mistake and have the
roller too heaT6," said Smith. Il do
sometimes put a brick or two inside
1or a PIT Of extra weight but you
certainly could do with it a bit heavier
Don't be in too big a hurry to get it
done
III tell you what III do. If you
don't mind" said Mr.. Paley. I'll have
the ends of your roller boarded Up,
with a hole left so that I can put in a
quantity of sand.
We'll I don't mind Tt would per-
haps be a better and more convenient
way of getting what YOU want"
Ihanks- III have it done then"
said PaIey, turning away
day or Two later ne called his
neighbours attention to the roller in its
new form, and the latter walked round
into the next garden.
see you've got an evening paper.
What's the latest scorer
There's a paragraph here that will
interest you professionally said
Paley, referring nee more to the
whats thatg' inquired Smith.
You remember hat big robbery a
week or two SINGER"
Yes They got away with about
$4,000 worth of stuff I remember
More than that. I should think
The paper says that the police have
got some slight clue, which they are
7 should like to get my fingers on
some of that stolen property said
corporal Smith
In cases like this. IL seems to me-
said Pa1ey, that the police are often
outWitted in quite a simple manner.
The safest method TO hide such stuff
as this would be 10 put it just under
their noses They get so full of fan
tastic theories, and look so far aWaa
that they viii miss what is Just with
in reach Of their fingers If they did
PERHAPS Won nav be right IN sor,a
extent" said smith. you know of
course, that the Information supplied
to the papers is not all that the police
yes. that is so. certainly: but
still think that the police miss fire.
quenly what is quite close TO them
Well" said Smith. Il must stick up
for my own side Wen take this as a
test case II you like, and see what
comes of it,
"Au right returned PaIey. I'm
agreeable As a bit of sport, wen bet
dollar on il, shall We2 Besides, IL
VIII be OF interest to US locally. as
the report states that a suspected man
has been traced into this district. So
you may have a bit Of luck, after all.
Who knOWs2"
81 should be very glad 10. And IL
the man is down here I may even have
a chance III see what the paper has
to say, though I expect to hear some
thing Officially"
Well goodnight" said Mr.. Paley.
made both men look in that direction
All murmured smith This is de-
teCtiTe Smart, who has charge Of the
very case we have been discussing
shall be hearing something reliable
now"
He noticed. with surprise. the start
that Paley gave on hearing the name,
but it was nothing to his astOnfsh-
ment when the detective walked df-
rectly up 10 Edley. placed his hand on
him and arrested him in the strictly
formal manner under the name OF
why. sergeant he gasped. ~this is
Richard PaIey"
He may have given you that name;
but know him as Robert Pearout'
replied the detective.
Smith stared at the prisoner.
III quite true that is my real
name said the latter dejectedIy," and
I have deceived you. 1t may look
black against me, going under a false
name, but i have a good excuse for
that. I know they can't prove any
thlng against me, and I'm sure to be
at liberty again soon"
The house ne had occupied was
thoroughly searched, but nothing Of
Importance was found There was
strong clrcumStantlal evidence that he
was in some way mixed up In the af@
fair, even il he were not the moving
Spirit though all the efforts Of the
police to bring il home TO him were
futile. and he was at length released
He greeted smith at the earliest Op-
portunity-
Just what 7 told you," he said.
''T our men. with their far-fetched the
cries, made a wild grasp at me, but I
were wrong again- did get into I
trouble once, but have gone straight I
since. I am a marked man though I
now, and 7 shall soon be going"
The next morning he had disap- !
peared. nor was any trace of him al Z
forwards discovered.
Smith was prevented by the bad I
weather from pursuing his hobby [
When at last the sun shOne he found /
that the abscOndinE Paley had not re- |
turned his gardening implements, and !
he had to fetch them himself
The roller he found much too heavy (
for his purpose, and he proceeded to /
empty it.
At length the running OF the sand [
was interrupted by something inside. |
POkinE this out with a stick, he I
was astOnished to find. wrapped in a [
piece of newspaper a small Jewell /
case which he at once recognized as /
part of the stolen property
With eager fingers he opened his !
prize; but his hopes were Immediately /
dashed to the ground when he found
the sole contents was a slip Of paper I
addressed to himself
Dear Mr. Smith" It ran-'NIany i
thanks for your rOller-Of which 7 |
made good use. The police do miss
things close under their noses and l