Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-03-06
THE AMATEUR DETECTIVE.
BY WILLIAM J. BURNS.

|UNNSs
the counterfeiter. He was blissfully
nawar of the mar in the doorway
watching him. 1 rammed him from
behind with my satchel, and brushed
him aside with the Impotence of a
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 a confederate. 1 hur-
ried off to the American house in or.
der to arrive there first.
Fidd Meets the Confederate.
The American house-in the person
of its properietor-received me as a
commercial traveller i~ndifferently, with
a grunt in reply to my explanation
that would only register for supper,
because 1 did not know whether or
not / would spend the night in j.
Il entered myself as wv. 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. put it behind the desk, and
found myself conspicuous in the pres
ence OF empty chairs, expectant cuspi-
doris n the plate glass Of the front
window of the hotel office" / went
out, to make myself less noticeable on
LIZ ollo SduklISISu UdCh lOWdIu
the station to pick up" Fidd.
The confederate was with him, and
Fidd came along with his chin on his
necktie, watching the street alertly
under his eyebrows, and giving an at
tentive a to the condolences of his in
tended victim. l stepped into a 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. l
mastered a desire to come out and
kick him.
They turned out Of the business
street into Maple avenue, and led me
several blocks west to Chestnut street,
where they stood talking on the COR
ner. Ffdd had his hands behind him.
Both his forefingers were pointing down
at the board walk under his heels. l
understood the signal to mean that, in
spite instructions, Fidd was arrang-
ing to meet his counterfeiter on that
corner. 1 felt sorry for Fidd.
The confederate had noticed the
passerby on the opposite side OF the
street. but was %innocsnt'y looking for
a house number; and, wLen I found it,
1 turned up the pathway to a SCROLL
work cottage and rang the door bell.
BY the time I had learned that no one
by the name of Urquhart lived there or
was known to be in the neighborhood
-F1dd and his "steerer" had turned
back.
A Message From the Amateur.
I reached a cigar shop and pool
parlOr," opposite the American House,
in time to see them arrive at the hotel,
and l spent the e two hours watch
ing them. When they sat down to sup
per, l went to make my own meal at
a neighboring bake shop. with an apple
from the grocery for dessert. 1t is one
of the qualifications of a modern de-
tective that he shall be able to eat out
of his hand.
My original resentment against Fidd
had deepened to an angry contempt
that was relieved only by a vague
promise of laughter to come with the
progress of events.
1t was almost dusk when the pair is
sued from the hotel again. and Fidd
hung back and looked up and down the
street so a%nxiously that 1 made myself
conspicuous by crossing the road. Fidd
Immediately smuggled an envelope
from his pocket and wigwagged& it be-
hind him. The fool hadn't sense enough
to leave 1t at the hotel desk for wv. J..
Burke"
briskly. caught the letter from him
against the newspaper. and went on
ahead of them, still .tshadowing' them,
till they turned into a livery stable.
Then l stepped into a convenient gro
Gerry store and read the letter. 1t had
been scrubbed on the back Of the en-
velope: Corner of Maple and Chest
nut. 9 p m. We drive past. Be there.
Won't come to hotel"
Burns Makes a Purchase.
What can l do for you?" the grocer
l blinked at him. What did you
say?"
Something for you?"
"Oh," / consulted the envelope as If
it had been a shopping list. Yes; she
wants half a peck of apples, a quar-
ter's worth of granulated sugar, a
pound of English breakfast tea. and
AS market-oh. a market basket.
Put them in the basket and Til take
them with me-
saw Fidd and the confederate drive
past. When I came u Of the gro
and my hat on the back of my head;
and l was on my way to carry my be-
lated purchases to q house near the
corner of Chestnut street and Maple
emu
I lugged that basket up and down
the side streets till nearly 9, eating the
apples and blessing Fidd. There was
a storm coming-one Of the worst
storms I remember-an6 1t settled
down n a pitch black night. I had
seen that there was a hedge in front
of h house on Fidd's corner. and I
planned to get behind the bushes there
and lie in wait for anything that hap
pened.
The Man Under . Tree.
I came down Chestnut street with
the basket. The hedge was there all
right. and 80 was our MANIPULATING
under a tree. in the shadows from the
street light. I passed him. with the
basket. and turned into the third gate
from the corner. and started back
across lots to get in behind him.
after me. ON the first In wn and ~ 1of