The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-17
A Detective
Episode
By ANDREW CUMMINGS

VI a dttcSliNe DuTtdu, L neTsudueu uiin
TO give me trial He said he would
as soon as he had simple case. for
since | was not experienced he would
not trust me with difficult one.
In due time he called me to his office
and said TO me-
Il have letter from a woman this
morning to say that Jim Harker,
crook we have been looking for. is to
leave the city by a certain train to-
morrow. We have him corraled. but
he Is going 10 make an attempt 10
break through. The reason given by
the informer is that he is going In COM
pany with another woman. who is her
rival. Such communications may b.
sincere or they may be tricks TO cover
a retreat. | can give you man 10 as
sist you if you like
1t occurred to me that if were sue
cessful my assistant would claim the
credit. and ii | failed hc would point
out wherein | had been mistaken.
preferred To choose my own helper and
took with me Frank Walker. a chum of
mine who had written detective story
remarkable for its ingenuity He
would have been glad of an upportu-
nifty To show that he could do as well
in real detective work ns in fiction had
he not considered the case beneath his
ability.
] had been shown photograph of
Harker on file In the rogues' gallery
and noted his features carefully, fixing
them in my mind. Consequently had
no difficulty in recognizing him when
saw him in the station In company
with a fiashily dressed woman, who
betrayed her anxiety for him constant
ly. despite her efforts to conceal 1t.
Walker from the start manifested IA
disposition to take the most important
part OF the work into his keeping. leav-
ing the unimportant part to me.
IL think we had better divide the
watch between U.S." he said They
are liable to separate, and We should
have it arranged which one you will
shadow. I'll take the man. II you like.
and you take the woman"
suggested that we had better ar
rest them both at once. but Walker
seemed desirous to make something
dramatic OF 1t and demonstrated, urg
ing that we must first get them where
they could not get away. l yielded to
him, and when the fugitives entered
the car we got in too.
II don't understand. Frank" l said.
why the crook Is leaving town with
out Disgusting himself He is an ex-
act duplicate of his picture"
That's what spois the Job" was
Walkers reply; Its altogether too
dead easy
\ woman sat In a seat on the other
side Of the aisle from us who seemed
to be interested In us. | whispered to
Frank n caution not to appear to be
watching our quarry, for l suspected
this person OF having noticed us doing
so. Presently Frank went to the end
Of the car for n drink of water, and
while he was gone the woman op
posite came to me and said I'm a low
tone:
Reckon you're on to Jim Harker
I'm the party that gave the informa
tion on the bloke. Don't try to take
him unless you're armed and get him
where he can't shoot. He's a desper
ate man. The woman with him Is
wanted. too. but If you get him you1
) do well. Don't try to do too much"
BY the time Walker returned to bis
seat the woman had returned to hers.
As we approached a town of impor
ft,ct hafarA Inf
station the woman with Harker 20
up and went to the saloon which wa
at the rear OF the car. moment late
Harker boted 10 the front car door
), Frank dashed after him. and starte'
to 30 In the other direction to the sa
: loon when the woman who had givel
us the information got In my way.
Where are you going?" she crie'
excitedly. Don't you see that you
!, man has gone out by the forwart
: door,
Let me pass" | said angrily. M
q friend Is going after him. I'm to ge
the woman"
"See here" she retorted. bristlinl
;. i've put you on to this thing. and
don't propose to have II spoiled b
: your stupidity. | tell you Jim Harke
|. has gone in the other direction"
!, She kept me as long as she coult
= then let me 20 by. When I got to th
saloon found 1t empty. The woma
i. had gone out by the rear door. wen
: on to the platform, but there were s
: many persons moving hither and thiti
: er that | could not distinguish he
. among them.
There seemed nothing for me to d
!, but wait for Walkers return. With
!. half an hour he came In with hl
quarry Frank had armed himself wit
revolver. a deputy sheritf's badge an
!, a pair of bracelets. the latter article
:, being now ON his prisoners wrists.
Il got him." said Frank. evidentl
- very proud of himself.
"Im clad Won didn't get killed on II