The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-02-21

lall TO reCOlleCD hadn't
looked around, manys the rum0rist
VINO would be shy sundry half dollars;
II Ulysses hadn't met Calypso. Pencil
opes knitting would have been accom-.
pilShed in a reasonably small compass
OF time; thus, if, on the morning of
March tenth, blizzard hadn't ronped
III from the Atlantic there wouldn't
aaVe been any wrong coat. The day
before mad been treacherously warm
and springlike, and had gone about
my affairs without any coat. It is al
ways the seemingly iniinitesimal
things that count heaviest in the final
reckoning.
hadn't gone two blocks from Mou-
GUMS that night, when | noted the
fact that | was wearing a coat that
did not belong to me. With a growl
turned around and went back. | SIM
ply wasted my time; my coat was no.
where to be found. | stormed about,
sending the walters jumping all over
the restaurant, but to no avail. Final
~ Gained down and admitted that it
was all my own fault. | should have
examined the coat when | shCuldered
into it. So left word at the cashiers
desk and sought the street again.
Doubtless you have lost a coat or
nat, in your time, II you who read
happen to be man. 1t is curious,
but, no matter how much you are bet
tered in the exchange, you raise a
hOWl-yOu make the echoes ache with
your lamentations. There is nothing
on earth you want save your own coat
and hat. To be sure, If, in the pockets
OF the wrong coat, there happen to be
several thousand dollars, your howl is
modified and innocuous, and you go at
once to look for the other fellow
perhaps. But as in this instance
there were only thirty.five cents, a
Cancelled railroad ticket, and scatter
Ing OF cloves and tabloids for the
breath, my cries We're heard afar.
Hang all absent-minded buffers, my
self included, whose wits go wool
gathering at bad times! The coat was
just like mine, light gray winter pad
dock, lined with heavy satin. The only
difference lay in the sleeves: these
had small-change pockets, whereas
mine had none. 1t was even exchange
and NO robbery, but | was none the
less angry. The truth is, 1t was just
after the first Of the month and there
were four or five unpaid bills in the
inside pocket of my coat. Zone was
the bill for the coatD So climbed the
stairs to the elevated station in no
amiable frame OF mind Well, we'll;
1t really did not matter ii the gentle
man who had appropriated my coat
learned that owed my tailor. To owe
ones tailor as long as the law per-
mits is quite customary-not only GUS
tomary, but also proper and commend
able. The other bills were for cigars,
gloves and hats; that is to say, of no
great Importance.
/ pumped into vacant seat and
glowered at the street below. 1t had
stopped showing and the wind had
gone down. For once in my life took
no interest in the advertising signs. !
wanted my coat, and for all knew the
man who had it might stumble under
an automobile and ruin the garment;
and, even II he didn't ruin it. 1t would
smell tolerably strong OF gasoline.
conjured up all manner of catastrophes
regarding the ultimate end of my coat.
The other fellow might be burned up
In it.; he might fall down greasy ele-
vator shaft in it; he might even be
lugged to Jail in it, which was not at
all unlikely, the cloves and tabloids
speaking not very we'll for his habits.
Was there ever such luck?
Having no newspaper with which to
pass away the time, fell once more
to rummaging the wrong coat. AS
searched the pockets my sense OF guilt
was in nowise agitated. Doubtless
the owner was at that moment going
through the pockets of my coat. Thus,
honors were even. But | found moth
ing by which to identify my man.
Ones identity cannot be established
by means of thirty-tive cents,a worth
less ticket, and few cloves. A.
Conan Doyle might accomplish such
feat, but | couldn't Hello!
What was this? From the handker-
chief pocket drew forth an envelope;
but, as I glanced at it, my hopes
slumpedt The address side was miss
ing; only the sealing-tlaps remained
/ was about to toss it contemptuously
into the aisle, when I discovered that
it was covered with pencil scribblings
Merciful heavens! | held the
thing under my very nose and read
with Mortified eyes:
Girl must die between twelve and
one o'clock.
"Chloroform,-
"Bow-window at side unlalched,-
enter there.
"Safe in library. Secure will.
Leave by front door.
Servants night out--Girl alone"
Mystery! / sat up straight and
breathed quickly. I saw it all very
plainly. Fate had thrust this coat
upon me; Fate had given me mis-
sion: | might be the means of saving
the girls life. / was an amateur de-
tectiye after fashion and more