The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-02-02

said he, 81 guess there's no doubt that
you've got a crook on your payroll up
there. 1t must be one of the servants,
because things have been stolen when
there wasn't guest in the house-no-
body but your father and young Mr..
Hollcnder."
willie" said Miss Hollender stern
ly, ''the searchlight Of suspicion is
veering In your direction"
Willie opened his eyes wide with sud-
den interest, and he seemed to expert
ence genuine disappointment when
Conroy said:
"As there's been only one touch
made while Willie was there and some
thing like a dozen when he wasn't. l
guess we'll have to let him out of 1t.
No miss, we've got a sure thing on the
| servants, so far as can see."
you seem confident Of success" re-
marked Clifford.
"Oh, yes, indeedr' responded the de-
tective. "The chances are that I'll spot
an old friend before I've been there
two hours"
San old friend?" said Willie.
Somebody with record, I mean
responded Conroy, somebody with q
mug in the gallery"
"A mug In the gallery?" echoed Cliff
ford.
II beg the young lady's pardon" said
the detective conscious of his rough
phrase. 81 mean portrait at head
quarters. If don't recognize an &C.
Quaintance right away I'll have to look
'em up. And when I've found q record
I've found my thief"
"That is always the theory Of the
police" said Miss Hollender. Really,
Mr.. Conroy, 1 expected to find you
more original"
There's nothing original about
facts" rejoined the detective gravely.
They're all old and hard, as old and
hard as sin. Sin is in the heart, and
1t comes out I'm conduct like sweat
through your skin. 1t comes out early.
I've been In this business good many
years, and, while I've seen first offend
ers, so called, I've never seen thief
that hadn't been dishonest as far back
as you could look him up. You'll find
lot Of things that have been covered
over. This world amt so hard as you
maybe think 1t Is. Criminals are ex-
cused. They're let off over and over
again when they're young, but the evil
Is in 'em, and by and by they come
to their natural wlndup, and that's In
Jail"
Perhaps this may be true as to
thieves" began Clifford-T mean the
petty, habitual 'sneaks;' believe that's
your word for them in America. isn't
1t? But
Its just as true Of all wrongdoers,"
said Conroy sententiously. "Why,
what's all this we hear about these d.
vorces and the breaking up of homes?
Do you ever find one single case where
the guilty party didn't have record?
Take cruelty and neglect and mean
ness and all kinds Of disrespect and
dishonesty to women. I tell you. that
it's in the man, from his youth up. or
he wouldn't do it, Every one of those
divorced and redivorced men is bad
egg and always has been, and you
may take my word for it. And, as for
the women, may the Lord pity and
pardon 'em and lead 'em to a better
life. Amen"
He spoke the closing words with
somber and prayerful earnestness. and
tense silence followed. Percciving
hn ho1 Si
being proud of it, he continued:
''If lady was going to hire a butler
and / should tell her that the man had
been convicted twice of robbery she
wouldn't hire him. but if he's been
convicted twice Of being a bad hus
band she'll marry him.
During tn. Sc remarks wlllie's pale
countenance had been growing red
very fast. At the last his hands went
suddenly to his mouth. oVd he explod
ed behind them with one hysterical
outburst of laughter. Then he rose
hastily and went to the other end CT
the car.
Conroy, surprised, looked hastily into
Miss Hollender's face. The young lady
was beautifully serene; but, with the
corner of an eye, the detective saw
Clifford and perceived that his coun
tenance was darkly clouded.
Immediately the Englishman straight
ened up in his chair and thrust his
hands into the side pockets of his coat
Conroy had often seen a nervous man
hide his hands. 1t is an impulse Of pro-
lection, for the hands are betrayers Of
secrets. In this instance, however.
there was a new phase Of the familiar
act, for Clifford became suddenly rigid,
and the detective knew that his left
hand spasmodically closed upon some
thing in his pocket.
Speaking Of the robberies at Sunny
side" said Miss Hollender placidly, 81
hope your theory will prove true.
would rather we had hired thief
than that we had developed one on
the estate"
Conroy did not reply. He was say
ing to himself: i've hit 'em both. but
the man much the hardest. And. be-
sides. the girls got the blood She's
the Thoroughbred"
Some unimportant things were said,