The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1916-05-11

Colonel Graeme Tor $4ly Booo price.
When do I get In on this?
(Signed) ROBERT BERTRAM.
II know that treatise" said Warren.
1T isn't particularly rare"
Average Jones stared at the tele-
gram In silence. Finally he drawled:
There are-er-books and-er-books
-and-er-things In books. Wait here
for me-"
Three hours later he reappeared
with collar wilted, but spirits elate,
and abruptly announced:
Warren, I'm cobbler."
"A what?"
"A cobbler. Mend your boots. you
know"
Are you in earnest?"
Certainly Haven't you ever re,
marked that serious-minded earnest
ness always goes with cobbling?
Though I'm not really practical cob
bier, but proprietary one. Our friend,
Bertram, will dress and act the prac-
tical part I've wired him and he's re-
piled, collect, accepting the job. You
and / will be In the background"
"Where?"
mo. q Jasmine street. Not very
savory locality. There I've hired the
shop and stock of Mr.. Hans Fichtel for
two days, at the handsome rental of
ten dollars per day. Mr.. Fichtel pur-
poses to take key of beer a-fishing.
I think two days will be enough"
For the keg?"
For that noble Roman, Livius. He'll
be reading the papers pretty keenly
now. And in tomorrow's, he'll find this
advertisement"
Average Jones read from sheet Of
paper which he took from his pocket:
FOUND-OLD BOOK IN FOREIGN
language, probably Latin, marked Per
cival." Owner may recover by giving sat
isfactory description of peculiar and OBJ
scure feature and refunding for adver-
tisement.-Ffchtel, q Jasmine Street.
What is the peculiar and obscure
feature. Jones?" asked Warren.
II don't know"
"How do you know there is any,"
Must be something peculiar about
the book or Enderby wouldn't put in
four months of work on the chance Of
stealing 1t. And it must be obscure,
otherwise the auctioneer would have
spotted It."
Bertram arrived by the first morn
ing train. He protested nightly when
he was led to the humble shoe shop.
He protested more nightly when in
vited to don a leather apron and
smudge his face appropriately to his
trade Average Jones explained to him
that on pretense Of having found a
rare book, he was to worm out OF a
cautious and probably suspicious GRIM
inal the nature of some unique and
hidden feature Of the volume.
Trust me for diplomacy" said
Bertrarn airf1y.
II will because I've got to-" retort-
ed Average Jones. We'll, get to work.
To you the outer shop; to Warren and
me this rear room. And, remember, If
you hear me whetting knife. that
means come at once"
Uncomfortably twisted into sup
posedly professional posture, Bertram
wrought with hammer and last. The
bell tinkled and the two watchers in
the back room heard a nervous, cult
waited voice say:
els Mr.. Fichtel here?"
That's me-" said BertraEa, landing
an agonizing blow on his thumb NAIL
"You advertised that you had found
an old book"
Eyes, sir. Somebody left it in the
post Office"
"Ah; that must have been when I
went to mail some letters to New
York." said the other glibly. From
the advertised description, the book is
without doubt mine. Now as to the
reward"
Excuse me, but you wouldn't expect
me to give it up without any identifi-
cation, sir?"
Certainly not. 1t was the De. Meri-
tbs Librcr-"
II can't read Latin, SIR"
But you could make that much
out" said the visitor with rising exas-
peration. Come; If it's matter OF
the reward-how much?"
II wouldn't mind having q good re-
ward: say ten dollars. But want to
be sure It's your book. There's some
thing about 1t you could easily tell me
sir, for anyone could see it."
"A very observing shoemaker" COM
mented the other with a slight sheer.
"You mean the-the half split cover"
'Whish-swish whish-swish," sound
ed from the rear room.
Excuse me-" said Bertram, who had
not ceased from his pretended work.
II have to get piece Of leather"
Hc stepped into the back room
where Average Jones, his face alight,
held up piece of paper upon which
he had hurriedly scrawled:
MSS. bound into cover. Get 1t out
Of him. Tell him you've brother who
| Is Latin scholar"
Bertram nodded, caught up strip