The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-08-13

an assortment of the stuff to my New York agent and he could do nothing with it. I guess it's just as well, for I believe the success of the process is due to some peculiar quality in the city water, which I have not analysed. I tried to prepare the material in Chi cago and New York and had failures in both places"
 Waningford puzzled over that state ment for moment and then he chuckled.
 q see." he said. .'If you had made a hit with it the city council would have declared it an official enterprise.'
 Blackfe's whiskers arrived in a bulky package on the first mail Tuesday morning and Blackie, who had kept impatient1y out of sight on Monday, in- sisted on wearing the red Galways and wig to breakfast, in spite of WaIling- ford,s dismayed protest J. Rufus post lively refused to appear with him on the street in that make up, so Blackie went alone, made the round of the square and walking boldly into the general merchandise store attended by a dozen small boys and Dummy Long shank, purchased from the amazed Caosby himself a spool Of black cotton thread No. 40, dozen clothes pins and cake of beeswax!
 In the afternoon he added Iuxurf- ant black goatee to his own pointed black mustache and, making motions like Frenchman, infested the public places until he had large enough fol lowing and entered Closby's store,
 In the evening, as soon as it was properly dark, Blackie made him a mask out Of some blue cambric, went back through the brickyard, climbed up on Closbyss high board fence and sat there smoking through hole in his mask, absolutely motionless other wise, for q solid hour, while the. popu- lace quiveringly watched.
 Blackie's actions were so openly mysterious that Mayor Sawberry him self came to Wallingford in protest on "Wednesday morning
 ssyour man, Holiness is mighty care less about his disguises, he complain ed after having duly introduced him self. Henry Closby's bound to know around for"
 Wallingford, who was annoyed into an itching rash by this most absurd of all BIackie's many roles, was, however, prepared for this emergency. He is doing that to throw MT. Clos by off the track" he asserted. He in tends C1osby to know who he is and to keep so much in his eyes that he will not think of me-
 'sBut what good does it dor" persist ed the mayor.
 lust this,' said Wal1ingford im- pressively While my assistant has been attracting attention to himself I have been finding out things. For in- stance, Henry C1osby is making net profit of over $500 a week out of a product of this town about which you, Mir Mayor, know nothing
 The mayors chest sank in like de. Hated balloon. You don't mean it!'' ha gasped painfully.
 Look at this letter. insisted Wal hngford calmly.
 He handed Mayor Sawberry letter bearing the business card of B. F. Tut tie and addressed to Henry Closby. With oily fingers the mayor opened that letter, with no more compunction than if it had been addressed to him. self. He read as follows:
 My Dear MT. Closby-I take pleasure in calling your attention to the fact that your royalties are steadily increasing, be- ing g, 50 for this month, increase of nearly $50 over last month and of over
 
 est shipment looks very promising. By the way, think you had better send me sample of the spanglerville city water for analysis M the table before him and viewed it with bulgfng eyes. Hes been using the city waterl' he puffed.
 Exactly, agreed Wallfngford, in speeding the absorbed mayor with scant liking. Your city water possesses some delicate chemical property that makes it highly valuable to Mr. Closby in secret process of art manufacture. This letter shows just how valuable
 The new letter was from a New York bank, and the mayor opened it with fingers that trembled from indignation. He read:
 My Dear MT. Closby-As per your re- quest we inclose herewith an itenaized statement of the amounts deposited with us to your credit by your agent, MT. Tut tie We trust that by comparing this with your duplicate deposit slips you will be able to locate the slight discrepancy between your estimated balance and ours.
 Within, on a long folded slip and compiled by an adding machine, was a statement of steadily growing monthly deposits extending back over three years and totaling to over $4O,OOO mostly invested in bonds.
 To say that MT. Sawberry was horri- fled is putting it mildly. And we have trusted that manr' he declared in sorrowful anger. What does he manu- facture?''
 Solemnly Wallingford produced from behind the bureau the illuminated checkerboard and placed it before the mayor. By it's side he set an ebony box. it's lid and sides apparently inIatd with glass in elaborate Louis Qu1nze decorations.
 The mayors sorrowful indignation increased. And he never showed these things to SpanglervilleY' he com plained bitterly.
 Never once,' agreed Wal1ingford Why. these things could have been Lr-- ,s%