The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-18
Stories of Strange Cases Solved in Secret
Banker-Detective-- By ROBERT CARLTON BROW

Having casually examined the attic and
finding nothing OF interest, Poe went OH
downstairs. and found Rose busy In the
nursery.
he exclaimed. Would you mind showing
me to Geordie's bed chamber. Miss Nc
Dermott?"
The nurse. restraining her tears with
difficulty. took him TO Geordies bed
THE kidnaper must have passed your
bed in order 10 get TO whore Geordie was
sleeping, remarked Poe, stepping
after he had glanced a I Geordln's crib.
Yes, SIR and ! can't forgive myself
"IIe must have been rather well ac-
quainted with the situation Of the rooms
make silently In the dark"
EIe made second examination OF
Geordie's bed. but found nothing OF In
terest. Going directly 10 a little-used
on the second floor, he asked Andrew
TO see that he wasn't disturbed and as
soon as the door was closed fell 10
pacing back and forth rehectively. his
hands behind his back. a cigar clenched
In his teeth. his head well forward. For
/, two hours he paced back and forth.
sometimes mumbling TO himself, accord
ing to an ineradica BILE habit of summing
up matters In short phrases and SEEM
insly disconnected words:
"Pronto! Prontol A single tap. No
shuttle. Heavy bullet. Nellie Gray
Oddr'
lie opened the door. went downstairs.
and found the maid who had discovered
the kldnapers' note on the porch. After
careful questioning ne had her take
him to the very spot where the note had
been found. There he carefully calcu-
lated the distance from the street and
stopped 10 make a nasty eXampation or
mark on the cement floor of the porch.
Then he asked for the bullet found in
the note, and carefully examined that
and the envelope. finding that some of
the lead had been graZed from the nose
of tho cartridge and a corresponding
hole had been scraped In the envelope.
He lunched alone I'm the smoking room
at about 3 O'Clock. Mrs. MacGregor stIll
being asleep.
AS he was in the middle OF his cigar
he jumped up and peered out OF the
small front window, standing well back,
though the window was curtained so no
passer-by could see him,
The wheezy accordion was again play
Inc plaintively; the air was "Tenting To-
night on the Old Camp Ground"
Something In the drawling execution
struck Poe's ear strangely; The tune was
repeated with strong emphasis again on
the first two words.
"Ten-ting tonight" repeated Poe. pull
ing back the edge OF "A window curtain.
He mas a peculiar way OF playing that .
The heggar across, the street chopped
his song in the middle. ana changed to a
popular air, Its Up to You 10 DO the
Rest" He rose suddenly, swayed back
and forth on his rlckcty legs. ceased
playing, and shambed down the street
strange that blind man across the
street should have seen me touch the
window curtain. He must have very
keen eyes" mused Poe. stepping to a
shawan disguise In the shape OF a neat
little mustache. with a quick twist of
his tie and n rumplins Of his hair he
changed his appearance remarkably,
raYir ND
him. put on a soft black felt hat and
went down to the street. following two
blocks behind the blind beggar and not
taking his eyes OF him once.
AT Fiftieth street the ragged fellow
took a Fifth avenue bus downtown, Poe
followed In taxi. The beggar left the
bus at Washington arch. and started rap
idly toward Blocker street.
"He's forgetting his shuttle. Doesn't t
stop to tap his cane often enough, Poe
noted with amusement, as he followed on
foot
At a dismal alley the street musician
turned In. Poe listened, and heard him
clump up two flights OF squeaky stairs
Following into the tenement. he eau
tlously ascended TO the third floor. There
he found dark corner, and waited.
From a room at the front of the hall came
the sound Of mouth organ repeating
two tunes alternately. only the flrst part
OF each. Poe noted the words OF the
songs carefully.
Five minutes later the door opened,
and a young, bright-eyed foreign-lookins
fellow stepped out. going quickly down
"our blind beggar," Poe smiled ,to to
shoes, and only brushed the ashes OH MS
hat and altered its shape q little.
Poe crossed TO the door the young fei-
low had left, and unlocked 1T With a
slender skeleton key as easily as though
he were entering his own nome. AS soon
as he was inside. he made a carelGl sur
vey OF the small, cluttered room, iound
he was alone. and quickly sorted over a
pile OF thumbed sheet music on tne peu,
had heard on the mouth organ lay to-
rether. He selected those and several
other pieces OF music, among 1S tns'i =
"Tenting on the Old Camp Gr1omo' Sta
placed them In his pocket, ana, after
casual cxamina ton of The other things IN
the room; left directly. ~,
AZ dinner alone he read carefully the
words of the songs he hhu 1ahen VII ~
him Having finished, he expressed nis
satisfaction in the contemplalve Sinok-
Inp of a long after dinner cigar ana took
an hours stroll. At length he found
himself in front OF the maeuregor man
sion. ,r,
Near by was cab. with a uniformed
Goa Imam standing on the curb. Zoe roS
approached him, and slipped a 30 Dill
=" I'm Iln Hardy. the man you mistook for
one of the looters at the Gramercy Na-
tional, Clancy" he said, m ANXIOUS
to be let alone on tilS Jop' GU ""it
waste any of your detective .prowess on
me tonight. I hope. You'll have plenty
to do In the regular direction OF your
work
"Oh, no. no. SIR" said the hired de-
tectivc laughing awkwardiy. Il recog-
nZe you now. sir. / won't mistake YOU
again. You were. with Mrs MacGregor
all this morning"
Yes l may ask YOU TO help me TO-
night" answered Christopher Poe, Gid
ing up to the MacGregor porch. and TAX
Ing his stand in shadow behind pill
lar,
Twice he drew out his watch anX-
lously At length the chimes OF neigh
boring clock sharply recorded the hour
OF 10 on the monotonous. even hum or
the city night,
Poe started Something whizzed past
his face, Before me. could jump back
light leaped at his feet. He snatched
up an indstlnct object and rushed 10
the door, pressing the bell. Andrew, |
with wild eyes, flung the door wide open |
to him.
Quick Where is Mrs. MacGregor?"
ordered Poe,
\ minute later he was opening the OBJ |
iect that had landed at his feet az The |