El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-06-28

Z OF flies, and children eating bananas
! ana impatient mothers and fat men. il
I seemed TO me TO move as slowly as
J flcd mare ! typed at a cinder in
| my eye, and added each fresh discom-
/ fort TO my debt 10 Fidd.
/ And tlQd-sOme seats in front OF me
| las excited as child on an "eNcur-
SIGN luns out Of the window eagerly,
audited the time table by comparison
with MS watch at every stop and
jumped up continually to reduce the
fever of his restlessness with ice wa
| ter from the cooler. He looked fur
l lively at me each time as he returned
/ 70 ms seat remained stOnily obIivi-
l-Ous Of him.
J. was little "jerk-water' rail-
road Junction that sold supplies 20 q
nelSnoOrhoOd OF prosperous farmers
and called itself the Forest City, be-
cause II mad so many shade trees on its
streets II was proud, too of its lawns
II displayed a sample of them, beside
the railroad station, in patch Of grass
DIG enough to make background for
the name OF the town done in white
washed round stones.
I could read. I felt that Fidd might
have given me credit for so much edu-
cation, and omitted the backward
SlanceS with which he sigualed that
had arrived 1 was lettering in my seat
plrpOSelys 10 let Fldd 90 on without
me- for had seen a suspicious looking
man in the station doorway watching
the passengers alight- But Fidd stuck
" over his shoulder; and to get him TO
proceed I had to take up my satchel
and follow.
I overlook Fidd at the foot OF the
car steps, where the amateur detective
mad paused again, on the lookout for
the counterfeit He was blissfully IN
aware OF the man in the doorway
watching him / rammed him from be-
hind with my satchei. and brushed him
aside WlthEthe Impotence of a perfect
stranger and the man in the doorway
stepping out to accOst Fidd. let me
pass without noticing me. A glance
was enough TO assure me that this man
was confederate. I hurried off to the
American house in order to arrive there
first
Fidd Meets the Confederate.
The American house-in the person
or its proprietOr-reCeived me as a
commercial traveller indifferently, with
grunL IN reply to my explanation
that / would only register for supper.
because 1 did not know whether or not
I would spend the night in j.
I entered myself as "W- j. Burke"
so that Fidd might recognize the in
itials.
The proprietor retired into the bar
room and left me to dispose of my bag
myself I put it behind the desk. and
found myself conspicuous in the pres
ence Of empty chair, eNpectant cuspi-
doris, and the plate glass Of the front
window OF the hotel office" I went
the street, and saUntered back toward
the station TO pick up" Fidd.
Inc confederate was with him. and
Fldd came along with his chin on his
necktle, watching the street alertly IN
der his eyebrows. and giving an atten-
tive ear to the condolences of his in
tended victim I stepped into drug
store to let them go by. Fidd. in pass
ing, -signaled to me secretly to follow
them. pointing ahead with a protrud-
Ing thumb at the level of his hip. I mas
tered desire to come out and kick
They turned out OF the business I
street into Maple avenue. and led me
several blocks west to chestnut street. [
Enere Jney stood talking on the cor
1er tldd had his hands behind him. l
Both his fOrefingers We're pointing I
Town ut the board walk under his 4
heels I understood the signal to mean 4
-uaJ. I'm spite of institutions. Fidd waa I
arranging to meet his cOunterfeiter on 4
That corner I felt sorry for Fidd.
The confederate had noticed the pass !
srby on the opposite side of the street. |
house number; and. when I found It, I
turned up the pathway to a SCROLL l
work cottage and rang the dOOrbell. BY Z
he time / had learned that no one by 4
he name of Urquhart lived there-Or !
vas known to be in the ncighbOrhood- /
stdd and his "steerer" had turned /
pack
A Message From the Amateur.
I reached a cigar shop and pool par
or opposite the American House in l
line to see them arrive at the hotel I
ma J. spent the next two hours watch
ng lhem- when they sat down to sup
'er, / went to make my own meal at |
7 nelghborlnS bakeshOp, with an apple I
rom the grocery for dessert. It is one
II the qualifications of a modern de-
ectlye that he shall be able to eat out
II his hand.
My original resentment against Ffdd
lad deepened to an angry contempt [
nat was relieved ONLY By a vague