Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-09-04
The Daily Story
A Lost Hat-By Dwight Norwood.
Copyrighted. 1919. by Associated Literary Bureau.

/ driver if there was not q roaf bes,do
the railway track. He said there IT,
and, pointing to the man who ra,
walking on the ties. said:
II wish you to drive eastward o.,
be sure TO keep that man in siob.
Whenever the road digresses from a.
/ track let me know beforehand ana
/ will get ont and walk till they CONF
! together again"
| handed him q five dollar hin as,--
! ing him that IL he followed my dr.
! tons closely there would be more fo-
/ him. He put It in his pocket. / enterad
/ the cab. and we rolled away.
We were obliged to drive sbo-.
distance into the town before strikiny
a main road leading eastward and h..
sight of my man for a few rninutse
but as soon as we passed beyond Tho
houses caught sight of him again TO-
the track lay over open ground. Our
road ran parallel with the rails fo-
half mile, then struck a side brf
covered with a wood ! alighted anf
walking in the cover. Swallowed nv
man till near the open again, when
met the cab and re-entered It.
In this way I kept track Of the man
while he ncared the place where his
hat had been knocked out through tho
window. / knew he would recognize
it, for when he had looked out after
il he had doubtless done so to note fha
place where it fell. To tell the truth
l had marked the place myself BY TAX
ing in n certain knoll with a single
tree on its crest.
Seeing this knoll n short distance
ahead and that it separated the road
from the track, when | reached il |
left my cab, directing the cabman to
remain where he was. I walked M
the knoll till I neared the top then
crawled the rest of the way. Fortu-
nateIy for me the grass was long. and
when l reached the summit | could
see through it without being seen.
There was the man about 300 yards
below me hunting for his hat.
There were bushes and long grass
and stumps beside the rails, and be
was having a hard hunt. l was suf-
fciently sympathetic to help him and
intended to do so provided he made
failure of it, but preferred that he
should find the hat himself. There
was little likelihood that it had been
picked up, for there were no houses
near and the only person in sight was
a man working in field half mile
from the track.
1 felt like calling TO the fellow that
the suction of the train would carry
the hat in the direction we were NOV
ing when it was lost, matter that he
didn't seem to consider, and kept look
ing a hundred yards or more eastward
of where | believed the article would
cease bounding after the cars. But
at last having hunted thoroughly over
the ground to the eastward, he turned
his attention to an open space covered
by long grass 10 the westward. Sud
denly he pounced upon it in a depres-
sion within few yards Of the track.
Snatching it up, he looked about him
to assure himself that he was not OBJ
served. then thrust his hand into and
about the crown. Having done this.
he brushed the dust away with his
sleeve, then put the hat on his head.
For few moments he stood looking
first eastward, then westward, rs if in
doubt as TO which way TO go. then
started eastward. | went back 10 ny
cab and saw him coming on to the
road short distance ahead of me.
When I came up with him I called out.
"Get in and I'll give you a lift"
How far is it to the next station"
be asked, heSitating.
Too far to walk. Get in
He did so. and we drove on.
l asked the cabman the distance TO
the station and something about the
lway and was considerable of town.
| chatted with my quarry as we rode
along. but asked him 10 questions
When we rode into the town, seeing
sign. Police Station" l directed the
iriver 10 stop and, getting out of the
,ab. called on the man to follow me
lie looked fiurried. but obeyed. He
lad no sooner struck the sidewalk than
clapped my hand on his shoulder ana
aid:
Il want you
He started. feigned surprise AMI
sked:
What for:"
Lifting 4 pearl necklace. Come in
Iere''
l took him into the police station
ilu. SIN ltIllS HIS llti l4'iA Az 49,
rom under the lining, around when Il
vas circled. | drew ii beautiful! pearl
ecklace.
l clapped pair Of bracelets on am
nd took him to the station. where
-as obliged 10 wait for the next east
ound train. | tele@raphed the reShN
f my expedition to the odice, and IN
bout two hours after we had been no,
flied of the loss the lady who ha0
lade il was informed that her brace
Il had been recovered.
In time I lodged my man in jail ana
eturned the necklace 10 its owne
he fellow proved to be one OF tue
ickest thieves on the criminal record
Ie was no housc5:caker. but prAe'
ced ingenious devices 20 enter houses
nd get away with r'urder