Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-18


hen amt cackling again.,
She tied n veil over her sard.
and darted out to the orchard ana - =
yond the fruit trees to a little ero-. 6
younglocusts that had grown IN aro.,''
! the heap of broken down wagons
Miss Ducey poked around n !,
rank grass, now fiattened in neer,s.
way. Certainly those were the us,s'
! of wheels.
How did they come theres "
they the tracks of the black autar.
bile? Nettle Ducey ran to ana !.
/ like hound on the scent, and 4, !,
teen minutes she had discoveries -.
| mystery of the motorcar that d,s,s
peared at the end of Block street !.
cry night.
From Block street the machjna I'm.
ed into the lot beyond her orchard ~
some one must have been there To-,
fully obliterate all traces Of its ma.
ing. Through the lot it had gors !.
the farthest confines. A fence rss, h,a
been lowered and replaced. and. 10 a.
machine had sped through another :,
cant lot into street that ran paraIs,
with Block street and 50 disappears
''Ha"' cried Miss Ducey. lust Ike !.
great detective who has made n1arrsl.
Gus discovery. Then she added In !.
puzzled tone, But what in time doc,
any man want to cut such capers fors
After awhile. finding this question
unanswered, Miss Ducey went back IA
the heap of old wagons and nosaa
around in search of the white hon,
stolen nest. She crept down on All
tours and Jeopardized life and limb
among the weather worn vehicles bu,
there was no sign of the hens nest,
Miss Ducey sat down on the grass
under her fathers old buggy and
rested.
I'll have a spell of rheumatic after
thisr' she groaned, bowling her head d
her hands.
Presently she lifted her head ana
looked up at the bottom Of the bu
body of the old buggy under which Sd.
sat. Her gaze became fixed on some
thing bright that was wedged in
crack. She put up a hand and pulled.
and down into her lap there tumbleds
silver spoon-a solid silver teaspoon
Nettie Ducey scrambled out from IN
der the buggy and peered under tie
lifted lid of the box. In order to d
this she had to raise the decaying hood
of the vehicle.
In the box was what looked Ike q
pile of dirty canvas. Nettie Ducey in,
vestigated and discovered that they
were bags filed with solid silverware
and a small leather bag contained
jewelry hastily huddled together.
1t was the hidden loot of thieves!
What thieves? Why. the ones she
had read about in the paper. OF course.
Ten thousand dollars reward Almost
any of her modest dreams might come
true-she might take a trip to Wash
ington some day.
Nettie Ducey never ran so fast in al
her life as she did when she left the
rubbish pile in the lot behind the or
chard.
At last she reached the constables
office. where she poured out her mar
velous tale. exhibited the newspaper
and before witnesses laid claim TO The
reward. The constable telephoned to
the city police. and then he swore
a score of deputies.
Constable Bigley, accompanied By
Nettie Ducey and trailed by tweHtl
deputies all armed to the teeth, swarm
ed up Block street, through Netues
orc a Ri tO tho tI1bbjSh nile
And when the constable and bis mel
had brought out the missing stun ah
identified it beyond doubt as that p
longing to Buffam e Jiggs Miss iH-
cey told them the story Of the mo9
ghost and showed them the nlystenous
tracks across the lots TO the para*'
street. establishing beyond ooua.
that the black car was the vehicle Q.
the thieves and that the cleverness
the observing spinster had resuiiea
her finding the hiding place m 'ue
thieves.
The city police arrived by an atlef
noon train. and at night. when the NV
tor ghosts essayed another mysteiio's
fight through Block street, they mel
1t was Il happy day when Metre ~
tey met MesSrs. Buffam 4 Jisss y
their palatiaI offices and received lux
promised reward. There was hiohe'
enough to make her comfortaef i
fest of her life and to help man! !
her relatives and friends. and that va,
what Miss Ducey had always Waa.s'
to do, only she couldn't afford u.
lidn't sell the cottage after all. bgl sm
rented It and went to live In fuA's
street.
When Miss Ducey took the UP
Mrs. Weems ana her ~
1and went along ms her guests ahs
$ matter of interest 10 note tn9t
Neems handsomely apologized fer y
concerning tea dfihe-
vimmin." because" he added sur
Y. "if you and Annie hadn't inuu,-
n strong tea and sat up late AZ h'-
-ou would never have DISCOVERIES ~
here motor ghost and we w'o'us
lifting here now"
And Miss Ducey and her frienu
0 happy that they didn't care ''I
ause Mr.. weems had the last Wv
fter all.
Feb. Is in American