The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-05-15
THE WRONG
CLEW
B, MARJORIE CLOUGH

A number Of detectives were sitting
in the Office, waiting to be assigned tc
some duty. and naturally their CONVEX
sation fell upon incidents pertaining tc
their profession. Several had told
yarns, each more remarkable than the
last, when little wizened chap who
had been listening respectfully to the
others spoke up. -,
II would like" he said. Ito make .
collection Of small incidents that have
led to great results You fellows have
been telling how a handkerchief or
button or something like that had led
to the recovery Of hundreds Of thou.
sands. but that's only In one line. Ev.
cry time We meet new person some
marked event IL liable to come OF it
Take the beginnings OF love affairs
for instance. How many trifiing Incl
dents have brought two people Of oppo
site sexes together; resulting In gen.
Grafton after generation Of progeny.
LET me give you an instance. Do
yon remember the 'bobtair street cars
in which the passenger entered through
4 rear door. staggered up to the front
and dropped Il nickel between inclined
planes OF window glass? Then the
driver pulled something that let the
coin down into box. Well, ! was
riding in one Of those cars once when
every seat Was taken. A mighty pref
ty girl got in and managed to get up
near the fare box. where | was sit
ting. l was young then and. II / say
it MYSELF. not such a miserable looking
specimen Of a man as am now. and !
dressed pretty welt then too. SO I got
up and offered the young lady my seat.
She took it very smilingly and. getting
out her pocketbok. put her dainty
thumb and finger in to get out her
fare. 1t was late in the day. and there
was no artificial light in the car. 50
she couldn't see very well and picked
over several coins before she selected
one.
II was leaning up against the cash
box. and to save her the necessity Of
rising took the coin from her lovely
fingers. l could tell by feeling it that
it was nickel. so without looking at it
l dropped it in the hopper. 1t wasn't
second before the driver gave "A pull.
and down it went into the box.
suddenly the young lady started. She
evidently remembered something. TAX
ing out her pOrtemonnaie again. she I'm
gered over the coins in it for a few mo-
ments: then. looking up at me with a
terrified expression. exclaimed:
Goodness gracious:
"'What's the matter?' ] asked
"'You put a five dollar gold piece in
that box
"'YOu don't mean it! was good
deal disturbed at the responsibility l
was under. %
'She got out handkerchief and be-
gan to wipe away tears.
II opened the sliding front door and,
calling to the driver, told him what
had happened, asking him If thcr e was
any way by which he could get the
gold piece out of the box. He said there
wasn't and showed me a brass paddock
on the opening. But he said that if the
lady would 80 to the end of the route,
about three miles farther on. the fare
gatherer would open the box, and II
there was FIVE dollar gold piece in 1t
he would return it.
II told the girl what he had said, and
she began to cry the harder. saying
that she was intending to meet her
mother at railway station few
blocks farther on and they were going
on a train that would leave in twenty
minutes to distant city. where her
father was very sick and not expected
to live.
"Weli, I was in for it. I took S4.95
out Of my vest pocket and handed 1t
to her, telling her that l was going to
the end of the route and would collect
what was due. She gave me the pref
test little smile through her tears you
CVcl "a " VII pan VI NCA"Al'oA APS.
/ told the driver what l had done, and
he promised to see that was repaid
from the gold piece in the box. felt
very proud Of myself Time and again
the dear little creature looked up at
me and every time with a grateful
smile. When we reached the railway
station and she got out, peering
through the window, saw her throw
q kiss to me-"
"Cut out the rest of it," said one Of
the listeners "You met the girl after
ward at a ball or somewhere and mar
ried her,
IF you think you know more about
It than I do you can tell the rest Of
It yourself" snapped the narrator.
"Go on" said the others.
"Well, when got to the end Of the
route told my story. the driver back.
ed me up, and the collector agreed that
IL there was Eve dollar gold piece
In the box should have It,"
The story teller paused.
''Well, did you get it,"
"No: there wasn't any gold piece In
the box"