The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-12

deringly, and perturbed, too, as he I speculated upon what Blackie's new move might be. ..Yes.' explained Blackie smoothly. q told MT. Kerr about our misfortune in losing our disguise trunk He knows the telegraph operator and can get away a secret message for us.'' He took the message in question | from Mir. Kerr's. hands and displayed 1 it to Wallingford, who read: Violet Bonnie Daw-send complete as s'i '''iei-' BLACKIE The city councilman creaked away to get Blackie's secret message on the wire. As they walked across Courthouse souars to the offcial box, Wailingford turned to B1ackie with a half vexed laugh.
 q hope you didn't have the nerve to tell that piker your name was Sher- lock Holmes he observed. ssOertainly not grinned Biackie- ''1 only gave him my initial, S.
 A councilman with a three haired mole on his chin, who sat next Black1e, nudged his arm. There goes your man." he whispered, pointing to where Henry C1osby, neatly dressed ana prosperous looking merchant, with let black beard of which he apparently took 1ustifable care, emerged from his store. behind the rag baby booth and the ice cream-taffy stand, crossed the square with the entire indifference of one traversing vacant field and dis anreared down a side street for his evening stroll
 Looks like a real sport to me-" Blackie commented approvingly-
 .He's a point shy or he wouldn't stay here,r growIed Wallingford, whose dis taste for the town was growing deeper every minute.
 BIackie's neighbor nudged him again. My name is Scorpine- I'm the pro prietor of the Spanglerv1lle Adver- tiser." he confided. "I probably know more about our citizens than any man in town Henry Closby goes to Chi cago on the first and third Sunday of every month and he stays till Tuesday morning every time. He carries a hand bag and a big suit case.''
 sYellow?'' asked Blackie excited1y.
 ssThe suit case is. ;
 sDo you hear thatT' demanded R1ackie of Wallingford, but J. Rufus had turned his back. s'The hand bag is black.'' HN
 4sNo. brown" asserted the best post ed man in town.
 @sBrown?' repeated Blackie in dis tress. 'eThat throws me off my calcu- lations. What does he carry in them ?"
 The best posted man shook his head sadly. Nobody knows" he confessed. '1 can tell you something else about him, though. Once every month or six weeks he expresses a heavy box to New York;
 Blackie caught his breath loudly. ssNot a wooden boxr'
 "A wooden boxv' repeated the other triumphantly. "It is always addressed to B. F. Futile. at Fifth avenue and Forty-second street; prepaid"
 Futile" 1" unused Blackie, as if to him. self. q never dreamed that he would be in this.''
 Before they returned to their hotel Councilman Brand. who operated brickyard just behind Henry Closby'a- store, and who was the best posted man in town, told them that Henry went to Chicago about every two weeks and was in the habit of digging holes in his back yard. Before they went to bed Councilman Smith, who sold farm implements, ammunition and lightning rods, and who, besides being the best posted man in town, suffered from in-
 
 saw lights in Henry Closby's upstairs windows as late as 2 o'clock in the : morning; also that Henry paid nyste-. riouss visits to Chicago. 4
 ssI owe Henry CIosby an apology, and he, gets it,'' stated Blackie before he turned out his light.
 Henry Closby was alone in his store on Sunday morning, taking an invoice of his goods, when they called on him. a A. with the engaging air of man who is quite sure of himself.
 'sWe don't want thing in the world, ,'' said Blackie, genuinely regretful- ''I owe you an apology for starting some gossip about you here."
 Nobody ever starts any gossip in this town," observed MT. Closby dryly. :, "It's always under way"
 q think we gave it an infection of hurry-up hop,' insisted Blackie, and he explained exactly how the thing had come about.
 Mir. C1osby only laughed @It can't hurt me-" he said, very much to both Blackies and Wa1lingford's relief. sEThe town wasn't so bad. though, till long haired Socialist converted the place to public ownership
 A little soft music and I'll ten you the story" offered Wallingford, with chuckIe. First they conflscated the electric light plant, the gooseberry in- dustry and the ax handle factory; then they bought the mortgage on your fa- ther's hotel and foreclosed.''
 You must be detectives, after all," wondered Closby. "Oh, I see. You got the name from the old advertising register 9
 How did you get by with the store?7 inquired Wallingford, looking with interest at the well stocked shelves.
 ''They tried that, but they were glad to let go. They gobbled everything