Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-06-12

I&aGW number to the girl at the
1kSyN~ hotel telephone booth. A,
@ moment or so of waiting
and then we started for the
dining room. And as we seated our
selves, Miss Clement seemed busy
with thought.
i've just been wondering" said she
whether it was here or somewhere,
else"
laughed at her vague remark, Miss.
Clement has always been u sort OF a.
study to me. There is a kittenish,
childishness. twinkle and sparkle Of
the eyes, a series Of mannerisms which
give her many times the appearance,
more of a child than of woman who
has tracked thieves and other evil.
doers for years She has a way of:
presenting things IN the most gfrlisi
of ways; there is sometimes n little,
air of irresponsibflity that is fetching
10 the degree that you forget entirely
that this woman ever could have had
adventures. that she ever could have
been in places where the slightest
false move would have meant death.
she perked her head coQuettishly to
one side and looked at me out OF the
corner of her eyes.
We'll" she asked. whats so funny
about that?"
Just the way you put the remark.
I answered. What were you WON
dering about?"
"A certain telephone call OF abort
two years ago just happened To-
think about It when / came out OF
the booth and then. Of course, I start,
ed wondering where it had happened
After all, believe it was here. And
by the way, IL was a telephone call
of some Importance. 1t solved mys-
terry for me-"
We stopped conversation for 4 min
ute that we might give our orders and
then Miss Clement took little note
book from her handbag.
ITS marked down here as the Case
of the Crossed Wires,'" she said, land
that's about what it was. l don't care
what you say, luck certainly does play
INTO a detectives hand II that detec.
tive knows enough to take advantage
Of the opportunity when 1t is present
ed. And to tell the truth, the drown
ing man who grasped at the tabled
straw was not any more desperate
than l was the night pair OF crossed
wires started me on the way to big
arrest. But that part comes later
she added.
Three weeks before, one OF the big
mercantile companies of the city had
discovered a 100000 loss. The police
department believed that James Whit
ney. by which name we shall know the
embezzler. was still in the city. 1t was
my duty to find him.
did you ever seek a man who was
hiding from you in city of two and
a half million people? For 81 days
sought, I had invaded every possible
place where the man might be- I had
shadowed his friends. had watched
the house In which he lived, / had
men stationed at every depot had
followed out every bit of clue-and
all had resulted in failure. There was
sact thing left to work on. There.
Was not possibility on which to rest
hope that l might find the man
sought And l knew that every day
brought my chances Of making the.
arrest to smaller and smaller proper
tons.
Wy pioh hot Va,
into the hotel here. l was tired; !
was discouraged. And so ! determined
to do that thing which I have done
many times before when ! have been
blue and worn out and tired-tele-
phone home to my little kiddie, and
have her tell me. over the phone. all
the things that have been happening
In her young life since l left her in
the morning. When the world Of
crime seems dark and forbidding, 1t Is
good to hear the voice Of little child
in your ears. detailing to you all the
adventures Of her dollies. all the
things she has been doing. all the
playing she has been indulgtng in.
And SO walked to the operator and
asked for my number"
Then 1t was, as there came an tn
terruption in the form of q waiter
that | saw the reason that Alice Gle
ment seems always young, always hap
py, in spite Of the morbid, gruesome
half of the world in which she makes
her living. She has her foil I'm her lit
tie girl and the reaction takes away
the stain of the world Of darkness.
Miss Clement glanced around the
room and continued.
II had hardly gotten my number
when there came great buZzing and
cracking on the line. I jerked the
receiver away from my ear, held it
out moment until the noise would
cease, and then called hello again.
The answering voice was that of a
man.
"'Well what became Of your came
the question.
81 started to tell him that he was
talking to the wrong person. Then
something, ! don't know why on earth,
caused me to answer differently.
al wasn't sure of who this was,'
answered. The reply caused me to-
take more interest in life There was