The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-01-08
Told While '.""'
Waiting For
A Train
By EDITH v. ROSS

must have lots Of queer ase to tell
about. Can't you give me one while
we're waiting for the train?"
Bentley looked at his watch. The
train was due at 1915, and it was just
1905.
1.-The only one l can think Of that IL
short enough to get into ten minutes
Is a case wherein a valuable sapphire
had been stolen. The thief was known.
and all there was t do was to get the
property. A jewel Is 80 smah that It
can he easily got away with. or II
necessary to the thiefs safety It ear
be lost either where it can be found
by him or where It can never be re
Overed.
stolen the stone from n who saw
him take it Therefore there was no
doubt about It. was telephoned for
Immediately and was with the owner
five minutes after the theft. He de.
scribed the thief to me-a man with red
head. striped waistcoat and tuft Of
beard on his chin. He had rome up the
6lICcL. "uS I ulJu III NiIJ lSNuN
the property.
Not much chance. eh! IN rs jus
what it was-chance. / hur:i,s! ~, tie
street and had the good Iurk t" ,r
man as described coming III: ul :: ~
eler's. That was enough for re II
might have sold the sapphire 10 ih'
jewelr. If so It would keen: if t.
it was my job to get it followed
him to another jewelers. and. going in
after him, waited for him to offer the
article for sale. But he gave me Il
suspicious look. asked the jeweler to
show him some scarfpins and went out
without betraying himself.
"Of course | followed him. Being
quite sure from his having entered the
second store that he had not yet parted
with the stone and believing that he
had it on his person. l Swallowed him
or. rather. kept close to him, in order
that he might not drop it without my
seeing him do it, OF course this gave
me away to him. and it was not long
before he knew what ! was about,
though l fancy he wondered how ! got
on to him so quickly and possibly how
l got on to him at all. for he did not
know that he was seen to take the
property.
1.-The problem with him now was how
he could elude me. if not how he could
get rid Of the gem in a way that woul
admit Of his getting it again. or. If this
also was impossible, how he might drop
it where it would be lost to him. He
lodged into alleys. cut into back yards.
went through buildings. but l kept not
over twenty yards behind him. Then
he took a trolley car. l boarded it and
took a seat opposite him. but the car
was sc crowded that If had attempt
ed to take the sapphire from him he
might have been able to lose it with
out my knowledge.
He stuck to the car till it reached the
terminal which was on the outskirts
where the car stopped. beyond that
open ground. My quarry set of walk,
ing on a road till he came to q fork.
There he hesitated which road to take.
and | made up my mind that he was
losing his nerve.
HE didn't take either road. but. stoop-
ing. picked up several stones. l knew
what they were for and drew my re
volver. Suddenly he turned and stood
ut bay. The next thing l knew a stone
grazed my cheek. l called on him to
stop throwing stones and give himself
up. producing my revolver to enforce
my demand. Whether or not he believ
cd l wouldn't shoot. he kept on throw
ing such stones as he picked up on the
road. some large. some small. At last
| fired a shot to miss. and this brought
him to terms
"I want a valuable sapphire you
have in your possession l said.
81 amt got no sapphire was the
logged reply
81 advanced and arrested him. TAX.
ing him back to the trolley terminal
near which was a police station. l took
him to the latter and searched him.
THE sapphire was not to be found.
HE had beaten me after all. The
only course left me was to drop him.
putting another man IN to him to shad.
ow him with a view to being on hand
when he regained the stolen property
that is, If he had got rid of it where
he could find it again. So l held him
till ! had got a man from the agency,
then let him go. ! took "A trolley car
back to town. and the thief took the
same car: also the man I had directed
to shadow him
"Prichard on the way home abused
me soundly. declaring that | had in
tended to rob him and he would have
me arrested and sent up. I paid no at
tention to him, buying IN evening
newspaper and re-; ding it. When we
reached the cit! | eft him in charge
Of my DEBUT, and went home to din
ner
THE npA, morning when ! went to
! the office there was Prichard in charge
IF i; policeman. My shadower had
wait he'd al night before the house
where ne had slept and in the morn
ing immediately after daybreak had
followed him without himself being