Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1915-07-15

rascal who hAs been sweatin9 these
coins, I'd make him.
Giovanni. evidently 10 cover his
confusion. had turned and hurried 10
tho sidehoard where he kept his
change locked MP.
Poe gave Z quick aign 10 BurnA
slipped from hia chair. and dnrted
through the kitchen door.
Giovanni turned lust III time 70 200
poe's feet disappearing into bio prt-
vate kitchen.
.Andatevene." he yelled ont. whiri+
ing around. his face white. hin long
fingers seeking Ia the belt beneath III
vest
He lurched forward. leApsd across
tho Intervening spacS. grasped tho
doorsjamb, and swung into the kitoh-
On.
Christie! Chiudets Ii portal. hs
screamed. sprinKing Tor Poe. who hAsa
stopped before the stove md opened
the ash door.
Poe leaped 10 hin fest, 0v4ded Clio
vanni's clutch with On expert twlst.
and burst through the outer doorway
into the small veatibulo. whers ha
snatched up the heavy ash-sifter from
the top OF barrel.
Giovanni. hin teeth hafu. screamink
In rage. strapped = long. keen knifs
from the meAt.hlock. aE:a lenpNd
through thu doorway after him.
Drop thatl" yelled Burns runhine
In from behind. revolver drawn ma
ready.
Al the huiking big cook spranx fus
Poe with hin vicious knife. Poe swuna
with the ahort-handled ash-sifsar and
smashed Il full force ID HI frAntie
face.
"Quick!" Pos sisnaled 10 Burns
who stood stupened - thu tsp Ok ~
ash-siftsr wAs smashed Id. ana lks
contents whissed through tho ar; 4
stining cloud of ashss, ! pAtter 81
clinksrs and coal. ana, chief Of Ill. y
shower Of shimmerins gold pieces
which cut into Gioyanni's battered
face and whissed paSt biz head Gold
coins were hurled II III directions
from the ash-sifter.
Al the cook. daxed ana blinded,
slashed at Poe With the knife, Burns
leaped upon his from behind ana
pinionod his arms To his side. wreet
ing the blade from him.
A rush Of feet wAs heard III th4 -
| taurant. 10 tho customer came "a
their senses and new 20 0iovanni's -
sistAnce.
Through here! Quicki'' cried no
He caught up handful III raid
pieces that had scattered from the
ash.sifter. grabbed 0ioyauni's lsgs.
and. with Burns supporting the uppss
part OF the cooks body. dashed down
the steps into the alley.
A shot rang out from behind u
they swung Into tho street. ana
showed tho struggling cook into the
open door Of q taxi that Poo had III
waiting two stores beic~.
Poe dexterously tied tho frantic.
fightlng cook. and BY the time -
had finished tho taxi-driyer had stor-
ped In front OF the police station.
Poe spoke TO lieutenant, and
three plain-clothes men rushed on III
once 70 capture the little wholesale
merchant from whom Poe had OBJ
tanned the sweated twenty ana ten
dollar gold pieces. Poe. at hin own
request. was locked alone lii the cell
with Giovanni.
After half m hour ha came out
smiling. and joined Burns. who told
him that the Wholesale grocery dealer
had been easily captured and Just
locked up. He pressed Poe for al a.
PLANTATION. The banker-detectiye was
jubilant; after disposing OF few d.
tails with the police he ordered taxi.
and when they had started for homo
drew . dsep breath and turned u
Burns.
Wasn't II great. hs exclaimed.
did you think I'd rubbed Aladdin,s
lamp when | conjured Ill those gold
pieces out Of the coal and ashes II
| the sifter?'
Il didn't know. How on earth dId
you guess the gold was there!''
THAT puzzled mo for WHILE
smiled Poe. "But slipped around 10
the back porch, listened for J minute
to Giovanni shaking the sitter, ana
finally took = handful Of ashes from
barrel standing there. took the hand
full to . chemist friend. and asked him
for an analysis for traces OF gold. His
analysis showed that In the handful
Of dust was 30 per cent emery and
per cent pure gold.
"You don't mean lit" exclaimed
Burns excitedly.
Yes. II startled me too. But re-
called an old unique case In which
some sweaters had placed gold coins
In burlap sack, and shaken them un-
I'll enough dust had been worn on.
Then they burned the sacks, and col
iected the dust that had adhered Ia
the cloth. and sold II through regular
jewelers. findings jobbers who buy
scrap gold and silver. just found
out from Giovanni that he and his
brother had used practically the same
method, shipping the carefully made
ash-barrels to q secret cellar, where
the pure gold was melted from the
4~hU