Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1916-05-05

~ Skinned Up the Tree
About the time the 'dropper' reached
the earth Tuxall lighted up his we'll
oiled barn. All Harwick, having had
it's attention attracted by the explo.
sion, and seen the portent with its own
eyes, believed that huge meteor had
fired the building So Tuxall & Co.
had a well-attested wonder from the
heavens. That's the little plan which
Bailey's presence threatened to wreck
1t was big stake. Do you begin to
see the meaning of the big print nowr
'I've heard nothing about big
prints" said the puzzled clergyman
Pardon me, you've heard but YOU
haven't understood However, to 20
on, Tuxall and our friends here fixed
up plan on the prospects of rich
harvest from public curiosity and
credulity. Tuxall planted big rock
under the barn, fixed it up appropriate
ly with torch and chisel and sent for
the Farleys, who are expert fire.
work and balloon people, to counter
felt meteor"
Amazing" cried the clergyman.
"Such meteor, furthermore, as had
never been dreamed of before If you
were to visit Tuxall's barn, you would
undoubtedly find on the bowlder I'M
derneath it carving resembling hui
man form, hoax more ambitious than
the Cardiff giant. He carted the rock
in from some quarry and did the
scorching and carving himself, l sup
pose"
And you discovered all that in a
half days visit to Harwick?" asked
Rev. Mr. Prentice incredulously.
''No, but in half minutes reading
of the 'gibberish' which you threw
away"
Taking from the desk the reddish
roll which he had brought into the
room with him, he sent the loose end
of it wheeling across the floor, until it
lay, fully outspread. In black letters
against red, the legend glared and
blared its announcement:
MARVELLOUS MANLIKE MONSTER!
Those letters, Mr.. Prentice" pur-
sued the Advisor, measure just three
feet from top to bottom. l had the
combination of a circus poster, an al
legged meteor which burned down
barn in a highly suspicious manner
and an apparently purposeless kid
mapping. All that had to do. then, was
to find the deviser of the three-foot
poster He was sure to be Baileys
abductor."
Say" said Farley with conviction
II believe you're the devils first
cousin"
when you left me in Harwick" said
Rev. Peter Prentice, before Average
Jones could acknowledge this flatter
ing surmise, you said that strangers
had done the kidnapping. How could
you tell they were strangers them
From the fact that they didn't know
who Bailey was, and had to advertise
him. indefinitely, as lost lad from
Harwick'
"And that there were two of them?
pursued the minister
Il surmised two minds: One that
schemed cut the planting OF the
clothes on the shore; the other, more
compassionate, that promulgated the
advertisement"
Finally, then, how could you kno"
that Bailey was injured and uncon-
scious?"
''If he hadn't been unconscious then
and for long after, he'd have revealed
his identity to his captors, wouldnt
he?" explained the Advisor.
There was a long pause. Then the
woman said timidly:
well, and now what?"
Nothing" answered Average Jones
"Tuxall has got away Mr.. Prentice
has recovered his son. You and Far
ley have had your lesson. And I
Eyes, and you. Mr.. Detectiveman'
said the woman, as he paused. "Nha'
do you get out of it?"
Average Jones cast an affectlonat7
glance at the sprawling legend when
disfgured his floor.
a unique curio in my own speclai
line, he replied. IAN ad which never
has been published and never will D.
That's enough for me-"