The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-11-11

No, but you haveI" replied the
smart girl with little giggle of tri-
umph- Hand over quietly and you
may not get over rs years in the
jugi"
The young man, who was the sole
support of widowed mother and six
fatherless sisters, and who firmly be-
lieved that the moving picture shows
were filling the jails to overlooking,
smiled a gladstone smile and began
to hand over bolts OF silk. yards and
dozens of real pearl buttons, until he
had deposited enough on the table to
stock a department store in the
Bronx
George, what tempted your" asked
the senior member OF K. & K.
Il wanted to sell the stun and buy
Bibles for the heathen'
When the thief had been tucked
away in nice little cell in prison
Miss Oracle was told by the firm
For your smartness you now get
$12 per-"
Thanks.
And during your spare time you
can watch others"
She did, and she brought the por-
ter. the janitor and two elevator men
to Justice. They were In a conspiracy
to rob the store Of thirty shirtwaists
per week Then Miss Oracle was
raised to $14 per week. and the senior
J partner said to her:
Such smartness / never saw be-
fore, and X. & K are sure proud Of
you, but you needn't do any more
watching for a time. II IL only a
strain on your brain, but you might
catch me trying to beat the other
X. or vice versa"
Miss Oracle Hollands stuck to her
real duties, but she imbibed the idea
that she was a born detective. She
began to look at all men and women
as suspicious characters. Even when
a young man tried to firt with her
on the street her detective intuition
was so strong that she almost laid a
hand on his shoulder as she Kissed at
him.
you are a safe blower, and know
1t, and you make your hike or I'll run
you inl"
He was a minister's son and a
salesman in a large jewelry house,
and had Just organized a Bible class,
but he made his hike" just the same.
When Miss Oracle began her pro-
fessional career she went to board
with Nanny Jones. 1t was a hall
bedroom and a starvation table, but
as the salary went up things improv-
ed When it reached $40 per week
Miss Oracle took the best front room,
and became the star boarder. She
did not leave when the salary became
$14.
Strangers came and went It sud
denly occurred to the stenographer
that she was most favorably situated
to continue her detective work and
she went right at it. She suspected
the two actors out Of engagements;
she suspected the old maid who had
her hall bedroom; she suspected a
grocery clerk who had a room In the
house, and she almost suspected the
landlady herself
One evening. when an old-clothes
man called to see If she had any sec
ond-hand garments to sell, the word
villain" stood out 30 plainly on his
forehead that the girl laid a hand on
him and said:
"Retribution has overtaken you at
/ last"
What ish dot?' was asked
Your crime has found you out!"
81 lick my wife ten years ago. but
she don't go by der police"
Other callers were put through
their PAGES, but none of them was
frightened into confessing murder or
bomb explosion. The day must come,
however, and it did come 1t came
three days after a little incident on
the street. A bare-headed young man
with pencil behind his ear, and who
seemed to be a clerk in store, 40
costed Miss Oracle at a corner and
asked If she could give him SO bill
for FIVE twos 1t was her salary day
and she was carrying home her $14.
Why not oblige the clerk? The SO
was passed over for the twos, and 1t
seemed to the girl that she was be-
ginning to be of some Importance as
a capitalist.
The cobbler took fifty cents for re-
pairing pair of shoes; a lunch at q
restaurant was 35 cents; a bit of
cheap jewelry that happened to please
was rs cents. In each case one of
the two-dollar bills was handed out.
The other two went into her board
money, and Nanny Jones passed
them along to the grocer and butcher.
And then there was the arrival Of
the strange man. He took a back
room upstairs without board. He was
well dressed, but he had a sly look
In looks and talk he was not the aver
age roomer for that quarter-he was
above them. He had plenty of money,
and paid week in advance, besides
assuring Nanny that he didn't play
on a flute or an accordion, and he
was given the room. 1t was two days
before the detectress caught sight Of
him, and then she said to the land
lady:
Your Mr. Bennett is crook"
my stars!"
| Tie > q commence man OF WIG
tapper!"
Get the police at once!"
And from the way he drags his
right leg I should say that he was
acquainted with the ball and chain!"
Then he'll rob and murder usi"
No, he won'ti" replied Miss Oracle.
! In firm voice. Am not here? Isn't
It part of my profession to run
down crooks?"
but the police"
mot a word to them-not hint!
When have got this man In my tolls
I'll communicate with police head
quarters. I'll shadow him and have
line ON him within three days You
must not say or do anything to fright
en- the bird away"
The stranger seemed to stink out
and In. He asked no questions Of
anybody, and If he gave any Of the
people in the house more than a pass
ing glance 1t was the stenographer.
Each evening for three successive
evenings she found him In her hall
when she came I'D from her dinner.