The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-07-05
A Detective
Episode
., ANDREW CUMMINGS

OF detective bureau, persuaded him
to give me q trial. He said be would
a. soon as hs had simple case, Tor
since ! was not experienced he would
not trust me with a difficult one.
In due time he called me to his ONCE
and said to me:
Il have letter from a woman thit
morning TO say that Jim Harker. a
crook We have been looking for. II 70
leave the city by a certain train TO.
morrow. We have him corraled but
he Is going 70 make an attempt 60
break through The reason given by
the infOrmer Is that he Is going In com
2any with another woman. who Is her
rival. Such Communications may be
sincere or they may be tricks to cover
a retreat. eau give you a man 20 AS
sist you n you like"
IL occurred 10 me that II I were sue.
cessful my assistant would claim the
credit. aud if failed he wonid point
out wherein | bad been mistaken.
preferred to choose my own helper and
took with me Frank Walker. a chum OF
mine who had written a detective story
remarkable for rs ingenuity. He
would have been glad OF an opportu-
nifty 10 show that he could do as well
In real detective work as In fiction had
be not considered the case beneath his
ability.
] had been shown photograph Of
Harlker on die In the rogues' gallery
and noted hls features carefully. fixing
them In my mind. Consequently had
no dIdiculfy In recognizing him when I
nav him In the station In company
With a nasbily dressed woman. wa6
betrayed her anxiety Zoe him constant.
~. despite her efforts 10 conceal Il
Walker from the start manifested
disposition 10 take the most important
part OF the work Into his keeping. lesv-
ing the unimportant part TO me.
Il thlnk we had better divide the
watch between u.s." be aaId. They |
are liable 70 separate, aud we should |
have Il arranged which one you viii |
shadow. I'll take the man. n you like.
and you take the woman"
suggested that We had better ar.
rest them both at once. but Walker
seemed dcsirous 10 make something
OF it and demonstrated. urg-
Ing that we must ilrst get them where
they could not get away. yielded 10
him. and when the fugitives entered
the car we got Ia too.
II don't understand, Frank" I said.
"why the crook Is leaving town with.
out Disgusting himself. He Is an ex-
act duplicate OF his picture"
'-That'a what spoils the Job" was
Walkers reply; 'lts altogether too
lead easy"
A woman SAT Ia q seat on the other
;;.ia OF Ibe aisle from us who seemed
o be interested In Us. I whispered TO
Frank q caution not 10 appear 10 be
our quarry. for I suspected
his person OF having noticed Us doing
70. Presently Frank went 10 the end
n the car for q drink OF water. aud
While be was gone the woman Op-
'oslie came 20 me and said IN q low
one:
Reckon you're on % Jim Harker.
IN the party that gave the lnforma- I
Ion on the bl0ke. Don't try 20 take
Inn unless you're armed and get him
Fhere be can't shoot He's desper
te mnn. The woman with aim n
wanted. Too. bot n you get him ysu1i
o well Dsa't fry 10 do too mueh-
by the tias Walker rcfnsned % his
eat the woman had returned TO hers
Az We approached a town Of impor-
lnce Jusf before We pulled Into the :
Iarion the woman with Hsrker got .
p and went 10 the saloon. which was .
the rear OF the car. A moment later
Larker bolted 10 the front car door. :
rank dashed after him. and started .
} so IN the other direction 70 the sa-
on when the woman who had given
, the information got In m4wsy. =.
Where are you golngf' abe cried
fcitedly. -Don't you see that your
IAN has gone out By the forward
sorT
let me pass- I said angriiy NY
lend Is going after him- I'm to get
le woman" .
See here" she reforted. bristiinr. .
rve pot you ON to this thing. aud .
mt propose 10 have Il spoiled by
,ur stupidity. ! tell you jim Harker
- gone In the other direction"
She kept me a. long ss she could.
zen let me go By. When I got 20 the
loon 1 found Il empty. The woman
III gone 0ut b. the rear door. I went
! 70 the platform. boz there were %
any persons moving hilber aad thifh-
that l could not distinguish Der .
nOng them
There seelned nofhing Tor me 10 DO =
u walt for Walkers return Within .
M an hour he came IA Hifh bis
iarry- Frank had armed himself wifh
revolver. = deluay sherin-s badge and
pair OF bfaeeiela. The latter afficies
ing row oD his rsisoner's wrists.
Il sOf hiui. said Frank. eFidentiy
~ proud u bimseiL
FIN glad you dida'f get kiHed on the
~ 4 replied Mine vas 100 snari
r me
We took tie ereok back With 1s - =
|lIca efafIon