The Delta independent., 1916-01-21
CHAPTER xiv.


Old s;hoes.
I'm telling you these facts" contin-
ned Haggerty. so you won't waste
any time getting down { cases. Every
move you've made for tn last six
months is jotted down in little book
in my pocket. All 1 want" he added.
taking out small India ink pad and q
square Of white paper, all want Is
an impression of your thumbs After
that, why. we can talk. Do you OBJ
iect?"
Not in the least" said Crawford
-eadily. I'm very anxious to know
That all this damned nonsense
means"
He angrily dabbed both thumbs up
on the pad and printed them upon the
square OF paper. Through glass
Haggerty very carefully compared the
Impression with the treasured photo
graph. His brows bent. All this work
like this one. The Lecocqs and
V!docqs and Corentins of his library
were invariably men OF marvellous ed
ucation. chemists, biologists, linguists.
diplomats and all that. pedantically
quoting from Montague and La Roche
foucauld and Voltaire and Rousseau
He would have wagered his next ten
drawings against that fat black cigar
that Haggerty had never heard of
The Purloined Letter." On the other
hand he was real. deeply and terribly
versed In the ways of humanity, not .
symbolical Javert He was a great
detective. for here he was at the end
OF the chase. beaten by q peculiar
phase and not by stupidity. The pa
thence. the infinite painstaking. that
had brought him like true hunting
hound into this room! f1r -oa
Haggerty blew out thick clouds Of
smoke. then sucked II in gratefully.
All my fault" repeated Crawford
I've made a criminal out OF an honest
man."
Don't you worry about that" reas-
ured Haggerty. Let me tell you some
thing. We're all criminals, only some
Of us go through without provocation
r opportunity. Get me?'
Tho others nodded.
We'll. nobody puts his hand int
another mans jewel-box for tn sport
OF it-unless he's a rich man like you,
4hi. VI Wioid, oil WdHtb All tACltlnk
Joke. Whata you know about Mason
before you hired him."
Crawford thought for q moment.
Nothing. II recall It. he came to me
without recommendations"
'Uh-huh." Haggerty turned round
his cigar luxuriously. How'd you
know he wasn't off-color when you
hired him."
Why. man. he's had a thousand
chances to rob me. OF big sums. too.
over there. Joint letters-ofcredit for
thousands. and loose money besides"
AN in a minute the whole worid'd
know he did it, observed Haggerty.
No; our man amt that kind. Saw
his chance when you fooled with tn
safes. He had some patience believe
me-"
But why, why? He had twelve
hundred the year and all his expenses
and no family. Where's your motive? %
Listen here. Men an women com.
init murder an robbery for two things
nothing else; for love an stakes Z
gamble with. Think 1t over. 1t all
comes down 4 that. There ain't any.
thing else. Love an stack o. chips
! amt one O. those philosophical guys
MIR. Crawford: I'm talking from ex
| perience. know more about actual
ufe in one minute than these book
guys with ten Carnegie libraries
stacked behind EN-. You might add
jealousy: but that's only love turned
wrong side out. Love an chips It Is.
Graveiy Crawford took out his poker
winnings.
What's that for?" asked Haggerty
"Twenty-four hours" begged Craw
ford; for feel like n criminal my
self Twenty-four hours" n-irt
The poor mani" said the girl. tim
idly touching Haggerty's arm.
III l took that money II wouldn't
be fair 4 you. sir. Twenty-four hours'll
do him no good. They're hunting for
him all over town now-every rail-
road, every boat. ferry, street car
cab. From coast Z coast. north an
south. too; tomorrow there won't be a
town as small as your fist where they
won't be looking for him. An he's
easy. No ordinary phiz. An have his
thumbprint. tn best photo going. Tn
newspapers guy ~ . lot. but we 90
' - IL ls.~A =.