Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-17
What's In 4 Name?

49,
Not drunk" put IN.
NO, but il seem, i little queer. Wait
till YOU hear the note Josephine sends me.
Can you hear plainly 4"
"Yes. Don't get toQ close to the tele-
hone. and read clearly. Fire away"
she says. Dear mother, I'm sorry to
bother You. but ! find that cousin Mar
gar,t j. giving rather 4 grand dinner. She
asks me t. wear my best Jewclry; . ~
sending Matthew back for II. Pat my
Jewel ease in Il plain satchel anu let him
bring il Ia me ID once. She has under
lined 'at once Do You follow
"Ye~. Go aheadI'
.'Then she writes. OF course, Matthew
won't know what he, bringing, - II VIII
be all safe. Lovingly yours
WELL" ! began, Il don't See
But my wife interrupted me:
Hold on for 4 minute. ! am moi
through. Sc signs it, Lovingly yours,
Josephine Dure~S Baker
''.Josephine-what! ?" | asked.
Josephine Dure~s. D-u-r-e-s-9-Du-
ress Baker,
made my wife spell il out again 10 be
SIRE. And then was silent while |
thought il over. There WAS something
queer about that signature, when Won con
slider that Joscphine's middle name i
Wallace.
INV dear. | don't know what to say.
/. the signature in her writing
positively"
And it j. clearly 'Dure>e,' plainly writ
tene"
II am certain Of it,
You know what 'duress' means"
Not exactly. 1t j. 4 law word. isn't
it!"
Yes. Ii means under compul>ion, or
against ones will She means that she
was forced to write that note. Don't you
sect"
.Oh. John. where i she!r came IN 4
pitiful tone.
Now, keep cool, dear. She has been q
clever girl. and We must work quickly.
WELL said my wife. checking a sob, !
thought something ought to he done, and
80 | told the maid TO give Matthew some
thing 10 eat while | got the things ready.
lie i down in the kitchen now
Keep him there. and tell him anything
meanwhile. I'm going To call up a man
who will let H. know what 10 do. How
long can YOU keep him."
Half an hour. But hurry. John"
And did hurry. Within 4 very few
minutes was in a taxi. on my way e the
office 81 4 man who has done some clean
detective work for our company a shrewd,
quick fellow. | told him first 10 order a
fast ear brought around while ! talked.
Then | told the story ~ briefly and
strongly ~ ! could.
"Now." said |. you must find out some
way of holding that man."
In 4 minute or two he had the police
officials of our suburb on the telephone,
and since thcv knew him and me. We were
lucky enough To find the captain on duty
in the office. We ordered them 10 arrest
Matthew for The larceny of the car-for
il was larceny 10 u~e il Tor h~ own
purpu-e,-and to hold him until We could
get there "a quickly a We could SPIN over
the intervening distance.
We took some risks even III the city
limits. but ignored All speed regulations
a soon a. we were on the open roads.
When We reached the house. We found
that the police captain was holding our
friend Matthew, IN spite Of some loud talk
and threats. The captain was not to he
bluffcd. and did hi- duty-or 4 little more
til we were on the spot. lie was glad
to zee H.. though-much gladder than
Matthew, apparently.
And then my detective assistant showed
what he va, made Of. He talked ~ Mat
thew without temper, but IN a Bc~~emrr-
steel tone. which took the defiance ont
of that scalawag. When he spoke eff look
Ing ~ Matthew past record. saw the
Young man 90 white; and before long the
criminal yellow streak showed. and Mat
thew caved in. lie con~entcd-nu will
lngly. but a~the lesser ctil-t 4" take a.
Ia the place where my daughter was wait
ing hi return.
We rode up. after a roundabout course.
to Il lonely little shack which looked like
an abandoned farm house. A. we came
ont where We could be- seen, saw "
men and 4 lively old woman skipping ont
from the back of the house and making
off al full speed. They were soon ron-
ccalcd in Il little neck Of woods. and that
was the last wc saw vi them. M doubt
they had seen NJ two men IN the ear with
Matthew. and had guessed that the game
wa~ M: - they had wisely vamu~ed.
Then. ~ We approached the house. Jo-
~ephine came running out To meet IL.