Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1915-04-16
A Popiinjjay
BY MARGARET c. DEVEREAUX


low who looked as if he had just come
out of a bandbox passed them.
"Who is that guy?' asked one crook.
"Hist!" said the other, and waited
till the young man had got beyond
hearing; then he added: That's a Pin
kertOn. | run across him onct He's
the slickest in the business. I'd know
him through any makeup"
whats he dom here?" asked the
other nervously.
81 reckon he's workiD on the Tenth
National bank business. I've been let
into it that the best men in the Pinker-
ton service are on that case"
"Come off Tom; you're coddin' me-"
"You needn't believe me, Bill, If you
don't want to. I've only given you
what l think anyway"
The crook who had received this in
formation tried to look unconcerned,
but the other noticed that he was very
much concerned. Bill walked away,
and Tom looked after him with evident
amusement "What Sucker. he
said to himself. Il believe he had
something to do with that bank job or
he wouldn't have bit so student. He's
q green one The idea O. that popin-
Jay bein' a detective" And he smoth
cred a laugh.
That same afternoon Bill met the
popinjay again on the street. Bill
looked at him so hard that he attracted
the others attention. This was prob
ably the reason why he looked hard at
Bill. At any rate Bill shuddered and
passed on.
Hes on to me, sure he muttered.
II wonder if I could get out O. town
without his KNOWN it, I'm goin' to
try makeup.
When the o'clock train pulled out
of the station an elderly countryman
with a pair of old fashioned green Cog
giles on his nose sat In seat by him
self looking rs If he had just come
from the haying field, The door at the
front end of the car opened, and who
/ should come in but the popinjay. The
only seat vacant was by the farmer,
and the newcomer took it. The farm
ers eyes being covered by the goggles
and the lower part of his face by
long white beard, no one could see the
contortions of his countenance. Pres
emily he pulled himself together and
said in a low tone to the man beside
him:
What is there in it for me if give
up the stuff
what sxffT' asked the other sur
prised.
"Oh, I'm on to you same as you're on
to me- No need o. fencin'. If put
you on to where the money is hid will
you let me out O the game?"
The stranger turned, looked the
speaker full In the face, surprise, curl
osity, craft and a number of other ex-
pressions struggling for the mastery.
Finally he said
Can you turn it over without the
matter leaking outT'
81 can"
do you want to go anywhere"
"Reckon I'd like to try South Amer
lea for awhile"
"How much would you need?'
How much can you let me haveT'
"How much money have you to turn
over?'
"All that was taken"
The popiniay was stalled He didn't
like to ask what he was supposed to
know. He concluded to take a risk.
"Would five hundred do?"
IF you cant do any better"
every well. Where do we get OFF,
AT Winchester"
Z ion
between the two till they reached Win
chester. where they left the train to
gether
FAR" asked the popinjay as they
stood on the platform.
about two miles"
Cab
A station cabman drove up; the two
got in and were driven beyond the out
skirts Of the town, stopping at a small
house in bad repair. A woman came
to the door, followed by several chill
dren whose faces peered from behind
her. The crook had thrown Off his dis
guise while in the cab and appeared as
himself. The woman looked from one
man to the other anxiously. Bill said
to her: "I've got tired O. this business.
I'm goin' to give up the stuff and take
you and the children to a new country
to make a new beginnin'."
I'm mighty glad O. that" gasped the
woman. I'm dyin' with this load on
me-"
Going into the house, Bill went to the
cellar and brought up package. which
he handed TO the DODintaV who Open-
ed it and, finding a number of bank
bills, counted out a thousand dollars
and handed it back to Bill.
81 thought you made it $500"
81 didn't know you were going to
begin over with your wife and chill
dren. There's $500 for you and $500
for them. Pm no detective. You gave
yourself away TO me needlessly. Our
meeting on the train was cOinci-
n 7 H., L.